Long associated with high batting averages and plus power, owners have experienced a youth movement at third base over the past two seasons, which was obvious by the high rankings of Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant prior to fantasy baseball drafts this year. While a number of the “old guard” remain as stalwarts, the future -- for daily fantasy baseball, weekly league, and keeper league owners -- is both bright and promising.
Based upon their performance to date and ROS projections, I’ve included my personal rankings of the top 20 3B-eligible players. Before you make any trades involving third basemen, give this a look.
MORE: Fantasy Alarm's Seasonal Playbook Pro | Top 50 prospects
Fantasy baseball rankings: Third base
1. Josh Donaldson
2. Nolan Arenado
3. Manny Machado
4. Kris Bryant
5. Matt Carpenter
6. Maikel Franco
7. Adrian Beltre
8. Todd Frazier
9. Eugenio Suarez
10. Anthony Rendon
11. Mike Moustakas
12. Kyle Seager
13. Evan Longoria
14. Daniel Murphy
15. Travis Shaw
16. Josh Harrison
17. Brett Lawrie
18. Matt Duffy
19. Nick Castellanos
20. Justin Turner
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Rising
Maikel Franco, Phillies. Franco is one of the few bright spots on the Phillies roster, and his strong ranking above would be even higher for keeper/dynasty formats. While his run and RBI totals won’t match the gaudy numbers of other top-tier third basemen due to his colleagues’ lack of talent, Franco’s youth and massive ceiling have his owners salivating. As with most rookies, he still needs to improve on his plate discipline, but enough improvement was shown over the second half of last season when his contact rate improved and walk rate doubled to silence his critics. Franco has begun 2016 with a strong start – hitting close to .290 with a .325 OBP while hitting five home runs in April. Once Philadelphia promotes players from the minor leagues to provide him RBI opportunities, he will easily creep inside the top five at the position.
Eugenio Suarez, Reds. One of my favorite books from middle school was Avi’s “Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?”. The title could fit Suarez perfectly, as his 2015 rookie campaign left many fantasy owners questioning what just blindsided them. He doesn’t enjoy the name recognition that many others do, but he's quietly picking up right where he left off last season, hitting over .280 with a .345 OBP, coupled with a modest amount of power and stolen bases. Similar to Franco, Suarez is surrounded with subpar talent across the Reds lineup, but he makes the most of the opportunities presented. Suarez added a leg kick in the offseason, which helps him keep his body closed and generate more power, and his owners are seeing the results. His upside isn’t as high as other third basement atop the list, but his plus average and moderate speed, coupled with multi-positional eligibility on many sites, make him a must-own player.
MORE: Top 50 prospects
Falling
Anthony Rendon, Nationals. It is difficult to imagine a larger fall from grace than what Rendon has endured since the close of the 2014 season. A consensus top-10 player entering '15 drafts, Rendon’s “breakout” season ended before it could get going, as he suffered an MCL sprain and oblique strain which sidelined him until June. In his 355 at-bats last year, owners noticed a dramatic rise in Rendon’s strikeout rate, which resulted in a sharp decline in his batting average. He has continued to “press” at the plate, and his once promising career has come to a sudden halt. The good news for Rendon is that he continues to hit directly in front of Bryce Harper, and Nationals ownership appears to be patient with their once top prospect. He won’t likely return to his '14 numbers, but improvement has to happen eventually...right?
Todd Frazier, White Sox. Acquired by the White Sox in a three-team deal during December, Frazier was expected to provide a source of power that the team was sorely lacking. Last season, the Pale Hose finished with 136 home runs, tied for 26th in baseball – nearly 100 behind the Toronto Blue Jays). Frazier has hit five home runs and driven in 13 RBIs in April, but at the cost of an ugly .222 AVG and .289 OBP. Despite his struggles, the White Sox currently have the best record in baseball, which makes one wonder what will happen once Frazier gets going. He’s listed here due to his early season struggles, but don’t be surprised if he finishes 2016 with a .250 AVG and 28 home runs.
To see more rankings, stats, weekly league planners, live chats, and season-long tools, sign up for Fantasy Alarm's Seasonal Playbook Pro.
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Second Base
PROSPECT TO WATCH
Joey Gallo, Rangers. Fantasy owners are well acquainted with Gallo and what sort of monstrous upside he has. A 6-5 hulk, Gallo is one of the few players in recent memory who graded an 80 on the “Raw Power” scouting scale, and he's averaged 51 home runs per 162 games in his first four seasons as a pro. The two biggest obstacles for Gallo would be cutting down on his strikeout rate (last season it reached an absurd 46.3 percent over 123 plate appearances in the major leagues) and being blocked by veterans for playing time. Earlier this season when Shin-Soo Choo suffered a calf strain, the club opted to promote their other top hitting prospect, Nomar Mazara, instead of Gallo. Mazara has hit .365 since the promotion, and the other possible slots Gallo could play are occupied by Ian Desmond and Adrian Beltre, respectively. Barring an injury, Gallo will continue to eat up Triple-A pitching. Should a lucky break occur, he would be the top waiver wire addition in any league where he's available.
PLAYER TO STASH
Javier Baez, Cubs. Jung-Ho Kang would be too much of a layup selection, so instead I’m going to recommend Baez. Depending on which platform you play, he may already have third base eligibility, as he has made three starts at the position since being recalled in mid-April. Baez is a five-tool player who would start on nearly every other team in the league -- a real testament to how loaded the Cubs roster is. While he does still struggle with strikeouts, Baez is a freak athlete who has the tools to post a 30-HR, 20-SB season if given the opportunity. He is currently owned in 20 percent of leagues and is being used as a super-utility player, but he will inherit much more playing time in the future if an injury were to occur.