Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Overlooked Players Who Will Have Monster Seasons

After a couple games in Japan last week, the MLB regular season begins in full force tonight when the Florida Marlins open their new stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. That means time is running out to draft your fantasy baseball team.

Let's take a look at three overlooked players to take in the middle rounds that will be well worth the investment by season's end. After all, those depth selections are more important than the superstars because anybody can navigate the first few rounds without much problem.

Buster Posey

Posey was involved in a collision at home plate last season which led to a nasty leg injury, but he's back to full strength and appears ready to roll once again. Since the catcher position remains weak, his value has the potential to skyrocket.

The San Francisco Giants need him to pick up his development right where it left off to win the NL West because they don't have a ton of offensive firepower. That means he should bat in a prominent spot in the order and should thrive in his third season.

Assuming he has no setbacks in his recovery, and a couple extra games out from behind the plate should help, look for him to hit .300 with about 20 home runs.

Josh Johnson

Another player who missed significant time due to injury last season, Johnson has reported no major problems during spring training and will start the opener tonight. He should have no problem reassuming the role as the Miami Marlins ace.

He's one of the most talented pitchers in all of baseball and is entering his prime. Health will always be a concern, but when you don't have to spend an early pick to get him, there's a lot less risk involved in taking a chance on him.

Johnson should post an ERA around 2.90 with a strong strikeout rate and plenty of wins thanks to Miami's improved offense.

Brandon Beachy

Beachy struck out nearly 11 batters per nine in his first full season in the majors while also posting a respectable ERA, which could have been even better if not for some bad luck. He should continue to improve as he gains experience.

The Atlanta Braves have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, so Beachy tends to get overshadowed by bigger names like Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson. But if he continues to progress, he could become the staff ace.

Atlanta will be able to get him more run support with bounce-back years from Jason Heyward and Martin Prado, leading to about 15 wins with an ERA around 3.20 and a boatload of strikeouts.