Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Atlanta Braves Fantasy Outlook

Sep 5, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons (19) fields a ground ball before a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

Projected 2015 Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup:

C: Christian Bethancourt (.248, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB in 31 games)
1B: Freddie Freeman (.288, 18 HR, 78 RBI, 3 SB)
2B: Alberto Callaspo (.223, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 0 SB) with Oakland
SS: Andrelton Simmons (.244, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 4 SB)
3B: Chris Johnson (.263, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 6 SB)
LF: Eric Young, Jr. (.229, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 30 SB)
CF: Melvin Upton, Jr. (.208, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 20 SB)
RF: Nick Markakis (.276, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 4 SB) with Baltimore

The losses of Jason Heyward and Justin Upton are going to hurt the offense. A lot. Losing Evan Gattis won’t help either. The Braves appear to be in rebuilding mode, and the fruits of those three trades won’t be reaped for a couple of years with the exception of the Heyward deal. So what the is the value of the “leftovers”? Let’s check it out!

Okay, so, first thing’s first. Who in the heck is Melvin Upton? You may know him better as B.J. Upton. He has gone back to his birth name in hopes of learning how to hit again. Upton has the worst average of any full-time player over the last two seasons (.198). He is usable only in deep leagues because of that dreadful average. Be ready to pounce in standard leagues if he can hit .240. Upton will be out until at least May with a bum foot. That could give Eury Perez or Zoilo Almonte a chance for fantasy relevance in center for the first month of the year. Both will be left for deep leagues only as far as ownership goes.

Freddie Freeman is the fantasy prize of the offense. His numbers were a little down last year, but that still wont stop him from being a top 25 pick. He is still young, and likely is only starting to realize his potential. In keeper and dynasty leagues, he will go a little higher, and rightfully so. In standard redraft leagues, don’t overpay for him. Freeman is not going to hit 30 homers this year, and 100 RBI could be tough given the lineup around him. He will still have a solid average and on base percentage, but I could see him getting pitched around a lot, which will put a ceiling on his standard league value. He is a late second round pick at best.

If Eric Young can hold down the left field job, he could be a nice source of steals in the late rounds. If he can get around 550 at bats, he could steal 75 bases. That makes him an asset in all leagues. You will have to take a hit in batting average, but so it goes. His track record suggests that he is never going to hit for a good average, but if he can hit .250, he will be a big asset in fantasy.

Young does have Jonny Gomes and Zoilo Almonte challenging him in left, and there is always a chance that he won’t even make the team. Gomes has the power that the Braves will need this year. He is worth rostering in deep leagues to plug in on the days that he is in the starting lineup. If he wins the job, Gomes could even help in standard leagues.

Almonte has struggled so far in his brief call-ups with the Yankees, but he is only 25 years old. The Braves are going to give him the chance that the Yankees never could; the chance to win an Opening Day job. If he does, he is an intriguing option in deep leagues.

Andrelton Simmons was once a sought after prospect. Now it seems as though his greatest asset is defense, which wont help you in fantasy. He has a little speed and a little power at a weak position, but his low average makes him a fringe standard league option. You can’t count him out just yet since he is still young at 25. If he has a good spring, he is worth taking a late shot at in standard leagues. He can still be of use in deep leagues.

Chris Johnson has shown the ability to be a solid hitter, as he has a .283 career average, but last year was a mess for him. He is clearly not suited to be a cleanup hitter, and struggled even more when they moved him down in the order. He has marginal power, but is likely not standard league material unless he raises his average back up in the .280 range. He is a serviceable replacement if injuries ravage your 3B situation in standard leagues. He will remain a solid deep league option.

Nick Markakis has long been a fantasy favorite of some. He always hits for a decent average, has some pop, and can drive in a few runs. He won’t win you your league, but he won’t lose it for you either. He will find his way onto standard league rosters at some point in the season even if he isn’t drafted. He is at least a consistent producer.

It was widely believed that Alberto Callaspo is just keeping the seat warm for top prospect Jose Peraza. If Peraza has a good spring, he coud lock up the job for opening day, which would push Callaspo into a platoon with Johnson at third, limiting what little value both of them have.

As for Peraza, he needs to be owned in all keeper and dynasty formats. If he wins the job, He is worth rostering in all standard leagues. Just be aware that most rookies suffer from ineffectiveness at some point during the season. Don’t hinge your success on him. Keep him on your bench and play him when he is hot. He is a worthy starter in deep leagues though. Especially since he will still have SS eligibility in most leagues.

Bethancourt has the most tentative hold on any starting position for the Braves. The club signed veterans A. J. Pierzynski, John Buck, and Jesus Flores to invite to Spring Training just in case Bethancourt isn’t ready. Even if he does win the starting job, he won’t do much for your fantasy team. He is a far greater defensive catcher, and has never hit for power at any level of the minors. Pierzynski could be fringe standard league material if he were to win the job outright because he could hit for a good average.

Next: Now For The Pitching Staff!

Sep 17, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Alex Wood (40) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves 2015 Projected Starting Rotation:

Julio Teheran (14-13, 2.89 ERA, 186K)
Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.74 ERA, 127K)
Mike Minor (6-12, 4.77 ERA, 120K)
Alex Wood (11-11, 2.78 ERA, 170K)
Eric Stults (8-17, 4.30 ERA, 111K)
Craig Kimbrel (0-3, 1.61 ERA, 47/51 saves, 95K)

Teheran and Wood are only 24 years old, and have already shown great strikeout ability. They likely won’t help you much in wins, but pitchers that rack up this many strikeouts are not easy to come by. I wouldn’t be surprised if both of them topped 200 this year. Both of them are very good top of the rotation pitchers for your fantasy squad. If you don’t want to spend to get Kershaw, you can likely wait a couple of rounds and still get Teheran or Wood.

Miller is still only 24 years old, but he won’t be as highly valued because he does not have the strikeout ability of Wood and Teheran. He will still be a good middle of the fantasy rotation pitcher for your fantasy squad.

Minor has already had Tommy John Surgery, and is going to see Dr. James Andrews for shoulder inflammation. That is never a good sign. I would venture that Minor won’t be ready for the start of the season, and could be out for a long period of time. I would not recommend drafting him in any leagues right now.

That will open up a rotation spot for either veteran Wandy Rodriguez (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 20K in six starts for Pittsburgh last year) or one of the pitching prospects that they acquired in the offseason. The favorite would be Mike Foltynewicz, who was the prize of the Gattis deal with Houston. Foltynewicz struggled some at AAA with a 5.08 ERA, but still got a September call up. He pitched in 16 games of relief and compiled 14 strikeouts in 18.2 inning pitched with a 5.30 ERA. He is worth drafting in all 12 team leagues or larger if he nails down a rotation spot this spring.

Manny Banuelos was a spring sensation for the Yankees in 2012, and appeared on the verge of making it to the majors. Instead he missed most of 2012 and all of 2013 with Tommy John surgery. He had moderate success in the minors last year, but still has quite a bit to prove if he wants to crack the Braves rotation. He certainly has the potential to though, and you should keep an eye on him this spring to see if he has a shot.

Kimbrel will likely be the first closer drafted once again this year because of his outstanding strikeout rate. He likely won’t see as many save opportunities this year, but still remains an elite closer option.

Veterans Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson help bolster the back end of the bullpen, and would be nice additions in leagues that count holds. Keep an eye on Arodys Vizcaino. He could pile up some large strikeout numbers in relief, perhaps even enough to make him worthy of rostering in standard leagues.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as our team-by-team baseball previews roll on!

Next: Top 15 Pitcher Rankings For 2015

More from FanSided

Home/Fantasy Baseball