Detroit Tigers: Which Tigers do you want on your fantasy team?

Most standard fantasy baseball leagues have ten teams with 25 man rosters, meaning 250 players are rostered at a time. However, many deeper leagues have more owners or bigger rosters. Additionally, AL-only leagues only allow players from American League teams in their leagues. The following Tiger players may not be worth owning in most ‘standard’ fantasy leagues, but could help out fantasy owners who play in deeper leagues.

Jeimer Candelario (Rotoballer Rank: 285)

Candelario burst onto the scene in Detroit, hitting .330 after coming over to the Tigers in a midseason trade. While he is no doubt the Tigers third baseman of the future, his fantasy value is limited. His .330 average was held up by an unsustainable .351 BABIP, and his strikeout numbers and high rate of ground balls will likely catch up with him. Steamer projects a .250 average, 15 home runs and 61 RBI for Candelario. In AL-only formats or deep leagues, he’s worth a look as a third baseman. In standard formats, he’s a late-round flyer at best.

Shane Greene (Rotoballer Rank: 301)

Greene locked it down last year to the tune of a 2.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a stellar 9.71 K/9. He also chipped in 14 holds and nine saves. He is in line to be the closer in Detroit this season, which makes him an appealing late round fantasy target. However, the Tigers may not be in too many save situations, limiting Greene’s appeal. Factor in his ugly 4.52 BB/9 last year and you have a low-end closing option at best.

Mikie Mahtook (Rotoballer Rank: 372)

His first season as a full-time player should help Mahtook amass double digit home runs and steals. That type of production is always helpful in fantasy formats. He is unlikely to get more than 15 or so home runs and 10 steals however, which limits him to deep leagues and AL-only formats. He will still need to fend off JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes as well, which could cost him at-bats if he does not perform.

James McCann (Rotoballer Rank: 419)

Even though catcher is a very shallow position, McCann’s 13 home runs and 49 RBI from last season make him a bottom of the barrel catching option. In AL-only leagues and leagues that feature two catchers, McCann is worth a look simply because of the volume of at-bats he gets. However, McCann is one of those players who is far more valuable in real life than in fantasy baseball.

Mike Fiers (Rotoballer Rank: 447)

Fiers will likely slot in as the Tigers #3 starter. He is useful in very deep leagues because of his durability. However, he does not post great strikeout numbers and has not posted an ERA below 4.40 since 2015. He will be a solid innings-eater for the Tigers, but is not a reliable fantasy asset.

Leonys Martin (Rotoballer Rank: 455)

Martin’s only redeeming asset from a fantasy perspective is his speed. If he gets regular playing time in Detroit and is hitting near the top of the order, he has the potential to steal 15-20 bases. More than likely he will split time in center field and will hit #9 in the order, which all but eliminates his fantasy value.

Jordan Zimmermann (Rotoballer Rank: 468)

Zimmermann just has not had it since signing with the Tigers before the 2016 season. His 6.07 ERA and 1.55 WHIP were awful last season, and he should not be targeted in any fantasy formats. If he is able to regain some of the form that made him an elite starter in Washington, he could be a nice midseason pickup.

Next: Using Baseball-Reference to predict Tigers 2018 performance

The fun part about fantasy baseball, and baseball in general, is that anything can happen. While the Tigers have a few quality fantasy baseball options, it is entirely possible that someone (Christin Stewart, Dixon Machado, JaCoby Jones) comes out of the woodwork and becomes a fantasy superstar. The Tigers have a lot of young talent brimming just under the big league surface. This could be the year we see that talent make its way into the Motor City.