Hyatt's Fantasy Baseball Guide: 3B

Talk about your top heavy positions.  Departures to other positions have really taken their toll on the position with Braun and Cabrera losing their eligibility this year.  The first tier is nowhere near as deep as just about any other position.  Now there are others with 3B eligibility that help, such as Youkilis, Huff, Chris Davis, and Mark Derosa, but it's not a lot.  So here are my Rankings:

1st Tier (rounds 1-6)

1. Alex Rodriguez- You can't tell me having Teixeira around won't help A-rod a ton.  I expect him to put himself back up to the top fantasy option this year.  40 homers, 120 RBIs, a 300 average, 110 Runs, and even 20 steals aren't out of the question.

2. David Wright- I've been thinking a lot about Wright lately.  Yes he's young, and good.  But the only thing that really makes him elite at this point is position scarcity.  I'd take guys like Kinsler, the 3 Rs at short, and some guys at 1st before Wright.  But don't worry, he'll be 35-120 w/ a 300 ave and 15 steals.  Just don't overdraft.

3. Evan Longoria- The real reason the Rays made their run (quite the alliteration there) was Longoria coming up.  He's the real deal, and getting him in the 3rd is a steal in my opinion.

4. Aramis Ramirez- Ramirez only hit 27 homers last year, but it felt like they all came against the Brewers.  He still will give you 110 RBIs and a .290 average, score about 95 runs, but won't steal you any bases.

5. Chipper Jones- For some reason, Chipper is constantly underrated.  I'll have him as my 3B all day, every day.  Except when he's hurt, which is becoming more and more frequent as he's already 36.

6. Kevin Youkilis would be here

7. Garret Atkins- He's stayed healthy, but he keeps getting worse.  Walks are down, Ks are up, and now he has no protection from Holliday in the Lineup, but he's still one of the best at 3B.

2nd Tier (rounds 6-12)

8.  Chris Davis would go here

9. Jorge Cantu- His resurrection in Miami was one of the more ignored stories in baseball last year, but as a fantasy owner, don't ignore it.  He'll give you similar numbers to Atkins at a much cheaper price, if his glove doesn't get him off the field.

10. Aubrey Huff would go here

11. Adrian Beltre- Not really a fan of him.  in fact, if you have him on your team, just flush your lineup down the toilet with your league entry fee.

12. Chone Figgins- Figgins entire value is in his legs, and last year's hamstring injury really sapped his ability to use his assets.  I wouldn't put him down for .330 ever again either.  If you can get power from other positions like short and 2nd, Figgins could work for your team.

13. Mark Reynolds- The contact rate and average of the Diamondbacks offense was terrible, and Reynolds led the way.  204 K's won't exactly lead to a high average, but he's got power and some speed, so if you can handle the average hit, he can help your team.

14. Edwin Encarnacion- The good news is that Edwin is at the age where you'll see some results.  The problem is that Dusty Baker hates him, and all players that could help his team.  If Edwin can stay out of the dog house, look out.

15. Ryan Zimmerman- Prime bounce back candidate for me.  Zimmerman has some other young guys around him to take the pressure off and really help give him some run producing chances.  Plus he was good in the last 2 months.  20 homers and 100 RBIs are in the cards here

16. Alex Gordon- Was a sure thing prospect, and has yet to break out.  He's 25 this year, and maybe this will be the year.  If it is and he's on your team, then I say, "Hey, good for you."  I'm not going to waste my time though.

The good news about the position is that there are some decent prospects coming up, with Mat Gamel and Wes Hodges leading the way.  In 2010, we're looking at Brett Wallace and Mike Moustakas coming.  The position will improve, but right now it's a black hole.