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Miami Marlins: 2017 Fantasy MLB Team Preview and Outlooks

As part of RotoBaller's ongoing effort to help you win your leagues, we're previewing all 30 MLB teams. Today we continue our MLB team previews with the 2017 Miami Marlins Team Outlook to see how fantasy baseball owners should approach their players this season.

In this article, I will break down the team's notable additions, losses, offense, pitching and prospects. Let's get to it.

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

Key Additions: A.J. Ellis, Jeff Locke, Dan Straily, Junichi Tazawa, Edinson Volquez, Brad Ziegler

Key Departures: Andrew Cashner, Mike Dunn, Chris Johnson, Jeff Mathis, Fernando Rodney

Although it occurred in the 2016 season, the absence of Jose Fernandez will continue to cast a huge shadow on the Marlins' organization all season long. Without a true ace, the organization opted to load up on veteran depth in the rotation rather than trying to find a replacement for the young star. This didn't result in any exciting transactions, unless Edinson Volquez or Dan Straily get your temperature rising. Jeff Locke may shift to the bullpen after the recent acquisition of Straily. Brad Ziegler could compete for the closer role, but will likely begin as a setup man along with Tazawa. Offensively, the Marlins' lineup should be nearly identical to last year. They chose to swap a pair of backup catchers, which may help the pitching staff a bit, but will have no effect on offense.

 

Hitting Overview 

The offense begins and ends with the outfield in South Florida. Deemed one of the best young outfields in all of Major League baseball, they mostly lived up to that moniker last season. Marcell Ozuna made the All-Star team after a blistering first half in which he hit .307 with 17 HR and 47 RBI in 323 at-bats. He fell off big-time in the second half, hitting .209 with just six homers. He may have been affected by the absence of slugger Giancarlo Stanton behind him. Speaking of Stanton, he's a known commodity at this point. Tremendous power, possibly the best in the game, but extremely injury-prone and strikeout-prone. Stanton smacked 20 HR and 50 RBI in the first half last year, but hit .233 along the way. His average is trending in the wrong direction the last three seasons, from .288 to .265 to .240. He played in 119 games, which is actually his third-highest total in seven seasons. Stanton is a risky pick for his fourth-round ADP, but one that could reap great benefits. Christian Yelich provides the highest floor of the three, hitting .293 in his Major League career. He found his power stroke last season, hitting 21 dingers, and could be in store for another step forward.

Among the infield, J.T. Realmuto and Dee Gordon are the main targets for fantasy owners. Realmuto doesn't pack much power, but his .303 AVG and 12 SB will make him one of the top five catchers off the board. Dee Gordon will be among the stolen base leaders, but expecting him to repeat his 2015 numbers is a mistake. Target him outside the top five 2B and top 50 overall. Martin Prado still provides veteran leadership at third, but is also a reliable source of average and RBI in deep leagues. He hit .305 and drove in 75 runs on the year, thanks to a productive second half. Adeiny Hechavarria is in for his defense only.

 

Pitching Overview

Rolling with a Marlins starter on your fantasy team is a crapshoot at this point. Wei-Yin Chen was a disappointment in 2016, posting a 4.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He could bounce back if healthy, but isn't worth the risk early on. Adam Conley has the most promise after a second straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. His 4.2 BB/9 needs to come down, but if he improve his command he could be a valuable sleeper. Volquez and Locke are both reclamation projects that don't offer too much upside in mixed leagues. Straily was surprisingly effective in Cincinnati last year, winning 14 games and offering a 3.76 ERA, but he also led the NL in home runs allowed (31). Marlins Park should suppress that number a bit, but Straily is far from a proven commodity.

After the failed pursuit of Kenley Jansen, A.J. Ramos should remain the closer. He was near the top of the NL with 40 saves last season. Brad Ziegler has closing experience and could pick up some saves throughout the season, but will begin as the setup man. Kyle Barraclough and Junichi Tazawa could help owners in leagues that count holds.

 

Prospects Overview

The farm system is thin for the Marlins, especially after dealing RHP Luis Castillo recently to acquire Dan Straily. According to ESPN's Keith Law, Miami's top prospect entering 2017 is Braxton Garrett, at #42 overall. He promises to be part of the rotation soon, but at 19 it will be a while before he makes an impact. The only other pitchers of note are LHP Jarlin Garcia and RHP Tyler Kolek. Kolek is a former first-rounder, but is recovering from Tommy John surgery last season.

On the offensive side, the outlook is even bleaker. Only a pair of third basemen, Brian Anderson and J.T. Riddle, are noteworthy. With Martin Prado signed through 2019 and Dee Gordon locking down second base, neither figure to see a call-up this season, barring injuries. Isael Soto is a deep sleeper if he develops power, but still needs to work on pitch recognition. Overall, don't expect anyone from the minors to become fantasy-relevant for the Fish this season.

 

Conclusion

There won't be many surprises coming out of Miami this season. The hitters far outweigh the pitchers in terms of fantasy value now that Fernandez is gone. Miami's outfielders have legitimate star-power and the bullpen is solid, but avoid the rotation until you see proof that one of those pitchers can produce on a consistent basis.




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rashee Rice

Receives Clearance to Travel to Brazil for Week 1
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Jacob Misiorowski

Activated and Starting on Friday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Back From the Injured List
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
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Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
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Looks For His Second Win In A Row
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Dealing With Upper-Body Injury, Could be Held Out of Preseason Game
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Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
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Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Expected to Return Friday
Michael King

Heading to 15-Day Injured List
Aaron Nola

to Return on Sunday
Quinshon Judkins

Won't Face Formal Charges
Sam LaPorta

To "Miss a Little Bit of Time"
Rashee Rice

Disciplinary Hearing Scheduled For Late September
Chris Godwin

Likely to Start the Season on PUP List?
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
Paul Goldschmidt

Could Land on the Injured List
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team
NBA

Cole Swider Links Up with EuroLeague Powerhouse
Ethan Thompson

Joins Heat for Training Camp
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Clippers Add Jason Preston for Training Camp
Stefon Diggs

Unsure About Availability for Week 1
Jakob Marsee

Homers Twice in Seven-RBI Night
Owen Caissie

Cubs Promoting Owen Caissie to Majors
Miguel Amaya

Going on 10-Day Injured List With Sprained Ankle
Max Muncy

Scratched With Side Soreness on Wednesday
Josh Hader

Will be Out Longer Than Two Weeks
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Out in Series Finale With Hand Soreness
Justin Jefferson

Won't Practice This Week, Will be Re-Evaluated Next Week
Oneil Cruz

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
Wyatt Langford

Out Wednesday With Forearm Tightness
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Sprained Ankle
Nolan McLean

to Make MLB Debut on Saturday
Akshay Bhatia

a High-Upside Play at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

a Safe Play at BMW Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im a Risky Play at BMW Championship
Xander Schauffele

Chases Big Week at BMW Championship
Shane Lowry

Aims to Rebound at BMW Championship
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Build Momentum at BMW Championship
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Looking to Rebound at BMW Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Eyeing Another BMW Championship Victory
Jac Caglianone

Tallies Four Hits in Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday
Jacob Misiorowski

Scheduled to Throw a Bullpen on Tuesday
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Wants to Raise His Free-Throw Attempts
Anfernee Simons

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James Cook

Bills Agree on Four-Year Extension
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Focuses on Winning with Bucks
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Jesse Edwards Moves to Australia
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Exits Early Tuesday With Right-Foot Bruise
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Feeling Rejuvenated in Los Angeles
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Looking "Incredible"
PIT

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MIN

Jack Johnson Signs Tryout Deal with Wild
Ryker Evans

Kraken Extend Ryker Evans with Two-Year Deal
Rondale Moore

Out for the Season With Knee Injury
Christian Watson

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List
Jordan Love

Undergoes Procedure on Left Thumb
Bud Cauley

Needs a Big Result in Maryland
Harris English

Confident for BMW Championship
Jason Day

Faces Uphill Battle at BMW Championship
Cameron Young

Hot at the Right Time
J.J. Spaun

Rolls in After Near Miss in Memphis
Brian Harman

is a Longer Shot Heading to Maryland
Corey Conners

Appears Safe This Week in Maryland
Daniel Berger

Must Play Better at BMW Championship
Miami Heat

Kai Jones Works Out for Heat
Sacramento Kings

Russell Westbrook Likely to Join Kings
Golden State Warriors

Al Horford Expected to Sign with Warriors if He Doesn't Retire
Jonathan Kuminga

Reportedly Leaning Toward Accepting Golden State's Qualifying Offer
Cam Thomas

"Increasingly Interested" in Signing Qualifying Offer
Sepp Straka

Withdraws From BMW Championship
Maverick McNealy

Finishes Tied for 28th at FedEx St. Jude Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Third at FedEx St. Jude Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied For 22nd at FedEx St. Jude Championship
Rory McIlroy

Finishes Tied For Seventh at Open Championship
Brandon Aiyuk

Could Return in Week 6
Boston Celtics

Miles Norris Waived by Celtics
Anthony Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak To Eight
Roman Dolidze

Submitted At UFC Vegas 109
Ode' Osbourne

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 109
Steve Erceg

Gets Back In The Win Column
Angela Hill

Outclassed At UFC Vegas 109
Angela Hill

Iasmin Lucindo Dominates Angela Hill
Christian Rodriguez

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Andre Fili

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Miles Johns

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Miles Johns

Jean Matsumoto Edges Out Miles Johns To Win Split Decision
Eryk Anders

Suffers First-Round TKO
Christian Leroy Duncan

Scores First-Round TKO Win
Alexander Mattison

Will Miss Entire Season With Neck Injury
Zayne Parekh

Has Sights Set on Making Flames Roster
Hampus Lindholm

Fully Healthy for New Season
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Nathan Bastian Joins Stars on One-Year Contract
Christopher Bell

Good Pit Strategy Helps Elevate Christopher Bell to Second
William Byron

Extends Championship Lead with Fourth-Place Finish
Ryan Blaney

Despite Finishing Sixth, Watkins Glen Might've Been Ryan Blaney's Best Road Race
Alex Bowman

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Kyle Larson

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Scores Another Top-5 Run At Watkins Glen
Ryan Preece

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William Byron

Keeps the Regular Season Points Lead After Watkins Glen
Chase Briscoe

Continues His Hot Streak With A Top-5 Finish At Watkins Glen
Chase Elliott

Top-20 Streak Ends at Watkins Glen After Pit Struggles
Matthew Stafford

Will Return to Practice on Monday
Tyjae Spears

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
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Shane Van Gisbergen

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Kyle Larson

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an Easy Pick to Make in DFS at Watkins Glen
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Struggling to Find Speed at Watkins Glen
Michael McDowell

a Legitimate Threat at Watkins Glen
Joey Logano

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Has Upside at Watkins Glen
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

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Fastest in Practice at Watkins Glen
Riley Herbst

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Wearing Walking Boot
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Carted Off on Saturday
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RANKINGS

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