👉 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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
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 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back in Houston
Luther Burden III

Ascending Into Major Role on Offense?
Jason Day

a Volatile Option at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Joe Mixon

Remains a Free Agent as April Approaches
Kirby Yates

Angels Place Kirby Yates on 15-Day Injured List
Elijah Moore

Eagles Sign Elijah Moore to a One-Year Deal
Harris English

Eyes a Bounce-Back at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Ben Griffin

Looks for Turnaround at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Kirk Cousins

an Option as Backup Quarterback in Green Bay?
Zach Wilson

Saints Sign Zach Wilson to a One-Year Deal
Rickie Fowler

Brings Strong Form Into Texas Children's Houston Open
Brandon Clarke

to Miss Rest of Season
Ja Morant

Done for the Season
Brady Tkachuk

Collects Two More Points on Tuesday
Royce O'Neale

Available Tuesday Night
Grayson Allen

Cleared for Action Tuesday
Martin Necas

Scores Twice Against Penguins
Brandon Ingram

Questionable for Wednesday's Game
Ryan Dunn

Won't Play Against Nuggets
Paul George

Officially Available Wednesday
Nick Lodolo

Will Open 2026 on the Injured List Due to Finger Ailment
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Agrees to Six-Year, $115 Million Extension With the Cubs
John Collins

is Returning on Wednesday
Jordan Miller

is Questionable for Wednesday's Game
Bennedict Mathurin

is Returning on Wednesday
Kawhi Leonard

is Uncertain for Wednesday's Game
Kyle Kuzma

Carries Questionable Tag for Wednesday
Bobby Portis

is Tagged as Questionable for Wednesday
Kevin Porter Jr.

to Miss Fourth Straight Game
Isaiah Collier

Remains Out Wednesday
Alexandre Sarr

Out Against Jazz
Ayo Dosunmu

Questionable for Wednesday
Daniel Gafford

Iffy Against Denver
Quentin Grimes

Could Miss Another Game
Andrew Nembhard

Probable for Wednesday
Luke Kornet

Unavailable for Wednesday
Igor Chernyshov

Returns to Sharks Lineup
Dylan Larkin

Good to Go Tuesday
Ross Colton

Logan O'Connor, Ross Colton Available Tuesday
Morgan Rielly

Back in Action Tuesday
Joel Eriksson Ek

Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek Returning Tuesday
Thomas Chabot

to Be "Out a While"
Evgeni Malkin

Out Against Avalanche Tuesday
Joe Flacco

Reaches Agreement to Return to Bengals
Marvin Mims Jr.

Now a Trade Candidate in Denver?
Francisco Lindor

Likely to be Ready for Opening Day
Ryan Gerard

Can Continue Rolling at Texas Children's Houston Open
Pierceson Coody

Bounces Back at Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard

Trying to Get Back on Track at Texas Children's Houston Open
Michael Thorbjornsen

Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Harry Hall

Looking for Consistency at Texas Children's Houston Open
Brooks Koepka

Continues Building Momentum
Odell Beckham Jr.

Plans to Play in 2026
RJ Harvey

Ready for a Year 2 Jump?
Baker Mayfield

Buccaneers Expected to Discuss Extension With Baker Mayfield This Offseason
Brian Robinson Jr.

Falcons to Sign Brian Robinson Jr.
Joey Bosa

a Good Fit for the 49ers?
Lavonte David

Hanging Up his Cleats
Maxx Crosby

Dealing With Degenerative Knee Condition?
Roki Sasaki

to Stick in Rotation Despite Spring Struggles
Kevin McGonigle

Makes Tigers Opening Day Roster
Scottie Scheffler

Withdraws From Texas Children's Houston Open
James Reimer

Picks Up Victory Against Rangers
San Francisco 49ers

Denzel Boston Visiting With 49ers on Tuesday
Matthew Stafford

a Great Option for Those in Win-Now Mode
Breece Hall

Dynasty Ceiling Capped in New York?
Jaylen Waddle

Restructures his Contract With Broncos
Ryan Pepiot

Placed on Injured List to Open the Season
Trevor Siemian

Signing With the Falcons
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Likely to Hit Leadoff on Opening Day
Connelly Early

