This might be the position at which there is the biggest drop between the top two players -- Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes -- and the rest of the field.

With Hanley Ramirez playing third base now that Reyes is with the Marlins, our No. 3 shortstop is the Tribe's Asdrubal Cabrera. On the surface, Cabrera's numbers were pretty darn good last season -- 25 homers, 92 RBI, 17 steals and 87 runs. Keep in mind, however, that, after posting a .293 average and .836 OPS in the first half of 2011, Cabrera batted .244 with a .729 OPS in the second half.

Throw in the fact that Cabrera's previous career highs were six homers and 68 RBI, and there is cause for concern.

Will Cabrera be productive again this season? Probably. But we don't expect him to be nearly as good as Tulowitzki (.302, 30 homers, 105 RBI and nine steals in 2011) and Reyes (101 runs, 39 steals and a .337 average last year).

Our top five shortstops are solid, as you would expect, but after that, it gets dicey. The No. 6 player at the position (at least in my mind), the Rangers' Elvis Andrus, scored 96 runs and had 37 steals, but he hit .279 last year and has no power. No. 7 J.J. Hardy had 30 homers and 80 RBI in 2011, but he had a combined 17 homers and 85 RBI in 2009 and '10.

On to the top 20 ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies 81-30-105-9-.302
2. Jose Reyes, Marlins 101-7-44-39-.337
3. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians 87-25-92-17-.273
4. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies 87-16-63-30-.268
5. Starlin Castro, Cubs 91-10-66-22-.307
6. Elvis Andrus, Rangers 96-5-60-37-.279
7. J.J. Hardy, Orioles 76-30-80-0-.269
8. Derek Jeter, Yankees 84-6-61-16-.297
9. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers 68-21-86-0-.299
10. Erick Aybar, Angels 71-10-59-30-.279
11. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox 81-15-70-7-.269
12. Dee Gordon, Dodgers 34-0-11-24-.304
13. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays 77-11-48-3-.290
14. Ian Desmond, Nationals 65-8-49-25-.253
15. Rafael Furcal, Cardinals 44-8-28-9-.231
16. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks 44-5-45-4-.252
17. Alcides Escobar, Royals 69-4-46-26-.254
18. Jed Lowrie, Astros 40-6-36-1-.252
19. Alex Gonzalez, Brewers 59-15-56-2-.241
20. Zack Cozart, Reds 6-2-3-0-.324

Last three out: Cliff Pennington, Athletics; Jason Bartlett, Padres; Ruben Tejada, Mets.

Eligibility notes: We have the Marlins' Ramirez ranked as our No. 2 third baseman, but he will be eligible at shortstop. ... Marco Scutaro was traded from Boston to Colorado, where he will move from shortstop to second base. ... Another Marlin, Emilio Bonifacio, is ranked at second base on many sites, but he is an outfielder.

Key stats: The only concern with Tulowitzki is injury. The last four seasons, he has had 377, 543, 470 and 537 at-bats. That's an average of 482 at-bats. He missed 14 of the Rockies' last 19 games in 2011.

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NEXT: Third basemen

A lot has changed since we last ranked the top 100 players in fantasy baseball.

More than four months later, 39 players have dropped out. If you go by our late-March list, the biggest busts this season, not surprisingly, are Hanley Ramirez (No. 3 preseason) and Carl Crawford (No. 4).

Both didn't make the cut this time around, but in fairness to Ramirez, he's injured. That leaves Crawford as the biggest bust, and the Tribe's Asdrubal Cabrera as one of the biggest surprises.

Cabrera didn't make the top 100 in the preseason, but he's No. 23 now, the biggest leap of any player who wasn't ranked prior to the year. The next-biggest jumps among the unranked were by Lance Berkman (now No. 24), Ben Zobrist (28), Melky Cabrera (31) and Dan Haren (37).

Of the players who were ranked in the preseason, the Yankees' Curtis Granderson made the biggest jump, from No. 90 to 2. Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is next at 62 spots (from 68 to 6), followed by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (from 72 to 21), Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (from 89 to 43) and Angels pitcher Jered Weaver (from 58 to 12).

If you couldn't care less about the booms and the busts and just want to see the rankings, my apologies for the first five paragraphs. Here they are, with one caveat: Players who are on the disabled list weren't eligible, since this is meant to be a current ranking of the best in fantasy. The only exceptions were the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and the Braves' Brian McCann, both of whom are expected to return in the new few days (McCann as soon as today).

1. Jose Bautista, OF, Blue Jays (preseason: 21)
2. Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees (90)
3. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers (34)
4. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers (9)
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox (18)
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox (68)
7. Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers (29)
8. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Rockies (7)
9. Prince Fielder, 1B, Brewers (38)
10. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies (10)
11. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox (22)
12. Jered Weaver, SP, Angels (58)
13. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers (5)
14. Justin Upton, OF, Diamondbacks (53)
15. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals (1)
16. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (8)
17. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies (55)
18. Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees (11)
19. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers (32)
20. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates (37)
21. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers (72)
22. Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers (6)
23. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, Indians (NR)
24. Lance Berkman, OF, Cardinals (NR)
25. CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees (33)
26. Cliff Lee, SP, Phillies (31)
27. Kevin Youkilis, 3B, Red Sox (26)
28. Ben Zobrist, 2B, Rays (NR)
29. Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies (70)
30. Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies (49)
31. Melky Cabrera, OF, Royals (NR)
32. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies (2)
33. Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox (61)
34. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (28)
35. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays (13)
36. Shane Victorino, OF, Phillies (64)
37. Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks (NR)
38. David Wright, 3B, Mets (15)
39. Victor Martinez, C/DH, Tigers (35)
40. Matt Holliday, OF, Cardinals (17)
41. Michael Young, DH, Rangers (67)
42. James Shields, SP, Rays (NR)
43. Starlin Castro, SS, Cubs (89)
44. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Cubs (71)
45. David Ortiz, DH, Red Sox (82)
46. Adam Jones, OF, Orioles (NR)
47. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees (16)
48. Ian Kennedy, SP, Diamondbacks (NR)
49. Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers (44)
50. Carlos Santana, C, Indians (77)
51. Brian McCann, C, Braves (43)
52. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants (14)
53. Hunter Pence, OF, Phillies (52)
54. Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds (41)
55. Jon Lester, SP, Red Sox (27)
56. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Nationals (30)
57. Michael Bourn, OF, Braves (NR)
58. Josh Beckett, SP, Red Sox (NR)
59. Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, Twins (NR)
60. Jhonny Peralta, SS, Tigers (NR)
61. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Tigers (NR)
62. Miguel Montero, C, Diamondbacks (NR)
63. Chris Young, OF, Diamondbacks (57)
64. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers (NR)
65. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners (12)
66. Jeff Francoeur, OF, Royals (NR)
67. Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves (40)
68. Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies (47)
69. Carlos Beltran, OF, Giants (NR)
70. Ryan Vogelsong, SP, Giants (NR)
71. C.J. Wilson, SP, Rangers (NR)
72. Joe Mauer, C, Twins (19)
73. Alex Gordon, OF, Royals (NR)
74. Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves (NR)
75. Jaime Garcia, SP, Cardinals (NR)
76. John Axford, RP, Brewers (NR)
77. Brian Wilson, RP, Giants (78)
78. Alexi Ogando, SP, Rangers (NR)
79. Michael Morse, 1B, Nationals (NR)
80. Billy Butler, 1B, Royals (86)
81. Jonathon Papelbon, RP, Red Sox (NR)
82. Matt Cain, SP, Giants (87)
83. Carlos Quentin, OF, White Sox (NR)
84. Yovani Gallardo, SP, Brewers (92)
85. Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles (NR)
86. Ryan Roberts, 3B, Diamondbacks (NR)
87. Ricky Romero, SP, Blue Jays (NR)
88. Todd Helton, 1B, Rockies (NR)
89. Yunel Escobar, SS, Blue Jays (NR)
90. Mike Stanton, OF, Marlins (97)
91. Drew Storen, RP, Nationals (NR)
92. Justin Masterson, SP, Indians (NR)
93. Zack Greinke, SP, Brewers (NR)
94. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds (NR)
95. Tommy Hanson, SP, Braves (93)
96. Mariano Rivera, RP, Yankees (94)
97. Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Marlins (NR)
98. Heath Bell, RP, Padres (79)
99. Michael Pineda, SP, Mariners (NR)
100. Jose Valverde, RP, Tigers (NR)

Five who just missed the cut: Carlos Lee, OF, Astros; Martin Prado, OF, Braves; Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Mariners; Tim Hudson, SP, Braves; Alexei Ramirez, SS, White Sox

Top 100 by position: Outfielders 25, starting pitchers 25, first basemen 12, closers 8, third basemen 8, second basemen 7, shortstops 7, catchers 5, designated hitters 3.

A shortstop returning from injury who has one home run and seven RBI might seem like another ho-hum July transaction, but this one could be different.

Asdrubal Cabrera is no Hanley Ramirez, but he's no Everth Cabrera, either.

The Tribe shortstop played Tuesday night at Minnesota, his first major-league action since he made the mistake of getting near Jhonny Peralta on May 17, a move that resulted in a broken forearm for Cabrera when Peralta clumsily fell on him.

Cabrera is a career .287 hitter who was surprisingly productive in 2009. Last season, he batted .308 with 81 runs, 52 extra-base hits, six homers, 68 RBI and 17 steals.

I wouldn't expect him to reach double figures in steals this season, considering in his other three major-league seasons (2007, '08 and '10), Cabrera has five steals in 194 games. But I would expect him to hit for a quality average, score runs and drive in more runs than most shortstops.

There's also this: Entering Tuesday, only four shortstops had more than nine homers, and six had 42 RBI or more this season. Even Derek Jeter, a career .315 hitter, was struggling to bat .270.

At the position, there is Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, Jose Reyes, Jeter .. and not much else, at least until Troy Tulowitzki is healthy (the Rockies shortstop is expected to return from a wrist injury in the next eight days).

After those five, Elvis Andrus, Alex Gonzalez and Erick Aybar are certain fantasy starters. Alexei Ramirez has rebounded from an awful start, and Clint Barmes is hitting for power in place of Tulowitzki in Colorado.

I would slot Cabrera in the No. 10 range at the position, meaning he's an everyweek starter in most formats.

At least until the next time Peralta thinks he should be the first to get to a ground ball between third base and shortstop.

The likes of Robinson Cano, Dan Uggla, Rickie Weeks, Ty Wigginton, Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Martin Prado and Howie Kendrick have made up for the fact that three of the preseason top five players at second base have suffered major injuries.

Twelve players who are eligible at second base in many leagues have hit at least nine home runs this season, 14 have compiled 35 RBI or more, and 11 have scored at least 42 runs.

This week, however, was not one for feel-good stories, puppies and long walks on the beach.

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is on the disabled list with a broken left foot. The injury won't require surgery, but the 2008 American League MVP likely will miss about six weeks. That leaves his return in the Aug. 7 range -- the end of Week 18 of the regular season.

The Phillies' Chase Utley joined Pedroia on the DL on Tuesday, and Thursday it was disclosed Utley has a broken thumb that could sideline him for eight weeks. That might mean Utley will be out of your lineup through Week 21.

Then there's the case of Baltimore's Brian Roberts, whose infrequent injury updates get more gloomy each time. At best, he'll be back in August, but I wouldn't plan on Roberts helping you the rest of the season.

If you're among the affected, the players mentioned in the first paragraph were drafted or are long-gone waiver-wire acquisitions.

That leaves you searching for a bargain. Here are 10 players who could be decent starters in deeper mixed and AL- and NL-only leagues. All stats are through Wednesday:

1. Sean Rodriguez, Rays (owned in 22 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com): The third-year player earned regular at-bats by hitting .289 with four homers, 15 RBI, 12 runs, five steals and an .828 OPS in June.

2. Carlos Guillen, Tigers (40.7 percent): He moved to second base upon returning from the DL on May 28. The switch made Guillen relevant in fantasy again, as he batted .293 with three homers, 12 RBI and an .803 OPS in June. He's no longer a stolen-base threat, but Guillen can help you in batting average, homers and RBI.

3. Clint Barmes, Rockies (19 percent): He's playing shorstop in Troy Tulowitzki's absence, and he's a powerful option no matter which middle-infield spot you select. Barmes had 23 homers and 76 RBI in 2009, and he hit .313 with 14 RBI and an .858 OPS in 80 June at-bats. For the season, he has six homers and 38 RBI, but beware his batting average (.247).

4. Gordon Beckham, White Sox (37.7 percent): He's been a bust thus far -- .207 average, two homers, 20 RBI and 29 runs in 246 at-bats. In 2009, Beckham batted .270 with 14 homers, 63 RBI, 58 runs and seven steals in 378 at-bats. He seems to regaining that form of late. Beckham is 6-for-18 (.333) with five runs scored, one homer, two doubles, a triple and four RBI in his last six contests.

5. Mike Aviles, Royals (29.1 percent): He will be a boost to your batting average and runs scored, but not much else. Aviles, a career .300 hitter, batted .317 in May and .333 in June. But he hasn't homered since May 9 and has 12 RBI and two steals in 180 at-bats.

6. Freddy Sanchez, Giants (19.8 percent): A .299 career hitter, Sanchez has similar assets as Aviles. Since he was activated from the DL on May 19, he is hitting .291 with 18 runs, one homer, 19 RBI and zero steals in 141 at-bats.

7. Cristian Guzman, Nationals (29.4 percent): He's also eligible at shortstop, and was surprisingly productive in 2008 and '09 (combined averages of .301, eight homers, 54 RBI, 75 runs and five steals). Guzman struggled in June (.236) and has only one homer and 21 RBI on the season.

8. Felipe Lopez, Cardinals (3.5 percent): Since he is filling in for an injured David Freese at third base, Lopez likely would be a temporary aid. In his last four games, he is 7-for-16 (.438) with four runs. In 2009, Lopez batted .310 with nine homers, 57 RBI and 88 runs with Milwaukee and Arizona.

9. David Eckstein, Padres (4.6 percent): This would strictly be a desperation move. Eckstein is a decent hitter (.281) and might steal 10 to 15 bases (he has five this season).

One really long shot

Tribe shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera hasn't played second base since 2009, but he is eligible there in some leagues and his broken forearm caused many owners to drop him. He's available in more than 73 percent of the ESPN leagues.

He could return in late July -- just in time to help you for a month until Utley comes back.

For fantasy updates, follow Kevin Kleps on Twitter.

How bad has it been for Grady Sizemore this season?

I'm guessing I wasn't the only owner who was relieved Sizemore entered Week 7 banged up. That gave me a reason to bench him and not worry about him possibly having his first big week of the season during a time in which he was on my list of reserves.

The Indians center fielder has a deep bone bruise in his left knee and will miss at least 15 days. Surgery hasn't been ruled out, however, and Sizemore's sudden lack of power should mean an extended stay on your bench.

Shortstop and teammate Asdrubal Cabrera, meanwhile, will miss at least 8 to 10 weeks with a broken forearm (thanks for your efforts, Jhonny Peralta) -- meaning you should prepare for the possibility of the 24-year-old not helping you the rest of the year.

If you need help in the outfield or at short because of the absence of Sizemore and/or Cabrera, here are a few options who are owned in fewer than 50 percent of the standard leagues on ESPN.com:

OUTFIELDERS

1. Corey Hart, Brewers (owned in 43.4 percent of the ESPN leagues): He has seven homers, 19 RBI and three steals, including four home runs and seven RBI in his last five games. After a miserable 2009 and poor beginning to this season, Hart is resembling the player who totaled 44 homers, 172 RBI and 46 steals from 2007-08.

2. Jonny Gomes, Reds (22.9 percent): A career .245 hitter, Gomes is batting .304 with five homers and 25 RBI. He has hit 20 or more homers three times since 2005.

3. Austin Kearns, Indians (25 percent): The veteran has been surprisingly effective in his first season with the Tribe, batting .302 with three homers and 20 RBI.

4. Nate McLouth, Braves (39.8 percent): Once an undervalued high-end starter, McLouth is now a bargain-basement pickup because of his poor play. He is batting only .208, but is 9-for-24 (.375) with a homer and six RBI in his last seven contests.

Others of note: Ryan Sweeney, Athletics (11.6 percent); Will Venable, Padres (10.3); Luke Scott, Orioles (17.1); Aaron Rowand, Giants (20.3); Fred Lewis, Blue Jays (13.8).

SHORTSTOPS

1. Mike Aviles, Royals (owned in 31.9 percent of the ESPN leagues): He is starting at second base for Kansas City, but is eligible at short in many leagues. Aviles is batting .381 in May and is capable of reaching double figures in both homers and steals.

2. Orlando Cabrera, Reds (45.5 percent): The 35-year-old is batting .271 with 20 runs scored, three homers, 19 RBI and four steals. In May, he's hitting .313.

3. Cristian Guzman, Nationals (19.8): He entered Thursday's game batting .328 overall and .426 this month.

4. Cliff Pennington, Athletics (19.8): He has three homers, 17 RBI and five steals, but is batting only .232 and is 5-for-36 since May 12 (.139).

5. Yunel Escobar, Braves (45.2): He followed his career year of 2009 by starting miserably, then getting hurt this season. Since returning from the DL, he is 3-for-21 (.143), and his season average is .200. If he turns it around, he's a waiver-wire bargain.

For more fantasy updates, follow me on Twitter.

Carl Pavano's 5.29 earned-run average isn't going to interest you. Neither will his 1.37 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). Same goes for his track record, which, since 2004, has prominently included "overpaid" and "oft-injured."

Never one to shy away from a monthly split, a look at Pavano's May numbers tell a different story: a 5-1 record, with a 3.60 ERA, eight walks and 34 strikeouts in 45 innings. If the Indians' bullpen would have held the lead Pavano handed it Sunday, the 33-year-old right-hander would have had six wins last month.

More May numbers for Pavano: He allowed three runs or fewer in six of seven starts, and he gave up four runs or fewer in all seven. He's also struck out 24 in 25 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

Does all of this mean you should rush to the free-agent waiver to acquire the pitcher on whom the Yankees wasted $40 million? No. But if you're in an AL-only league or a 14- or 16-team mixed league, Pavano is worth considering.

He's no longer the 18-game winner from 2004, and he's not a big strikeout asset (his 139 K's with Florida five years ago are his career high). But he has been effective, and it doesn't hurt that he's pitching for his next contract.

If he's starting two games in a week, he's certainly worth a look.

We all know the wheels could fall off at any time. Until they do, you could do a lot worse (think Fausto Carmona).

Speaking of Fausto: Why owners continue to start Carmona is more puzzling than LeBron James guarding Rafer Alston instead of Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu. The young righty is is 2-5 with a 6.60 ERA and is on pace to walk more batters than he strikes out for the second consecutive season. In 10-team mixed leagues, I'd drop him if I needed the roster space, and I wouldn't start him in any format.

Tribe tidbits: If you're hurting at shortstop and continue to start Jhonny Peralta, you can at least feel good about his batting improvement in May (a .297 average, compared to .211 in April). Still, he hit only one homer last month and scored all of eight runs. In deeper leagues, I'd sit him until he regains the power stroke that accounted for a combined 44 homers in 2007 and '08.

-- A sure sign this Indians season isn't going as planned: The Tribe's top two fantasy players have been Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. Cabrera, who is batting .318 with 38 runs, 27 RBI and seven steals (he had a combined four stolen bases the previous two seasons), should be started in all formats. I would consider Choo a productive No. 3 outfielder, one who is on pace to hit more than 20 homers, drive in 90-plus runs and steal 18 bases.

-- Cliff Lee's 2-6 record certainly warrants a spot on your bench, but I wouldn't make that move. The 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner has given up three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts, and he has a 3.16 ERA for the season. The only reason he hasn't matched Pavano's win total is the Tribe's production during that nine-start span: 13 runs. His luck has to turn around, and you don't want him to be a reserve when it does.

We'll be back tomorrow with a Pick Three for the week. Until then, good luck and don't even think about reserving a spot in your lineup for Travis Hafner.