Fantasy Baseball 2016 > Rankings > Third Base > Justin Turner

#13 Justin Turner: Fantasy Predictions for 2016

Justin Turner could end up being the steal of the draft… either that or he could be a complete waste of roster space. For one thing, Turner has a history of being hurt. That’s always a pain in the ass when putting together your lineup. On top of that, last season was really his only significant season in terms of fantasy stats. He’s a gamer, but that doesn’t always translate into fantasy baseball success.
 
Last season, Turner played in just 126 games, but he hit .294 with 16 HR and 60 RBI. More peculiarly, he averaged just 3 At Bats per game played, meaning he only started in 116 of the 126 games he played. Once the Dodgers finally unloaded Juan Uribe, Justin Turner found himself getting a lot more playing time. When he played, he delivered, seemingly the only guy in Dodger blue who could lay a bat on the Mets’ pitching staff in the playoffs.
 
In 2016, at age 31, Justin Turner in finally expected to be the Dodgers’ starting third baseman on opening day. If given a chance to play all season – and barring any significant time being injured (and he’s coming off of November knee surgery, but he’ll be ready for opening day) – you can expect Justin Turner to continue where he left off. He’s crazy smart, he works his ass off, and the Dodgers are, eventually, going to need him in the #2 hole or in the #6 spot at worst.

Justin Turner Fantasy Stats and Indicators

Year	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2011	26	117	435	49	113	30	0	4	51	7	2	39	59	.260	.334	0.356	0.690
2012	27	94	171	20	46	13	1	2	19	1	1	9	24	.269	.319	0.392	0.711
2013	28	86	200	12	56	13	1	2	16	0	1	11	34	.280	.319	0.385	0.704
2014	29	109	288	46	98	21	1	7	43	6	1	28	58	.340	.404	0.493	0.897
2015	30	126	385	55	113	26	1	16	60	5	2	36	71	.294	.370	0.491	0.861

Justin Turner finally gets the starting nod at age 30... now stay healthy!

Fantasy Statistical Indicators

*Career-best 126 games played at age 30 indicates he may get hurt yet again in 2016.
*.340 average was a fluke, but it was a clear indicator that Turner can hit. In other words, .294 is definitely not a fluke.
*385 ABs in 126 games won’t happen this year as a full-time starter. Expect 550+ AB if he plays a full season.

Expect Justin Turner to hit 15-20 HR with 70-85 RBI and a career-best 75-85 runs scored. He’s also one of those guys who won’t carry your team, but there’s always something positive in his box score after every game.

Also note that if Justin Turner continues his power and hot streak (and stays healthy), he may eclipse 20 HR, 90 RBI and 100 Runs scored. He could end up being the most-consistent and best offensive played for the Dodgers in 2016. Don't be surprised if all that happens... except the "stays healthy" part. That would actually surprise us.