Fantasy Baseball 2012: 15 Players Guaranteed to Bounce Back from Crummy 2011s

As the dust settles on 2011, the 2012 fantasy baseball season is just around the corner.

Pretty soon, the new magazines will come out with draft strategies, player rankings, player values, sleeper picks and more.

Then, it's time to sit down and figure out who would exactly fit on your roster, whether you're in a keeper league or not.

In leagues where people die to get the opportunity to have likes of Albert Pujols, Carlos Gonzalez, Roy Halladay or Curtis Granderson on their team, there are other players many thought would be great to have but nonetheless disappointed last year.

You pick these certain players and they let you down. Then, just when you give up on them and trade them away, they all of a sudden start hitting or pitching well again.

Here is a look at 15 players who soured at some point last year but who I expect will make a good recovery this season. Some dealt with injuries for most of the year, while others didn't perform the way they were expected to.

15. Jair Jurrjens

Jurrjens was lights out last year during the first half. But after the All-Star break, things changed. He was no longer the pitcher he was due to injury.

The biggest question surrounding Jurrjens this year is will he still be on the Atlanta Braves' roster once Opening Day hits. My money is on him being in another uniform, but for argument's sake, I'm leaving him on the Braves' roster for this evaluation.

In the first half last year, he was 12-3 with a league-leading 1.87 ERA and 71 strikeouts. Once the injury set in, the right-hander went 1-3 in seven starts, but didn't pitch after August due to injury.

This year, Jurrjens knows he has to prove his critics wrong and should be back on the right track. With free agency around the corner in 2014, Jurrjens knows he's playing for a big contract. With any good thing that happens, you can expect his agent, Scott Boras, to take advantage of it.

Look for Jurrjens to get between 14-17 wins and strike out 150 batters and keep his ERA below 2.60. If he can do that, he'll be worth a fourth or fifth round pick to help fill out your rotation.

14. Anibal Sanchez

One thing that can be said about Sanchez is that he's durable for the Miami Marlins.

He's an innings eater, but doesn't get decisions like he should. Last year, he went 8-9 and pitched in 15 games where he received a no-decision. In 11 of those games, he allowed three earned runs or less, which tells me he wasn't receiving any run support.

The right-hander struck out 202 hitters and had a 3.67 ERA. If he can drop his ERA to 3.30 or below this year, he can be considered the Marlins' No. 2 starter behind Josh Johnson.

Sanchez should get more support this year with the Marlins' offseason spending, giving him more to work with.

I look for Sanchez to up his win total to 14-16 games and should be a good No. 3 or 4 starter in your fantasy leagues, depending on how many players are in your league.

13. Josh Johnson

Johnson is one of those players who can't stay off the disabled list. There always seems to be something wrong with him, which is a problem for fantasy players who draft him to be their No. 1 or 2 starter.

When healthy, Johnson is a high strikeout guy who can keep runs off the board.

If the right-hander can stay healthy (and that's a big if) the addition of Jose Reyes to the lineup should give Johnson more runs to work with and allow him to elevate to possible Cy Young status.

Spring Training will be interesting to see if Johnson can regain his form and be the Marlins' No. 1 starter like he's supposed to be.

12. Grady Sizemore

Will he ever be healthy again?

That's a question that most fantasy owners have about Sizemore. When he's healthy and on his game, Sizemore is one of the best outfielders in the league.

Last year, Sizemore was injured (again), but did recover a little to give Cleveland fans hope.

If he can stay healthy, Sizemore could get back to his numbers he displayed from 2005-09.

If that happens, look for Sizemore to hit 25 home runs, drive in 85 runs and steal 20 bases. If he does that, fantasy owners will get the steal of the draft as it's likely he won't be picked up until the late rounds of the draft.

11. Shin-Soo Choo

Injuries relegated Choo to 85 games last year where he hit eight home runs and knocked in 36 runs. He hit for a .259 average, which is odd considering he's normally a .300 hitter.

Choo's main problem is the same as many guys on this list - injuries. He's been injured at some point during every year of his big-league career, except for two.

Again, and this is a big if, but if Choo can stay healthy, he should return to 20+ home runs and 85+ RBI.
He'll definitely be worth considering in the middle to late part of the draft.

10. David Wright

Last year, injuries limited Wright to 102 games where he hit 14 home runs and had 61 RBI.

Normally, those are decent numbers for hitters, but not for Wright. In 2010, he had 29 home runs and 103 RBI.

This is a contract year for Wright. If he wants to get paid this offseason, the third baseman knows he has to stay on the field.

