Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: Pitchers Returning from Injury Worth Snagging

If you're anything like me, you might like spending the first four or even five rounds solidifying your offense, trying to find sleepers and good pitchers poised for breakout years in the middle to late rounds.

It's a risky strategy, but if you can nail the middle rounds, it's a strategy that should bring you great success.

One type of sleeper at the pitcher spot this season is traditional aces who are returning from injury. If you don't mind taking a few chances, you could build a truly formidable rotation for cheap. Here are three guys you shouldn't shy away from (and two you totally should avoid).

Johan Santana, New York Mets

Avoid, avoid, avoid! He's a high-risk, limited-reward player on a poor team. He missed all of last year, and frankly, his career numbers were seeing a regression anyhow.

Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves

Avoid, avoid, avoid. Hanson reminds me of a guy like Josh Johnson last year, who had shoulder concerns coming into the season that limited his starts and eventually ended his season.

Hanson was put in the DL last year for the Braves, returned and found his way back to the DL, where he remained for the rest of the year. Given his somewhat stiff motion and that he ended the year with problems, Hanson is a guy I would avoid.

He's got "reinjured" written all over him.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

On one hand, he'll probably have his innings capped this year—a smart move by the Nationals, but one that will frustrate his fantasy owners.

On the other hand, Strasburg has the potential to dominate the innings he does have unlike any other pitcher in baseball. In the 92 innings he's pitched in the big leagues thus far, he's struck out 116 batters with a 2.54 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

After returning in September last year from Tommy John surgery, Strasburg has looked sharp. I snagged him in the seventh round of a 10-team draft I just did, and that may have been a slight stretch. Don't be afraid of Strasburg—in this case, quality will override quantity.

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals

Before missing all of 2011 and undergoing Tommy John surgery, Wainwright posted two straight years with over 230 innings pitched, over 210 strikeouts and a sub-2.65 ERA.

He probably won't match those numbers this year, but if he can get anywhere close, he could be one of the steals of the draft if he drops into the middle rounds.

Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins

Johnson is now an injury gamble, plain and simple, but his upside is so high I think he is worth a look. When healthy, Johnson is a bona fide ace and a top-10 fantasy option. If he's sitting in the middle rounds (somehow I managed to get him in the 10th round!), you must scoop him up.

A healthy Johnson gives you 175 strikeouts, a 2.75 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 15 wins, and those numbers might be a modest prediction. Snag him and do so smugly.

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