FanDuel Economics: MLB Position Analysis – Shortstop

Welcome to FanDuel Economics!  FanDuel Economics is a daily fantasy sports column focused on FanDuel player salaries and FanDuel point-per-game (PPG) trends. 

The Position Analysis articles are intended to take a snapshot of the FanDuel MLB year-to-date results, after a period of time, focused on each FanDuel MLB position.  While reviewing the year-to-date results, we’ll highlight the players who are compiling the most points, had the biggest salary adjustments, and have the best value at east position.  Like the daily FanDuel Economics articles, the intention of this column is to arm Daily Fantasy Baseball players with more information to use while choosing your FanDuel MLB Lineups.

This article will focus on the Shortstop (SS) position.  At this point in the season, we’ll focus on Shortstops who have started at least 20 games.  So any shortstop who have not started at least 20 games in the season are not included in this analysis.

Here’s a a quick look at the three categories we’ll review:

• Top 10 Points Per Game (PPG)
• Top 10 Salary Adjustments
• Top 10 Value Options

Before we get started, all of the statistics and FanDuel information is through Monday, June 14th. Now, let’s get started:

Next: Shortstop - Top 10 PPG

Shortstop – Top 10 PPG

Highlights

Following high expectations as a prospect for the Boston Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts had an unremarkable rookie year, hitting only .240 over 144 games with 12 home runs, 60 runs, and 46 RBI’s.  The young, 23 year old, Aruban native had a better sophomore season, hitting .320 over 156 games with only 7 home runs, but 84 runs, 81 RBI’s, and 10 stolen bases.  Xander’s 2016 season is already remarkable.  So far this year, Bogaerts is hitting a .359 average, with 8 home runs, 51 runs, 44 RBI’s and 9 steals.  Xander is on pace for the best year of his career.  Bogaerts is averaging 13.8 PPG, the most of all shortstops.  As we’ll see later, Xander is also often a bargain, the 7th best value option of the season at the shortstop position.  Bogaerts is consistently your best option at shortstop each day he’s in the Red Sox’s lineup.

Like Bogaert, Manny Machado started his career with unimpressive seasonal stats.  However, the 3rd pick of the 2010 MLB draft exploded at the plate in 2015.  Machado hit .283 with 35 home runs, 102 runs, 86 RBI’s, and snagged 20 stolen bases.  This season, Manny isn’t as active on the base path, caught stealing in each of his three attempts.  But, Machado is hitting a .308 average with 16 home runs, 47 runs, and 39 RBI’s.  Manny is averaging 13.1 PPG, second among all shortstops.  Machado can be an expensive option at times, but he’s often still a great option, and currently a top 10 value option among all shortstops over the course of the season.

Carlos Correa, younger than Bogaerts and Machado at 21 years old, completed his rookie season in 2015.  Unlike Bogaerts and Machado, Correa had an impressive rookie season hitting .279, with 22 home runs, 52 runs, 68 RBI’s, and 14 stolen bases.  However, now with high expectations, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 MLB draft is struggling this season.  Correa is only hitting .256 with 8 home runs, 28 runs, 32 RBI’s, and 8 steals.  Still, Carlos is 10th among all shortstops averaging 10.2 PPG.  Correa could turn his season around at some point, but for now, Carlos is not an intriguing option at shortstop.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 Shortstop by FanDuel PPG:

Position     Name                               FanDuel PPG

1.           Xander Bogaerts           13.8
2.           Manny Machado           13.1
3.           Eduardo Nunez              12.8
4.           Trevor Story                    12.3
5.           Jonathan Villar               11.9
6.           Corey Seager                  11.9
7.           Francisco Lindor            11.3
8.           Aledmys Diaz                 10.8
9.           Zack Cozart                     10.2
10.           Carlos Correa                 10.2

Now let’s take a look at Salary adjustments:

Next: Shortstop - Top 10 Salary Adjustments

Shortstop – Top 10 Salary Adjustments

Highlights

As discussed in the third basemen article, FanDuel salary can be a tricky thing to analyze.  Salaries fluctuate often for hitters, many times due to their opposition pitching.  For example, when Clayton Kershaw recently pitched against the Giants, many of the Giants salaries plummeted into the $2,000’s, but they didn’t all stay there the following game.  Also, FanDuel does make mistakes sometimes.  Ironically, FanDuel made one with Kike Hernandez during the same Dodgers/Giants game, valuing Kike at a jaw-dropping low of $220.  By the way, I used him that night and won all 9 of my lineups, it was a good night.  All of that said, there is still typically a good story in the year-to-date salary change trends.  Some players are over-valued at the start of the season, and many are often under-valued.  Some players get a hot start, and their salary becomes too inflated, while others start slow and climb significantly over the course of the year as they heat up.  So far this year, many shortstop options started the season cheap, but have quickly and consistently over performed their original expectations.

Aledmys Diaz is having an incredible rookie season for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Diaz is hitting .315 with 44 runs, 32 RBI’s, and 8 home runs.  Likely because Aledmys had yet to take a pitch in the majors at the start of the season, Diaz had a very cheap $2,300 salary to start the year.  However, after his amazing rookie campaign, so far, Diaz salary jumped $1,600 to $3,900.  Unfortunately, Aledmys is now expensive and not a great value option.  Still, keep an eye on his salary and if it drops soon, he’s a solid option at shortstop.

