Fantasy Baseball 2012: 5 Value Players to Target Later in the Draft

Fantasy baseball is a tricky thing to master.

There needs to be a balance on the roster: While the top players in baseball tend to be very well-rounded and supply good balance for a fantasy roster, the players taken later in a fantasy draft must be role-players, much like in real baseball.

5.  J.J. Hardy

Last season was Hardy's first with the Baltimore Orioles, and while his batting average and on-base percentage certainly left something to be desired at .269 and .310, respectively, he still scored 76 runs, hit 30 home runs and drove in 80 runs.  With a preseason ranking of 98, it is certain that people know what he is capable of, but expect his batting average and on-base percentage to keep him from being picked before the 11th round.

4.  Jason Kipnis

Kipnis had 136 at-bats last season, and hit .272 with a .333 OBP.  He is ranked at 882, based mainly off the fact that the upcoming season will be his first full season in the majors.  In three seasons in the minors, he only hit 29 home runs, yet he managed seven last year in the pros.  There is certainly a lot of upside for Kipnis, since he could easily be a last-round pick up to fill the roster.

3.  Wilson Ramos

In his first year of extended playing time in the majors, Ramos had a stat line that reads .267/.334/.445. He added 15 home runs and 52 runs batted in.  Given the talent that the Nationals have surrounding him and the extra at bats he will see as their full time backstop, it is easy to think that Ramos is going to have a very solid year ahead of him.  Add to that his position as a catcher—where one can never have too much depth in fantasy—and he is a great late-round addition to the roster.

2.  Danny Valencia

Almost the entire Twins roster had a down year last season, and Valencia was no exception.  He did manage to still drive in 72 runs, score 63 runs and hit 15 homers.  His .246 batting average and .294 OBP are going to scare most fantasy owners away, so he will certainly be a late-round steal who should bring his average back up to at least .280 this season.

1.  Gordon Beckham

Beckham had a terrible season last year with a stat line that read .230/.296/.337.  He struck out a career high 111 times, and had career lows in runs batted in with 44 and walks with 35.  It wasn't all his fault though, as the White Sox lineup was inconsistent at best.  Expect Beckham and the rest of the Sox lineup to have a bounce back year.

The average pick for the highest-drafted player on this list is in the 12th round (Hardy) and the lowest is undrafted (Kipnis).  These are all viable, late-round additions to round out a roster and add depth, or even a few that could be starters in deeper leagues if you miss out on the big name you were hoping for.