Updated Shortstop Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

With the regular season only a few weeks away, the esteemed RotoBaller staff has updated their rankings one last time. We continue our review of the March update with a look at the glorious shortstop position.

There's a bevy of talented bats ready to be penciled in at the "6" this season, but the sure things draw thin awful quick. That's not to say there isn't plenty of upside and intrigue to tap into as you descend down the draft board, but you'll need to be prepared and educated on where you plant your flag.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Shortstop (March)

 
Tier 1

Even though Trea Turner hasn't topped 100 games in a season yet, the 24-year-old dynamo is ready to be a five-category producer who should be a stolen-base anchor in a speed-strapped world. None of the other big stealers are going to threaten over 15 homers, and frankly, Turner could outsteal them alongside the additional pop. It's tough to ask you to take a chance so early, but the upside is a 100-15-70-60-.300 season that will vault you to the top. Carlos Correa also saw his 2017 shortened by injury (left thumb ligament) but surrounding the missed time was an incredible .941 OPS, up 130 points from 2016. He's a stud who hits in the middle of a top-flight lineup, act accordingly. Manny Machado's unlucky start (.239 BABIP in the first half) was followed up by a solid second half that gave him 33 homers and 95 RBI on the year. An extended bad-luck streak is unlikely to reoccur and he did rediscover the art of stealing bases last season (nine bags compared to zero in '16), even on a molasses-drenched Buck Showalter squad. 

Tier 2

Tier Two houses a pair of bats on the rise, with Francisco Lindor and his incredible hit tool and plus speed alongside Corey Seager and his somehow-still-improving skills at the dish. While Lindor's average sank from over .300 to "just" .273, it was a worthy cost for more than doubling his homer totals (15 to 33) while swiping double-digit bags. It's worth noting that Frankie's RBI tally could take a hit if he's locked into the leadoff spot all year, but with roughly 50 HR+SB within reach alongside 100 runs, you take it with a smile. Seager, on the other hand, is dealing with a sore throwing elbow that cropped up last season and still isn't totally right. While that gives his flag a reddish tint, he can still hit around .300 with around 25 homers and over 150 R+RBI even with an ailing arm at 23 years old, making his floor rather beautiful.

Tier 3

Alex Bregman is rising up draft boards quickly as speculation continues to grow around his power/speed tools in the aforementioned Houston lineup. Folks are buying into the huge second half from Breggy, as he hit .315 with 11 homers and nine swipes in just 70 games after the Midsummer Classic compared to a .256 average and just eight homers in 83 first-half games. People seem to be pegging his opening slump on the growing pains of a youngster and the World Baseball Classic. That's fair enough, but I'm probably not paying up for him this year. Elvis Andrus will likely see his power totals regress, but should still hit .300 with 25 steals. Xander Bogaerts has yet to put it all together, but hopefully, his struggles in '17 were rooted in the thumb injury and not something bigger. The .300/20/15 potential is right there, though. Jean Segura should benefit from an improved lineup and see his RBI total jump a bit batting behind Dee Gordon to boost the stats around his 15HR/30SB range. I'd bet he ends up being one of the better values of 2018.

Tier 4

Chris Taylor changed his swing a la Justin Turner and became a part of 2017's power renaissance, and while it'd be great to simply buy into him as the next power/speed threat to hit our world, we have to bake in the risk of his falling back to earth -- especially with that sky-high .361 BABIP and 25 percent strikeout rate. We all know the saga of Trevor Story, who possesses extreme power in an extreme power environment, but he needs to tamp down the cut on his swing and improve his contact or else his inconsistency will be the death of his fantasy viability. Then there's Didi Gregorius, who hit a career-high 25 homers (all to right field) last season in just 136 games. That lineup could generate 650 PAs and another 160 R+RBI campaign for Sir Didi.

Tier 5

Both Javier Baez and Marwin Gonzalez have considerable talent, but playing time is more difficult to rely on. Gonzalez has a clearer path to PT, especially with Yuli Gurriel recovering from his hamate bone removal, but has far less "pedigree" backing his performance. Eduardo Nunez also has a clear role at the outset of 2018 with Dustin Pedroia on the shelf but could get crowded out often enough to annoy weekly owners upon Pedey's return. Marcus Semien continues to be overlooked, as he nearly put up a 20HR/25SB pace last year (when on the field). He played in at least 155 games in the previous two seasons, so I'm great with this price. Andrelton Simmons and Zack Cozart should both enjoy an incredible Angels lineup, but Simmons will need to prove his pop is for real and Cozart will need to show he can stay on the field.

Tier 6

If you're going to drop to this tier, then it's Orlando Arcia and Jorge Polanco that you want. Arcia added some power, though I'd peg him for 10-12 HRs in '18 and be pleasantly surprised with anything more. The receding pop should be offset by a few more steals given his wheels and the aggressive Milwaukee lineup, but I recognize that he's likely buried in the bottom third of this stacked lineup card. Polanco delivered an insane triple slash of .316/.377/.553 with 10 homers, 15 doubles and seven steals over his final 55 games of the year. How much do you believe in Twins hitting coach James Rowson turning around both Polanco and Eddie Rosario? I'm at like, 85 percent belief, for the record. If you can draft Gleyber Torres and wait for him to be called up, any piece of the Yankees lineup will hold value, let alone a top prospect.

Tier 7

This tier means you're gambling on a guy like Troy Tulowitzki being healthy for at least a few hundred PAs at some point, Dansby Swanson being able to hold his own in the Majors, or J.P Crawford being able to keep a consistent approach in the batter's box. If you don't take that, then you're settling for low-upside, decent-floor options like Brandon Crawford or Asdrubal Cabrera. I'm not there yet on Ketel Marte, but hopefully, his wheels help him beat the humidor a bit. Amed Rosario is your target of this bunch if you don't feel that Yangervis Solarte will get enough PAs to be worth your time, but he's a better real-life player and will have to grow into his game some more before being a fantasy player.

Tier 8

Most of these guys are desperation options, but it's worth noting that Willy Adames is currently 8-for-22 with two homers and a steal (as of 3/10/18) in Spring Training. The Rays have no incentive to rush him along and start his clock early, but the 22-year-old could be a factor come midseason if Tampa (wisely) elects to give him some big-league seasoning. Frankin Barreto, who is off to a solid spring start himself, is another option if you want to gamble on his becoming an everyday player in a crowded lineup that loves to create platoons.

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