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We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible.
In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or a high-upside youngster. It is important to think about your own team when considering these rankings; if you're a rebuilding squad playing for the future, consider a younger player in a tier.
Without any more delay, let's take a peek at the 2018 shortstop dynasty rankings for February. Be sure to also check out more of our staff's initial 2018 fantasy baseball rankings and analysis columns for other formats including mixed leagues, dynasty leagues, 2018 prospects and more.
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2018 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Rankings: Shortstop
Tier 1
The four guys in this tier are ones that you would love to build your team around. One player here in particular who took a huge step forward in 2018 was Francisco Lindor. He cranked up his fly ball rate from 28.4% in 2016 to 42.4% in 2017, a staggering change that resulted in 33 homers. When combined with a 20-steal ceiling, the 24-year-old is one of the most valuable dynasty players entering 2018. Any of the shortstops in this tier are worth the investment.
Tier 2
Tier 2 is the slightly-less-than-elite shortstop tier. Corey Seager and Xander Bogaerts are young, high-floor options that you can rely on. Both players have reasons that they're limited to Tier 2: Seager has no speed and might not ever reach 30 homers, while Bogaerts had an underwhelming 10 homers and 15 steals in 2017. Both are still players you'd like to have, though, along with Alex Bregman and top prospect Gleyber Torres. Bregman and Torres are both at risk of losing their SS eligibility next year, as they're blocked by Correa and Didi Gregorius, respectively, but both would still be high-end third base choices.
Tier 3
Trevor Story is one of the most interesting cases we have at shortstop. While he was able to hit 24 homers with seven steals in 2017, it came with a putrid 34.4% K-rate and a .239 batting average. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and make better contact, Story has a boatload of potential playing half of his games at Coors Field. However, if he continues his ways and posts another 81 wRC+, he could be out of a starting job entirely. He's got one of the most volatile range of outcomes of any player in baseball.
Elvis Andrus is still kicking around after a resurgent year in 2017, although he may not reach that same level of value ever again. His 20 homers came with an 11.6% HR/FB rate, which he's never come close to in his career, so it's hard to expect him to replicate that. He's a sell-high candidate, unless your team needs the steals.
Tier 4
Ozzie Albies is one of the hottest names in fantasy right now, so don't be surprised if he moves up in our March ranks. The 21-year-old has immense upside, and in 2018 he has a shot at a 15-homer, 25-steal campaign, with potential for even more as he develops.
An interesting name in this tier is Tim Anderson (well, his name is boring, but his profile is interesting). He just put up a 17 homer, 15 steal season as a 24-year-old, but that also came with a .257 batting average, 26.7% K-rate, and a 2.1% walk-rate. He's going to need some major improvements to his K-BB, but Anderson has a high ceiling if he can begin to work out those issues.
Tier 5
Tier 5 is led off by a trio of prospects in Amed Rosario, Dansby Swanson, and JP Crawford, who may some day become top tier shortstops. For 2018, though, they may not have a ton of value. If you are looking for production this year, Paul DeJong might be that guy - he hit 25 homers in just 443 plate appearances as a rookie in 2017. Like Tim Anderson, there are huge K-BB concerns, and DeJong ran a high BABIP as well, but there's 30 homer potential in that bat.
Tiers 6 and 7
Orlando Arcia quietly put up a very solid season as a rookie in 2017, hitting 15 homers with 17 steals and a .277 batting average. He's only 23 going into 2018, and is batting in a loaded Brewers lineup that now includes Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain.
Jorge Polanco is similarly being undervalued, after having a 13/13 season of his own. After a change in his approach, Polanco hit 10 homers with a .293 batting average in the second half, and that kind of production could continue if the changes stick.
