Staying healthy is critical for Yu Darvish, Rangers

As the 2017 fantasy baseball season approaches, we take a look at the biggest news and story lines from each club. We'll feature one team each weekday ... and we'll finish up around Feb. 15, the first day all teams will have their pitchers and catchers on the field for workouts.

2017 fantasy baseball team previews

When it comes to top-tier fantasy performers, the Texas Rangers have more than their share on the roster. Pitching, power, speed -- it's all there. They just need everyone to stay healthy. If they can come close, another division title is within their grasp.

2016 at a glance

Record: 95-67 (1st in AL West)
Hitting: 7th (4.72 R/G)
Pitching: 22nd (4.37 ERA)

Arrivals

1B Mike Napoli
1B James Loney
SP Andrew Cashner

Napoli returns to Texas, where he averaged 27 home runs and 110 games in 2011-12. He did stay healthy last year and the result was career highs in homers, RBI and runs scored. However, his strikeout rate rose as well, which is a concern for someone who's now 35 years old.

Loney signed a minor-league deal, but has a good chance of making the opening day roster. He doesn't have much pop for a first baseman, but he's played in pitcher-friendly parks his entire career.

Cashner posted a 5.25 ERA and averaged less than five innings per start last season with the Padres and Marlins. That's not the kind of pitcher who tends to thrive with a move to the American League, especially in hitter-friendly Arlington.

Players to watch

SP Yu Darvish
SP Cole Hamels
2B Rougned Odor
C Jonathan Lucroy

Darvish returned from elbow surgery last season throwing even harder than he did before -- with even better control. Now, can he maintain those gains over a full season?

Hamels may be baseball's new Mr. Consistency (now that Mark Buehrle is no longer around). The 33-year-old lefty has the majors' longest current streak of 200 or more innings after doing it last year for the seventh consecutive time. His lowest strikeout total over that span: 194.

Odor, the youngster of the group, may have gotten the most notoriety last season for the punch he threw at Jose Bautista, but he had many more big hits with his bat. He doubled his home run output (33) and posted a career-best .271 average, despite drawing just 19 walks all season. When will pitchers learn not to throw him anything near the plate?

Lucroy came over at the trade deadline to fill a gaping hole behind the plate and deliver a .539 slugging percentage (11 HR) in 152 at-bats. He's the AL's top fantasy catcher (sorry, Gary Sanchez) and, at 30, is in the prime of his career.

Sleepers

3B Adrian Beltre
OF Carlos Gomez

It's hard to classify Beltre as a sleeper when he's easily going inside the top 100 in drafts. But he still seems to be underappreciated coming off a season in which he hit .300 with 32 homers and 104 RBI.

After being released by the Houston Astros in midseason, Gomez joined the Rangers and increased his batting average by 74 points with three more home runs in 193 fewer plate appearances. Now 31, he'll look to return to the 20-homer, 30-steal player he was in Milwaukee.

Bullpen

Closer: Sam Dyson
Next: Matt Bush/Jeremy Jeffress

Dyson doesn't have the typical closer's strikeout rate (7.0 K/9), but he does throw hard and get a ton of ground balls. Those qualities helped him convert 38 of 43 save opportunities and solidify his job status. If Dyson should falter, Bush has the big arm and strikeout potential that could make him successful in the role.

Position battles

Napoli and Loney figure to split time at first base, but injuries could bring Jurickson Profar or Ryan Rua into the mix. Rua will likely get most of the starts in left field over Nomar Mazara when a left-hander is on the mound.

Profar could be this season's version of Javier Baez, a physically talented player who will have to play several different positions to get on the field. He played all four infield spots and left field last season -- and would get an opportunity to start if there's an injury at any of them.

Prospects

SP Yohander Mendez

The Rangers farm system is one of the thinnest in the major leagues with the best prospects still at least a year from reaching the majors.

Mendez started last season in High Class A and finished in the major leagues. An eye-opening 0.57 ERA in 31 1/3 innings at Class AAA earned him a September promotion (for a total of three innings).  At age 22, he'll head back to the minors to build up stamina and work on his secondary pitches.

Projected batting order

1. CF Carlos Gomez
2. RF Shin-Soo Choo
3. 3B Adrian Beltre
4. DH Mike Napoli
5. 2B Rougned Odor
6. C Jonathan Lucroy
7. LF Nomar Mazara
8. SS Elvis Andrus
9. 1B Jurickson Profar/James Loney

Projected rotation

1. LHP Cole Hamels
2. RHP Yu Darvish
3. LHP Martin Perez 
4. RHP Andrew Cashner
5. RHP A.J. Griffin/Tyson Ross