Fantasy Baseball: Under the Radar Starters Who Will Strengthen Your Rotation

When heading into your fantasy baseball draft, it's good to have a list of players you would like to draft at each position, and you want to make sure these five guys are among your starting pitcher options.

While none of them will be leaving the draft pool around the same time as Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum, they will be steals for you in the middle rounds.

In fantasy baseball, and with pitchers especially, it's important to be able to focus on the numbers and not the names. While these five hurlers aren't your household type names at their position, they will become reliable workhorses for whoever drafts them.

Jhoulys Chacin

Don't worry, I can't pronounce his name either.

That point aside, Colorado Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, like when his 9.04 strikeout-per-nine inning ratio ranked as the second highest output in franchise history back in 2010.

Chacin had high expectations after a solid rookie year, and he delivered...for half of 2011 at least. The Venezuelan pitcher posted a 3.16 ERA, eight wins and 12 quality starts before last years All-Star break. The 3.16 ERA isn't what fantasy managers like to see, but out of a Colorado pitcher in that small little ballpark, you have to realize that's pretty decent.

After the midseason festivities were over, Chacin struggled to say the least. ESPN's Tristan Cockroft believes this hurler's latter season woes were due to growing pains for the 24-year-old. While Chacin's slider has made him into the quality source for Ks, his fastball still needs fine-tuning to scare big league batters.

After an offseason with the Rockies' pitching coaches and another year to mature in the majors, Chacin is a candidate to reemerge as his 2010 and early 2011 self.

Jordan Zimmermann

While he's not as big a name as Edwin Jackson, Gio Gonzalez and especially not pitching sensation Stephen Strasburg, don't forget about Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann on draft day.

Even with Washington placing a 160-inning limit on Zimmermann due to Tommy John surgery back in 2010, he put together an eight win season with a fantastic 1.73 walks-per-nine inning ratio.

Zimmo was a decent strikeout option last year, averaging almost seven per nine frames. Considering that Jackson and Strasburg will be pitching the first two games for that Nats in a series, then have Zimmermann face the other team's No. 4 option, he'll always have a solid matchup on his hands.

I'm a big believer in the Wisconsin-born National this year, he's primed for a breakout season as a member of one of the most formidable National League pitching staffs.

Matt Garza

Some fantasy analysts will tell you that Matt Garza had an underrated 2011, I would say it went under-appreciated as well.

The Chicago Cubs starter has always had a stigma attached to his name with fantasy managers. He'll get you a bunch of strikeouts, only to post a nasty ERA that hurts your squad. Well, that may have been true a few years ago, the former Tampa Bay man posted his lowest ERA output in his career.

The California-born pitcher had a 3.32 ERA over almost 200 innings pitched last year, with 197 Ks to boot. That strikeout total was also a career-best, logging more than Mat Latos, Ricky Romero and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Chicago hasn't been known to be a pitcher's friend in the wins department, but it's not smart to be chasing that stat in the draft anyways. Garza gives a fantasy manager reliable numbers in the strikeout department and seems to be putting all the pieces together on the mound.

Jeremy Hellickson

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson is the main reason the team felt it could part ways with Matt Garza, and he's certainly showing that to be a savvy management decision.

The one they call "Hellboy" was one of the most highly touted prospects back in 2010, and last year marked his first full season in the MLB. Hellickson wowed right away, winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award thanks to his outstanding first year performance.

Posting a 2.95 ERA with a decent 117 Ks and 13 wins isn't a bad way to start your big league career, and the young gun now finds himself apart of one of the most dangerous and talented rotations in all the league.

Paired with new rookie sensation Matt Moore, returning veterans James Shields and David Price, this staff is going to be a headache for their opposition. Like Jordan Zimmermann, his spot in the rotation should give him favorable pitching matchups all year.

Expect Hellboy to keep raising some in 2012.

Shaun Marcum

Before I start this slide about why you should draft Shaun Marcum, I should mention I may or may not have a mancrush on this guy.

I saw Marcum pitch for my hometown New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Double-A years ago, and followed his career with Toronto and now the Brewers.

The Missouri State product has been one of the most under the radar and consistent hurlers since joining the bigs in 2006. Marcum has back-to-back 13-win seasons with two different teams, with almost the exact same numbers in terms of ERA, strikeouts and WHIP.

According to ESPN, he has spent the winter season strengthening his core and attempting to involve his legs more in his delivery. Their fantasy team currently has him ranked as the 34th best fantasy option at starting pitcher.

Marcum's price in the draft won't be high, and if you can grab him to be your third option in your rotation, you best do it. In a game where consistency among players is hard to find, Marcum stands as one of the most reliable pitchers to produce the numbers you expect on draft day.