NFBC ADP Rankings Analysis: Shortstop

Today we take a look at the average draft position data for shortstops to see how our consensus rankings fared against the NFBC (National Fantasy Baseball Championship) ADP rankings courtesy of NESN.com.

Along with the NFBC ADP rankings, the NESN site also provides the Max Pick and Min Pick data, which tells readers where the player was drafted the highest and the lowest thus far in the NFBC drafts.

In addition, I thought it would be helpful to include the Fake Teams consensus shortstop rankings in the table below to see how close the collective rankings of eight independent writers fared vs the NFBC ADP rankings. The NFBC rankings are collected from all the NFBC drafts that have completed to date. Each of the NBC drafts consist of 15 teams and 30 rounds, so the data is a good barometer for where players are being drafted.

Quick Thoughts

There is a consensus amongst the top 8-10 shortstop rankings, but the NFBC ADP data does not rank Rays infielder/outfielder in their shortstop rankings, even though he is eligible there. We are a few spots lower on Brewers shortstop Jean Segura vs the NFBC data, while they are lower on Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond.

If you want one of the top five shortstops in a 15 team league, you will have to draft one in the first three rounds, as Hanley, Tulo, Ian Desmond, Jose Reyes and Jean Segura all are dropping off the draft board early. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus is the next shortstop taken, and there is a large gap after Everth Cabrera, who is being drafted in the sixth round.

The next two shortstops off the NFBC draft boards, Starlin Castro and J.J. Hardy, represent the most value in drafts this year. Both play every day, don't come with injury risk....yet, and Hardy provide excellent power from the shortstop position, while I see a nice bounce back from Castro this season. I see him flourishing playing for new manager Rich Renteria.

Others who I see as great values are Xander Bogaerts, going in the 11th round, while Mariners shortstop Brad Miller is going in the 13th round, on average. Going much deeper in drafts, Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings owns an ADP of 361, and Zack Cozart with an ADP of 285.

The NFBC drafters like Cubs prospect Javier Baez enough to draft him in the 24th round on average, and he could come up and play second or third base for the Cubs this season, assuming Castro has a bounce back season,

NFBC ADP Rankings-Shortstop

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