👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Shortstop Rankings (March)

Welcome to our final round of rankings. We've been guiding you throughout the offseason and it has all culminated to this. These rankings will be your guide in fantasy drafts, and while they shouldn't be seen as an end-all, be-all assessment, it's wise to have an understanding of where the market values the players you seek.

This round of rankings features seven of our experts. They are Brad Johnson, Max Petrie, Kyle Bishop, Nick Miriano, Harris Yudin (me), Jeff Kahntroff and Bill Dubiel. Here, we will take a look at shortstops. Assume a standard 5x5 redraft league when reading.

Editor's note: Just in case you've been living under a rock, be sure to also check out our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2016, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

2016 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis: Shortstop (SS)

Tier One

Look, it's Carlos Correa all by himself. How lonely.

In a full, 162-game season, that equates to 633 AB, 36 HR, 23 SB, 111 RBI and 85 R to go along with a .279/.345/512 slash line. If you're thinking that a 35/20 season is pretty remarkable, you're right-- over the last three seasons, only Manny Machado (exactly 35 HR and 20 SB in 2015) has accomplished that feat, and it's only been done eight times over the last 10 seasons. The last player to accomplish it while manning one of the middle infield spots was Alfonso Soriano in 2005. No player in the history of Major League Baseball has ever gone 35/20 in his rookie season. Now, Correa didn't do it, but even just being on pace for such a stat line speaks to his potential as a superstar.

Even in the event of a regression, which is not uncommon for second-year players, Correa, who will be 21 pretty much all season, would still be pretty far ahead of his fellow shortstops. Troy Tulowitzki, a near unanimous No. 2, would have made the cut for the top tier if it weren't for Brad ranking him fourth.

Tier Two

Joining Tulowitzki in the second tier are youngsters Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Xander Bogaerts, as well as veteran Ian Desmond. Tulowitzki is a proven slugger with the best offense in baseball around him but a severe injury history-- he hasn't played 130 games since 2011.

As far as Lindor, Seager and Bogaerts go, they all have incredible upside and can contribute in at least four of the five major categories. We all ranked them somewhere between No. 2 and No. 6, with each player being ahead of the other two on at least one person's list. Personal preference will have to come into play here.

Desmond had a down 2015 season by his standards, but most shortstops will never sniff 19 HR in their best year. He has 88 HR and 79 SB over the last four years, and should benefit from a change in scenery (he will be playing left field for the Rangers). At age 30, his counting stats still hold a lot of value-- enough to reach No. 3 in Nick's rankings.

Tier Three

The major change here is the loss of Jhonny Peralta, who will be sidelined for at least a couple of months following surgery on his left thumb. This allowed Jung-ho Kang and Addison Russell to slide up in the overall rankings.

Kang was absolutely raking at the time of his knee injury in September-- .310/.364/.548 with 11 HR and five stolen bases in the second half of the season. He finished with 15 bombs in just 126 games, and could be in line for more than 20 in 2016. At his more natural position of shortstop, Russell produced at the plate in 2015. After making the move from second base, he hit .259/.315/.465 with eight homers, 29 R and 29 RBI in 185 AB. He also just became more comfortable as his rookie season went on. Post All-Star break, he slashed .259/.318/.427 with eight homers and 32 RBI. With added experience, Russell should develop into a very strong offensive shortstop in 2016. Brandon Crawford actually fell from No. 7 to No. 9 after four of the seven rankers dropped him down on their lists. I am expecting Crawford to regress from his 21-HR season, but should still manage 15 long-balls with a solid on-base percentage.

Tier Four

Tier four is home to several popular sleeper picks. Eugenio Suarez is shooting up draft boards, and understandably so, given the 13 homers, four steals and .280/.315/.446 slash line he compiled in just 372 AB last season. Marcus Semien has also seen his stock rise as a potential 15/15 player. Brad Miller could finally realize his own 15/15 potential in Tampa Bay at just 26 years old, Ketel Marte should steal more than 20 bases while maintaining strong rate stats, and Starlin Castro, now with the New York Yankees, should continue to produce at his more comfortable position of second base.

Tier Five

The fifth tier is headlined by two players expected to miss a good chunk of time to start the season. Peralta fell all the way to No. 18 due to his thumb injury, but he could provide decent value in the second half of the season, if healthy. Additionally, the news of Aroldis Chapman's suspension caused Jose Reyes' stock to plummet, to the point where Brad left him off of his rankings altogether. Reyes is almost guaranteed to be suspended at least 30 games, and he hasn't been that productive in recent years, anyway. Fantasy owners can also find a ton of speed here, with Alcides Escobar, Trea Turner and Alexei Ramirez.

