Ellsbury's 0-3 performance is not the big story from the game, but rather that he was the lead off hitter again. Either Ellsbury or Brett Gardner is the presumed lead off hitter for the Yankees.
Fantasy Impact
Simply put, Ellsbury being the lead off hitter or the third hitter is the difference of more runs and steals or more RBIs and HRs, which is a very big factor in the end. Ellsbury has stolen 52 and 39 bases over the past two seasons, but will not be asked to steal as much if he is the third hitter in the lineup and Gardner leads off. Monitor this situation closely through Spring Training.