Every position will have busts. It's inevitable. Among offensive positions, shortstop might have the most potential risks in the upper tiers. Of course, if everything goes right, shortstop will be as strong as it's ever been -- seriously, our SS rankings are ridiculous this year -- but as the saying goes: You can't win your fantasy baseball during the draft...but you sure can lose it. (That should be bolded and underlined at the top of every cheat sheet.) That doesn't mean you need to avoid some of these potential studs, but it does mean you should grab a sleeper or two later as insurance.
When we say "bust", we don't mean a player will be worthless; rather, overdrafted. Manny Machado, Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Adalberto Mondesi, Jonathan Villar, Corey Seager -- these are all incredibly high-upside guys who have already registered some monster seasons (with the exception of Mondesi), but we've also seen most of them be mediocre (or bad, in Villar's case). Injuries have limited Correa and Seager, while Machado's new digs don't help his cause. As we pointed out in the 3B rankings, his career road splits (.271/.319/.443) aren't exactly encouraging.
SIGN UP for a FREE 30-day trial of DAZN and watch LIVE baseball games and programming on MLB Network
2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers:
Catcher | First | Second | Third | Short | Outfield | Starter | Each team
Still, you can't avoid these players -- they're simply too good. Fortunately, there are some interesting picks who will be available later. Power-speed guys like Marcus Semien, Dansby Swanson, Jorge Polanco, Willy Adames, and Orlando Arcia lack excitement, but all can give you a little something in those important categories. Elvis Andrus and Amed Rosario will steal 20-plus bases, while Paul DeJong, Eduardo Escobar, Jonathon Schoop, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. could all pop 20 HRs.
Lotto tickets Didi Gregarious (out until at least June because of Tommy John surgery), speedster Garrett Hampson, and all-around stud prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. could make big impacts for fantasy teams at some point this season. Hampson is the only one with a chance to contribute right away, but all three are worth stashing in deep leagues.
Ultimately, SS is all about balancing risk with reward. If you go all-in on Correa and he finally puts it all together like we've been expecting, you'll be in great shape. If you use a third- or fourth-round pick on Villar and he loses his job, you might be sunk. (Sorry if that hits too close to home for owners who drafted Villar in 2017.)
Shortstop can be a make-or-break position, so be smart, look for values even if you drafted someone early, and add depth. Fortunately, the position is deep enough to do that this season.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: SS
These rankings are for standard 5x5, non-keeper leagues. Eligibility based on Yahoo default settings.
* = Player not eligible at that position on draft day but expected to play there during the season
Ranking | Player | Team | Other eligibility |
1 | Francisco Lindor | Indians | |
2 | Trea Turner | Nationals | |
3 | Trevor Story | Rockies | |
4 | Alex Bregman | Astros | 3B |
5 | Manny Machado | Padres | 3B |
6 | Javier Baez | Cubs | 2B, 3B |
7 | Carlos Correa | Astros | |
8 | Adalberto Mondesi | Royals | 2B |
9 | Jonathan Villar | Orioles | 2B |
10 | Jean Segura | Phillies | |
11 | Xander Bogaerts | Red Sox | |
12 | Gleyber Torres | Yankees | 2B |
13 | Corey Seager | Dodgers | |
14 | Tim Anderson | White Sox | |
15 | Dee Gordon | Mariners | 2B, OF |
16 | Jose Peraza | Reds | |
17 | Jurickson Profar | A's | 1B, 2B, 3B |
18 | Chris Taylor | Dodgers | 2B, OF |
19 | Paul DeJong | Cardinals | |
20 | Eduardo Escobar | Diamondbacks | 3B |
21 | Asdrubal Cabrera | Rangers | 2B, 3B |
22 | Marcus Semien | A's | |
23 | Elvis Andrus | Rangers | |
24 | Andrelton Simmons | Angels | |
25 | Amed Rosario | Mets | |
26 | Orlando Arcia | Brewers | |
27 | Jorge Polanco | Twins | |
28 | Dansby Swanson | Braves | |
29 | Jonathan Schoop | Twins | 2B |
30 | Didi Gregorius | Yankees | |
31 | Willy Adames | Rays | 2B |
32 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | Blue Jays | 2B |
33 | Garrett Hampson | Rockies | 2B |
34 | Fernando Tatis Jr. | Padres | |
35 | Luis Urias | Padres | 2B |
36 | Zack Cozart | Angels | 2B, 3B |
37 | Hernan Perez | Brewers | 2B, 3B, OF |
38 | Johan Carmargo | Braves | 3B |
39 | Enrique Hernandez | Dodgers | 1B, 2B, OF |
40 | Joey Wendle | Rays | 2B, 3B, OF |
41 | Ketel Marte | Diamondbacks | 2B, OF* |
42 | Niko Goodrum | Tigers | 1B, 2B, 3B, OF |
43 | Nick Ahmed | Diamondbacks | |
44 | Troy Tulowitzki | Yankees | |
45 | Tim Beckham | Mariners | 3B |
46 | Marwin Gonzalez | Twins | 1B, 2B, OF |
47 | Brandon Crawford | Giants | |
48 | J.T. Riddle | Marlins | |
49 | Jordy Mercer | Tigers | |
50 | Erik Gonzalez | Pirates |