So often we talk about the upside of a player, how good he could be, but there's another side of the coin that's just as pertinent to where we draft him. I'm of course talking about the downside -- or the chance that things go catastrophically wrong.
One way to represent this is in terms of how likely you are to drop said player, and for that, I've devised a rating system that takes into account injury risk, playing time risk and performance risk, among other qualities. My assessment for most any player you'd consider drafting in a 12-team league is depicted below.
If you've been wondering why a player is ranked where he's ranked, this should help complete the picture while also helping you identify potential bust candidates. It may even be something to reference later, in those early weeks of the season, when you're trying to determine whether you should pull the plug on a struggling player.
Note that these droppability ratings presume a league of fairly standard size (again, 12 teams), with fairly standard rosters and fairly standard scoring. As is always the case with a one-size-fits-all list, you'll have to assess how firmly it applies to you. If your league is of such depth that no one would ever dream of dropping Jonathan Schoop, for instance, then you'll need to filter the information accordingly.
Catcher
First base
Second base
Third base
Shortstop
Outfield
Starting pitcher
Relief pitcher
