Team Fantasy Preview - Tampa Bay Rays
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Throughout the preseason, we will be previewing all 30 teams and what their rosters bring to the fantasy baseball table. This edition covers the Tampa Bay Rays.
Projected Lineup
| ORDER | POSITION | NAME | BATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CF | Kevin Kiermaier | L |
| 2 | 2B | Brad Miller | L |
| 3 | 3B | Evan Longoria | R |
| 4 | DH | Corey Dickerson | L |
| 5 | SS | Matt Duffy | R |
| 6 | LF | Colby Rasmus | L |
| 7 | RF | Steven Souza | R |
| 8 | 1B | Logan Morrison | L |
| 9 | C | Curt Casali | R |
| Bench | IF | Tim Beckham | R |
| Bench | IF/OF | Nick Franklin | S |
Projected Rotation
| ORDER | NAME | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Archer | R |
| 2 | Jake Odorizzi | R |
| 3 | Alex Cobb | R |
| 4 | Blake Snell | L |
| 5 | Matt Andriese | R |
Bullpen Hierarchy
| ROLE | NAME | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| Closer | Alex Colome | R |
| Set-Up | Brad Boxberger | R |
| RP | Danny Farquhar | R |
Top Prospect to Watch in 2017
RHP Jose De Leon was a signature piece Tampa received in trading 2B Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers earlier in the offseason. De Leon started four games for L.A. last year and has made significant progress over the past two years despite a lack of pedigree as a 24th-round selection in 2013. He could spend some time with the Rays if their shaky rotation fails to pan out.
Who Will Drive You Crazy?
No one in particular will drive you bonkers simply because no Ray outside of Archer, Longoria, and Colome comes with superb fantasy appeal. Pay a keen eye to LHP Snell, however. The 24-year-old prodigy registered a stellar 9.91 K/9 in 19 starts last year but also surrendered a whopping 5.1 free passes per nine innings. Growing pains.
The One to Own
Because of Tampa's overall mediocrity, you're going to have to pay up for an established option like Longoria or Archer to obtain a player you truly want to own. Go with Longoria if you have the choice, though. He's coming off a bounce-back season in which he belted 36 homers and sports an ADP 50 spots below Archer.
Top Sleeper
A move from Safeco Field to the AL East allowed Miller to bop 30 homers last year, a mammoth increase from the 10 and 11 he hit in 2014 and 2015, respectively. While a 20.4 HR/FB ratio, 42.5 Pull percentage, and 35.1 Hard-Hit percentage were all career highs, none of the three are totally out of this world. A dip to 20 homers is likely, but that's still solid value at an ADP of 167.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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