Draft Prep Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP
Relax. It's not so bad anymore.
Though a relative wasteland just 3-4 years ago, an influx of talent has redeemed shortstop to the point it's not a slam dunk that multi-eligible players like Alex Bregman and Marwin Gonzalez should be started there.
Don't get me wrong: It's still weak -- the weakest of the infield positions, without a doubt -- and unlike outfield, it doesn't have volume on its side. You can't and shouldn't bank on a shortstop emerging on the waiver wire in-season. But unless you play in deeper than a 12-team league, you're probably not getting left out in the cold either.
I'm likely to have a fair number of shares in Francisco Lindor, Alex Bregman and Elvis Andrus this season (since they figure to be the last available players from their particular tiers), and though he's in a tier to himself, I've found Andrus to be particularly easy to come by.
But I'm happy to fall back on Gonzalez or even Zack Cozart -- who was the fourth-best shortstop on a per-game basis last year -- if it comes to it.
The Elite: Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor
The Near-Elite: Corey Seager, Alex Bregman
The Next-Best Things: Elvis Andrus
The Fallback Options: Xander Bogaerts, Jean Segura, Didi Gregorius, Marwin Gonzalez, Trevor Story, Zack Cozart
The Last Resorts: Paul DeJong, Andrelton Simmons, Javier Baez, Yangervis Solarte
The Leftovers: Amed Rosario, Tim Anderson, Addison Russell, Marcus Semien, Jose Peraza, Jorge Polanco, Dansby Swanson, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Owings, Orlando Arcia, Tim Beckham, Troy Tulowitzki, Freddy Galvis, Brandon Crawford, Jose Reyes, Ketel Marte
