Team-by-Team Fantasy Projections: Detroit Tigers

by theScore Staff
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Here are the 2016 MLB fantasy projections for the Detroit Tigers (ZiPS projections courtesy Dan Szymborski; Steamer projections courtesy Jared Cross, Dash Davidson and Peter Rosenbloom; Zeile projections courtesy FantasyPros):

Hitters

C James McCann

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 39 109 6 41 3
Steamer 34 84 6 36 2
Zeile 37 90 6 37 3

McCann's numbers don't reflect a fantasy stalwart, with little improvement projected for his second full season behind the dish. New backup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia may supply better raw power, but won't help at all in batting average or OBP. McCann likely isn't more than a second catcher in most leagues.

1B Miguel Cabrera

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 71 151 24 88 2
Steamer 86 162 26 92 2
Zeile 94 173 27 94 2

There's almost nobody better in terms of OBP and batting average, though Cabrera's counting stats no longer project to approach the 40-home run, 130-RBI heights they hit from 2010 through 2013. He's still a first-round pick.

2B Ian Kinsler

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 85 164 12 72 11
Steamer 81 160 14 66 10
Zeile 79 164 14 68 11

Kinsler contributes in all categories, and has largely avoided injuries over the last handful of seasons. His power and steal numbers aren't quite what they were, but his rate stats are still serviceable. Kinsler remains one of the better options at his position.

3B Nick Castellanos

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 52 150 16 75 1
Steamer 62 140 16 67 3
Zeile 65 139 15 66 2

Castellanos' power numbers are solid, but his mediocre batting average and poor OBP remained nearly identical from 2014 to 2015. The projections show only moderate improvement in those rate stats, with more of the same expected in regards to his counting marks. He's an average fantasy 3B.

SS Jose Iglesias

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 42 110 3 28 9
Steamer 50 124 4 45 13
Zeile 52 127 3 43 12

Iglesias doesn't provide much in the way of counting stats, though in 2013 and 2015 (he missed all of 2014 due to injury) he recorded batting averages of .300 or better and OBPs of .347 or higher. Projections show a slight dip in those rate stats, as well as an increase in RBI when compared to the 23 he registered in 120 games last season.

LF Justin Upton

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 87 143 28 86 13
Steamer 85 150 28 91 13
Zeile 86 146 27 87 14

Signed from San Diego as a free agent, Upton's power numbers are expected to be around the same as what he's put up over the past few seasons, but there are questions about his base stealing - he registered 19 SB in 2015 after combining for 16 in 2013 and 2014. Despite striking out frequently, his OBP has always been serviceable. Upton is a top-20 outfielder.

CF Cameron Maybin

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 51 97 7 44 14
Steamer 47 101 7 42 13
Zeile 55 113 8 46 16

Maybin set career highs in HR (10) and RBI (59) with Atlanta last season, while also stealing 23 bases. Maybin's rate stats were also career bests, and are set to regress slightly. He'll miss the start of the season due to injury, but is a mid-round selection in mixed leagues for the counting stats he can provide. Anthony Gose, whose main asset is his speed (23 steals last season), looks set to fill in.

RF J.D. Martinez

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 83 159 35 98 5
Steamer 78 151 28 91 4
Zeile 82 155 31 93 4

Despite striking out more than once per game, Martinez's rate stats are nearly as strong as his HR and RBI production. A second stellar season in Detroit proved his 2014 emergence wasn't a fluke, and he's a safe bet as a top-15 outfielder and early-round pick.

DH Victor Martinez

SOURCE R H HR RBI SB
ZiPS 50 125 18 79 1
Steamer 63 137 15 69 1
Zeile 61 129 15 62 1

Martinez' rate stats are projected to improve after a down 2015 (.245 BA, .301 OBP), though he likely won't approach the 32 home runs and 103 RBI he had back in 2014. He's a late-round selection given his DH-only status.

Starters

RHP Justin Verlander

SOURCE GS IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 26 164.3 141 47 3.89
Steamer 31 195 161 41 3.80
Zeile 31 195 162 57 3.81

For the first time as a major-league regular, Verlander failed to make at least 30 starts, only managing 20 in 2015 after missing time at the start of the season. His strikeout rate isn't what it once was, and his WHIP is expected to decline from last season's excellent 1.09. He's still a solid, mid-tier starter.

RHP Jordan Zimmermann

SOURCE GS IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 30 181.3 137 35 4.02
Steamer 32 200 148 41 3.86
Zeile 32 201 160 39 3.60

Signed from Washington, Zimmermann's ERA and WHIP are projected to be around last season's levels, and he may get an improvement on his 13 wins, as well. He's made 32 or more starts in each of the last four seasons, and typically boasts a strong walk rate. He's a top-20 or so starting pitcher.

RHP Anibal Sanchez

SOURCE GS IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 24 144 134 43 3.94
Steamer 28 167 142 47 3.87
Zeile 28 161 141 46 4.02

Sanchez' ERA should improve significantly from last season's 4.99, but his biggest problem from a fantasy perspective is that he's missed chunks of time due to injury over the past two seasons. He'll provide good value if he can remain healthy, but at least one extended absence can be expected.

RHP Mike Pelfrey

SOURCE GS IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 21 112.7 60 36 4.95
Steamer 23 126 71 38 4.68
Zeile 23 137 75 42 4.55

Pelfrey's not worthy of being drafted in mixed leagues, as he's essentially been hurt for two of his last four seasons, with ugly ERA and WHIP figures in the two healthy years. Even if he can avoid the DL, his numbers won't help most fantasy teams.

LHP Daniel Norris

SOURCE GS IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 28 145.7 125 61 4.45
Steamer 24 132 110 54 4.30
Zeile 24 129 114 53 4.17

Norris is expected to carve out a role in the rotation in his first full year in the majors. The projections forecast a worse ERA than what he produced in a small sample of 13 starts in 2015 (3.75), and his walk rate looks like it will be the worst among Tigers starters. Still, as a late-round pick, he could surprise.

A back injury will force him to open the season on the DL, with Shane Greene set to fill in.

Closer

RHP Francisco Rodriguez

SOURCE IP K BB ERA
ZiPS 48.7 48 11 3.33
Steamer 65 58 19 3.78
Zeile 61 60 16 3.61

Signed as a free agent from Milwaukee, Rodriguez should solidify a Tigers bullpen that blew 25 saves last season, tied for third-most in baseball. His WHIP and ERA aren't expected to remain at their 2015 levels (0.86 WHIP, 2.21 ERA), but Rodriguez should still strike out around one batter per inning and rack up the saves.

The Digest

theScore's 2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

by theScore Staff
Bob Stanton / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Fantasy baseball season is upon us - and theScore has you covered with the most comprehensive fantasy content offering available. Check back often, as we'll be updating our content offering daily until the season starts.

Positional Rankings

Where does each fantasy-relevant player rank? Look no further than theScore's position-by-position rankings, which include nearly 350 player projections for the upcoming season:

Team-by-Team Fantasy Projections

We provide fantasy projections from three well-respected sources - ZiPS, Steamer and Zeile Consensus - for key players on all 30 major-league teams:

AL East: Toronto | N.Y. Yankees | Baltimore | Tampa Bay | Boston

AL Central: Kansas City | Minnesota | Cleveland | Chicago WSox | Detroit

AL West: Texas | Houston | L.A. Angels | Seattle | Oakland

NL East: N.Y. Mets | Washington | Miami | Atlanta | Philadelphia

NL Central: St. Louis | Pittsburgh | Chicago Cubs | Milwaukee | Cincinnati

NL West: L.A. Dodgers | San Francisco | Arizona | San Diego | Colorado

Mock Drafts

Fretting over which player to pick? Our fantasy baseball experts offer a variety of mock drafts for your perusal (all drafts use 5x5 scoring format):

Fantasy Spotlight

Every major-league team has at least one player whose fantasy outlook is a major point of discussion. Here are some of 2016's most intriguing cases:

AL East: Chris Colabello (TOR) | Starlin Castro (NYY) | Alex Rodriguez (NYY) | Chris Davis (BAL) | Steven Souza (TB) | Brock Holt (BOS)

AL Central: Alex Gordon (KC) | Byung-ho Park (MIN) | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Brett Lawrie (CHW) | Justin Upton (DET)

AL West: Mitch Moreland (TEX) | George Springer (HOU) | Yunel Escobar (LAA) | Adam Lind (SEA) | Danny Valencia (OAK)

NL East: Neil Walker (NYM) | Daniel Murphy (WAS) | Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) | Freddie Freeman (ATL) | Maikel Franco (PHI)

NL Central: Randal Grichuk (STL) | Gregory Polanco (PIT) | Kyle Schwarber (CHC) | Chris Carter (MIL) | Devin Mesoraco (CIN)

NL West: Corey Seager (LAD) | Denard Span (SF) | A.J. Pollock (ARI) | Alexei Ramirez (SD) | Carlos Gonzalez (COL)

Fantasy Faceoff

Faced with choosing between two terrific draft options? theScore helps fantasy players answer some of the most difficult 1-on-1 decisions they may face at draft time:

Winning Strategies

Hoping to end that lengthy fantasy championship drought? Looking to extend your title reign? Here are theScore's guides on how to find success in a variety of league types:

Must-Read Fantasy Baseball Lists

Every good draft kit has its share of handy lists - and this one is no exception. Check out theScore's collection of informative and entertaining list material:

  • Preseason Rookie Report
    (Andrew Potter takes a comprehensive look at the top rookies in each league for daily and season-long fantasy purposes.)

Fantasy Baseball Tips and Tricks

Don't even try to walk into your fantasy baseball draft without going through theScore's exhaustive list of fantasy strategy posts:

  • How to Smartly Spend Your FAAB
    (James Bisson examines how to use a season-long free-agent budget, targeting players in leagues which use the FAAB format.)
  • Building a Winner Through Trades
    (James Bisson looks at how fantasy owners can use savvy trading as an alternative - or complement - to scouring the waiver wire.)

Daily Fantasy Strategy

No draft kit would be complete without a handy guide for those looking to give daily fantasy baseball a try:

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