TGIF: 2009 SS Rankings

By Pete Rampino in Fantasy, Featured ⋅ March 13, 2009 at 4:16am ⋅ Post a comment

The SS position never used to be a source of offense. Instead, it was always a defense-first area. Now it is not uncommon to get your 20 HR power instead of your Gold Glove from the left side of the infield. The Ozzie Smiths would not have a place on your roster, but today with Hanley Ramirez leading the charge (albeit with sub-par defense), an owner can easily count on solid production from a position once devoid of any offensive skill.

The best SS for the 2009 season…

Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Jose Reyes, New York Mets
Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Rafael Furcal, L.A. Dodgers
Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers
Michael Young, Texas Rangers
Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians
Ryan Theriot, Chicago Cubs
Mike Aviles, Kansas City Royals
Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros
Khalil Greene, St. Louis Cardinals
Orlando Cabrera, Oakland A’s
Jed Lowrie, Boston Red Sox
Yunel Escobar, Atlanta Braves
Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants
Felipe Lopez, Arizona Diamondbacks
Christian Guzman, Washington Nationals
Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
Clint Barmes, Colorado Rockies
Yuniesky Betancourt, Seattle Mariners
Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
Jerry Hairston Jr., Cincinnati Reds
Nick Punto, Minnesota Twins
Jeff Keppinger, Cincinnati Reds
Cesar Izturis, Baltimore Orioles
Marco Scutaro, Toronto Blue Jays

Some SS Advice

Frankly, after the top three SS are off the board (which probably will be by Round 2), the rest of the SS class is not worth reaching for until at least round four. Just because the position’s absolute elite are gone, that does not mean you should go into a panic mode. At this point, just focus on your other areas and trust me, a sudden SS run will not take place. It is not uncommon at this point for people to be thinking that since they have missed out on a top tier SS, they might as well grab one of the best catchers. Do not be this fool.

The name of the game is keeping your cool in the draft room. Don’t fall victim to position runs (just like when you play Madden Football and people get the sudden urge to draft Punters). The talent at SS this year is deeper than you think and if you miss the big three, then you still have a chance several rounds later to draft a SS who can get you the 20-HR power you want.

Next Week: OF
Previous Rankings: 2009 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Tags: Alexei Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Fantasy, Hanley Ramirez, J.J. Hardy, Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes, Michael Young, Rafael Furcal, Stephen Drew, TGIF, Troy Tulowitzki