👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstop

We're coming to the end of another spin around the sun. Christmas is just around the corner. You know what that means: Time for fantasy baseball rankings!

Today we'll cover shortstop. As a reminder, this first round of rankings features picks from Bill Dubiel, Brad Johnson, Nick Mariano, and yours truly.

If you missed the rest of the infield rankings, click the link below. Longtime readers will note that we've switched up the format a bit for this round to allow for a bit more insight into each writer's thought process.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 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 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstop

Ranking Tier Player Brad Kyle Nick Bill Composite
1 1 Manny Machado 1 1 1 1 1
2 1 Corey Seager 3 3 2 2 2.5
3 1 Xander Bogaerts 2 4 4 3 3.25
4 1 Carlos Correa 4 2 5 5 4
5 1 Trevor Story 5 5 3 4 4.25
6 2 Francisco Lindor 7 6 6 6 6.25
7 2 Jonathan Villar 6 7 7 9 7.25
8 2 Aledmys Diaz 9 8 9 7 8.25
9 2 Jean Segura 8 9 8 8 8.25
10 3 Addison Russell 13 10 11 10 11
11 3 Dansby Swanson 11 12 10 13 11.5
12 3 Troy Tulowitzki 12 13 12 11 12
13 3 Marcus Semien 14 11 13 12 12.5
14 3 Jose Peraza 10 14 14 16 13.5
15 4 Javier Baez 19 15 16 14 16
16 4 Brad Miller 16 16 15 17 16
17 4 Elvis Andrus 15 17 17 20 17.25
18 4 Brandon Crawford 18 18 21 15 18
19 4 Eduardo Nunez 20 19 20 18 19.25
20 5 Didi Gregorius 21 21 19 19 20
21 5 Jose Reyes 17 23 18 23 20.25
22 5 Zack Cozart 22 20 23 21 21.5
23 5 Tim Anderson 24 22 24 22 23
24 5 Asdrubal Cabrera 23 24 22 25 23.5
25 6 Jorge Polanco 28 25 25 24 25.5
26 6 Orlando Arcia 26 29 26 28 27.25
27 6 Ketel Marte 30 27 27 26 27.5
28 6 Matt Duffy 25 36 29 27 29.25
29 6 Alcides Escobar 31 28 32 30 30.25
30 6 Freddy Galvis 29 31 28 33 30.25
31 7 Chris Owings 27 35 30 31 30.75
32 7 Tyler Saladino 36 26 31 32 31.25
33 7 Jose Iglesias 32 32 35 29 32
34 7 J.P. Crawford 36 33 33 34 34
35 7 Stephen Drew 33 34 36 36 34.75
36 7 Jurickson Profar 35 36 34 35 35
37 7 Danny Espinosa 34 36 36 36 35.5

 

Which picks by others look overly bullish/pessimistic?

Kyle: Given the quality and depth at the position, I can't get on board with Brad putting Peraza in the top 10. We've said our respective pieces about the scarcity of stolen bases in the current landscape, so no need to rehash that here. I just don't see Peraza providing enough value elsewhere to justify that ranking. He doesn't walk much, doesn't hit for power, and even speed can only do so much to prop up your batting average if you don't hit the ball hard consistently.

Bill: Nick and Brad seem a bit high on Jose Reyes for my liking, mostly because we can't be sure what his role will be on the Mets this season. Right now the Mets infield looks like it'll be David Wright, Asdrubal Cabrera, Neil Walker and Lucas Duda. Wright's health will always be a huge question mark, and Jose Reyes would be the ultimate insurance policy. If he does wind up starting every day, he'll probably wind up in my top 15. As it stands now though, he looks like the utility infielder on a DH-less National League team. Talented though he might still be, I want more security in his role before I begin moving him up here.

Brad: Andrus is definitely a very boring veteran with almost no upside. For all the talk about shortstop being very strong, the talent level drops very quickly after the top of the pool. Andrus belongs in the mid-teens in this group. Bill was particularly rough, ranking him 20th. That said, I expect to own zero shares of Andrus.

