San Francisco Giants 2016 Fantasy Outlook

Mar 21, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) grounds out in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

San Francisco Giants 2016 Fantasy Outlook

Are the Giants still contenders in the National League? They made a few changes in the off season that should keep them in the thick of the NL West race.

San Francisco Giants 2016 Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Buster Posey (.318, 19HR, 95RBI)
1B: Brandon Belt (.280, 18HR, 68RBI, 9SB)
2B: Joe Panik (.312, 8HR, 37RBI in 382AB)
SS: Brandon Crawford (.256, 21HR, 84RBI)
3B: Matt Duffy (.295, 12HR, 77RBI, 12SB)
LF: Angel Pagan (.262, 3HR, 37RBI, 12SB)
CF: Denard Span (.301, 5HR, 22RBI, 11SB in 246AB with WAS)
RF: Hunter Pence (.275, 9HR, 40RBIin 52 games)

Posey is still one of the first catchers off of the board because of the high average and the 20/100 threat every year. I don’t usually like taking a catcher in the fifth round, but if he falls to the end, I will.

Belt is still improving. The numbers say that he is a solid filler for your standard league team, but the upside says that he should easily be a top ten first baseman this year. If you can snag him in the late middle rounds, he will help your team.

Panik wont hurt your team, and he will help in average and RBI, but he probably isn’t worth rostering in standard leagues unless injuries strike. He is a very good option in larger leagues though.

Crawford was a great surprise last year to those that took a chance. 20 HR at shortstop isn’t easy to come by. He will drag your average down some, but there is reason to think that he can hit in the .270 range, which makes it a lot easier to take. Can he hit 20 homers again? I am having doubts, which means someone will take him before I get around to it, and I’m okay with that.

Duffy was a nice find for those of us drudging the lines last year. He isn’t worth a slot in standard leagues just yet, but there is no reason not to have him in leagues of 12 or more teams. The average is nice, and a 20-20 season is not that much of a stretch.

Pagan’s days could be numbered in the outfield if Mac Williamson looks like he could help the team. The Giants need power, and Pagan doesn’t provide a lot of anything fantasy related at this point in his career.

The Giants won the Denard Span sweepstakes, and I think he is going to fit in really well here. Pagan isn’t best suited for leading off anymore. Span is. He could get close to 50 steals and 100 runs. He is worth taking later in drafts because he still hits for a high average.

If you project Pence’s stats over a whole season, he comes close to 30 homers and 120 RBI. That likely wont happen, but 20 homers, ten steals and close to 100 RBI are not out of the question. That is the high end though. He is 32 and past his prime, but he can still help you in standard leagues. He is a good grab to round out your outfield.

Next: How Will The Rotation Shape Up?

Mar 9, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) throws during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

San Francisco Giants 2016 Projected Pitching Rotation:

Madison Bumgarner (18-9, 2.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 234K)
Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 176K with CIN/KC)
Jeff Samardzija (11-13, 4.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 163K with CWS)
Jake Peavy (8-6, 3.58 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 78K in 110.2 IP)
Matt Cain (2-4, 5.79 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 41K in 60.2 IP)
Santiago Casilla (4-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 62K in 58 IP, 38/44 saves)

Bumgarner is still in the upper echelon of pitcher, and will be one of the first five taken. I have seen him go as high as the second pitcher overall, and it is hard to argue. He is on a team that will win games and he is a threat for 250 strikeouts. He is a suitable backup plan if you cant land Kershaw or Scherzer.

Cueto’s numbers were not that great in Kansas City, so he gets a reprieve going back to the National League. He is also going to a notorious pitcher’s park as opposed to the Reds’ Great American Launching Pad. The potential is here for Cueto to flirt with 20 wins and post an ERA under 3. He is a good fit as a low end number one or a high end number two starter. Trust me, barring injury, the numbers will support it.

Samardzija’s return to the Windy City didn’t go as planned. He was a disaster for the South Siders last year. He should fare much better by the bay, but how much better? Even his strikeouts were down. It can’t all be explained by A.L. hitters. So the question becomes how well do you think he will pitch. I think he has a shot at 15 wins, but his ERA will still be in the mid 3’s and he likely wont top 200 strikeouts. That makes him a low end three to high end four fantasy starter. Judge him based on your draft. If people are shying away, pluck him later in the draft.

If the 34 year old Peavy can duplicate last year’s numbers as the number four starter for the Giants, they might just win the division. That will also give Peavy the chance for more wins going against other teams’ fourth starters. He it likely nothing more than a matchup play in standard leagues, but he is a good pick to round out your rotation in 12 team leagues.

Cain has won just 12 games since his 2012 season in which he won 16. The decline has been rapid, and his horrid spring has people wondering if Chris Heston wont be the number five starter out of the gates. Heston hasn’t been great this spring, but he put up a respectable 12-11 record and 3.95 ERA last year. He is worth a look in deep leagues, which is more than I dare say for Cain right now.

Everyone keeps waiting on Casilla to falter. He is not an elite closer, and his ERA and WHIP are a little higher than you would like, but saving 40-45 games is not out of the question. That makes him worth a look in the second tier of closers.

Next: What Prospects Are Worth Watching?

Mar 4, 2016; Goodyear, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Mac Williamson (51) swings the bat against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Mac Williamson, OF: Williamson lost more than a year to Tommy John surgery, but he seems to be back in the swing of things. He has decent power, but his average could suffer. He hit just .219 in 32 major league at bats last September. If Angel Pagan falters or gets hurt, Williamson could get the call to take his place. If he does, he is worth a look in deeper leagues because of the power potential.

Adalberto Mejia, LHP: Mejia served a 50 game suspension last year for testing positive for a stimulant. He has good enough pitches to stick in a major league rotation. The only question is where a slot will open up. If Matt Cain never regains form, Mejia could take over as the fifth starter. He will be the first fallback option.

Clayton Blackburn, RHP: Blackburn posted a stellar 10-4 record with a 2.85 ERA in the heavy-hitting Pacific Coast League last year. That alone proves that he is ready for the majors. Should Mejia or Cain falter, Blackburn will be in the rotation before year’s end. He would be worth a look in deeper leagues. He is never going to post huge strikeout numbers, but he knows how to pitch. He has good command and gets outs.

Ray Black, RHP: Black could be the closer of the future for the Giants. He throws harder than anyone else in the system, but he has command issues. If he solves those, he could be in the bigs very soon. If Casilla struggles like he did at times last year, Black could even get a shot this year.

Next: Can Alfred Morris Bounce Back?

Stay tuned for the rundown of every MLB team before Opening Day, our daily FanDuel picks, and the round by round picks for the NCAA Tournament!

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