Eduardo Nunez has had a mild career so far.  Nunez typically won’t hit more than 4 or 5 home runs each season.  Eduardo does hit a decent .267 career average, but hasn’t played more than 112 games in a season, and has not exceeded more than 38 runs or RBI’s.  However, in 2016, Nunez is headed for a career season in games play, home runs, and average.  Eduardo has hit over .300 most of the season, already has 4 home runs, 24 RBI’s, and 33 runs.  So it’s no surprise Nunez salary has climbed a remarkable $1,300 to $3,500 lately.  Even though Edwardo is now more expensive, he’s the 3rd best value option of the season among all shortstops.  Continue to consider Nunez for your lineup each day.

Trevor Story had an amazing start to the season.  Story destroyed the baseball, first in Arizona, then at Coors field, hitting 6 home runs in the Colorado Rockies first 7 games.  However, Trevor then cooled off toward the end of April, and into early May.  But Story had flashes, again, of power toward the end of May and into June.  At the start of the season, Trevor was a bargain at $2,400. Toward the end of April, Story’s salary was hovering around the low $4,000’s and become incredibly expensive.  However, after Story’s cooling off period, his salary has stuck around the low-to-mid $3,000’s, making Trevor an affordable option again.  Also, Story is now the 5th best value option among all shortstops.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 Shortstop by Salary Adjustments:

Position     Name                               Salary ($)     Salary Adj. ($)    Salary Adj. (%)

1.          Aledmys Diaz                    $3,900         + $1,600              +69.6%
2.          Eduardo Nunez                 $3,500         +$1,300               +59.1%
3.          Danny Espinosa                $2,900          +$900                  +45.0%
4.          Brad Miller                          $3,100          +$900                  +40.1%
5.          Trevor Story                       $3,300          +$900                 +37.5%
6.          Javier Baez                          $3,000          +$700                 +30.4%
7.          Zack Cozart                         $3,100          +$600                 +24.0%
8.          Brandon Crawford            $3,300          +$600                 +22.2%
9.          Asdrubal Cabrera              $3,200          +$500                 +18.5%
10.          Gregorio Petit                     $2,500         +$500                 +25.0%

Now let’s take a look at Top Value:

Next: Shortstop - Top 10 Value

Shortstop – Top 10 Value

Highlights

Finding the best value options is my favorite statistic.  If you can find a couple of value options, paired with great, but reasonable, high point yield options, you’ll likely win those lineups every time.

Jedd Gyorko checks in as the top value option among all shortstops playing more than 20 games. However, Gyorko is platooning, like many of the Cardinals players this year, and hasn’t had enough action at shortstop, with Aledmys Diaz an option at short as well, and isn’t having an impressive year.  So, while Gyorko is at the top of the value board, I’m not intrigued.

Jonathan Villar, on the other hand, has been an attractive value option for the past month and counting.  I have used Villar in many of my lineups, and have talked about him in the daily FanDuel Economic MLB Lineups pick columns often lately.  Villar, known more for his speed, has already hit 5 home runs.  Jonathan also has 34 runs and 26 RBI’s.  But what sets Villar apart from most is his 23 stolen bases, already this season.  Jonathan is 5th among all shortstops with 11.9 PPG.  Villar’s salary continues to remain relatively cheap, in the mid $2,000’s to low $3,200’s.  At this point in the season, Villar has a very high 4.7X value and should be consistently used in your lineups.

Addison Russell has the potential to be a great one at the shortstop position.  Only 22 years old, this is Russell’s second season of his career, each for the Chicago Cubs.  Russell’s average has struggled to exceed the .240 mark, which has been disappointing.  However, Addison does have enough power to continue to have double-digit home runs each season.  Also, Russell has been able to knock in runs, and score runs, at a great clip, and hitting on one of baseball’s best lineups continues to help his stats.  Still, Russell has up and down play, getting hot at times, followed by long period of cooling at the plate.  I usually try to shy away from picking Russell in my lines, but when he gets hot, I pick him until he cools off.  Right now, Russell appears to be heating up and is one of the best value options for your MLB lineups.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 Shortstop by Salary Adjustments:

Position     Name                             Value (Points/$1,000)

1.           Jedd Gyorko                     4.8
2.           Jonathan Villar               4.7
3.           Eduardo Nunez               3.7
4.           Addison Russell             3.6
5.           Trevor Story                     3.6
6.           Ketel Marte                      3.5
7.           Xander Bogaerts            3.4
8.           Tyler Saladino                  3.4
9.           Zack Cozart                      3.3
10.           Manny Machado             3.3

More from FanSided

• MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers reunite with familiar face in Red Sox deal
• NHL Rumors: Legendary Patrice Bergeron retires, which 3 players could be next to hang up their skates?
• MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan
• Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
• Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs

To re-visit other recent value options for FanDuel MLB, view some of my other columns.

For additional FanDuel MLB analysis, take a look at my good friend and follow staff writer Brian Tulloch’s MLB Picks & Pivots column.  Also, Mike Marteny provides Draft Kings MLB Picks analysis.  Draft Kings uses a different point system and Mike does a great job of breaking down your options.  Both also provide great ‘stacking’ options which I like to discuss and use as well.

Best of luck daily fantasy baseball gamers! Make sure to check lineups each day as they are announced before locking in your FanDuel MLB lineups!