to Make First Start on Sunday
Tucker Kraft

a Post-Injury Buy-Low Candidate
Jakobi Meyers

Vying for Top Spot in Jacksonville Receiver Room
Luke Clanton

Might Have a Problem in Houston
Sam Stevens

Happy to See Houston This Week
Keith Mitchell

Tries to Rebound After The Players Championship
Will Zalatoris

Returning This Week at Houston
Wyndham Clark

Trending in the Wrong Direction Heading to Houston
Shane Lowry

Seeking Better Luck in Houston This Weekend
Kurt Kitayama

Poised to Bounce Back at the Houston Open
Jake Knapp

More Suited for a Course Like the Houston Open
Tony Finau

Continues Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong Finalizing Long-Term Extension
Shane Pinto

Opens Scoring Versus Rangers
Blake Snell

Targeting a May Return
Hunter Greene

Reds Place Hunter Greene on 60-Day Injured List
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Makes Cardinals Opening Day Roster
Nick Pivetta

to Start on Opening Day for Padres
Brandon Woodruff

Makes Brewers Opening Day Rotation
Zack Wheeler

to Start Rehab Assignment on Saturday
Carson Benge

Makes Mets Opening Day Roster
Seiya Suzuki

to Start the Season on the Injured List
Lerone Murphy

Suffers His First Loss
Dennis Santana

Won't be Pirates' Primary Closer
Movsar Evloev

Edges Out Lerone Murphy
CFB

Notre Dame Ranks No. 1 in Returning Production for 2026
Michael Aswell

Jr. Drops Decision At UFC London
Michael Aswell

Luke Riley Outclasses Michael Aswell Jr.
Sam Patterson

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Michael Page

Wins Lackluster Decision
Austen Lane

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Spencer Strider

to Start the Season on Injured List
Iwo Baraniewski

Delivers 28-Second TKO
Lawson Crouse

Picks Up Three Points in Overtime Win
Filip Forsberg

Takes Predators Past Blackhawks
Alex Ovechkin

Scores 1,000th Career Goal
Nate Schmidt

Exits Early Due to Illness
Matt Grzelcyk

to Miss Four-Game Road Trip
Mikko Rantanen

to Return to Full Practice
A.J. Greer

Handed a Three-Game Suspension
Troy Terry

Wins it for Anahiem
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Ilya Sorokin

Earns Shutout Over Columbus
Ethen Frank

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Grayson Rodriguez

to Open Season on Injured List
Tyler Reddick

the Clear Favorite at Darlington
Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Is Getting Better at Darlington
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not Slowing Down at Darlington
Chris Buescher

Should be a Top-10 Contender at Darlington
Austin Cindric

a Sleeper at Darlington
Erik Jones

Quickest in Practice at Darlington
Denny Hamlin

Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Chase Briscoe

Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Christopher Bell

Could Christopher Bell be Considered A Decent DFS Option for Darlington?
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Darlington This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano

May Not Have the Speed to Warrant A Darlington DFS Lineup Spot
Ross Chastain

Should DFS Players Trust Ross Chastain at Darlington?
Kyle Busch

Could Kyle Busch Be A Worthy DFS Option for Darlington?
Brad Keselowski

May be A Contriarian DFS Tournament Option At Darlington
Lerone Murphy

Set For UFC London Main Event
Movsar Evloev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Michael Aswell

Jr. An Underdog At UFC London
Luke Riley

Set For UFC London Co-Main Event
Sam Patterson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page

Set For Welterweight Bout
Austen Lane

In Dire Need Of Victory
Iwo Baraniewski

A Favorite At UFC London
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF