Third Base Tier

There are really only two tiers of fantasy third basemen, followed by a bunch of risk vs. reward picks. If you don’t manage to get Wright or Rodriguez then it’s probably wise to wait a few rounds to grab Garrett Atkins or Chris Davis rather than wasting an early pick on Evan Longoria.

After Figgins, Davis or even Beltre come off the board, then the value begins.

Original Rankings available here.

1	*Alex Rodriguez*	Juiced or not juiced, he’s still got a hold on the number one spot for 1 more year
2	*David Wright*	…or maybe not, Wright’s coming for that number one spot.
3	*Aramis Ramirez*	Longoria had the same amount of HR (27) in fewer AB, but I value consistency
4	*Evan Longoria*	Sophomore slump? The K-Rate, and K:BB says maybe.
5	*Chipper Jones*	If he can stay healthy, he turns the top-two into the top-three.
6	*Kevin Youkilis*	I’m not sure if Youkilis can repeat the 29HR, but the rest is a given.
7	*Aubrey Huff*	Always undervalued but should be batting clean-up on an improving team
8	*Chris Davis*	Everyone’s favourite sleeper – all sorts of raw power. Bad K Rate.
9	*Garrett Atkins*	Slumped to start 2008, but 30HR isn’t out of the question in Coors.
10	*Chone Figgins*	If you’ve loaded up on power in your MI, maybe give Chone a bump.
11	*Adrian Beltre*	Beltre gets a bump.
12	*Ryan Zimmerman*	Should be batting ahead of Dunn & Dukes.
13	*Alex Gordon*	Primed for a break-out year, on a young Royals squad.
14	*Mark Reynolds*	Strikes out a tonne, but you’ll get your HR.
15	*Mark DeRosa*	Everyone’s second favourite sleeper – He’ll produce across the board.
16	*Jorge Cantu*	The K Rate isn’t pretty to look at, but at this point you’re balancing Risk vs. Reward
17	*Edwin Encarnacion*	Put up a quiet 26 HR in 506AB last year. He’s developing well – Breakout Year?
18	*Carlos Guillen*	Dropped Guillen, I’m not sure if he stays healthy. If he does, you’ve got a solid source of RBI & R
19	*Melvin Mora*	Mora drops, but you’re getting solid value. He knocked in 104 last year.
20	*Jed Lowrie*	I’m not buying it
21	*Ian Stewart*	IF, a big IF, he can find a spot to play he’ll put up some very solid numbers
22	*Mike Lowell*	Same old, same old. If you’ve got him reaching more than 450AB bump him.
23	*Dallas McPherson*	Brandon Wood, welcome to the future. McPherson’s got the talent, watch him put it together
24	*Kevin Kouzmanoff*	Not the power-upside I’d like to see this late
25	*Casey Blake*	My love affair with Casey Blake is fading, but he’s still a very safe bet
26	*Hank Blalock*	The Andruw Jones signing may steal some of his AB
27	*Andy LaRoche*	It’s now or never time – I think he produces for at least ¾ of the year
28	*Ty Wigginton*	Much like Stewart, if he can get AB he’ll quietly produce
29	*Mat Gamel*	Bill Hall shouldn’t keep the job for more than a month and a half.
30	*Josh Fields*	Former top-prospect turned injury machine. Hasn’t proved his worth.. yet.
31	*Scott Rolen*	Former top-awesome turned injury machine.
32	*Brandon Wood*	The Abreu signing will hinder his development. 300AB seems realistic.
33	*Bill Hall*	The K-Machine hath cometh.
34	*Eric Chavez*	The A’s have put together a sturdy line-up. A healthy Chavez can still contribute.
35	*Joe Crede*	Until he signs, I’m not moving him up.
36	*Blake DeWitt*	If he’s got a job, he’s got my vote.
37	*David Freese*	A warm body, with modest-fair power potential.
38	*Brian Buscher*
39	*Martin Prado*
40	*Ronnie Belliard*
41	*Aaron Boone*	…because Geoff Blum is just a painful option
42	*Chris Johnson*	…ditto

I tend to switch up my rankings on a daily basis, and depending how i feel about risk that day a player like Alex Gordon could be 10th or 25th.

Ryan Zimmerman, Alex Gordon, Dallas McPherson, Ian Stewart and Jed Lowrie are popular picks, and if you’re league is obsessed with the “next big thing” maybe it’s wise to grab a Carlos Guillen, Melvin Mora, Casey Blake or Ty Wigginton. I Can’t tell you where the value lies in your league — just look at past drafts and see what type of player comes off the board earlier than he should.

Spreadsheet Available here.