Milwaukee Brewers 2016 Fantasy Outlook

Mar 11, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Domingo Santana (16) hits a solo homerun against the Texas Rangers in the first inning during a spring training game at Maryvale Baseball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

Milwaukee Brewers 2016 Fantasy Outlook

The Brewers are still rebuilding. Ryan Braun may be too old and the back too creaky to build around, but he still draws a crowd in Milwaukee. He will be here until he is no longer useful to the team.

Milwaukee Brewers 2016 Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Jonathan Lucroy (.264, 7HR, 43RBI, in 371 AB)
1B: Chris Carter (.199, 24HR, 64RBI in 391 AB with HOU)
2B: Scooter Gennett (.264, 6HR, 29RBI in 375 AB)
SS: Jonathan Villar (.284, 2HR, 11RBI, 7SB in 116 AB with HOU)
3B: Aaron Hill (.230, 6HR, 39RBI, 7SB in 313 AB with ARI)
LF: Ryan Braun (.285, 25HR, 84RBI, 24SB)
CF: Kirk Nieuwenhuis (.195, 4HR, 14RBI, 2SB in 128 AB with NYM)
RF: Domingo Santana (.238, 8HR, 26RBI, 4SB in 160 AB with HOU/MIL)

Lucroy battled injuries last year, so he could be a nice bounce back candidate. I still wouldn’t draft him higher than the eighth round though. There is plenty of depth at catcher, and there is always a chance that the weakness of Milwaukee’s lineup can affect his numbers.

Carter has power. No one doubts that. The problem is that he is an all-or-nothing player. Ideally, you would want his average in the .250 range. Due to him hitting just .199 last year, most owners will shy away from him except in deep leagues where your average will be bad anyway. Keep an eye on him though. A change of scenery may help. If it does, be ready to pounce. The power isn’t going anywhere.

Gennett is a good body to have in deep leagues because he plays every day. Other than that, he doesn’t really help you much.

Villar was a good prospect with Houston, but this job is Arcia’s once he is ready. Arcia is Milwaukee’s best prospect, so if you draft Villar, jut be aware that he could be replaced at any time. Before he is though, he could put up numbers good enough to make him worth playing in leagues of 12 teams or more.

There is a chance that the Brewers could shuffle their infield to get both Villar and Arcia in the lineup. If that happens, Hill is likely the odd man out. He is just an able body until the prospects are ready. Ideally, the Brewers would like Hill to have a good year so they could deal him in July. Right now, he is only worth a look in deeper leagues. Keep an eye on him though since he does have a history of putting up numbers good enough for fantasy teams. It will be harder for him to do at 3B than 2B though.

Braun quietly had a really good fantasy season last year. Regardless of your opinion of him since the PED scandal, Braun is obviously still a quality fantasy player. Don’t allow your personal feelings to cloud your judgment. Braun is still a solid pick in the second round, with another 25/25 season a strong possibility.

Nieuwenhuis’s leash could be short if he struggles like he did last year with the Mets. His potential makes him worth a look in deep leagues. In all others, its best to wait. Keon Braxton and Tyrone Taylor are lurking

Santana has pretty good power, and has a good shot at 20 homers. His average could hurt you some, so he is probably best left for leagues of 12 or more teams.

Next: How Will The Rotation Shape Up?

Mar 10, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson (52) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Maryvale Baseball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

Milwaukee Brewers 2016 Projected Pitching Rotation:

Wily Peralta (5-10, 4.80 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 60K in 108.2 IP)
Jimmy Nelson (11-13, 4.11 ERA, 1.29WHIP, 148K)
Matt Garza (6-14, 5.63 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 104K)
Taylor Jungmann (9-8, 3.77 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 107K in 119.1 IP)
Chase Anderson (6-6, 4.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 111K with ARI)
Jeremy Jeffress (5-0, 2.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 67K in 68 IP, 0/4 saves)

Peralta still has plenty of upside, but he is going to be prone to bad starts once again. He is best left as a spot starter in most leagues unless you are in a deep league with a deep bench.

Nelson had his ups and downs last year, but was a solid pitcher. He wont rack up the strikeouts, and you really don’t want to use a guy with a 4 ERA every time out. Use him as a spot starter in medium leagues. He is worth a rotation spot in deep leagues.

Right now, I wouldn’t touch Garza in any league. He was terrible last year, and until he shows signs of being a decent pitcher again, I’m staying away in all leagues.

Jungmann pitched pretty well last year. Well enough that I would use him at the back of my rotation in a 12 team league. He picks up enough strikeouts and has a solid enough WHIP and ERA that he wont hurt you.

Anderson has some talent, but he is kind of the same as Nelson right now. I wouldn’t want to use him on an every start basis except for in deep leagues.

Will Smith was supposed to be the closer this year, but he tore a LCL in his right knee. Now, it is unclear who will get most of the save opportunities for Milwaukee. There may not be many anyway. This is a team that is rebuilding with a lot of new faces this year. Wins will likely be hard to come by.

Jeffress would appear to be the guy to get the first save chances. His only career save came with the Royals in 2011. The Brewers had pegged Corey Knebel for their closer of the future at one point, but he has never been used in the late innings. This is a situation worth following, but only take Jeffress near the end of the draft if you are desperate. It is far from a sure thing.

Next: What Prospects Are Worth Watching?

Feb 26, 2016; Maryvale, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Orlando Arcia (72) poses for photo day at Maryvale Baseball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

We will take a look at a few prospects that could crack the majors for the Brewers this year, and in what type of leagues you should be looking for them in. The Brewers are also in rebuild mode. There are plenty! Let’s get started!

Orlando Arcia, SS: The addition of Villar muddles this situation some. Villar is not a sure thing, so if Arcia plays to his potential as the best propsect in the Brewers’ system, he can take the job. Arcia hit .307 with 8HR and 69RBI with 25SB at AA Biloxi last year. If you have an open bench slot, he could be worth stashing in leagues of 12 teams or more. He will help in steals if nothing else. He should be on the radar in all dynasty leagues. He could be a starter at SS for many years.

Jorge Lopez, RHP: Lopez went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two September starts last year. He will likely start the season at AAA this year, but Milwaukee’s rotation is not set in stone. He could be up before Memorial Day. If he is, he may be worth a look in deep leagues.

Josh Hader, LHP: Hader game over in the Carlos Gomez deal, and after a solid showing at AA Biloxi, he dominated in the Arizona Fall League. He led the AFL in ERA, and now appears that he may be the first Milwaukee pitching prospect to get the call to the bigs. When he does, he is worth following in all leagues and picking up in deep leagues.

Tyrone Taylor, OF: Nieuwenhuis is likely just keeping CF warm for Taylor. Taylor is a good defender already, he just needs work at the plate. He will likely be called up in September, but he may not see big league action before then without the help of an injury. Those of you in dynasty leagues can peg Taylor late because of his potential.

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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