In the midst of swirling trade speculation, the Chicago White Sox have tabbed Jose Quintana to take the mound for them on Opening Day. Following the trade of ace Chris Sale, Quintana emerged as the White Sox ace and is projected to toe the rubber on April 3 against the Detroit Tigers.

The 28-year-old lefty will take the mound in his first ever Opening Day start after an excellent 2016 season. Last year, Quintana posted a 3.20 ERA, 3.56 FIP and struck out 81 batters across 32 starts.  Quintana's name is the highlight of the rumor mill right now with increased chatter of potential trades, but for now he remains in Chicago.

Looking ahead to the 2017 season, Quintana should once again serve as a high-quality fantasy starter. It's a near certainty he'll be traded at some point this season and if he lands in the National League and in a more favorable ballpark with better defense, it could add even more fantasy value to his present stock. Fantasy owners can count on Quintana for a rock-solid ERA, 200-plus innings and he should once again turn in 180-plus strikeouts.