Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: Ichiro Suzuki and Stars Who'll Have Big Years

The MLB season officially got underway today in Japan with the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics facing off. Things won't really kick into high gear until next week, however, which means there's still plenty of time for your fantasy baseball draft.

Here are three players currently being drafted well below their actual value, making them good targets in the middle rounds. They should be well worth the investment by season's end.

Madison Bumgarner

Bumgarner took several big strides toward becoming an ace last season. His strikeout rate improved markedly and he still managed to decrease his walk rate. If he would have received a little bit more luck, he would have finished as one of the top fantasy starters.

The left-handed Giants star won't turn 23 until August, illustrating exactly how much upside he possesses. As long as he continues to build off last year's success, the luck factor should fall a little bit more into his favor.

That should lead to terrific numbers, especially pitching in his pitcher-friendly home park. Don't let somebody else snag him before you.

Projection: 3.20 ERA, 15 wins

Ichiro Suzuki

It's no surprise Suzuki's draft stock has dropped off considerably since he's coming off the worst season of his career. The perennial .300 hitter fell to just .272 in 2011, which hurt his numbers across the board because the Mariners' fan favorite wasn't able to utilize his speed as much.

The main reason his batting average didn't live up to his usual standards was a low BABIP. That should rebound, at least more toward his career average. Since he'll be on base more, his steal and run numbers will also level out.

Ultimately, Ichiro isn't an elite outfield option anymore, but he's still going to have a big bounce-back season. He's certainly an underrated player to target.

Projection: .305 average, 35 steals

Jayson Werth

After signing a monster contract last offseason, Werth wasn't able to provide the Nationals with the type of production they were expecting. He watched his average and on-base percentage plummet, causing him to become a fringe fantasy commodity.

I believe the biggest reason for his struggles was simply pressure. Whenever a player is given a franchise-player type contract, sky-high expectations come along with it. Werth wasn't able to handle that following a slow start.

The expectations are significantly lower heading into this season and that will allow him to thrive in Washington. He's too good of a hitter to struggle so mightily again.

Projection: .265 average, 22 home runs, 20 steals