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

Milwaukee Brewers - 2017 Fantasy MLB Team Preview and Outlooks

As we wrap up our MLB team previews, it's time to preview one of the young, upcoming teams in the National League with the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers Team Outlook.

The Brewers finished last season 73-89, but are a team that should be on the rise despite a relatively quiet offseason.

We'll take a look at the team's notable additions, losses, offense, pitching and prospects. Remember, nobody gets you prepared for the upcoming season like RotoBaller!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Offseason Moves

Key Additions: Jett Bandy, Eric Thames, Neftali Feliz, Travis Shaw

Key Departures: Chris Carter, Tyler Thornburg, Martin Maldonado

The Brewers are still in rebuild mode, even though they aren't the youngest team around, so there wasn't much money flying off the table at free agents this offseason. Their most notable addition came from the Korean League in the form of ex-MLB player Eric Thames. They hope he will fill the power void at first left by NL HR champ Chris Carter, who found few suitors on the free agent market before settling on a one-year deal with the Yankees.  They also flipped catchers, opting for Jett Bandy instead of Martin Maldonado in order to get younger at the position. Bandy has very modest offensive upside, but Maldonado had already proven he wasn't going to do much with Major League pitching with a .217/.299/.342 career slash. The biggest move the Brew Crew made was sending reliever Tyler Thornburg to Boston in exchange for three players. Travis Shaw should become the regular third baseman. With Thornburg dealt, just like Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith last season, Feliz may start the year as the closer.

 

Hitting Overview 

Ryan Braun is still the star here and he has remained consistent over the past couple of seasons. In fact, his homer total (30) surged to its highest point since 2012, just before his PED scandal broke. It's encouraging to see that he can still produce near-elite power totals along with a .305/.365/.538 line, although some caution should be taken here as his FB% is actually declining. Nevertheless, he is still worthy of being a #1 outfielder on any fantasy team. The rest of the Milwaukee outfield is rife with untapped potential. Keon Broxton is a popular breakout candidate this year after finishing his rookie year with nine homers and 23 steals in just 207 at-bats. Domingo Santana projects as more of a power prospect, but has only hit .239 with 19 HR and 58 RBI in less than a season's worth of plate appearances. Both Broxton and Santana are worth late-round picks.

The infield is less appealing, with the Brewers relying on new additions Travis Shaw and Eric Thames to man the corner spots. Thames is a popular sleeper this season, but will have to prove he can readjust to Major League hitting after four years overseas. Orlando Arcia is a defensive-minded shortstop who doesn't necessarily warrant rostering in most leagues. Hernan Perez was a sneaky source of steals off the waiver wire last season, but will remain in a utility role, limiting his value. The lone bright spot is last year's super-value player, Jonathan Villar, who will shift to second base. He is being drafted in the second round on average and will need to keep his stolen base total above 50, along with 15-20 homers once again in order to provide adequate return.

 

Pitching Overview

On paper, Milwaukee's rotation looks better than it really is. The "ace" of this staff is Matt Garza, who posted solid ratios in his 20s, but has put up ERAs of 5.63 and 4.51 the last two injury-riddled seasons., making him mainly an NL-only option. Junior Guerra and Zach Davies were valuable free agent pickups in 2016, with Guerra  finishing a surprisingly effective rookie campaign at the age of 31. Neither proved to be a good source of strikeouts, however, leaving them as deep-league options. Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson have yet to live up to their potential and are not fantasy-relevant in any way.

After trading away most of their bullpen, the Brewers will look to Neftali Feliz to close games initially. He was effective as a setup man in Pittsburgh last season, striking out 10.2 per nine innings. He doesn't possess ideal control for a closer, however, and was susceptible to the long ball last year (1.7 HR/9). Corey Knebel or Michael Blazek are likely to be the next in line for saves.

 

Prospects Overview

The most notable members of the Milwaukee farm system are a pair of outfielders and starting pitchers. Lewis Brinson came over from Texas in exchange for Jonathan Lucroy last season and projects to be a star in the making. He had a slow start in Double-A last season, but mashed to the tune of .382 with four homers and 20 RBI in 89 at-bats in Colorado Springs upon being moved. Corey Ray was the fifth overall pick in last year's draft, but with just a year of A-ball under his belt, he is a ways off from joining the 40-man roster.

