Chad Young’s 2023 Ottoneu SS Rankings

Going for a quick turn-around with SS after 2B yesterday, since there is so much overlap. In general, I don’t see replacement level as different for SS or 2B, so the tiers will overlap and guys will be in the same spot. There is one exception to that – see if you can spot him!

Our regular reminders:

1. Tiers > Ranks. The specific order of the rankings is less helpful and less meaningful than the tiers. Carlos Correa is #4 and Marcus Semien #5, but Semien is closer to Francisco Lindor for me than he is to Correa. I am always open to discuss my rankings – and I will change them based on convincing feedback – but moving guys around within the tiers just doesn’t matter much. If you want to argue, tell me who is in the wrong tier entirely.
2. Format Matters. These are for Ottoneu FanGraphs points format, but can be used fairly effectively for SABR Points (bats are slightly more valuable; for pitchers things vary more) and 4×4 (which values the same skills if not the same way).  Also note that, compared to roto leagues (4×4 or 5×5), points leagues have a steeper value curve, so the most expensive players are not quite so expensive in roto. The biggest difference, of course, is that 5×5 values SB highly and this format does not. For 5×5, there are a ton of other rankings out there, including right here on FanGraphs. Make sure to note that redraft rankings are not the same as keeper rankings, and Ottoneu will be more similar to keeper or dynasty. Finally, while it won’t be a full ranking, I’ll be sharing my top tens at each position for 5×5 keeper leagues as part of the Keep or Kut podcast.
3. Projected P/G are the Basis but not the Ranking. On each table, you will see a projected P/G for each player. For this list, those are based on the Depth Charts projections as of 11/30. You’ll note, however, that I didn’t simply put the top projection first and then work down the list. A few things can cause me to break from the projections. Playing time and role, age and track record, future value and possible breakout potential are all factors that could cause me to move someone around. For example, Ezequiel Tovar has a better projection than a number of players a tier above him, while JP Crawford is ahead of Tyler Freeman.  The former is because I see a lot more risk in Tovar, as an unproven rookie. The latter is because Freeman’s role limits his value relative to his overall projection.
4. One Position at a Time. Players are ranked for just one position at a time, and will only be ranked at positions where I think they might be/should be used in fantasy. Any player who qualifies at catcher will be left off this list, but I am including 2B/SS eligibles on both this list and the 2B list. The reason is, as noted above, replacement level is similar enough at the two that you can use players at either one.
5. N/A Means Not Enough Data. If the P/G column reads N/A that either means the projection doesn’t exist or the playing time was too small and I decided to ignore it.
6. Tiers are Pre-Inflation. In practice, this means these tiers are most applicable to first-year leagues, but you can also adjust for inflation for your league. If you expect 20% inflation in your league, the top tier at SS becomes $36-$42.