Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Fantasy Outlook

Mar 29, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig (66) at bat during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended), and the regular season is right around the corner. That means that our fantasy drafts are as well.

2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Yasmani Grandal (.225, 15HR, 49RBI, 3SB with Padres)
1B: Adrian Gonzalez (.276, 27HR, 116RBI, 1SB)
2B: Howie Kendrick (.293, 7HR, 75RBI, 14SBÂ with Angels)
SS: Jimmy Rollins (.243, 17HR, 55RBI, 28SB with Phillies)
3B: Juan Uribe (.311, 9HR, 54RBI, 0SB)
LF: Carl Crawford (.300, 8HR, 46RBI, 23SB in 105 games)
CF: Joc Pederson (.143, 0HR, 0RBI, 0SB in 28 at bats)
RF: Yasiel Puig (.298, 16HR, 69RBI, 11SB)

Grandal was one of the pieces of the Matt Kemp deal. He has great power, but has struggled with his average. He is still young though, and he has a career .310 mark in the minor leagues. There is reason to believe that his average won’t stay this low. He is worth the pick in a standard league if you wait on catchers. His 1B eligibility could help you out as well.

AGon doesn’t have the power that he once did, but he is still an elite RBI guy. I don’t understand why he goes so low in drafts. I just did one where he slipped to the 12th round. I was ecstatic to get him there. You know he is going to hit for a good average and hit at least 20 homers. He isn’t going to hurt you anywhere, and makes driving in 120 runs look easy. The Dodgers offense might actually be improved this year, which should net him even more RBI opportunities.

Kendrick is one of those guys that no one goes out of their way to draft, but he is a solid producer for your team and won’t hurt you. If you choose to wait on a second baseman, Kendrick is a nice pick in the middle to late rounds of standard league drafts.

The acquisition of Kendrick likely means that the Dodgers have no intention of bringing up Alex Guerrero this year. He ripped through the minors last year, but struggled once promoted to the majors in September. He will likely need an injury or trade to happen to see any piece of the majors this year.

Rollins had really good counting stats last year, but his average was below average. It likely won’t get much better. Rollins hasn’t hit .270 since 2008. He has had a good spring, and the thrill of playing on a winning team could help him out. I would be happy with Rollins in the middle rounds, and you won’t be disappointed as long as you don’t expect him to hit above .260.

There is reason to expect regression from Uribe. He has never hit higher than .289 in a full season, and has only hit more than .260 five times in 14 major league seasons. That said, he has done it two years in a row. He is worth a shot in leagues of 12 teams or larger, just make sure you have a backup. He only played 103 games last year.

The acquisition of Rollins means one of two things for top prospect Corey Seager. One, it could mean that the team has no intention of promoting him this year. Rollins’ contract is up at the end of the season, so it could mean that they will let him go and give Seager the job next year. Or it could mean that the Dodgers are going to move Seager to third base. They don’t owe Uribe nearly the money that they do Rollins, and Uribe is versatile enough to be a utility guy. Most scouts think that Seager fits better at third base. If that is the case, then would could still see Seager later in the year. If he gets called up, anyone with an open bench slot should pounce.

Crawford quietly put up pretty good numbers last year in what ended up amounting to a platoon situation. He has left field all to himself once again, and considering how far he has fallen in drafts, I would be comfortable taking him in the 14th round or so. He still has decent speed and hits for a good average, so he won’t hurt you anywhere.

I will just say this now: someone is going to draft Pederson way above what he will produce this year. If you are in a keeper league, then by all means take him early, but in standard leagues he would have to have a rookie season close to what Mike Trout put together a few years ago. That is not likely to happen. In a standard league, I wouldn’t take him before theÂ 12th round, and even that might be pushing it.

Puig still has quite a bit of untapped potential. A 25/25 season with a .300 average and close to 100 RBI is very possible. If he reaches that, he will be worth the third round pick you will have to spend to get him. He just turned 24, so his best years are in front of him. He could have a true breakout season as long as Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke don’t steal too many at bats.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Mar 16, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke (21) warms up prior to the start of the first inning during a spring training game against the Oakland Athletics at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Rotation:

Clayton Kershaw (21-3, 1.77 ERA, 239K)
Zack Greinke (17-8, 2.71 ERA. 207K)
Brandon McCarthy (10-15, 4.05 ERA, 175 K with Arizona/Yankees)
Brett Anderson (1-3, 2.91 ERA, 29K in eight starts with Rockies)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-7, 3.38 ERA, 139K; on DL with sore shoulder)
Brandon Beachy (2-1, 4.50 ERA, 23K in five starts in 2013 with Atlanta)
Kenley Jansen (2-3, 2.76 ERA, 101K, 44/49 saves)

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Kershaw is the number one pitcher off the board, and is consistently being taken in the top five. You may expect some regression, but it’s hard to do that when he has posted ERA’s of 1.83 and 1.77 in the last two years. This kind of dominance hasn’t been seen since Bob Gibson in the late 1960’s. In fact, Kershaw’s only season with an ERA above 3 was his rookie season of 2008. I usually will not take a pitcher in the first round, but I probably would if Kershaw fell to me. That said, I haven’t picked above the eighth slot yet, and he is gone by then.

On most other staffs Greinke would be an ace. In fantasy, He is a bottom tier ace of your rotation. His move to Los Angeles has done his ERA and WHIP wonders, and he is still a threat for 200 strikeouts. If you miss out on one of the top pitchers, Greinke is a suitable substitute in the fifth round or so.

McCarthy’s record does not tell the whole story. He pitched pretty well last year despite the 10-15 mark. After his trade to the Yankees, he was 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts. If he can pitch that well in the AL East, there is no reason that he shouldn’t be able to do it back in the NL West. Why was he a wreck last year with the Diamondbacks? Only he could answer that, but I think that McCarthy could come close to the numbers he put up in Pinstripes in the second half of last year. That makes him a solid add in the 18th round or later of your standard league draft.

Injuries have limited Anderson to just 123 major league innings over the last three years. He has pitched fairly well in those innings, but what are you going to get out of him? That has to be the concern for the Dodgers. Anderson could be worth a look in the last round of your standard league draft to see if he pans out. When he is on, he is capable of posting an ERA under 3. He has never been a high strikeout guy, but you have to love the ERA help.

If Ryu misses a start or three with his shoulder issue, the most likely replacement would be Joe Wieland. He was another piece of the Matt Kemp deal. Wieland wont wow you with his stuff, but he has had a better spring than Zach Lee and Carlos Frias.

Beachy could be a nice add to your fantasy rotation whenever he is fully healed. That likely wont be until June at the earliest, but he could be back in time to help you in any kind of league. The potential is certainly there.

Kenley Jansen is an elite closer, but is going out of that range this year because he will likely miss the whole month of April. Don’t let that deter you much. Remember that Aroldis Chapman missed April last year, and still had a stellar season. If Jansen falls to you in the tenth round, you should take him.

As far as who will close with Jansen out, no official word has been given, but it will likely be Joel Peralta or J.P. Howell if lefties are due up. Peralta is the guy to pick late in the interim. He can handle pressure situations. He led the league in holds in 2012 and 2013.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as our team by team rundown continues!

Next: Is Madison Bumgarner Being Overdrafted?

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