Fantasy Shortstop 1-9

Mar 11, 2015; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) hits a double off Detroit Tigers starting pitcher David Price (14) (not pictured) at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

The number before each shortstop’s name represents their overall rank in the 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings.

#15 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies

When it comes down to it, Troy Tulowitzki is one of the best players in the game in both real and fantasy baseball.  If you told me that Tulo would play 150+ games in 2015, then I would draft him third overall.  His numbers are on a per-game basis are incredible.  His 2014 slash line of .340/.432/.603 was by far the best in the game.  But should you draft him?  I do not know.  I probably do not have the guts to do it, especially in an H2H.

#16 Ian Desmond Washington Nationals

While I have Tulo ranked as the top shortstop, Desmond is only one spot behind, which means you can pick and choose your preference.  While Troy Tulowitzki represents risk-loving strategy, Ian Desmond is much safer.  He has three straight 20-20 seasons, and he will be in the meat of a loaded Washington batting order.

#33 Hanley Ramirez Boston Red Sox

While Hanley is a decent step down from the top shortstops, he is the last elite option at the position.  I believe that Hanley’s production potential is quite variable, and I will probably look for a less expensive option at SS.  He could easily go for 20+ homers, 15 steals, and hit upwards of .300, but he is a bit of an injury risk and I worry that moving to left field could affect him mentally.

#75 Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs

Quite frankly, I probably ranked Castro too high.  However, I still believe Castro has 20 home run power in his bat and that he will run more under Joe Maddon.  Offensive upgrades should also positively affect his run and RBI total.  I think Starlin Castro could have a career fantasy year, but he still could finish outside the top 100 fantasy players even if he succeeds.

#77 Jose Reyes Toronto Blue Jays

There is just no way you can convince me to draft Jose Reyes as you can read here.  I can already tell you that he will go well before pick #77 in non-keepers, so I know that I will not draft him.  I am not willing to invest in a speedster who has had declining stolen bases and a multitude of leg issues over the years.  I am afraid that he steals only 20 bags and misses games.

#124 Javier Baez Chicago Cubs (also 2B eligible)

I wrote about Javier Baez in the article called Fantasy Second Base 10-17.

#125 Jimmy Rollins Los Angeles Dodgers

We have now moved into the territory of shortstops that I am interested in as you can read here.  I have preached a few times about the value of Jimmy Rollins at a relatively cheap cost.  He was a top five shortstop in 2014.  There is no doubt that I am willing to take a chance on the aging veteran because of his rare power-speed combination.

#144 J.J. Hardy Baltimore Orioles

Hardy has been one of my favorite fantasy players for a few years now because of his cheap power at a power starved position.  In this article, I highlighted Hardy as a rebound option.  While my ranking of J.J. almost eliminates any value, I am more than willing to overdraft him, and I am pretty confident that you can get the formerly consistent player closer to pick #200.

#161 Alexei Ramirez Chicago White Sox

Weirdly enough, Alexei Ramirez started stealing more bases in his 30’s.  His 71 swipes in the past three seasons give him the production of the Elvis Andrus, Jean Segura, and Alcides Escobar tier, but he also will tack on 15 homers and 70 RBI’s.  It is probably just my fantasy bias for Hardy, but I would suspect most people would rank Alexei higher than J.J.