SS Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates Include Elly De La Cruz, Bo Bichette


Elly De La Cruz - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Welcome back RotoBallers, as we continue our dynasty fantasy baseball position rankings article series. Below, you can find our MLB team's updated dynasty fantasy baseball shortstop rankings and analysis. Shortstop has Bobby Witt Jr. as the No. 1 overall player for dynasty leagues and other very exciting top fantasy options such as Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson.

The SS rankings below are specifically designed for dynasty leagues. Whether you're building for the future or trying to win it all this year, RotoBaller has you covered with our dynasty fantasy baseball articles, which are updated all year round by our dynasty league experts, Eric Cross and Chris Clegg. Bookmark their constantly-updated dynasty fantasy baseball rankings as well for the top 200+ players.

Shortstop is loaded with talent as 13 shortstops are ranked within the top 100 in our dynasty rankings, including three in the top five overall. While Gunnar Henderson, Elly, and Witt Jr. lead the charge, there are plenty of options and depth at the position. See where other key shortstops such as Anthony Volpe, Oneil Cruz, and Matt McLain are listed in our dynasty league shortstop ranks.

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Shortstop Fantasy Baseball News and Injuries

 

SS Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February)

Rankings are geared towards dynasty league formats. Download our free mobile app with push notification alerts and stay on top of all the MLB news and analysis.

Ranking Tier Player Name Position
1 1 Bobby Witt Jr. SS
2 1 Gunnar Henderson SS
3 1 Elly De La Cruz SS
4 1 Mookie Betts 2B/SS/OF
5 1 Francisco Lindor SS
6 1 Corey Seager SS
7 2 Trea Turner SS
8 2 Oneil Cruz SS/OF
9 2 CJ Abrams SS
10 2 Zach Neto SS
11 2 Matt McLain 2B/SS
12 3 Willy Adames SS
13 3 Matt Shaw 2B/3B/SS
14 3 Bo Bichette SS
15 3 Ezequiel Tovar SS
16 3 Masyn Winn SS
17 3 Anthony Volpe SS
18 4 Sebastian Walcott 3B/SS
19 4 JJ Wetherholt SS
20 4 Leodalis De Vries SS
21 4 Carlos Correa SS
22 4 Xander Bogaerts 2B/SS
23 5 Dansby Swanson SS
24 5 Bryson Stott 2B/SS
25 5 Jeremy Pena SS
26 5 Ha-Seong Kim SS
27 5 Carson Williams SS
28 6 Kevin McGonigle 2B/SS
29 6 Tommy Edman SS/OF
30 6 Nico Hoerner 2B/SS
31 6 Jesus Made 3B/SS
32 6 Joey Ortiz 3B/SS
33 7 Marcelo Mayer SS
34 7 Luis Rengifo 2B/3B/SS/OF
35 7 Jordan Lawlar SS
36 7 Trevor Story SS
37 7 Ceddanne Rafaela 2B/SS/OF
38 7 Xavier Edwards SS
39 7 Colson Montgomery SS
40 7 Brooks Lee 2B/3B/SS

 

Fantasy Baseball Outlooks For Shortstops

Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz showed off his elite ceiling during an inconsistent age-22 season that still resulted in a whopping 67 steals, 25 home runs, 105 runs scored, and a .259/.339/.471 slash line.

EDLC came out swinging with eight homers and 18 steals in March/April but wouldn't reach those heights again. His 13.9 percent walk rate and .962 OPS were also monthly-split highs as pitchers adjusted and perhaps early-season adrenaline faded.

The youngster may have seen his endurance tested in the second half of his first full MLB season, with only six steals each in August and September after 14 or more in three of his first four months. Several key metrics slid in the midseason through the second half, which could indicate a failure to adjust or the potential for a massive year with experience in his pocket. If his launch angles and overall barrel rates can hold up then he could be the No. 1 player.

Enough fantasy managers lean toward optimism to push his ADP up to the fourth pick in early NFBC drafts. ATC projects him for 24 home runs, 55 steals, and a .254 average. The 23-year-old is still growing and will contribute healthy pop while carrying the SB category. If he winds up hitting .270 on top of 75-80 swipes and 30 HRs then his teams are dancing.

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-- Nick Mariano - RotoBaller

Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson broke out in his second full big-league season with 37 home runs, 21 steals, and a .281 average over 159 games. He was a third-round pick on most platforms last year but now goes in the middle of most first rounds thanks to improvements all around his game.

On top of the obvious jumps regarding power and speed, he also showed superior plate discipline. His chase rate fell by three percentage points, and his overall whiff rate dropped by two points, while his zone swing and zone contact rates held steady or rose.

The 23-year-old looked far more comfortable in the batter's box and punished mistakes, with a higher rate of stolen-base attempts when on as well. As a lefty-swinging bat whose power leans to the pull side, the change in Camden's left-field dimensions shouldn't greatly affect Henderson. That said, a rising tide lifts all ships. More offense for others means more runs, RBI, and lineup turnover for increased plate appearances.

He may not have valuable third-base eligibility anymore, but the healthy ATC projections of 32 homers, 17 swipes, and a .272 average give him value wherever he plays. He has a RotoBaller rank and an early NFBC ADP around the sixth pick for those fortunate enough to pick by the middle of the first round.

-- Nick Mariano - RotoBaller

Francisco Lindor, New York Mets

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had his best season in Queens last year, continuing a trend of growth since joining the club in 2021. His OPS has grown by roughly 25-50 points each year, with 2024's .844 mark standing as his best since 2019 in Cleveland.

The 31-year-old slugged 33 home runs with 29 steals, 107 runs scored, 91 RBI, and a .273 batting average. The power-speed output mirrors 2023's contributions but his average climbing 19 points put him squarely into fantasy's elite circle. This comes on the back of a marked batted-ball surge that supplied a career-high 47.4 percent hard-hit rate and 13.6 percent barrel rate.

Both of those rates rose over three percentage points from the prior year. His expected batting average had been around .255 in each of his first three seasons as a Met and blew up to .283 last year thanks to the great contact. The lineup around him will experience some turnover but the addition of Juan Soto alongside the growth of youngsters like Mark Vientos should bump the R+RBI potential up.

His RotoBaller rank and aggregate ADP sit around the 14th pick with early ATC projections of 28 home runs and 25 steals, making him a fringe first-rounder. Those who buy into his batted-ball growth and higher batting average will happily scoop him up, perhaps with a top-flight arm to build a teamwide foundation.

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-- Nick Mariano - RotoBaller



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