Baez will play more in 2017 thanks to his defensive exploits during the postseason. However, he's still a likely bet to record fewer than 600 plate appearances. The Cubs have so much depth which will push Baez into a five days per week role. His five category production is partially offset by a low OBP. He should only be owned by very active owners.

Nick: I just do not like Crawford. My #21 ranking of him may be a little too harsh, but I simply don't want to sign up for his floor if I can grab a guy like Gregorius or Nunez ahead of him. We saw the 2015 power burst come back down to Earth, as his 16.2% HR/FB rate will surely stick out like a sore thumb on his player page forever and ever. He actually hit more fly balls in 2016, so I don't necessarily buy the jump in BABIP/average either even though his line-drive rate rose a few ticks to support it. The RBIs are nice with his steady spot in the San Francisco order, but I don't want to rely on just that or his going perfect on the basepaths again to help me out. I get that he's unlikely to hurt you, but I'm just not inspired.

Are there any picks you want to defend?

Bill: I'm a huge fan of Brandon Crawford and it's not because he's devastatingly handsome, I promise. Crawford broke out as a key part of the Giants' offense in 2015, making his first All Star team and setting career highs in homers, runs scored, RBI and stolen bases. He was a top-seven option that year, and was quietly a top-10 option in 2016 as well, trading some of his power numbers for a career-high .275 batting average. On top of the numbers, he's played in at least 143 games each year since his rookie season. While I understand the position is deeper than it has been in years, I still think Crawford merits a top-15 ranking given his durability and consistent productivity.

Brad: Not that they need defending, but the top five at this position are soooo good. They should all be off the board by the end of the second round. Villar might go by then too. Story is a tic behind the others in my book. He could easily be the top shortstop when all is said and done, but there's more risk to him than the others.

I expect Peraza to be a high average, top of the order hitter in 2017. Obviously, he won't provide juice in the home run or RBI department, but he should do just enough to not be a total blank. He'll hit at least five home runs at Great American Ballpark. Meanwhile, 100 runs, 55 steals, and a .300 average are all within one standard deviation of my median projection.

I don't know why I bothered putting a number by J.P. Crawford (You didn't, actually - Ed.). Last year, I correctly said he wouldn't reach the majors. This time, he'll eventually get the call, but he'll be the Arcia of 2017. In case you failed to notice, Arcia was not playable in all but the deepest formats.

Nick: There isn't much to hate here, but it looks as though I should go to bat for Story. My love for the kid is well documented at this point, but I would rather have him than Bogaerts, who was just a guy throughout the second half, and Correa, who raised some concern with more whiffs. Obviously, Story's own whiffing is something everyone loves to slap him for, but it was improving as his season progressed and I think he (and Colorado as a whole) runs more in 2017 as well. Coors for the win.

Kyle: What a difference a year makes, eh? Correa was going in the first round in the majority of 2016 drafts after winning Rookie of the Year honors. Now, after a "down" year, he's barely a top-five shortstop according to my colleagues, displaced by some of the other young guns at the position. I come here not to bury Corey Seager (a reigning Rookie of the Year himself), Trevor Story, or Xander Bogaerts, but instead to praise Correa. He was just 21 last year - younger than any of the aforementioned trio - and produced a .274-20-76-96-13 line despite playing through myriad injuries.

We're living in a glorious golden age for shortstops, and you really can't go wrong with any of the top guys - the fact that we have a consensus top five but no agreed-upon order bears that out. Just feel like Correa's being undervalued a bit.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NFL

Arvell Reese Could Generate Trade Interest in the Top 10 of NFL Draft
DeForest Buckner

Colts Targeting a Training Camp Return for DeForest Buckner
Michael Harris II

Continues to Heat Up With Two-Homer Game on Wednesday
Francisco Lindor

Leaves Wednesday's Game Early With Calf Tightness
JR Ritchie

Earns Promotion, Will Make MLB Debut on Thursday
Jakob Poeltl

Expected to Bounce Back Thursday
Jordan Goodwin

Collin Gillespie Replaces Jordan Goodwin in Starting Unit for Game 2
Rob Dillingham

