Team-by-Team Fantasy Projections: Houston Astros

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

Hitters

C Jason Castro

Castro should earn the bulk of the work ahead of Max Stassi, but that won't necessarily translate to fantasy production. He'll hit low in the order and will probably sport an OBP below .300 to boot. Standard league owners can do better, which limits Castro's value to NL-only or two-catcher leagues.

1B Jonathan Singleton

Projections are scattered on Singleton, but all seem to agree that he'll be a decent source of power - and not much else - if he gets more playing time. Singleton is a poor hitter on the whole, and not even a solid walk rate will make him worth more than a late desperation pick in deep seasonal leagues.

2B Jose Altuve

Deciding between Altuve and Boston Red Sox phenom Mookie Betts is simple: If you're looking for more stolen bases, take the Astros dynamo and don't think twice about it. Altuve will also be a terrific source of runs and hits, making him a top-two second baseman and a top-20 pick overall.

3B Luis Valbuena

Valbuena surprised many with a career-best 25 home runs last season, but nearly everyone is pegging that as an outlier. He may have some value as an occasional lineup fill-in at multiple positions, but he shouldn't be a full-time player on any of your fantasy rosters.

SS Carlos Correa

Correa burst onto the scene in 2015, rewarding dynasty owners and savvy waiver players with 22 home runs and 14 stolen bases in just 99 games. A full season should see him approach 25-homer, 25-steal territory, making him the top shortstop in fantasy and a sure-fire top-eight selection overall.

LF Colby Rasmus

A second straight season with a sub-.315 OBP took some of the shine off Rasmus's career-best 25 home runs. He won't be a useful source of any of the important counting stats aside from homers, and should be left as an injury fill-in or bench outfielder in deep standard or AL-only leagues.

CF Carlos Gomez

Gomez was unspectacular in a 41-game post-trade stint with the Astros, but there's no denying his multi-category talent. He could approach 20 home runs and should steal 20 bases, putting him in rarefied air. Draft him as a great third outfielder in 10-team leagues, and a decent OF2 in 12-teamers.

RF George Springer

Springer showed significant improvement in an injury-shortened 2015 season, reducing his strikeouts while raising his batting average by 45 points. His power-speed combination and premium spot in the Houston batting order makes him an attractive option in the third or fourth round of standard drafts.

DH/OF Evan Gattis

Gattis takes a major hit with the loss of catcher eligibility. Gattis's 2015 HR and RBI numbers made him worthy of a high pick, but he can't hit for average, doesn't steal bases, and isn't worth more than a 17th- to 19th-round pick in standard leagues. Recovering from hernia surgery means he'll be out until mid-April, possibly giving Preston Tucker more at-bats.

Starters

LHP Dallas Keuchel

Keuchel rewarded owners handsomely last year, racking up 20 wins and 216 strikeouts en route to the AL Cy Young award. Don't expect 200 strikeouts again; he had a career 6.6 K/9 rate in the minors, and a 6.3 K/9 major-league rate coming into 2015. But he's still a top-10 fantasy starter in most formats.

RHP Collin McHugh

McHugh was solid, but a significant dip in his K/9 rate left some fantasy owners disappointed. He should fall somewhere between his 2014 and 2015 rates, which, combined with high win probabilities and a decent BB/9 rate, should make him a productive SP4 in the majority of mixed drafts.

RHP Lance McCullers

McCullers was a pleasant surprise for the Astros, averaging better than a strikeout per inning in 22 starts as a rookie. He'll need to be wary of his BB/9 rate, but he's otherwise a solid pick that will likely fly under the radar. He's a great SP4, and may be worth a reach as an SP3 in deeper formats. Starting the season on the DL means Scott Feldman will get a few early starts.

RHP Mike Fiers

Fiers is a bona fide K-per-inning hurler, and asserted himself well in nine starts with the Astros after coming over in a trade with Milwaukee. That said, he outpitched his FIP significantly with Houston, and he's a prime regression candidate after surrendering 10 homers in 62 1/3 innings with the Astros.

LHP Doug Fister

Fister will find a home in the Houston rotation after signing late in the offseason. Who he supplants is unknown, but this much is true: he won't be a viable fantasy option. Fister doesn't strike out a ton of hitters and is no longer as deceptive as he once was. Leave him out of your draft plans.

Closer

RHP Ken Giles

Giles should see plenty of save opportunities on a solid Astros team; he should also convert the majority of them. His career 11.7 K/9 mark may take a bit of a hit with the move to Houston, but he's still a skilled ninth-inning guy who should be one of the first 10 closers selected.