Elvis Andrus: Can He Capitalize on a Successful 2015 Season?

Elvis Andrus had arguably the best season of his career in 2015. With the Texas Rangers lineup looking healthy for 2016, can he repeat that performance?

The shortstop position is finally climbing up the ranks of deep positions. For years, it was known as a wasteland. You either draft a top-five player early or wait until the end of your draft for a platoon guy. Now, there are a group of young shortstops becoming fantasy relevant that give the position some depth. There are also some veteran players still worth owning. One of them had a great season and could be a sleeper in 2016, and that is Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus. 

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Andrus has been in the league for seven years as the starting shortstop for the Rangers since the beginning. He’s been a consistent hitter throughout his career, averaging 168 hits and .270 average over 162 games. The only negative aspect of Elvis Andrus’ game is the lack of power. He has a total of 27 home runs.

The 2014 season was a bit of a struggle for the Rangers. Star first baseman Prince Fielder missed all but 42 games. As a result, the hitting suffered. The team did not have a single 20-home run or 80-RBI hitter. This season, with a healthy Fielder, three hitters reached 20 homers and four had over 80 RBI.

While Elvis Andrus didn’t reach either number, he had a great performance. He played in 160 games (career high) with 154 hits, seven home runs (career high), 62 RBI, 25 stolen bases and a .258/.309/.357 line. Hitting in front of or behind Adrian Beltre, Mitch Moreland and Fielder definitely helped his fantasy value.

As a result, he finished as the third-best shortstop and No. 124 overall on the Player Rater. His run, RBI and SB totals helped propel him over top players Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Reyes (at the time) and others.

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The Rangers will roll out practically the same lineup it began the 2015 season with. A healthy Josh Hamilton added to the mix will make the Rangers lineup a dangerous one. If you don’t feel comfortable investing an early round draft pick on a shortstop, and I don’t blame you, then Elvis Andrus is someone you can target later. He was a 12th round pick in ESPN leagues last season. I think he’ll move, but not by much.

Projections: 153 hits, five home runs, 65 RBI, 24 steals, .260 average

Draft: Round 11