The staff may get a boost this season if Josh Hader can live up to his potential. A hard-throwing lefty who racks up huge strikeout numbers, Hader is worth consideration in dynasty leagues. Jorge Lopez was hit hard in his first two Major League appearances last season, as he was in Triple-A, but still has the talent to stay on fantasy radars as a long-term prospect.

 

Conclusion

Milwaukee isn't thought of as a team rife with fantasy talent, but that is slowly changing. The Brewers' starting rotation should be mostly ignored, but they could have one of the most talented outfields in the majors if things fall right. Braun and Villar are still the stars here, but both are candidates for regression and should be approached with a slight bit of caution in drafts.




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

Derrick Jones Jr.3 hours ago

Moving Into Starting Five
D'Angelo Russell4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Deni Avdija4 hours ago

Tagged As Doubtful For Thursday
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

To Remain Sidelined On Thursday
Bam Adebayo4 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Aaron Gordon4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.4 hours ago

Mets Have Checked In On Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Jamal Murray4 hours ago

Good To Go On Wednesday
Nikola Jokic5 hours ago

Out Versus The Rockets
Karl-Anthony Towns5 hours ago

Dealing With Multiple Issues With His Thumb
Trayce Jackson-Davis5 hours ago

Active For Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Kyle Anderson5 hours ago

Inactive On Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Draymond Green5 hours ago

Out On Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Gary Trent Jr.5 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Tari Eason5 hours ago

Out For Wednesday Night Matchup Against Nuggets
Khris Middleton5 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup
Kyrie Irving5 hours ago

Officially Out On Wednesday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Available For Wednesday's Contest
Jay Huff5 hours ago

Available For Wednesday Against Spurs
Dejounte Murray5 hours ago

Available On Wednesday For Matchup Against Mavericks
Donovan Clingan5 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In One Week
A.J. Brown5 hours ago

Held Out On Wednesday
Josh Okogie5 hours ago

Hornets Acquire Josh Okogie In A Trade With Phoenix
Alex Laferriere7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Joe Mixon7 hours ago

Finds His Way Onto Injury Report On Wednesday
Calvin Pickard7 hours ago

Faces Wild Wednesday
Mattias Samuelsson7 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Lineup
Brock Faber7 hours ago

Still Out Wednesday
Kirill Kaprizov7 hours ago

To Miss 10th Consecutive Game
CAR8 hours ago

Dustin Tokarski Gets The Nod For Wednesday's Action
Mattias Ekholm8 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Lamar Jackson8 hours ago

Not On The Injury Report For Divisional Round
Tristan Jarry8 hours ago

Placed On Waivers
Diontae Johnson8 hours ago

Ravens Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Texans
Will Zalatoris10 hours ago

Looking To Keep Momentum Going At The AmEx
Zay Flowers11 hours ago

Missing From Wednesday's Practice
Ha-Seong Kim11 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
Las Vegas Raiders12 hours ago

Momentum Building For Ben Johnson To Become Raiders Next Head Coach
David Montgomery12 hours ago

Says He's "Ready To Go"
Indianapolis Colts13 hours ago

Colts To Play In First-Ever NFL Game In Berlin In 2025
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.16 hours ago

Given Contract-Extension Deadline
Leevi Merilainen17 hours ago

Wins Third Straight Contest On Tuesday
David Pastrnak17 hours ago

Busy In Tuesday's Victory
Kyle Connor17 hours ago

Scores Natural Hat Trick In Victory
Cole Caufield17 hours ago

Tallies Pair Of Points On Tuesday
Ryan McDonagh18 hours ago

Exits Tuesday's Contest Early
Thomas Chabot18 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston A Volatile Player With Upside At American Express
Justin Thomas1 day ago

Fits The AmEx Layouts Like A Glove
J.J. Spaun1 day ago

Carrying Plenty Of Momentum Into American Express
Adam Schenk1 day ago

Breaks Slump Ahead Of American Express
Alex Bregman1 day ago

Cubs Having Contract Conversations With Alex Bregman
Patrick Mahomes1 day ago

Practices In Full On Tuesday
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Practices In Full On Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

Returns To Action Tuesday
John Marino1 day ago

Set For Utah Debut On Tuesday
Jack Eichel1 day ago

Expected To Return To Vegas Lineup Tuesday
Charlie McAvoy1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Struggles Continue Ahead Of American Express
Chris Kreider1 day ago

Poised To Return Tuesday
Michael Bunting1 day ago

Back For Penguins Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
David Montgomery1 day ago

Practicing In Full
Tom Kim1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At American Express
Diontae Johnson1 day ago

Cut Loose By Texans
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Looking To Keep Momentum Going At La Quinta
PGA2 days ago

Sungjae Im Is A Hot Commodity At The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout2 days ago

Makes 2025 Debut At PGA West
Harry Hall2 days ago

In Great Form Ahead Of American Express
Eric Cole2 days ago

Seeking First Tour Victory At American Express
Tony Finau2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At American Express
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Looks To Stay Hot At La Quinta
Billy Horschel2 days ago

A Fade Candidate At American Express
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of American Express
Keith Mitchell2 days ago

Tough To Trust At American Express
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

A Player To Fade At The American Express
PGA2 days ago

Ben Silverman A Risky Option At PGA West
Nick Taylor2 days ago

Aims For Back-To-Back Victories At American Express
Cameron Young2 days ago

A Golfer To Watch At American Express
Luis Arraez2 days ago

Padres Would Prefer To Hold Luis Arraez
Tyler Higbee2 days ago

In Stable Condition At Hospital, Expected To Be OK
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Rams Defense Wreaks Havoc Monday
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Mike McCarthy Set For Meeting With Chicago
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Deion Sanders In Talks With Cowboys About Head-Coaching Vacancy
MLB2 days ago

Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays Finalists For Roki Sasaki
Donovan Solano2 days ago

Inks One-Year Deal With Seattle
Jayden Reed2 days ago

Doesn't Need Shoulder Surgery
Zay Flowers2 days ago

Ravens In "We'll-See" Mode With Zay Flowers
Lamar Jackson2 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited In Practice This Week
Justin Verlander2 days ago

Feeling Good
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Raiders "Enamored" With Ben Johnson
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Mike McCarthy Out In Dallas
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Loses Second Fight In A Row
Mackenzie Dern3 days ago

Scores Submission Victory At UFC Vegas 101
Carlston Harris3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 101
Santiago Ponzinibbio3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Abdul Razak Alhassan3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 101
Cesar Almeida3 days ago

Scores Knockout Victory
Robert Suarez3 days ago

Padres Have "Entertained" Trade Talks For Robert Suarez
Uros Medic3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 101
Punahele Soriano3 days ago

Gets A Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 101
Austin Bashi3 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Vegas 101
Christian Rodriguez3 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Vegas 101
Chris Curtis3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 101
Roman Kopylov3 days ago

Scores Last-Second Knockout At UFC Vegas 101
Bo Bichette4 days ago

Has "No Real Interest" In Re-Signing With Toronto
Yandy Díaz4 days ago

Yandy Diaz Not Expected To Be Traded
Sean Sullivan4 days ago

Invited To Spring Training
Sandy Alcantara5 days ago

Will Not Be Traded Before Opening Day
Jeff Hoffman5 days ago

Inks Three-Year Deal With Toronto
Amanda Ribas5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mackenzie Dern5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 101
Zac Gallen5 days ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration With Zac Gallen
Josh Jung5 days ago

Will Be Full-Go For Spring Training
Santiago Ponzinibbio5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Carlston Harris5 days ago

Set For Welterweight Matchup
Pete Alonso5 days ago

No Deal Close Between Pete Alonso And The Mets
Abdul Razak Alhassan5 days ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 101
Cesar Almeida5 days ago

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Uros Medic6 days ago

Opens Up UFC Vegas 101 Main Card
Punahele Soriano6 days ago

Remains At Welterweight At UFC Vegas 101
Christian Rodriguez6 days ago

Looks To Start Off 2025 On Right Note At UFC Vegas 101
Josh Naylor6 days ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.6 days ago

Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration
Andrew Kittredge6 days ago

Inks One-Year Deal With Baltimore

RANKINGS

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