Fantasy Baseball 2017: Bold Fantasy Prediction for each NL Central Club

By Brad Kelly | Mar 31, 2017

Mar 22, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Keon Broxton (23) singles in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at Maryvale Baseball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

With the MLB season almost upon us, it is always fun to offer bold fantasy predictions for the upcoming season. Here is one bold fantasy prediction for each team in the NL Central.

Conjuring up bold fantasy predictions is one the more intriguing offseason exercises as it blends conjecture, player situations, and stats together. While most bold predictions fail to come true, there is always that hope that one does strike gold and would be the one that fantasy owners believed in. Here is one fantasy prediction for each of the teams in the AL Central.

More bold predictions here: AL East, NL East, AL Central

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Chicago Cubs: WIllson Contreras finishes among the top-3 fantasy C

Contreras stepped in nicely for the Cubs behind the plate in 2016, finishing the year with a .282/12 HR/35 RBI/.845 OPS line over only 76 games. He will enter the 2017 season as the Cubs’ starter and will offer a ton of fantasy upside.

He made a ton of solid contact last season, while also notching a solid 9.2% BB rate. He will lower his 54% GB rate from 2016, allowing him to easily eclipse 20 HR as he should see an uptick in his LD and FB rates. Contreras should finish the season with a .270/20-25 HR/75 RBI type of line, ranking him as a certified top-3 performer.

It seems like Buster Posey, Jonathan Lucroy and Gary Sanchez are the presumed top-3 C this season, but Contreras has the skill to crash the party.

St. Louis Cardinals: Carlos Martinez wins 20 games and posted a sub-3.00 ERA

Martinex seemingly flies under the radar in the discussion amongst the best starters in baseball. Yet, he has posted at least a 14 W/3.04 ERA/174 K line over the last two seasons.

He won 16 games in 2016 and was able to drop his surrendered LD% while raising his GB rate by nearly 2%. The Cardinals have a solid lineup and what should be a better bullpen this season, giving him a great chance at 20 wins in 2017.

Milwaukee Brewers: Keon Broxton ranks as a top-15 OF

Broxton has gained a lot of fantasy traction the last month or so and we covered why he could be a breakout star here.

A swing adjustment led to a great end of the season for him in 2016 and the speed is even more tantalizing. He has the skill to be a top-15 overall player, but in terms of next season, he should have no issue being one of the best fantasy OF values. The upside is scary good.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen posts his first 100 RBI season

Call it revenge or call it a reminder, but McCutchen will be a force in 2017. He started last season off slowly and the steals have vanished, no one denies that. He did raise his FB rate by nearly 4% in 2016, while still making plenty of hard contact.

There have been plenty of rumors and rumblings of his demise, but this is the year that Cutch bounces back. With Josh Harrison, Josh Bell and Starling Marte possibly slotted in front if him, 2017 will be the year he finally hits the century mark in RBI.

Cincinnati Reds: Jose Peraza will be a top-30 fantasy performer in 2017

Peraza started flying up draft boards after Brandon Phillips was traded. Peraza has the undeniable speed to be a game wrecker and even challenge for the league lead in steals.

The Reds announced that they will likely go with Billy Hamilton, Peraza and Joey Votto in the lineup, offering Peraza plenty of counting stat opportunities. He will not offer much power wise, but the speed and R will be there. If Hamilton can get on a better clip, Peraza could even flirt with solid RBI numbers.

There are a lot of naysayers that hold his high BABIP against him and point to it as why his AVG is sure to drop. Peraza is undoubtedly a free swinger, but he the speed allows him to beat out plenty of balls that should be outs. Look for him to post a .275/5 HR/50 RBI/40 SB line in 2017.

Next: Mariners Drew Smyly Injured: Fantasy Fallout in 2017

Some of these predictions may be bold, some may be somewhat obvious. But, fantasy owners should keep these in the back of your mind during the last weeks of drafting. Good luck.

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