Tier Six

As you can probably tell, I am much higher on Asdrubal Cabrera than are my fellow rankers. And no, it's not just because he will be a contributing piece for my Mets' much improved batting order.

Of those who are currently eligible at shortstop, Cabrera is one of two players with at least 80 HR and 50 SB over the last five seasons-- Desmond is the other. This is largely a result of Cabrera's breakout 2011 season, during which he smacked 25 homers, swiped 17 bases, drove in 92 runs and scored 87 more. But even following that season, Cabrera has been one of the more consistent offensive shortstops in baseball. Over the last two years, he is sixth in home runs among current shortstops, ninth in runs and eighth in runs batted in.

Now, these stats obviously don't account for Carlos Correa, Corey Seager or Francisco Lindor-- all of whom reached the Majors last year -- but it still shows that owners can rely on Cabrera to compile counting stats. His rate stats -- career .267/.329/.412 -- are not terrible, but are mediocre enough to keep him out of the SS1 range. Still, he is more valuable than Escobar, Ramirez, Elvis Andrus, Erick Aybar and Jean Segura-- all of whom own similarly mediocre rate stats but possess little to no power. Cabrera can be counted on for 15 HR, seven steals, 80 R and 70 RBI, and can be had in the last round of deep mixed leagues.

As far as the rest of the tier goes, there's not a whole lot of appeal for mixed leagues. I'm personally not touching J.J. Hardy, even in the deepest of AL-Only Leagues. He hasn't reached double-digit home runs since 2013, and his rate stats have dropped to abysmal levels-- .219/.253/.311 in 2015.

Tier Seven

Not much to see here, especially for mixed leagues. These players either bring very little to the table, or they are not the starting shortstop for their respective teams. Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford is one name to keep an eye on, though, given the Phillies' lack of talent and his maturity as a hitter.

 

Shortstop Tiered Fantasy Baseball Rankings (March)

Ranking Tier Name Brad Max Kyle Nick Harris Jeff Bill
1 1 Carlos Correa 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 Troy Tulowitzki 4 2 2 2 2 2 2
3 2 Francisco Lindor 2 5 4 4 4 4 4
4 2 Corey Seager 3 4 5 5 3 5 3
5 2 Xander Bogaerts 6 3 3 6 5 3 5
6 2 Ian Desmond 5 6 6 3 7 6 6
7 3 Jung-ho Kang 9 7 7 7 6 9 8
8 3 Addison Russell 8 9 9 9 9 8 9
9 3 Brandon Crawford 12 8 11 8 8 13 7
10 4 Eugenio Suarez 7 12 8 10 14 14 11
11 4 Marcus Semien 11 11 10 11 15 10 10
12 4 Brad Miller 14 10 13 15 11 7 12
13 4 Ketel Marte 10 13 12 14 12 15 14
14 4 Starlin Castro 15 14 15 13 10 17 13
15 4 Elvis Andrus 16 15 14 12 17 11 15
16 5 Alcides Escobar 18 18 17 18 20 12 18
17 5 Trea Turner 19 22 19 25 13 16 16
18 5 Jhonny Peralta 13 16 21 16 23 18 34
19 5 Jed Lowrie 17 20 16 20 26 28 17
20 5 Jose Reyes - 17 18 27 22 25 19
21 5 Alexei Ramirez 20 24 25 23 19 19 20
22 6 Erick Aybar - 19 27 30 21 24 21
23 6 Jean Segura 31 23 32 17 18 23 22
24 6 Jose Iglesias 28 27 24 31 27 20 25
25 6 Asdrubal Cabrera 27 34 30 19 16 31 26
26 6 J.J. Hardy 23 21 26 21 39 22 32
27 6 Eduardo Escobar 22 29 23 26 32 29 24
28 6 Javier Baez - 26 31 22 28 21 31
29 7 Andrelton Simmons 29 25 22 32 31 30 23
30 7 Jimmy Rollins 25 28 20 36 29 27 28
31 7 Wilmer Flores 26 30 28 35 25 26 27
32 7 Didi Gregorius 24 33 33 24 30 - 29
33 7 Jedd Gyorko - 36 34 29 24 - 34
34 7 Zack Cozart 21 31 37 - 38 32 30
35 7 Adeiny Hechavarria 30 32 29 34 33 33 32
36 7 Jonathan Villar - 39 - 28 34 - 38
37 7 J.P. Crawford - 38 35 33 35 - 35
38 7 Jose Ramirez - 37 - - 36 - 33
39 7 Jordy Mercer 32 35 37 38 40 - 37
40 7 Tyler Saladino - 40 36 37 37 -
41 7 Nick Ahmed - 41 - - -

