2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: SS

If you like drafting players in fantasy baseball that close the previous season with a strong September, Troy Tulowitzki is your perfect first-round pick. Heading into September of last season, Tulowitzki had a .315 average and 12 HRs, very good numbers at the shortstop position. He then went on the tear of his life, smacking 15 homers in a 24-day stretch in September to finish the season with 27 HRs, 95 RBIs, 89 runs and a .315 average.

It wasn't like the power burst came out of thin air -- the still-developing shortstop posted a 32/20 season in 2009 with a .297 average. One year of 25-homer power may be a fluke, but two consecutive seasons with plus-power numbers is very likely a trend.

As such, Tulowitzki is a lock to be a first-round pick in your 2011 fantasy baseball drafts. In fact, he could be selected in the top five overall, as the shortstop talent dries up pretty quickly in drafts and owners love having elite players at scarce positions.

1. Hanley Ramirez, FLA
2. Troy Tulowitzki, COL
3. Jose Reyes, NYM
4. Jimmy Rollins, PHI
5. Alexei Ramirez, CWS
6. Derek Jeter, NYY
7. Stephen Drew, ARI
8. Elvis Andrus, TEX
9. Rafael Furcal, LAD
10. Ian Desmond, WAS
11. Yunel Escobar, TOR
12. Starlin Castro, CHC
13. Jhonny Peralta, DET
14. Erick Aybar, LAA
15. Ryan Theriot, STL
16. Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE
17. Miguel Tejada, SF
18. Omar Infante, FLA
19. Jason Bartlett, SD
20. Jed Lowrie, BOS
21. Alex Gonzalez, ATL
22. Cliff Pennington, OAK
23. J.J. Hardy, BAL
24. Juan Uribe, LAD
25. Alcides Escobar, KAN
26. Alexi Casilla, MIN
27. Marco Scutaro, BOS
28. Reid Brignac, TB
29. Edgar Renteria, CIN
30. Yuniesky Betancourt, MIL

• I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Derek Jeter in 2009; then, the Captain hit .334 with 18 HRs and 30 SBs. I still wanted nothing to do with him in 2010, and he regressed to 10 HRs, 18 SBs and a .270 average. He's been ridden hard over his career, and smart owners will prefer the younger Alexei Ramirez, who is still improving and could turn into a perennial 20/20 threat as soon as this season if he swipes a few more bags.

• Elvis Andrus has drawn a lot of fantasy love, but think twice before you go using a top-100 pick on him. He's hit just six HRs in his two-year career (including zero last season) despite playing in hitter-friendly Arlington. He's also a complete drain on your RBI totals (75 over the last two years combined) while putting up mediocre .260-ish averages. That means you're only buying runs and steals. Of the former, he had a respectable but not elite 88 in 2010, which was a 16-run improvement from the previous season. Of the latter, he's swiped 33 and 32 bags over the last two years, respectively. Unless you think he'll improve dramatically in at least two of the categories mentioned, stay away from him at his current draft price.

• On the other hand, Stephen Drew has shown a little bit of speed, power and average potential over the last few years. He hit .291 with 21 HRs in 2008 and then rebounded from a poor 2009 campaign to post a .278 average along with 15 HRs and 10 SBs last season. He has some speed in reserve, which could lead to many more SBs if given the opportunity. If he can reach 2008 levels again while adding some more speed, Drew could find himself in the top five at his position by season's end.

• Digging deeper into the position, Ian Desmond is also an intriguing fantasy option with both power and speed. He had 10 HRs and 17 SBs in 2010, though six dingers and 11 swipes came in the second half, when he hit .281. Extrapolated over a full season, and that second-half pace would give him a pretty well-rounded stat-line. At 25 years old, Desmond still has plenty to learn at the major league level, but with a full pro season now under his belt, he could be dangerously close to getting it.

• Keep an eye on the Red Sox shortstop battle. Marco Scutaro is the incumbent after Boston made a rare organizational gaffe and signed him to a somewhat expensive contract before the 2010 season. The 35-year-old shortstop is coming close to the end of his career and doesn't give Boston much at the plate. Jed Lowrie, however, was fantastic on a per-AB level last season, hitting nine HRs in 171 second-half at-bats while posting a .287 average. At 26 years old, Lowrie just needs a Scutaro injury or slump to earn regular playing time in Boston's elite lineup. If he cashes in on the opportunity, he could be a 20-HR guy with a nice average at a shallow position. That's worth gambling on late in your draft.