👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Emeka Egbuka

the New WR1 in Tampa Bay?
Trey Benson

Upside Limited in Crowded Backfield
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Currently the Lead Back in Washington
Harrison Smith

Vikings Release Harrison Smith With Post-June 1 Designation
Jedrick Wills Jr.

Bears Sign Jedrick Wills Jr. to a One-Year Deal
Derrick Nnadi

Signs with the Colts
Charles Omenihu

Commanders Sign Charles Omenihu to a One-Year Deal
A'Shawn Robinson

Buccaneers Sign Defensive Lineman A'Shawn Robinson
Javon Hargrave

Packers Sign Javon Hargrave to a Two-Year Deal
Owen Tippett

Multi-Point Effort Leads Philadelphia to a Victory
Drake Batherson

Scores Twice Versus Montreal
Bradley Chubb

Reaches Agreement on Three-Year Deal With Bills
Osa Odighizuwa

49ers Acquire Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys on Wednesday
Kyler Murray

to Visit With Vikings on Thursday
Julian Hill

Patriots Agree to Terms With Julian Hill
Lucas Krull

Broncos Re-Sign Tight End Lucas Krull
Carson Wentz

Looking Unlikely for the Jets
LeBron James

Questionable Thursday Against Bulls
Foster Moreau

Texans Sign Foster Moreau to Add to Tight End Room
Dallas Goedert

Eagles Buy Some Extra Time to Negotiate With Dallas Goedert
Matas Buzelis

Probable Thursday After Career Night
Lamar Jackson

Ravens Still Hopeful They Can Reach Extension With Lamar Jackson
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Added to Injury Report as Probable
Josh Giddey

Likely Active Thursday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Remains Out Against Boston
Chet Holmgren

Ready to Play Thursday
Josh Hart

Won't Play Wednesday vs. Jazz
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable vs. Nuggets
Keyonte George

Set to Suit Up Wednesday
Jakob Poeltl

Cleared to Play Wednesday vs. Pelicans
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Out at Least Two Weeks
Grant Williams

Sidelined Against Kings
John Metchie III

Signing One-Year Deal to Join Panthers
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Jaguars Signing Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Wednesday
Coby White

Active On Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Expected to Miss 10 More Days
Jake Browning

Plans to Sign One-Year Deal With Buccaneers
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Shayne Gostisbehere

to Remain Out for "Couple of Games"
Robert Thomas

Blues Hopeful Robert Thomas Can Play Through Upper-Body Injury
Ross Colton

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday Night
Connor Ingram

"Feeling Well" After Tuesday's Early Exit
Dylan Larkin

Doubtful for Rest of Road Trip
Andrew Copp

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Justin Brazeau

Out Week-to-Week
Ace Bailey

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Keyonte George

Still Dealing With Illness, Questionable Wednesday
Mitchell Robinson

Available for Wednesday's Tilt
Josh Hart

Questionable for Wednesday Night
Jarrett Allen

Remains Out Wednesday
Cameron Johnson

Considered Probable Wednesday
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Jamal Murray

Probable for Matchup With Rockets
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Jakub Dobes

Makes 17 Saves in Victory
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Alexis Lafrenière

Alexis Lafreniere's Hat Trick Leads New York to Victory
Carter Verhaeghe

Wins it for Florida on Tuesday
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Colton Parayko

Rejoins Blues Lineup
Shayne Gostisbehere

Unavailable Against Penguins
Marcus Johansson

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Darren Raddysh

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Sam Reinhart

Out Tuesday
John Gibson

Available Tuesday
Dylan Larkin

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
James Reimer

Posts Shutout With Seventh Franchise
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Stretches Point Streak to 13 Games
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
Brandon Woodruff

Making Cactus League Debut on Saturday
Byron Buxton

Leaves WBC Game After Being Hit by a Pitch on his Elbow
Jackson Chourio

"Fine" After Suffering Hand Contusion
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Rafael Devers

Could Return to Game Action Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Hopes to be Ready for Opening Day
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF