Fantasy Baseball 2012: Young Starting Pitchers to Grab in the Middle Rounds

While it's always exciting to have a couple of No. 1 starting pitchers on your fantasy baseball team, it makes more sense to wait until the middle rounds to draft a quality, young up-and-coming starting pitcher.

In 2012, stay away from the glamour of the Justin Verlanders and the Roy Halladays of the league, and pick up some young No. 2 and No. 3 starters after you establish your hitters.

1. Daniel Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks

ESPN has Hudson's average draft position at 94.6, but he's worth much more than that. 

Key in on the last two months of his season. In August and September, he made 11 starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.85 ERA.

Hudson threw 222 innings in his 2011 campaign—a massive output for the 25-year-old in his first full season as a starter.

Even more surprising is that he finished with more points than Zack Greinke and Jon Lester. He was also just a handful of points behind David Price, Josh Beckett and Matt Cain. By the way, Greinke and Lester are getting drafted at No. 46 and No. 53, respectively. 

Don't go for the big name in the fifth round, go for the young workhorse in the ninth.

2. Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays

Surprisingly, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year isn't one of the first 100 players drafted in ESPN fantasy leagues.

People love the accolades, and they should, but Hellickson's worth stretches way beyond the trophy on his mantle. Hellickson is the No. 3 starter on the Tampa Bay Rays, meaning that he won't be up against the front end of the opposition's rotation. Some may say that it doesn't matter who is on the hill for the other team, but when a win gets you 10 points (or five, depending on your scoring), it's a really big deal.

His walk rate is alarming, 72 in 189 innings, but his control of the strike zone should improve with another spring training under his belt.

This 24-year-old will get you somewhere in the range of 12 to 15 wins to go with 200 innings and a shade under 150 punch-outs.

3. Brandon Beachy, Atlanta Braves

If someone were to ask you who led the MLB in strikeouts per nine innings last season, you wouldn't say Brandon Beachy. Technically, you wouldn't be at fault, because he didn't qualify due to lack of innings pitched. At 25 years old, he threw 141.2 innings in 2011, racking up a 10.74 K/9-innings average.

Higher than Verlander. Higher than Tim Lincecum. Higher than Clayton Kershaw.

If you're in a roto league that keeps track of K/9-innings, you'll love Beachy and his blazing fastball and above-average breaking stuff.

This guy is on the board in the Round 11 and Round 12 in some leagues, and you'll be kicking yourself later in the season if you don't spend one of your picks on him.