Undergoes Wrist Procedure
Grayson Allen

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Keldon Johnson

Lands Sixth Man of the Year Award
Jordan Goodwin

Won't Play Wednesday
Mark Williams

Misses Wednesday's Action
Ja'Kobe Walter

Could Miss Pivotal Game 3
Peyton Watson

Remains Out for Game 3
Aaron Gordon

Likely to Play in Game 3
Anthony Edwards

' Status Uncertain for Game 3
Thomas Bryant

Iffy for Game 3
Immanuel Quickley

Questionable for Game 3
Jonathan Isaac

Ruled Out for Game 2
Noah Ostlund

Could Return Thursday
Pontus Holmberg

Will Miss Round 1
Charle-Edouard D'Astous

Could Be an Option Friday
Victor Hedman

Traveling With Team
Radko Gudas

Unavailable for Game 2
Los Angeles Rams

Rams Increasingly Likely to Draft a First-Round Wide Receiver?
Yakov Trenin

Considered a Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Shedeur Sanders

Gets First Reps in Team Workouts
Mats Zuccarello

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Go on Injured List With Flexor Strain
NFL

Chris Bell is Ahead of Schedule in ACL Rehab
NFL

Caleb Banks on Pace for Football Activities in June
Maikel Garcia

Leaves Early on Wednesday With Elbow Soreness
Carson Beck

Could Carson Beck be a First-Round Pick in the NFL Draft?
Roman Anthony

Day-to-Day With Sore Back
Juan Soto

Officially Back in Mets Lineup on Wednesday
J.T. Realmuto

Phillies Place J.T. Realmuto on Injured List With Back Injury
Lucas Giolito

Signs With Padres, Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
Ryan Helsley

Orioles Put Ryan Helsley on Bereavement List on Wednesday
George Pickens

to Play on Franchise Tag in 2026
Quinshon Judkins

Spotted at Voluntary Offseason Workouts
Isaiah Davis

Remains Without a Clear Pathway to Playing Time in New York
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Chiefs Looking to Acquire Kyle Pitts Sr. From the Falcons?
Kaleb Johnson

Does Kaleb Johnson Still Carry Dynasty Buy-Low Appeal?
DK Metcalf

Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell on DK Metcalf?
Trey McBride

Is Trey McBride Currently Undervalued in Dynasty Leagues?
Carolina Panthers

Kenyon Sadiq Linked to Panthers in Mock Drafts
Wan'Dale Robinson

Could Be Primed for Breakout Year with the Titans
Brock Purdy

Is Brock Purdy a Sneaky Buy-Low Candidate for Dynasty Managers?
Arizona Cardinals

Jeremiyah Love a "Logical Pick" if Cardinals Stay at No. 3 in NFL Draft
CFB

Beau Pribula Leading Virginia Quarterback Competition
Jalen McMillan

a Low-Cost Buy Who Can Provide Spike Weeks
Jack Eichel

Sets Up Two Goals Tuesday
Justin Jefferson

Buy Window is Closing Fast
Artemi Panarin

Records Another Power-Play Goal
Dylan Guenther

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Tuesday Night
J.J. McCarthy

Is J.J. McCarthy Worth Buying Low?
Viktor Arvidsson

Strikes Twice in Game 2 Win
Lane Hutson

Nets First Career Postseason Goal
Brandon Hagel

Records Tampa Bay's First Postseason Gordie Howe Hat Trick
Nikita Kucherov

Ends 16-Game Postseason Goal Drought
Scoot Henderson

Erupts for 31 Points in Series-Tying Victory
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Fills Stat Sheet in Losing Effort
Kevin Durant

Commits Nine Turnovers in Game 2 Loss
Marcus Smart

Catches Fire in Game 2
LeBron James

Leads Lakers to Victory With Game-High 28 Points
Jake LaRavia

Exits Early Tuesday
Harrison Barnes

Injures Left Wrist in Game 2
Marco Penge

Trending Down Entering Zurich Classic
Sahith Theegala

Eyes Another Strong Week at Zurich Classic
Brooks Koepka

Shane Lowry Teams Up with Brooks Koepka at Zurich Classic
Si Woo Kim

Adds Another Strong Finish at RBC Heritage
Elly De La Cruz

Early-Season Breakout Continues on Tuesday
Wyatt Langford

Pulled Early on Tuesday With Forearm Tightness
Luke Clanton

Hoping to Find Form in New Orleans
Jackson Holliday

Leaves Rehab Game With Hand Discomfort
Corbin Carroll

Returns to Arizona's Lineup Against White Sox
Scottie Scheffler

is Starting to Hit His Stride
Brooks Koepka

Looking for Progress in PGA Return With Partner at Zurich Classic
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Share Recent Form at Zurich Classic
Zack Wheeler

to Make Season Debut on Saturday
Jonathan Toews

Undecided on NHL Future
Jonathan Huberdeau

Expects to Be Ready for Training Camp
DAL

Nathan Bastian Not Expected to Play Before Round 2
Roope Hintz

Doubtful for Game 4
Adam Henrique

Won't Play in Game 2 Against Ducks
Victor Hedman

Doubtful to Play in Round 1
Charle-Edouard D'Astous

Unavailable Tuesday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Back in Leadoff Spot on Tuesday After Injury Scare
CFB

Ashton Daniels Named Florida State's Starting Quarterback
Juan Soto

Expected to Return on Wednesday
Royce Lewis

Twins Reinstate Royce Lewis From Injured List on Tuesday
Adley Rutschman

Activated From Injured List on Tuesday
Dylan Cease

Continues Strong Start With 12-Strikeout Performance
Raisel Iglesias

Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Shoulder Inflammation
Tyler Reddick

Earns His Fifth Win of the 2026 Season at Kansas
Kyle Larson

Finishes as the Runner-Up at Kansas
Chase Briscoe

Rallies for A New Career-Best Finish at Kansas
Denny Hamlin

Leads the Most Laps at Kansas but Misses Out on Victory
Christopher Bell

Falls Out of Contention for Kansas Victory on Final Restart
Mike Malott

Scores Third-Round TKO Win
Gilbert Burns

Retires After UFC Winnipeg Loss
Charles Jourdain

Extends Winning Streak
Kyler Phillips

Drops Decision At UFC Winnipeg
Mandel Nallo

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss In His UFC Debut
Jai Herbert

Scores First-Round TKO Win
Karine Silva

Gets Dominated at UFC Winnipeg
Jasmine Jasudavicius

Dominates Karine Silva
Kyle Larson

Should not be Underestimated for the Win at Kansas
Denny Hamlin

Can Denny Hamlin Dominate at Kansas Again?
NASCAR

Christoper Bell Should Contend for First Win at Kansas
Tyler Reddick

Fastest in Practice and Qualifying for Kansas Race
Ryan Blaney

Could Score another Top-10 Finish at Kansas
Ty Gibbs

Poised to Continue Hot Streak at Kansas
Chris Buescher

Always Consistent, Has Speed Heading Into Kansas
William Byron

is A Solid DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Carson Hocevar

Poised for Career-Best Run at Kansas
Chase Briscoe

Is Chase Briscoe Worth Rostering for DFS at Kansas?
Chase Elliott

Is A Favorable DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano be Considered Playable In DFS This Week at Kansas?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace is A Favorable Driver to Consider for Kansas Lineups
Ross Chastain

Is Ross Chastain A Worthy DFS Option for Kansas?
Brad Keselowski

Could Brad Keselowski be A Sneaky DFS Option for Kansas?
Daniel Suarez

Should DFS Managers Roster Daniel Suarez at Kansas?
Mike Malott

A Favorite At UFC Winnipeg
Gilbert Burns

Set For UFC Winnipeg Main Event
Kyler Phillips

Set UFC Winnipeg Co-Main Event
Charles Jourdain

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Jai Herbert

An Underdog At UFC Winnipeg
Mandel Nallo

Set For His UFC Debut
Karine Silva

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jasmine Jasudavicius

Looks To Bounce Back
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF