Arizona Diamondbacks 2016 Fantasy Outlook

Arizona Diamondbacks 2016 Fantasy Outlook

Arizona made a big splash by hijacking Zack Greinke from the division rival Dodgers. Is that enough to put them in the thick of things in the NL West? Who knows.

More from Fantasy Baseball

• 5 fantasy baseball waiver wire pivots to replace Triston McKenzie
• Fantasy baseball mock draft 2023, 12-team: Aaron Judge over Trea Turner?
• 3 fantasy baseball sleepers being drafted too late
• NBA DFS picks December 25: Merry Bucking Christmas
• Fantasy Baseball: Hot pitchers worthy of starting this weekend

That’s great, you say, but how will that affect my fantasy team? We have you covered. Whether you play in standard leagues, deep leagues, multi-position leagues, dynasty leagues, or anything in between, we will give you the rundown on the players who will be starting at each position. We will also give you a hint of where they should be drafted.

Just in case you missed any:
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays

Arizona Diamondbacks 2016 Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Wellington Castillo (.237, 19HR, 57RBI with Cubs/Seattle/Arizona)
1B: Paul Goldschmidt (.321, 33HR, 110RBI, 21SB)
2B: Chris Owings (.227, 4HR, 43RBI, 16SB)
SS: Jean Segura (.257, 6HR, 50RBI, 25SB with Milwaukee)
3B: Jake Lamb (.263, 6HR, 34RBI)
LF: Socrates Brito (.303, 0HR, 1RBI, 1SB in 33 at bats)
CF: A.J. Pollock (.315, 20HR, 76RBI, 39SB)
RF: David Peralta (.312, 17HR, 78RBI, 9SB)

Castillo hit 17 of his 19 home runs once he got to the desert, salvaging what was looking to be a lost season for the youngster. He has found a home in Arizona, and is an intriguing option at catcher. He likely wont hit for a good average, but 20 home runs are hard to come by for catchers. He could have a season along the lines of Russell Martin or Brian McCann, but will come much cheaper. Pick him in the later rounds of your standard draft. He could come up huge for you.

Goldschmidt has been the first play off the board in some drafts, and is a consensus top three pick. He may not steal 20 bases again, but he should at least be in the mid teens. Oh, and the power isn’t going anywhere. He is going to have another really good season.

Owings may be living on borrowed time since top prospect Brandon Drury can play second base. If Owings struggles and Drury has a good spring, he may even win the job outright. Drury nearly did last year. Owings is barely worthy of deep league consideration. Drury is worth keeping an eye on if he wins the job.

Segura is looking for a new start in Arizona, and he has started well this spring. He will bat either first or second in the order, will put up good stolen base and run totals, and will be an asset in leagues with 12 or more teams. If he starts stealing bases at a high clip, he could be worth standard league consideration. He is a good buy-low candidate.

Jake Lamb’s struggles against lefties last year cost him at-bats, and it will again if Drury stays with the big league club. Drury can play either second or third, depending on which position opens itself up first. Lamb has decent power, and is worth a look in deeper leagues if he keeps the job.

Brito his .300 with nine homers, 57 RBI, and 20 steals in the minors last year. He will provide some speed at the bottom of the order to begin with. He could move up in the lineup if he hits and others struggle. He is a good pick in deep leagues. Keep an eye on him in all other leagues.

We mentioned earlier just how rare 20/20 seasons are becoming. Two Diamondback players accomplished the feat last year. One will be a top three pick. The other? You can likely grab him in the third round or so. Will Pollock hit 20 homers again? We all know the speed is legit. If he does, he is absolutely worth a third round pick.

Peralta put together a good year, and finally locked down the right field job. His numbers are good enough to warrant a look to round out your outfield in standard leagues.

It will be interesting to see just where Yasmany Tomas fits into this team. He could take back the third base job, or contend for one of the outfield ones. His progression is worth keeping an eye on since he had good numbers before the injury. Just look before you leap in leagues with shallow benches.

Next: How Will The Rotation Shape Up?

Arizona Diamondbacks 2016 projected pitching rotation:

Zack Greinke (19-3, 1.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 200K in 222.2 IP with Dodgers)
Shelby Miller (6-17, 3.02 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 171K)
Patrick Corbin (6-5, 3.60 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 78K in 85 IP)
Rubby De La Rosa (14-9, 4.67 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 150K)
Robbie Ray (5-12, 3.52 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 119K in 127.2 IP)
Brad Ziegler (0-3, 1.85 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 36K in 68 IP, 30/32 saves)

Greinke’s numbers were so good last year that he will have a hard time duplicating them, specifically the WHIP. Greinke’s numbers are worthy of the first pitcher off the board if he can duplicate them. I have a hard time believing that he can. I wouldn’t take him before the third round in standard leagues, and he will be long gone by then. I am okay with that.

Miller’s numbers were skewed because he was pitching on a really bad Braves team. Expect his win totals to rise sharply, and the rest of his number to be in the same area. That makes him a solid middle of the rotation guy in standard leagues.

Corbin pitched pretty well when he was on the mound last year. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that he is worthy of standard league consideration just yet, but he is worthy of a spot start if he has a good matchup. He would be a nice piece to round out your rotation in a 12 team league.

De La Rosa has a lot of potential, but he struggled some last year. He is worth using in deep leagues. Be careful with him everywhere else. If something clicks this year, which it could, be ready to pounce.

Ray had some hard luck last year, but he put up solid numbers. He is worth a end of the rotation pick in leagues of 12 team. He may even be worth the occasional spot start in standard leagues.

Ziegler’s low strikeout total put him in the mid to lower tier of closers, but the rest of his numbers are good. He doesn’t blow many opportunities, and should see many more this year. Don’t be afraid to use him as your third closer.

Next: What Prospects Are Worth Watching?

We will take a look at a few prospects that could crack the majors for Arizona this year, and in what type of leagues you should be looking for them in. Let’s get started!

Braden Shipley, RHP: The Diamondbacks are still loaded with pitching in the high minors. The bad part for these youngsters is that Arizona signed two top tier pitchers, which hampers the ascent. Shipley struggled a little bit at AA Mobile last year (9-11, 3.50 ERA), but he is still the top rated prospect in the Arizona system, which is saying a lot. If he makes the jump to the majors this year, he is worth keeping an eye on. You dynasty leaguers should have him on your radar already.

Archie Bradley, RHP: Bradley beat Clayton Kershaw in his MLB debut last year, but shoulder problems derailed his 2015 season once again. Still, he is only 23 years old, and still possesses the traits that made him one of the best prospects in baseball for a time. It will likely take an injury to get him a full time job, but he is worth a look if he gets a call.

Brandon Drury, INF: Owings is likely on borrowed time at second base. Drury hit a pair of homers and drove in eight in 56 September at bats last year. There is still a chance that he takes the job from Owings yet this spring. If he doesn’t , he is a struggling stretch away from the majors for either Owings or Jake Lamb. Drury is worth stashing in leagues with deeper benches.

Peter O’Brien, C:  If O’Brien sticks at catcher, he could be the top fantasy catcher within a couple of years. He has tons of power, but Arizona hasn’t committed to where they are going to play him just yet. His ability to play the corner outfield slots or first base along with his primary position will help him in his quest to make the majors. He is worth an add in any league when he gets called up. You dynasty leaguers should be all over him by now anyway.

Tyler Wagner, RHP: Wagner came over with Jean Segura in the deal that sent Chase Anderson  and Aaron Hill to the Brewers. He doesn’t have the upside that Shipley and Bradley do, but he might be closer to the majors than they are. He is worth watching in deeper leagues.

Next: Should You Pick Up Bobby Portis?

Stay tuned for the rundown of every MLB team before Opening Day!