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

Potential Shortstop Busts for 2017

Kyle Bishop offers his thoughts on three shortstops who could disappoint in 2017. These players are potential fantasy baseball busts to avoid.

Yesterday, we looked at potential breakouts at shortstop. Today, we turn our attention to the potential busts.

Identifying the next big star is undoubtedly more fun, but as any fantasy owner can tell you, steering clear of the players whose performances will disappoint may be even more critical to a successful season.

Editor's note: For even more draft prep, visit our awesome 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It has lots of in-depth staff rankings and draft strategy columns. You will find tiered rankings for every position, 2017 impact rookie rankings, AL/NL only league ranks and lots more. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Shortstop Bust Candidates

Jonathan Villar, Milwaukee Brewers (ADP: 21)

Villar was outstanding in 2016, hitting .285 with 19 home runs and 92 runs scored along with a league-leading 62 stolen bases. If he comes anywhere near that production again, he’ll earn his draft cost. There’s likely some regression on the horizon, however. Villar hits the ball on the ground a lot, which will make it tough for him to duplicate the surprising power he flashed a year ago. He hadn’t reached double-digits in homers since 2012, and that was at Double-A. The odds of another HR/FB% near 20% aren’t great. Also not great are Villar’s chances of hitting for average again. While his speed should help keep his BABIP from cratering, it’s difficult to hit for average when you either strike out or pop up in nearly 40 percent of your plate appearances as he did last season.

The likely pullback at the plate will cut into his opportunities for stolen bases. It’s worth noting that in the last quarter-century, a player has stolen 60 bases or more 26 times. On average, their total dropped by 19 the following year.

 

Eduardo Nunez, San Francisco Giants (ADP: 117)

Like Villar, Nunez is eligible at both third and short, and showed unexpected pop to go with a high number of stolen bases. The veteran’s 16 homers nearly equaled his output in the previous five years – all part-time seasons, but the point remains. While he doesn’t have the strikeout issues that Villar does, Nunez also doesn’t walk much, and he hits a lot of infield flies. His career OBP checks in at a pedestrian .314, meaning he’ll have to get the green light an awful lot to replicate his 40 swipes from a year ago. Despite his breakout performance at the plate, his run production didn’t move the needle, as he managed just 140 R+RBI.

Nunez struggled mightily down the stretch in 2016, hitting just .244/.297/.357 after the All-Star break. It’s fair to wonder if he can be productive over a full season, given his lack of a track record in that department.

 

Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers (ADP: 155)

Give Andrus credit for bouncing back from a three-year decline and his nightmarish inning in the 2015 ALDS. The veteran – still, somehow, just 28 years old – set career highs with a .302 batting average and eight homers, while also stealing 24 bases. Even with pedestrian run production (75 runs, 69 RBI), that was enough to put him in the top 10 at shortstop in standard leagues. However, a glance at his batted ball data reveals a hitter essentially unchanged from the previous season, when he hit just .258. Both his stolen base totals and attempts have declined in each of the last four years, and he hasn’t scored more than 75 runs since 2013.

Time for our old friend, the blind player comparison!

2014-16 averages AVG R HR RBI SB 2017 ADP
Player A .273 72 6 57 25 155
Player B .267 69 4 51 22 326

 

Andrus, of course, is Player A. Player B is Alcides Escobar. They’ve been basically the same guy the last few years, but you can get Escobar 170 picks later. Don’t pay a premium for Andrus.

 

More Overvalued Draft Values




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

Ja Morant

Grizzlies Likely Without Ja Morant, Cedric Coward on Tuesday
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to Return to Toronto?
Jordan Love

Ready to Start in Wild-Card Game Against Bears
CFB

Jadan Baugh Staying with Florida for Junior Season
Washington Commanders

Commanders "Mutually" Parting Ways With OC Kliff Kingsbury
CFB

Byrum Brown Officially Commits to Auburn
CFB

Austin Simmons Signing with Missouri
Jake McCabe

to Sit Out One Week
Hampus Lindholm

to Miss Time
Christian Dvorak

Flyers Sign Christian Dvorak to Five-Year Extension
Igor Shesterkin

Exits With Lower-Body Injury Monday
Joel Armia

Hurt in Monday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Monday
Tyler Herro

Questionable to Face Timberwolves
Ja Morant

Tagged as Questionable for Tuesday
Jalen Suggs

Considered Doubtful Tuesday
Jarrett Allen

at Risk of Missing Another Game
Donovan Mitchell

Resting Tuesday
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable Tuesday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Possibly Out 10-14 Days
Moussa Diabaté

Moussa Diabate Returning Returning on Monday
Brandon Miller

Available on Monday Versus OKC
Kon Knueppel

Will Play Against OKC
Coby White

Back on Monday Night
Yanic Konan Niederhauser

Upgraded to Probable for Monday
Kon Knueppel

Probable For Monday
Matthew Schaefer

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Jamie Benn

to Miss at Least Two Games
Seth Jones

Out Week-to-Week
James Harden

Lands on Injury Report Monday
Zach Bogosian

Unavailable Monday Night
Joel Embiid

Probable For Monday
Trevor Moore

Remains Out Monday
Aliaksei Protas

a Game-Time Call Versus Ducks
Jakob Poeltl

Sidelined at Least One More Week
Tom Wilson

Won't Play Monday
Jamal Murray

Sidelined Monday
CFB

Ty Simpson Undecided on 2026 Plans
CFB

Quarterback AJ Hill Following Ryan Silverfield to Arkansas
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Have Requested an Interview With Klint Kubiak
Deshaun Watson

Browns Expect Deshaun Watson to be on the Team Next Year
Wan'Dale Robinson

Dealing With Fractured Ribs
Cam Skattebo

Hopes to be Back by Training Camp
Cameron Ward

Won't Need Surgery on his Shoulder
Davante Adams

Rams Expect Davante Adams to Return in Wild-Card Round
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Fire Head Coach Jonathan Gannon
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Head Coach Pete Carroll
Malik Nabers

Unsure if He Will Be Ready for Week 1 of 2026 Season
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Will Return to Ole Miss If Granted Sixth Year of Eligibility
Cincinnati Bengals

Zac Taylor Will Return as Bengals Head Coach in 2026
New York Giants

Giants Expected to Show Interest in Former Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
Daniel Jones

Colts, Daniel Jones Appear to Have "Mutual Interest" in a 2026 Reunion
John Klingberg

to Sit Out at Least Three More Games
Cleveland Browns

Browns Fire Kevin Stefanski After Another Losing Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Joins Panthers for Road Trip
Connor Bedard

Set to Return Before Olympic Break
Jamie Benn

Injured in Sunday's Loss
Devon Toews

Not Expected to Make Quick Return
Gabriel Landeskog

to Miss "Some Time"
Zay Flowers

Goes Off for 138 Yards, Two Touchdowns in Loss
Bo Bichette

Phillies Have Interest in Bo Bichette
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Dominates in Week 18 Win
Cameron Ward

Believed to Have Grade 3 AC Joint Sprain in Right Shoulder
Colston Loveland

Leads Bears in Targets, Receptions, Receiving Yards in Week 18
Santi Aldama

Available on Sunday Evening
Ja Morant

Downgraded on Sunday Night
Puka Nacua

Finishes the Regular Season as Top-Scoring Receiver
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Fire Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Good to Go Against Sacramento
Kansas City Royals

Matt Quatraro Signs Three-Year Extension With Royals
Logan Stanley

to Sit Out One Game With Suspension
TOR

Chris Tanev Could Be Done for Rest of Regular Season
CFB

Transfer QB Billy Edwards Commits to North Carolina
CFB

Sam Leavitt Visiting Texas Tech on Saturday
CFB

DJ Lagway Expected To Visit Florida State
Kyle Tucker

Blue Jays "Remain the Favorite" to Sign Kyle Tucker
CFB

Joey Aguilar Undergoes Surgery to Remove Tumor on Friday
CFB

Texas the "Team to Beat" for Transfer Running Back Isaac Brown
CFB

Rocco Becht to Follow Matt Campbell to Penn State?
CFB

Texas Targeting Cam Coleman in Transfer Portal
CFB

Former Texas Running Back CJ Baxter Visiting Kentucky
CFB

Beau Pribula Visiting Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech
Bo Bichette

Yankees Showing Interest in Bo Bichette
Houston Astros

Astros Sign Tatsuya Imai to Three-Year Deal

RANKINGS

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