X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Colorado Rockies: 2017 Team Preview and Fantasy Outlooks

Welcome back to our ongoing series of MLB team previews. As part of RotoBaller's ongoing effort to help you win your leagues, we're previewing all 30 MLB teams. For each team, we will take a look at their hitters, pitchers, prospects and offseason moves. Today we dive into the 2017 Colorado Rockies Team Outlook and preview their potential fantasy baseball contributions.

The 2016 Rockies fought to a 75-87 record last season, which gave them third place in the NL West—16 games back of the Dodgers and 12 games back of a wild-card slot. However, with a talented bevy of youth looking to establish its identity, this is a team that could surprise in ‘17. Let’s take a look at the upstart Rockies organization heading into the 2017 season.

Editor's note: for even more draft prep, visit our awesome 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It has lots of in-depth staff rankings and draft strategy columns. You will find tiered rankings for every position, 2017 impact rookie rankings, AL/NL only league ranks and lots more. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

Offseason Moves

The Rockies made waves by forfeiting their first-round pick -- No. 11 overall -- in order to sign Ian Desmond to a sweet five-year deal in December. Of course, Colorado didn’t need another outfielder, so it was clear from the jump that Desmond was signed to be a right-handed bat at first base.

They also signed Greg Holland, who missed all of 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery, to help fill out a bullpen that was pretty awful last season. They also signed lefty Mike Dunn to help in that department. Those were the only notable moves unless you count signing Alexi Amarista to take over the Daniel Descalso utility role. I know, huge move.

 

Hitting Overview

Well, this section could go for days. This star-studded offense would likely bring the heat wherever they were, but calling Coors Field home just takes them to another level. A level that resides roughly a mile above sea level. Colorado’s 116 homers at Coors tied for second in the MLB for any team at home, with their 508 runs, 490 RBIs and .304 average all league-leading stats.

With an infield that now boasts Desmond, NL Batting Champion DJ LeMahieu, rookie phenom Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado—who finished fifth in NL MVP voting—the Rockies are poised to blitz opposing pitchers in 2017. And then behind the plate, we have the conflict of real life vs. fantasy, as Tony Wolters doesn’t offer us much offensively, but is a defensive stalwart. Meanwhile, Tom Murphy has 30-homer potential but needs to refine his defensive skills before getting an everyday job.

But that’s not all, of course. They have an outfield that sports three players who are being drafted inside of the top 25 according to NFBC ADP data. Charlie Blackmon (OF4), Carlos Gonzalez (OF17) and David Dahl (OF22). Blackmon’s power leap from 17 homers to 29 helped assuage the dip in steals from 43 to 17, but he also suffered a foot injury in April that may have brought on caution. CarGo has finally sustained good health and it shows. Unfortunately, Dahl will have to deal with Gerardo Parra (-1.8 WAR last season) challenging his playing time in left field, but ideally, Dahl will still play five games a week and be a solid contributor.

 

Pitching Overview

We’ve finally got some excitement again for this section! The infusion of young talent isn’t just happening to the offense, as Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson form a 1-2 punch ahead of Tyler Chatwood and Chad Bettis to provide some fantasy intrigue in Colorado. Chatwood and Bettis can likely be left to the streamers, but Gray in particular houses serious upside as illustrated by his 16-strikeout complete-game shutout against the Padres (and it was at Coors Field). Anderson is more of an artist with command, which resulted in a healthy 50.9% groundball rate alongside plus control (2.2 BB/9) and a still-useful 7.79 K/9.

Beyond that, we see three more green arms in Jeff Hoffman, German Marquez and Kyle Freeland fighting for the No. 5 rotation spot. This comes after Eddie Butler was mercifully DFA’d. This writer is pulling for Freeland—who looked sharp once he started feeling comfortable with his changeup-- to get the first crack, while Hoffman and Marquez work out of the ‘pen.

Speaking of that ‘pen, it logged the worst collective ERA (5.13) in the MLB last season. It was missing usual closer Adam Ottavino for much of the year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but should now profile much stronger with him back and the additions of Holland and Dunn. As of now, it isn't certain who will close between Ottavino and Holland, but Ottavino is the favorite given that he looked strong when he returned last season (seven saves, 2.67 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 11.67 K/9 and 2.33 BB/9 in 27 innings) while Holland will need to prove he's back to full game effectiveness.

 

Prospects Overview

One might think that the farm has to be tapped given how many younger players we’ve already discussed, but you’d be wrong. There are still a few big infield names, headlined by 20-year-old shortstop Brendan Rodgers who slashed .281/.342/.480 with 19 homers in 491 Single-A PAs last season and could become a strong power/average guy if he improves his plate coverage. He’s joined by Forrest Wall, a 2B/OF type who has struggled to grow with advancement but still has a plus-hitting tool, and Ryan McMahon, who has been playing first base now with Arenado firmly entrenched at the hot corner. McMahon has inspiring raw power but has seen his game power dip (only 12 homers in 534 Double-A PAs in '16) while his strikeouts rose to 30.1%. In other words, a lesser Joey Gallo.

On the mound, they have Riley Pint, a 19-year-old RHP who stands at six-foot-four that was selected fourth overall in the 2016 June Amateur draft. With the ability to hit triple digits on the radar gun he has ace potential, but he’ll need to refine his command as he grows into his frame. Dynasty leaguers should be on top of him.

 

Conclusion

The Rockies may become a popular pick for a wild card slot in 2017 thanks to this new generation of Blake Street Bombers and promising arms. Even if they fall short of that goal, this team will provide a ton of fantasy goodness. Fantasy owners of all shapes and sizes will want to get a piece or three.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Josh Giddey19 mins ago

Exits Early With Ankle Injury, Won't Return On Monday
Brandon Miller26 mins ago

Exits Early With Ankle Injury, Won't Return
Christian Braun38 mins ago

Officially Ruled Out For Monday, Will Miss First Game Of Season
Jordan Clarkson1 hour ago

Available For Monday Night Against Clippers
Jamal Murray1 hour ago

Probable For Monday Night Against Kings
Isaiah Stewart1 hour ago

Exits Game Early, Will Not Return
Keegan Murray1 hour ago

Officially Ruled Out For Monday's Game Against Nuggets
Christian Braun2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Against Kings
Geno Smith2 hours ago

Seahawks Optimistic Geno Smith Will Take Most Of The Practice Reps This Week
Scottie Barnes3 hours ago

May Ramp Up Activity Level During The Week
Desmond Ridder3 hours ago

Starting On Monday Night, Aidan O'Connell Ruled Out
Ben Simmons3 hours ago

To Take Over Point-Guard Duties
D'Andre Swift3 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Evan Mobley3 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Nikola Vucevic3 hours ago

Will Play On Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo3 hours ago

Expected To Play On Tuesday
3 hours ago

Paul Reed Returning To Pistons
Dalen Terry3 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
LaMelo Ball3 hours ago

To Play On Monday
Zach LaVine3 hours ago

Ruled Out On Monday
Paul George4 hours ago

Available Against Hornets On Monday
Evan Mobley4 hours ago

Probable To Play Monday Against Nets
Stuart Skinner4 hours ago

Looks To Extend Winning Streak In Stanley Cup Finals Rematch
Lonzo Ball4 hours ago

Listed As Probable Monday Versus Raptors
Mackenzie Blackwood4 hours ago

Makes Second Avalanche Start Monday
Nikola Vucevic4 hours ago

Probable To Play Monday Against Raptors
Thatcher Demko4 hours ago

Starting Against Avalanche Monday
Marcus Pettersson4 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Thomas Harley4 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision For Monday
Jakub Vrana5 hours ago

Rejoins Capitals Lineup
Aleksander Barkov5 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
David Montgomery7 hours ago

Slated To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Jaylen Waddle7 hours ago

Avoids Major Injury, Status In Question For Week 16
Geno Smith7 hours ago

Optimistic About Knee Injury
Alvin Kamara7 hours ago

Dealing With Groin-Abductor Injury, Getting More Tests
Joaquin Buckley7 hours ago

Extends Win Streak To Six
Colby Covington7 hours ago

Gets Outclassed At UFC Tampa
Kenneth Walker III8 hours ago

Seahawks Hopeful Kenneth Walker III Will Return In Week 16
Manel Kape8 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bruno Silva8 hours ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Tampa
Tuco Tokkos9 hours ago

Remains Winless In The UFC
David Njoku9 hours ago

Browns "Hopeful" David Njoku Can Play In Week 16
Navajo Stirling9 hours ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Patrick Mahomes9 hours ago

Diagnosed With Mild High-Ankle Sprain, Still Week-To-Week
Cleveland Browns9 hours ago

Browns Not Ready To Name Starting QB For Week 16
Desmond Ridder9 hours ago

Expected To Start On Monday Night
David Montgomery9 hours ago

Dealing With Torn MCL, Could Be Done For The Year
Sam Darnold10 hours ago

Vikings Open To Giving Sam Darnold A Contract-Extension
David Montgomery10 hours ago

Out Indefinitely With MCL Injury
Patrick Mahomes10 hours ago

Non-Committal On Week 16 Status
John Tavares11 hours ago

Scores Natural Hat Trick Against Sabres
Jalen Hurts11 hours ago

Delivers Big Performance Against Steelers
Teuvo Teravainen11 hours ago

Ends Slump With Three-Point Outing
Mats Zuccarello12 hours ago

Records Two Assists In Losing Effort
Victor Olofsson12 hours ago

Pots Two Goals In Sunday's Win
DeVonta Smith12 hours ago

​​Devonta Smith Notches Season Highs In Week 15
Ivan Barbashev12 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Denver Broncos12 hours ago

Patrick Surtain II Believed To Have Suffered Minor Ankle Sprain
Anton Forsberg12 hours ago

Misses Road Trip
A.J. Brown12 hours ago

Shines In Bounce-Back Performance
Geno Smith12 hours ago

"Up In The Air" For Week 16 With Knee Injury
Adrian Yanez1 day ago

Falls Short At UFC Tampa
Daniel Marcos1 day ago

Remains Undefeated After UFC Tampa
Vitor Petrino1 day ago

Gets Finished Again At UFC Tampa
Dustin Jacoby1 day ago

Pulls Off Stunning Knockout At UFC Tampa
Billy Quarantillo1 day ago

Gets KO'd At UFC Tampa
Cub Swanson1 day ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Tampa
Jack Flaherty1 day ago

Viewed As "Fallback" Option For Baltimore
Jesper Wallstedt1 day ago

Starts For Wild Sunday
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Out On Sunday
Scott Perunovich1 day ago

Back For Blues Sunday
Brandon Saad1 day ago

Re-Enters Blues Lineup Sunday
Anthony Stolarz1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Bo Horvat1 day ago

Battling A Lower-Body Injury
Tyler Toffoli2 days ago

In Danger Of Missing Saturday's Game
SJ2 days ago

Will Smith Back In Sharks Lineup Saturday
Jesús Luzardo2 days ago

Cubs Showing Interest In Jesus Luzardo
Nolan Arenado2 days ago

Astros Serious About Trading For Nolan Arenado
Jeffrey Springs2 days ago

A's Acquire Jeffrey Springs From Rays
Christian Walker3 days ago

Seattle Would "Love" To Sign Christian Walker
Carson Kelly3 days ago

Agrees To Two-Year Contract With Cubs
Houston Astros3 days ago

Cam Smith Traded To Houston
Hayden Wesneski3 days ago

Shipped To Houston
Isaac Paredes3 days ago

Shipped To Houston
Kyle Tucker3 days ago

Cubs Acquire Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Kyle Tucker3 days ago

Cubs Close To Acquiring Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Nestor Cortes3 days ago

Traded To The Brewers
Adrian Yanez3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Tampa
Daniel Marcos3 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated At UFC Tampa
Vitor Petrino3 days ago

Looks To Return To Win Column At UFC Tampa
Dustin Jacoby3 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Tampa
Cub Swanson3 days ago

Searching For 30th Career Win At UFC Tampa
Billy Quarantillo3 days ago

Faces A Legend At UFC Tampa
Devin Williams3 days ago

Traded To The Yankees
Joaquin Buckley3 days ago

Looks For His Sixth Win In A Row
Colby Covington3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Bruno Silva3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Kyle Bradish4 days ago

Begins Throwing Program
Nolan Arenado4 days ago

Would Approve Of Trade To The Bronx
Francisco Lindor4 days ago

Back Injury In The Rearview Mirror
Rafael Devers4 days ago

Red Sox Prepared To Keep Rafael Devers At Third Base
Cody Bellinger4 days ago

Yankees Targeting Cody Bellinger
Pete Alonso4 days ago

Mets Still Trying To Bring Back Pete Alonso
Corbin Burnes4 days ago

Giants The Favorites To Land Corbin Burnes
Brenton Doyle5 days ago

Rockies Plan To Hit Brenton Doyle At Leadoff

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 16 Waiver Wire Rankings (2024) - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Jerome Ford, Romeo Doubs, Hollywood Brown, Brenton Strange, Kendre Miller

