Like the 2nd basemen to target post, this is necessary. You want to take flyers on late shortstops. You want to avoid taking high-priced shortstops. Position scarcity is a buzzword(s) that fantasy baseballers (<–my mom’s term!) like to throw around. It’s the same as someone using ten-dollar words in conversation they don’t really understand. I’m drafting Tulo because of position scarcity! That’s you after reading an ESPN analcyst. We talk about position scarcity on our first fantasy baseball podcast of the year, too. At least I think we do under some of the jazzy music. Our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater shows Jimmy Rollins was the top shortstop last year at 36 overall. Maybe what everyone means by position scarcity is that there’s scarcely anything good at that position. It seems like everyone understands to punt catcher, but shortstops get people all greedy like Scrooge McDuck. Let’s assume Tulo doesn’t get hurt and gives you my projected stats: 83/25/98/.288/7. To draft him, you had to skip, say, Fielder (they are back-to-back in ESPN’s rankings), so you missed out on 94/39/117/.291/1. Then you grab, Ryan Howard later for 79/30/98/.245. So you got 162/55/196/.265/7. Now if you got Fielder and Jed Lowrie, you would’ve had 146/56/179/.275/3. That’s essentially the same thing, and you tell me who you feel more confident about Tulo or Fielder? Also, Lowrie can be had about 100 picks after Ryan Howard. Finally, if you were to go by ESPN’s projections, they have J.J. Hardy projected for 92/27/79/.267. That’s obviously bonkers, but how different is that than Tulo? Then there’s the fact that the majority of shortstops get value from the steal. SAGNOF! What’s the difference here between ESPN’s projections: 73/6/53/.278/21 or 77/9/47/.275/24? Barely much at all, right? One is Andrelton and one is Aybar, but they give them about an eighty draft pick difference. There were only three shortstops that earned more than $20 (barely) last year. Don’t get caught up in position scarcity. This is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Lichtenstein) supplement to the top 20 shortstops for 2013 fantasy baseball. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2013 projections. Anyway, here’s some shortstops to target for 2013 fantasy baseball:
Psyche! Before we get into today’s post, JB over at Razzbasketball asked that I announce a March Madness tournament. I don’t think there’s money involved, except for the wage hours lost due to you decorating your face with Gonzaga-inspired paint and sitting yourself in front of the TV for two weeks. Hey, at least it’s better than you fretting about who’s going to take over for Hugo Chavez. I nominate JC Chasez. But that’s me. Anyway II, here’s some shortstops to target for 2013 fantasy baseball:
Josh Rutledge – (Yahoo ADP 184; MDC 227; ESPN 248) I feel like I’ve heard his name somewhere before. Oh, I know! He was the name the doctor said to cure my erectile dysfunction. Silly me, how could I forget? Also, I love how ESPN calls Rutledge a sleeper about 3 months after I did. It’s super easy for ESPN to call someone a sleeper when they rank the player 100+ picks after he should be ranked. “Hey, I’m thinking this Adam Jones guy is a sleeper; let’s rank him 40 spots after everyone else!” That was overheard at an ESPN rankings summit.
Jean Segura – (ESPN 278; Yahoo 276; MDC 298) 75/5/50/.282/32 is what I have projected for Segura. 91/5/60/.285/35 is what I have for Andrus. Don’t trust me? Welp, that hurts, but okay. ESPN projects Andrus for 90/3/57/.274/32. That’s essentially what I have for Segura. They have Andrus at 94 overall. That’s about a two hundred draft pick difference to Segura. <sarcastic>Nah, no value there at all.</sarcastic> They have Aybar at 123 overall with the aforementioned 77/9/47/.275/24. About 150 picks separate the two and about 4 homers. Can’t see any value there either. (Note to editor: Insert eye rolling emoticon with a monocle and a disapproving look.)
Andrelton Simmons – (ESPN 208; Yahoo 240; MDC 267) I briefly touched on Andrelton already (in the back of a tinted-window van). He’s an afterthought in drafts. Really, all of these guys are even though they give you the same stats as guys drafted about ten rounds prior. What I think could be happening: most drafters realize they shouldn’t draft a shortstop early so they wait until after the 200th pick overall and draft one of these players. So, who is drafting the top shortstops? Autodrafters and people who read too much ESPN and Yahoo. I blame Snafu Larry.
Zack Cozart – (ESPN 244; Yahoo 274; MDC 319) I love me some post-hype sleepers. Everyone forgets what they loved about players the year after they underperform. Not every player bursts on the scene like they’re Bryce Trout. Some players look like the dog’s breakfast when they’re first called up. Some look like the dog’s middle afternoon snack. Some are just dogs. ZiPS gives Cozart a 15/10 season, Bill James gives 15/9, I gave him 17/10. Everyone is projecting him to hit between .250 and .260. .260 and a 17/10 season is not a 300th overall pick. It’s the same as freakin’ Asdrubal Cabrera!
Jed Lowrie – (ESPN 257; Yahoo 220; MDC 357) Sky asked me on IM if he could write a sleeper post on Lowrie and I basically wrote back, “I’m on the phone with my bookmaker, Jimmy The Greek Jr., figure it out yourself. No, not you, Jimmy! Wait, how can you hear me if I was typing that to Sky? You’re in my room making me spanakopita? You’re the best, JG!” So, Sky wrote it, but at the time I was thinking it might be a waste of time since Lowrie seems to be over, not underrated every year. Well, Sky knew something I didn’t. Turns out my New Year’s resolution to be wrong more is easier than I thought. No, I don’t think Lowrie can stay healthy. So, you get 17 homers from Lowrie and 15 steals from a waiver wire pick-up while he’s injured and Frankenstein together a top 150 ranked player.
Eduardo Nunez – (Yahoo 354) I didn’t even see him listed at ESPN or MDC, which is totally unacceptable. I’m writing a strongly-worded letter to my councilman, B.T. Fusspot. At worst, Nunez will be better for fantasy than Jeter for the first two months of the season while the Jankees try to get their act together. In most leagues, I imagine Nunez will be at the top of the Most Added players list the first month of the season, which was also a line from John Lennon’s outtakes for Imagine.
Before we end this shizz, we have a special treat for you, Razzheads. You know those “48 hours to make a video short” contests? Well, this isn’t one of those. This is a video put together by Nick, our podcast host. We gave him our tag line, “Razzball: Something To Do Between Masturbation Sessions” and he took it one cringe-inducing step further. Enjoy!
