Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Back-End Starting Pitchers Worth Picking Up

When drafting a fantasy baseball team, the starting pitchers at the top of your wish list are going to be the No. 1s and No. 2s of the league, with a few No. 3s sprinkled in here and there.

Later in the draft, though, these guys are going to be long gone. If you still have pitching spots to fill out, you have no choice but to start picking and choosing from among the No. 4s and No. 5s of the league. 

It's hard to find diamonds in the rough when the draft gets to this point, but there are five back-end starters in particular that I recommend picking up.

5. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals

Danny Duffy got the call last season and ended up making 20 starts in the majors. He didn't exactly inspire confidence, as he went 4-8 with a 5.64 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP.

What makes Duffy an intriguing fantasy option, however, is his ability to strike hitters out. He's got legit swing-and-miss stuff, and he used it to post a 7.43 K/9 in 2011. His K/9 was routinely over 10.00 during his years in the minors.

Like most young pitchers, the key for Duffy will be to harness his control. He didn't walk too many hitters in the minors, but he had a BB/9 well over 4.00 after he got the call last season. 

You'll be able to get Duffy very late in your draft. If he cuts down on his walks and ups his strikeouts, he's going to be pan out as a tremendous bargain.

4. Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals

With Chris Carpenter on the shelf with an injury, Lance Lynn will get the chance to slide into the Cardinals' starting rotation.

Lynn was very successful as a reliever last season, posting a 2.22 ERA and an 11.84 K/9 in just over 24 innings coming out of the Cardinals' pen. He throws hard, and he makes good use of a curve and a changeup. Classic starter stuff.

Which makes sense, of course. Though Lynn was used primarily as a reliever with the Cardinals last season, he was used as a starter in the Cardinals' minor league system. He didn't show off the best command, but he put up some respectable numbers.

Until Carpenter returns, the Cardinals will hope that Lynn will merely provide five or six innings every time he starts. His WHIP will likely be on the high side, but you're looking at a guy who has the potential to keep runs off the board while racking up strikeouts.

The Cardinals' offense is still solid despite the loss of Albert Pujols, so Lynn could turn out to be a cheap source of wins.

3. Felix Doubront, Boston Red Sox

Felix Doubront hasn't yet been selected as a member of the Red Sox's starting rotation, but all signs point towards him making the cut. ESPN's Steve Berthiaume thinks so. So does Rotoworld.

Doubront has had a very good spring, posting a 2.70 ERA in four appearances, three of them starts. He allowed one run over six innings in his last start on Saturday, the same day Alfredo Aceves got rocked in a separate game.

Doubront has been in Boston's system since 2005, and at this point, there's very little left for him to prove in the minors. Since the Red Sox don't have any better options, they may as well use him in their rotation.

Doubront won't post fantastic numbers as a starter, but he's been stretched out enough over the years to be able to at least eat innings. With Boston's outstanding offense at his back, Doubront could therefore pan out as a very cheap source of wins, not unlike Lynn.

2. Freddy Garcia, New York Yankees

The Yankees haven't yet made any final decisions regarding their rotation, but the New York Post has reported that Freddy Garcia is likely to break camp as a member of the rotation.

Garcia has earned it. He's been around for a long time, and Joe Girardi knows what he's going to get out of Garcia more than he knows what he's going to get out of Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova, both of whom are fighting to make the rotation.

Garcia is not a threat to go the distance every time he takes the ball, nor is he a threat to pile up strikeouts in a given start. He's going to put runners on base and his pitch count is going to keep climbing, meaning Garcia will be lucky to last any longer than six innings in a given start.

But this was the case last year, and Garcia managed to win 12 of his 25 starts. All he has to do is keep the game within reach, and the Yankees' offense will take care of the rest. You'll be able to get him very late in your draft, and you'll be able to rest easy knowing you'll be getting at least 10 or 12 wins out of him.

1. Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay Rays

Jeff Niemann has beaten Wade Davis in the race for the Rays' No. 5 spot, according to The Tampa Tribune.

Niemann is no stranger to starting. He started a total of 59 games in 2009 and 2010, and he started 23 games in 2011. He won 11 of them, with an ERA just over 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.24.

Niemann does not have overpowering stuff, but he's going to have a K/9 near 7.00, and his walks aren't going to be out of control. He's good at keeping the ball down too, and that will help Niemann post a BABIP under .300, as he has each of the last two years.

If Niemann stays in the rotation all season long, he's going to make 30 starts. Based on his potential and that of the team around him, I'd say it's fair to expect 13 or 14 wins out of him with a solid ERA and a solid WHIP. Not bad for a guy who will likely go undrafted in a lot of leagues.