🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cameron Johnson

to Miss Time With Bone Bruise in Right Knee
Jaxson Hayes

Considered Questionable for Christmas Matchup
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Return Thursday
Dorian Finney-Smith

Could Make Season Debut on Christmas Day
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Uncertain for Christmas Day
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Listed as Questionable for Christmas Game
Al Horford

on Track to Return Thursday
Jaden McDaniels

Iffy for Christmas Day
Brandon Williams

Expected to Play on Christmas Day
P.J. Washington

at Risk of Missing Second Straight Game
Klay Thompson

Likely to Play on Christmas Day
Max Christie

Probable for Christmas Day
Ajay Mitchell

Out on Christmas Day
Chet Holmgren

Available on Christmas Day
Lonzo Ball

Available Against Knicks
Evan Mobley

Listed as Questionable for Christmas Tilt
OG Anunoby

Returns to Action Thursday
Jalen Brunson

Available on Christmas Day
David Montgomery

Questionable to Play With Illness
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Questionable, Expected to Play on Thursday
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Place Rashee Rice on Injured Reserve
T.J. Hockenson

Ruled Out for Week 17
Pete Fairbanks

Marlins Agree on One-Year Deal
Josh Johnson

to Start at QB on Thursday Against Dallas
Brooks Koepka

Leaving LIV Golf
Davante Adams

Could Sit Out Final Two Regular-Season Games
Brock Bowers

Placed on Injured Reserve Due to Lingering Knee Injury
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Expected to Play on Christmas Day Against the Vikings
Connor McDavid

Finishes Battle of Alberta With Five Assists
Karel Vejmelka

Battling Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Texier

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Against Bruins
Alexander Nikishin

Dealing With Apparent Ankle Injury
Denver Barkey

Exits Early Tuesday
Travis Sanheim

Pulled by Concussion Spotter Tuesday
Cam Whitmore

Out Indefinitely With Deep Vein Thrombosis
Corey Kispert

Lasts for 13 Minutes in Comeback Game
Jaxson Hayes

Makes Early Exit Versus Suns
Ryan O'Hearn

Pirates Agree on Two-Year Deal
DK Metcalf

has Two-Game Suspension Upheld
Philip Rivers

to Remain the Starter in Week 17
George Kittle

Dealing With Mid-to-Low Ankle Sprain
Viktor Arvidsson

a Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Ryan Leonard

Available Tuesday
Tom Wilson

in Danger of Missing First Game of the Season
Phillip Danault

Makes Second Canadiens Debut Tuesday
Collin Graf

Available Against Golden Knights
Jack Eichel

Misses Fourth Straight Game
Vince Dunn

Won't Play Tuesday
Deshaun Watson

Will Not be Activated Off PUP List, 2025 Season is Over
J.J. McCarthy

Ruled Out for Week 17
Rome Odunze

Expected to Return This Season
Christian McCaffrey

Another Monster Game for Christian McCaffrey in Week 16
Brock Purdy

Throws for Five Touchdowns in Week 16
TreVeyon Henderson

in Concussion Protocol, Week 17 Status Unclear
George Kittle

Week 17 Availability in Question?
CFB

Jeff Brohm, Eli Drinkwitz "Names of Interest" for Michigan Head Coach
Timothy Liljegren

to Miss Second Straight Game Tuesday
Will Smith

Out Week-to-Week
Jaccob Slavin

Placed on Injured Reserve, Out Week-to-Week
Seth Jarvis

Considered Week-to-Week
Darren Raddysh

Totals Three Points in Monday's Win
Mason Marchment

Scores Twice Monday
Vince Dunn

Injured in Monday's Win
Rashee Rice

Still in Concussion Protocol, Estimated as Non-Participant on Monday
J.J. McCarthy

Listed as DNP on Monday Ahead of Week 17
Ilya Sorokin

to Miss Tuesday's Game
DK Metcalf

Suspended for Two Games Following Confrontation with Fan
CFB

Byrum Brown Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

Bobby Petrino Joining Bill Belichick as North Carolina's Offensive Coordinator
Willson Contreras

Shipped to the Red Sox
Brandon Lowe

Pirates Acquire Brandon Lowe in Three-Team Trade
Shane Baz

Orioles Acquire Shane Baz From the Rays
CFB

Darian Mensah Returning to Duke Next Season
CFB

Josh Hoover Linked to Indiana in Transfer Portal
CFB

Arch Manning Agrees to Reduced Compensation for 2026 Season

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP