Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
The staff at FFS continues our trip around the diamond looking at the top 20 players at each position. Today we'll be covering Third Base. When I look at the top crop of third basemen for 2009, I think of one thing: Multi-position eligibility. Half of my top 20 third basemen are eligible for more than one position. As you'll come to know, there is nothing I like better in fantasy baseball than position flexibility. The more positions you can play, the more likely you'll end up on my team. Thanks to the depth the position has, and the flexibility in eligibility, you should be able to find yourself a good third basemen in any of the first 7 rounds.
Any other year Alex Rodriguez would be the #1 overall draft pick, not just the best option at third base. I am not convinced with the current prognosis that he'll be back in May. His injury is very similar to Mike Lowell's, and he's just now getting back into the swing of things. Now don't get me wrong I still think he'll be back to his usual self come mid to late June. With that being said, I have dropped him to 5th in the third basemen rankings due to his injury and wild off season. In my opinion, you can't draft a guy in the first round if you know he's going to miss a month or two. Even if he comes back in June, you should still expect him to hit .300, 20+ homers and 85+RBI.
The man who now sits a top my third basemen rankings is David Wright. By all accounts, he put up a fantastic year, and is just now entering his prime. It's hard to think he'll put up better numbers than .302, 33 HR, 124 RBI, 115 R, and an OPS of .924, but you should be more than happy to take him so early in the draft and get the same output. He's a top 5 pick overall, and I wouldn't hesitate to take him 3rd if both Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes are off the board.
The next two guys on my board are eligible at both first and third base. Miguel Cabrera is a first rounder in my opinion and will offer you great fantasy points across the board. I am not a Red Sox fan, but I firmly believe Kevin Youkilis is primed for a better year than last when he hit .312, 29 HR, 91 R, 115 RBI & had an .959 OPS. He's on the verge of becoming an elite fantasy player, and is entering the year with a chip on his shoulder after David Ortiz recently voiced concerns about his perceived lack of protection behind him in the order.
Evan Longoria, the rising superstar, is a late second rounder in my opinion. He hit .272 with 27 HR, 84 RBI, 67 R & a .874 OPS last season in only 448 at bats. He's more likely to get about 600 at bats this season so you can bank on 30+ homers, 100+ RBI and more runs scored. I loved having him on several of my teams last year, and already have him one. Since I have three more drafts coming in the next two weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if ended up on at least one of them.
The next tier at the hot corner has a drop off at production, but not a drastic one. Based on stats from 2008 the following list of players will offer you a .300+ average, 20+ homers & 90+ RBI. Aubrey Huff (also eligible at 1B), Aramis Ramirez, Chippers Jones and Garret Atkins. Ramirez should go before the 5th round, but the rest of the mentioned players should be taken in the 6th round or later. Many people have a tendency to forget about Melvin Mora, but you shouldn't. You might not realize it, but he did have 104 RBI, and has been putting up decent numbers for years
Don't get old on me/On the down slide:
Despite the good early stats this spring, I would watch out for Mike Lowell. He's had several good seasons in Boston, but he could be starting to show his age after the torn labrum in his hip late last season. If you're looking for a 3rd basemen later in the draft, I would suggest taking a younger player with more upside. I wouldn't feel comfortable going into the season with Lowell as my starting fantasy 3rd baseman. You might also want to be wary of Chone Figgins. He just turned 30 and is entering his 9th season. His average dropped 54 points last season as he hit .276, down from a career high .330 in 2007. He also hasn't played in more than 116 games and had more than 453 at bats the past two seasons.
Up and Comers:
It seems like everyone is naming Chris Davis as the big mover in fantasy baseball this year. I happen to agree, and expect him to drive in at least 25+ homers and have close to 100 RBI. It will be interesting to see what he does now that you can expect him to get at least 600 plate appearances. The next youngster that intrigues me this season is Ian Stewart. He cam out hot and heavy when the Rockies put him in the lineup last season while Todd Helton was hurt. He did settle down, hitting on .254 in 266 at bats, but also showed good pop (10 HR) and the ability to drive in runners (41 RBI). If you don't think he's that impressive, take into account that he's also eligible at 2nd base.
Before I sign off today, I want to quickly throw out a few names who fall outside of the top 20, but should be considered late in the draft. Josh Fields, Chase Headley, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Brandon Wood and Mat Gamel are all guys that are worth more than a flyer later on. I also like the long term prospects of Pedro Alvarez, but don't think he'll be rushed to the bigs this season. If he is, then he could be another Evan Longoria at the plate.
(Coming tomorrow: Outfield rankings by Josh Bremberg)
TOP 20 THIRD BASEMEN
1. David Wright (NYM)
2. Miguel Cabrera (DET)
3. Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
4. Evan Longoria (TB)
5. Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
6. Aramix Ramirez (CHI)
7. Aubrey Huff (BAL)
8. Chipper Jones (ATL)
9. Garett Atkins (COL)
10. Chris Davis (TEX)
11. Jorge Cantu (FLA)
12. Mark DeRosa (CLE)
13. Melvin Mora (BAL)
14. Adrian Beltre (SEA)
15. Chone Figgins (ANA) * I refuse to use LAA
16. Mark Reynolds (ARI)
17. Troy Glaus (STL)
18. Kevin Kouzmanoff (SD)
19. Casey Blake (LAD)
20. Ian Stewart (COL)
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