Congratulations to the fantasy managers who picked up the win and are heading into the final four of the fantasy playoffs. The grind never stops. At RotoBaller HQ, we are here to help you earn those bragging rights and hoist the championship hardware in 2024 with our Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for […]


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including James Conner, Jahmyr Gibbs, Tyjae Spears And More

The NFL playoff race is getting down to the nitty-gritty while the fantasy playoffs are in full swing. I'll admit, it's a bittersweet time of the year. As we reach the peak of football season, the fantasy championships are approaching. Soon, we won't have any live action to keep us entertained, only speculation on draft […]


Anthony Richardson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

Top Week 16 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Anthony Richardson, Aaron Rodgers, Cooper Rush and more

Fantasy managers were treated to several fantastic fantasy performances entering the fantasy playoffs. Four quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, and Jayden Daniels) had more than 20 fantasy points. Two (Jackson and Rodgers) had over 30 points. It wasn’t all great for fantasy managers though. Patrick Mahomes suffered a week-to-week ankle injury. There were […]


Jerome Ford - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, NFL Injury News

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16: Jerome Ford, Kendre Miller, Sincere McCormick, Tyjae Spears

Congratulations to all of you who successfully navigated the collection of challenges that emerged since Week 1, including injuries, bye weeks, impactful coaching decisions, and disappointing production. We have now progressed into planning for the second week of fantasy postseason matchups. You should sustain the same level of diligence and flexibility that have helped you […]


Video: MUST ADD Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 16! Fantasy Football 2024

Our top 2024 fantasy football Week 15 waiver wire pickups for RB, WR, TE, and QB. This week's must-add fantasy football free agents -- potential waiver wire winners heading into Week 16 for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) - every […]


Noah Gray - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 16 TE Pickups Including Brenton Strange, Noah Gray, Juwan Johnson, Chig Okonkwo and More!

This week is the opening week of the playoffs in most fantasy football leagues. Your fantasy team might be one win away from claiming a title and the prizes and acclaim that goes with it. So you better have a decent tight end in your lineup, that’s for sure. Most fantasy managers are probably set […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Sunday Injury Report: Updates for Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Alvin Kamara, Jaylen Waddle, And More

Hopefully, you are reading this article today knowing you have locked up a spot in the semi-finals. If your matchup is coming down to Monday Night Football, then I wish you the best of luck and hope you earn a spot in your league’s final four. We had a reprieve for a few weeks, but […]


NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Bears vs. Vikings MNF Showdown (Week 15)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have an NFC North showdown tonight as Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears (4-9) head up to Minnesota to take on Sam Darnold and the Vikings (11-2). These two teams met just a few weeks ago in Chicago where the Vikings eked out a 30-27 win. Let’s see how this one […]


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Falcons vs. Raiders MNF Showdown (Week 15)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have an interesting battle going down out in the desert tonight. It’ll be Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) heading west to take on the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11). Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell is questionable for this game with a knee injury. If he can’t go, it’ll be Desmond Ridder […]


Jerome Ford - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, NFL Injury News

Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Jerome Ford, Kendre Miller, Jalen McMillan, Malik Washington, Jalen Coker, Rashod Bateman

Welcome to our Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire pickups article for the 2024 season. With just two weeks left, fantasy managers can easily identify their starting lineup in Weeks 16 and 17. We can never know when injuries will strike, so keeping 1-2 bench pieces you're comfortable starting is important. After that, however, fantasy […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Henry, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Travis Kelce, more

The 15th Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

10 Worst QB Performances From Week 15, Including Will Levis and Tua Tagovailoa

Week 15 brought a new batch of poor performances to the NFL. Will Levis was up to his old tricks leading to an eventual benching and Tua Tagovailoa threw three uncharacteristic interceptions. Overall, there was some rough quarterback play this week. Luckily for this column, there happened to be plenty of names to choose from. […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Aaron Rodgers, Tyjae Spears, Rashod Bateman, Jalen Coker, Romeo Doubs

Week 15 marked the first week of the playoffs for many fantasy football leagues, and a lot of stars showed up and showed out for their managers. A trio of passers picked apart their opposition: Josh Allen, Jared Goff, and Lamar Jackson all scored more than 35 fantasy points in dominant outings. Some big-name receivers […]