Dansby Swanson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Josh Frydman of WGN News, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (core) feels healthy and is expected to be ready for spring training. Swanson underwent surgery for a core injury over the offseason. Swanson noted that it is "Nice to feel like yourself. Feels like a re-set" when asked how he felt. Swanson appeared in 149 games with the Cubs last season and held a .242/.312/.390 and hit 16 home runs, and swiped 19 bags. Under the hood, he generated a .321 xwOBA, .416 xSLG, and a 42.7% hard-hit rate, all of which were slightly above the average marks. During his first season with the Cubs in 2023, Swanson went deep 22 times with a .244 AVG. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Opening Day. If healthy, he should be penciled in as the starting shortstop on the Northside all season.

The Chicago Cubs announced on Saturday that shortstop Dansby Swanson (core) had successful surgery on his core in early October with Dr. Bill Meyer. Swanson isn't expected to miss any time as the result of his offseason surgery and should be ready to go for the start of spring training in mid-February. The 30-year-old wasn't quite as good in his second year in Chicago as he was the previous two seasons when he was an All-Star, as he slashed .242/.312/.390 with a .701 OPS, 16 home runs, 66 RBI, a career-high 19 stolen bases and 82 runs scored in 593 trips to the plate and 149 games. If not for a late-season surge, Swanson would have had a terrible 2024, as he hit just .219/.291/.346 with nine homers in his first 99 games. Despite his resurgence from a poor start, Swanson's career-high 49.9% ground-ball rate doesn't pound to a rebound in the power department going forward.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This is a rare day off for Swanson who has started nearly every game since June. The Cubs have been eliminated from playoff contention, so they might as well give a younger player a chance in the lineup. Luis Vazquez will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth versus right-hander Aaron Nola. It wouldn't be shocking to see Swanson get a few more rest days with only a handful of games left on the schedule.

One day after hitting a grand slam, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson struck again in Tuesday's 9-5 win over the Pirates. Swanson went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and two walks. The 30-year-old crushed a fourth-inning Jared Jones fastball into the right-center seats for his 12th long ball of the season. Swanson has had a disappointing season from a fantasy perspective. The good news is that he has put together a strong August, slashing .276/.356/.474with three HR and seven stolen bases in 76 at-bats. Fantasy managers who held onto Swanson all season long have been rewarded lately just as the fantasy playoffs are approaching.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson went 1-for-4 on Monday with a walk and two runs scored in his team's blowout win 18-8 over the Pittsburgh Pirates. His lone hit was a grand slam, giving him four RBI on the day. Swanson has had an underwhelming season up until this point, slashing .228/.299/.361 with 11 homers and 47 RBI in 121 games (421 at-bats). Hopefully, this can mark a turnaround for Swanson, and he can finish the season off strong as the Cubs are looking to qualify for the postseason. Fantasy managers searching for the category runs can look to add Swanson, as he's scored eight runs over his last seven games.