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Walker

to Run More in 2026?
Mitch Spence

Royals Acquire Mitch Spence From A's
Tylor Megill

Moves to 60-Day Injured List
Christian Encarnacion-Strand

May Miss First Few Spring Games
Seth Lugo

Throws a Bullpen on Thursday
Keibert Ruiz

Cleared From Concussion Restrictions
Ryan Bliss

Back in Action at Spring Training
Lars Nootbaar

Will be Delayed in Reporting to Camp
Nabil Crismatt

to Have Elbow Surgery
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Working to Improve his Defense
Nathan Lukes

Davis Schneider Likely to Platoon in Left Field
Jordan Binnington

Records 26-Save Shutout Against Czechia
Connor McDavid

Ties Canadian Record With Three Assists in Olympic Debut
Addison Barger

Moving to Outfield Full Time?
Josh Morrissey

Hurt in Olympic Opener
Robert Williams III

Will Not Play Against Utah
Braxton Garrett

Reaches 95 MPH During Live BP
Deni Avdija

Sidelined vs. Jazz
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Multiple Weeks
Naji Marshall

Gets Upgraded to Probable
Ian Anderson

to Miss All of 2026 After Shoulder Surgery
Myles Turner

Will Not Play Thursday
Caleb Martin

is Downgraded to Doubtful
Gunnar Henderson

Leaves Camp Due to Personal Matter
Noelvi Marte

to Work in Center Field in Camp
New York Knicks

Jeremy Sochan Heading to New York
Sal Stewart

Drops Weight Heading into First Full MLB Season
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Eligible for 2026 Season
Kyle Kuzma

Cleared to Play Against Thunder
Ryan Rollins

Remains Sidelined Against Thunder
Keston Hiura

Dodgers Sign Keston Hiura to a Minor-League Deal
Shaedon Sharpe

Sidelined Against Utah
Nick Castellanos

Drawing "a Lot of Interest"
Hunter Dobbins

Not Running or Fielding Yet
Jeff Criswell

to Open 2026 Season on 60-Day Injured List
Scoot Henderson

Available Again on Thursday
Deandre Ayton

Ruled Out on Thursday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Resting on Thursday
Jalen Williams

Will Not Play Thursday Against the Bucks
Deni Avdija

Listed As Questionable on Thursday
Lauri Markkanen

Will Rest on Thursday Against Portland
Keyonte George

Will Not Play Thursday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Will Likely Miss the Rest of the Season
CFB

BYU's Parker Kingston Charged with Felony Rape
Joel Embiid

to Be Re-Evaluated After All-Star Break
Caleb Martin

Iffy for Thursday's Game
Naji Marshall

Uncertain to Face Lakers
Cameron Young

Looking for Pebble Beach Success
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Turn Things Around at Pebble Beach
Collin Morikawa

Eyes Turnaround at Pebble Beach
Jake Knapp

Brings Hot Form to Pebble Beach
Nick Taylor

in Good Form Going into Pebble Beach Event
Viktor Hovland

Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
Tommy Fleetwood

Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Harris English

Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
Justin Rose

Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Keegan Bradley

a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
Maverick McNealy

Playing Well with Pebble Beach Looming
Russell Henley

Carries Momentum to Pebble Beach
Shane Lowry

Makes 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Michael Kim

Putting Well with Pebble Beach on the Horizon
Billy Horschel

a Little Rattled After Consecutive Missed Cuts
Ben Griffin

Solid But Not Spectacular Early in 2026
Wyndham Clark

Has Question Marks Heading to Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger

Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth

Looking For a Return to Form at Pebble Beach
Juuse Saros

Starting Wednesday
William Nylander

Iffy for Olympic Opener
Martin Necas

Ready for Thursday
Drake Maye

Says his Shoulder Injury was Significant
Xander Schauffele

Trying to Get the Motor Going at Pebble Beach
Hideki Matsuyama

Trying to Overcome Sunday Collapse
Kenneth Walker III

Runs Away With Super Bowl MVP Honors
Vinicius Oliveira

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Mario Bautista

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyoji Horiguchi

Dominates At UFC Vegas 113
Amir Albazi

Gets Dominated At UFC Vegas 113
Rizvan Kuniev

Earns His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 113
Marc-Andre Barriault

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Gets His Third Win In A Row
Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak Confirms he Will be Next Raiders Head Coach
Jonas Rondbjerg

Out for Olympics
Brad Marchand

Good to Go for Olympic Opener
Gabriel Landeskog

Healthy for Olympics
Jack Hughes

Cleared for Olympics
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Returns to Super Bowl After Injury Scare
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Being Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
James Pearce Jr.

Arrested Following Police Chase
Quinn Hughes

Enters Olympics in Red-Hot Form
NHL

Juho Lammikko Returns to Switzerland
Pavel Zacha

Misses Olympics
Travis Kelce

Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF