Team-by-Team Fantasy Projections: Philadelphia Phillies

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

Hitters

C Cameron Rupp

Rupp won't be targeted in mixed leagues and his NL-only value will be minimal outside of his power. He should get the bulk of the season at catcher, though the Phillies do have a top catching prospect in Jorge Alfaro, who has hit for power in the low minors while striking out a lot. If his development speeds up, he might supplant Rupp soon.

1B Ryan Howard

Believe it or not, Howard hasn't hit 30 home runs since 2011. Injuries and a sharp skill decline has brought the slugger down several pegs; he could go undrafted in mixed leagues. All he has to offer at this stage is the occasional homer. He has 23 home runs in each of the last two seasons, so projections expect the decline to continue.

2B Cesar Hernandez

He's really fast. Hernandez stole 19 bases in 2015 and has swiped over 30 in the minors on a couple of occasions. He seems to be a fairly one-dimensional player, though. He doesn't hit for a high average and he doesn't walk enough to boost his OBP. There's next to no power, and if he hits low in the lineup, he won't get a chance to score enough runs to be fantasy-relevant.

3B Maikel Franco

The best hitter in Philadelphia, Franco has pop and his home run projections could be on the low side. He'll make contact, too. He only struck out 15.5% of the time a year ago and went yard 14 times in only 80 games. With a BABIP of .297, it's possible he even ran into bouts of bad luck. He might be undervalued in mixed-league drafts, even after the top 3B options have gone.

SS Freddy Galvis

Galvis may not hold onto the starting job for the entire season. There is a ton of hype behind top prospect J.P. Crawford, who should make his way to the majors by mid-season. Until then, Galvis' value will be reserved for NL-only leagues as a late-round reach with minimal apparent upside.

LF Cody Asche

With Aaron Altherr set to miss several months of the season, Asche could see the bulk of playing time in left field. Sidelined by his own injury (oblique), Asche may not be ready for opening day, which would open the door for someone like Darin Ruf to get extra at-bats. Asche has moderate power if the playing time is there but should likely be left alone on draft day.

CF Odubel Herrera

A pleasant surprise, Herrera displayed a little power with a good amount of speed while playing outstanding defense in center field. Projections seem to be hedging on whether he can expand on his breakout yet under-the-radar rookie campaign, and instead believe he'll be close to last year's numbers. That will still be more than enough to return value.

RF Peter Bourjos

Bourjos doesn't really do much other than defend his position. While Darin Ruf may also see some time in the outfield, and projects to see more overall at-bats, Bourjos will likely have a starting job going into the season. He won't go off the board in any drafts.

Starters

RHP Jeremy Hellickson

While Hellickson has seen his ERA steadily rise since his rookie season, his strikeout rate has gone up, as well. He struck out 7.46 batters per nine innings last season and he walked fewer than he did in his otherwise more successful years in Tampa Bay. He's not projecting to put up great numbers, but he could be a serviceable rotation arm.

RHP Charlie Morton

More of a placeholder while the Phillies' prospects develop, Morton was terrible in 2015, posting a 4.81 ERA in 23 games for the Pirates. His BABIP against was high at .309, but even that is somehow below his career average. He doesn't feature enough upside to be considered in mixed leagues.

RHP Aaron Nola

Of the Phillies' young star pitchers in the making, Nola is the least likely to overpower hitters, though he won't be completely devoid of strikeouts. He pitched well down the stretch in 2015, posting a 7.88 K/9 and a 3.59 ERA in 77.2 innings. He should have a rotation spot locked down.

RHP Jerad Eickhoff

Eickhoff made his MLB debut in 2015 and pitched admirably. He started all eight games in which he appeared and managed a 2.65 ERA over 51 innings while striking out 49. In most standard NL-only leagues, you could do much worse. Some negative regression is expected over the course of a full season, but not enough to prevent him from being somewhat effective.

RHP Vincent Velasquez

Velasquez has a ton of upside and projections favor him to strike out more than a batter per inning while also posting a sub-4.00 ERA. He has posted high strikeout totals throughout the minors, though has never pitched at Triple-A. He looks to break camp as the fifth starter, though some bullpen time, or a stint in the minors, is not out of the question.

Closer

RHP Andrew Bailey

Heading into Spring Training, David Hernandez appeared to have the inside track on the closer's job. Since then, triceps tendinitis has slowed him down and Bailey has taken hold. Bailey's own history of injuries doesn't mean he'll keep the job, but he's the name to target early on.