Third base took over as one of fantasy baseball’s offensive glamour positions a few years ago, and while some of the stars in that initial surge are seemingly regressing, there’s reason to believe it can stay strong in 2022. Many familiar names remain toward the top, but some new blood is trying to stake its claim as a top-10 mainstay. Fantasy Alarm’s 3B rankings can help you navigate this evolving position.
The “new blood” includes last year’s breakout Austin Riley, former top-overall pick Spencer Torkelson and second-overall pick Bobby Witt Jr., and the post-hype Ke’Bryan Hayes. While Torkelson and Witt are complete unknown quantities in the majors, there’s at least a little bit of a book on most of the other potential sleepers.
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The top players at 3B, such as Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, and Manny Machado (and Adalberto Mondesi if you’re specifically targeting steals), among others, should all go relatively early, but there’s often a bit of a lull after that. That doesn’t mean there still aren’t productive players available, but they come with more risks. Guys like Matt Chapman, Josh Donaldson, and Eugenio Suarez are always capable of big HR and RBI seasons if you can handle mediocre-to-poor averages, but considering third base doesn’t have many legit contributors in average, that’s not as big of a deal as it seems.
Ultimately, third base is mainly a three-category position. It’s the reason the few guys who steal bases (Ramirez) or hit for average (Riley last year thanks to a .368 BABIP) rank so highly. The best “values” will be found in guys who had low BABIPs, like Nolan Arenado or Anthony Rendon, and are due to bounce back at least a little this year.
2022 FANTASY BASEBALL RANKINGS:
Catcher | First | Second | Short | Outfield | Starter | Closer | Overall
Fantasy Baseball 3B Rankings: Top players at third base
These rankings are a composite of three of Fantasy Alarm's experts. Players might be eligible at other positions, thus giving them more overall value.
MORE FANTASY: Sleepers | Prospects | Cheat Sheet
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Jose Ramirez | Guardians |
| 2 | Rafael Devers | Red Sox |
| 3 | Manny Machado | Padres |
| 4 | Austin Riley | Braves |
| 5 | Kris Bryant | Rockies |
| 6 | Nolan Arenado | Cardinals |
| 7 | Alex Bregman | Astros |
| 8 | Anthony Rendon | Angels |
| 9 | Adalberto Mondesi | Royals |
| 10 | Yoan Moncada | White Sox |
For the rest of Fantasy Alarm's 3B rankings -- and rankings at every position -- click here.