With that, I expect Wright to be back to his old self and warrants a second or third-round selection in any fantasy draft. Expect 30 home runs and 100 RBI this year.

9. Ubaldo Jimenez

Jiminez has only had one great year in his career (2010).

His high strikeout numbers are what has put him over the top. Jimenez's main problem has been the fact that he hasn't won games on a consistent basis. But, was that because he played at Coors Field until the middle of last year?

The right-hander is now in Cleveland and the No. 1 starter. With the change of scenery, Jimenez should see his numbers jump, getting at least 17 wins and 185 strikeouts. He definitely warrants a third or fourth-round selection.

8. Phil Hughes

After going 18-8 in 2010, Hughes' arm went dead last year.

With the emergence of Ivan Nova, he doesn’t have to be a No. 2 starter and can focus on being a solid pitcher with no pressure, although there’s always pressure in New York, no matter what position you’re in.

If his arm recovers, Hughes should return to form and be a good No. 3 starter for the Yankees.

For your fantasy team, he should get 190+ strikeouts and keep his ERA in the 3.50 range, putting him as a solid starter on your fantasy team.

7. Joe Mauer

Mauer played in only 82 games last year and saw his numbers drop dramatically even when he was in the lineup.

After an injury, he saw time at first base to keep him on the field and safer.

Although he's only hit double-digits in home runs twice in his career, he's still a 70+ RBI guy and hits above .300. From the catcher position on your fantasy roster, those are good numbers as players like Brian McCann and Alex Avila are the only guys you can expect to put up those numbers consistently.

Mauer should be the fourth or fifth catcher off the board in every fantasy draft.

6. Derek Lowe

After being traded to Cleveland from Atlanta, Lowe doesn’t have to be a No. 1 starter anymore. He can focus on just doing his job.

He’s consistently put up double-digit win totals throughout his career and a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.

Last year, Lowe was 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA.

But, what Lowe has is experience and being back in the American League should prove to be more comfortable for him.

Expect Lowe to garner 15 wins for the Indians and will be a legitimate No. 4 starter on any fantasy team.

5. Ryan Zimmerman

In 101 games last year, Zimmerman hit 12 home runs and knocked in 49 runs.

When healthy, Zimmerman is a legitimate 30-home run, 90-RBI guy. He's also good for scoring at least 80 runs.

The Nationals are going to improve again this year and Zimmerman will be a part of it. Expect him to return to form and be in the top-five of third basemen this year in fantasy.

4. Adam Dunn

Dunn probably had one of the most disappointing seasons of anyone in terms of fantasy or real baseball.

Signed by Chicago, Dunn was expected to put up 40 home runs and 100 RBI and lead the White Sox to the American League Central crown.

Instead, Dunn struggled, hitting .159, hitting 11 home runs and driving in 42 RBI, far from the numbers he was expected to produce.

This year, there will be a chip on his shoulder to prove that last year was a fluke.

Although his average probably won't get above .240, Dunn should recover and hit 30 home runs and drive in 90 runs. He's worth a middle round pick.

3. Jason Heyward

Last year was Heyward's sophomore slump as he struggled to make adjustments at the plate.

What hurt fantasy owners even more last year was the fact that (at times) Heyward was displaced in the Braves' lineup because of his struggles.

If he can get back to the way he played in his rookie season, Heyward can put up 20+ home runs and drive in 80+ runs.

Being a Braves' fan myself, it's hard for me to pin too much hope on him to make improvements. For those who have optimism, he's worth a sixth or seventh round pick in your fantasy draft.

2. Carl Crawford

Crawford struggled early on after coming to Boston from Tampa Bay. He hit 11 home runs and drove in 56 runs.

Over the previous two years, he had 369 hits, getting 58 doubles and 21 triples, with 158 RBI and 107 stolen bases in the process. Each year, he also hit over .300.

Crawford definitely wants to prove that he warrants the seven-year, $142-million contract he received prior to last year.

Boston fans will expect more from him, and he will deliver.

Expect to see 2010 numbers from him this year. He definitely warrants a first or second-round selection in any fantasy draft.

1. Hanley Ramirez

Last year, HanRam hit .243 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 55 runs scored. The only thing that didn't really fall off is the fact that he had 20 stolen bases.

The problem is, Ramirez was likely in the top three picks of every fantasy draft last year.

This year, with the addition of Jose Reyes to take some pressure off him, Ramirez should return to form and should be back to the top-five player that everyone has come to know.

Look for him to hit 25 home runs and drive in 90 runs with 25 stolen bases.