X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Third Base

We’re bearing down on the end of another calendar year. To most people, December signifies holidays, the onset of winter, and the stretch run of football season. To me – along with Brad Johnson, Nick Mariano, and Max Petrie – it means it’s time for the first round of 2016 fantasy baseball rankings. As we move closer to the start of spring training, our other baseball writers will get in on the fun.

Perhaps at that point, we’ll have less of a consensus at third base. As it stands, there aren’t many players who inspire a wide range of opinions at the position. Obviously a lot can happen between now and the start of draft season, but our initial rankings are remarkable in their similarity. You have to go halfway down the list to get to the first player (Matt Duffy) whose high and low ranks are separated by more than three spots.

As a programming note, this first round of rankings were originally compiled on December 6th. Time, tide, and transactions wait for no man, and trades or signings in the interim may not be reflected in our opinions below. That said, Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie's valuations likely didn't change much as a result of them being dealt. Anyway, let's get down to business.

Editor's Note: Be sure to also check out all of our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings articles. We have rankings and tiers across all positions, for MLB prospects, and for dynasty/keeper leagues.

 

2016 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Third Base

Third base is a fairly deep position, thanks in large part to the influx of young talent at the hot corner in recent years. Four of the players we ranked in the top five are under 25 years old, and Adrian Beltre is the only player in the top 12 who is over 30. On the heels of probably the best rookie class in history, baseball is as much of a young man’s game as it has ever been – and third base is perhaps the clearest example.

Our individual top 10 rankings contained all of the same players with the exception of Brad; he had Matt Carpenter just ahead of Maikel Franco, whom the rest of us ranked 10th. There was some debate about who should be considered top dog at the position, though. Brad and Nick gave their top spots to reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson, while Max backed Nolan Arenado. After significant waffling, I went with Kris Bryant over Donaldson and Manny Machado.

Bryant was the unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, and that was after going the first 20 games of his career without a home run. Given his 80-grade power, that seems unlikely to happen again. You could argue that his 30.6% whiff rate and .378 BABIP portend some regression in the batting average department. I expect the strikeouts to come down to a more palatable level as Bryant continues to adjust to big-league pitching. The BABIP will likely drop a bit as well, but Bryant’s batted ball profile as a rookie, speed on the base paths, and history of high BABIP marks in the minors suggest that decline won’t be pronounced enough to tank his average.

Considering the level of general agreement at the top of our respective rankings and the quality of the options in the first few tiers, it probably wouldn’t be hard to talk any of us into moving the big names up or down a spot or two. Where things get a bit more interesting is in the middle to bottom portion of the list.

As mentioned, Duffy is the first major point of contention. I’m the bear on him at 19, with Max placing him 13th – ahead of Matt Carpenter, Mike Moustakas, and Justin Turner among others. It’s tough to know what to make of Duffy, quite frankly. He was an 18th round draft pick and never all that highly regarded as a prospect. Kiley McDaniel and John Sickels, generally my go-to sources for prospect analysis, both viewed him as closer to a utility guy or second division starter than the five-win player he was as a rookie. He was rushed through the system and logged only 417 plate appearances above A-ball, so we don’t have a ton of minor league data to draw upon. Ultimately, there are enough other options at third base to make me comfortable being a Duffy skeptic until he shows 2015 wasn’t a fluke.

Right behind Duffy in our composite rankings is Jake Lamb. This time, I’m the highest at 16, with Brad slotting him in at 25. The Diamondbacks do still have some roster crunch going on between the outfield and third base, and they’re paying Yasmany Tomas too much to let him rot on the bench. That casts some doubt on how much playing time Lamb will get, but he looks like a better player to me. He’s certainly a better defender, and his generally excellent MiLB numbers suggest some growth potential at the plate.

As far as Pablo Sandoval is concerned, I’m surprised no one else ranked him outside the top 20. A dead cat bounce may be in the offing, but his walk rate and ISO have been steadily trending downward since 2012. Here’s his average 5x5 production over that time: .271, 13 homers, 55 runs, 65 RBI, and one-quarter of a stolen base. He’s perpetually out of shape, currently battling pneumonia, and coming off one of the worst seasons by any regular in recent memory. In the words of JFK, “Um, er, ah…”

Next up in our rankings series is the outfield, to be published tomorrow and Monday. Those rankings weren’t nearly as harmonious. Stay tuned.

 

Third Base Rankings for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

Name Brad Max Kyle Nick Composite
Josh Donaldson 1 2 2 1 1.5
Kris Bryant 2 4 1 4 2.75
Manny Machado 3 3 3 2 2.75
Nolan Arenado 4 1 4 3 3
Miguel Sano 5 6 5 5 5.25
Todd Frazier 7 7 7 6 6.75
Adrian Beltre 6 9 6 7 7
Kyle Seager 8 5 8 8 7.25
Evan Longoria 9 8 9 9 8.75
Maikel Franco 11 10 10 10 10.25
Anthony Rendon 12 12 11 11 11.5
Matt Carpenter 10 14 12 12 12
David Wright 14 11 14 14 13.25
Mike Moustakas 13 15 13 13 13.5
Justin Turner 15 16 15 15 15.25
Matt Duffy 17 13 19 16 16.25
Jake Lamb 25 18 16 17 19
Josh Harrison 20 17 20 19 19
Nick Castellanos 16 23 17 21 19.25
Trevor Plouffe 22 20 18 20 20
Pablo Sandoval 19 19 29 18 21.25
Luis Valbuena 24 21 21 23 22.25
Chase Headley 26 22 22 22 23
Danny Valencia 18 25 25 28 24
Derek Dietrich 23 27 23 24 24.25
Yangervis Solarte 27 24 24 29 26
Martin Prado 28 29 26 27 27.5
Brett Lawrie 30 32 27 26 28.75
Jed Lowrie 29 30 28 30 29.25
Yasmany Tomas 28 30 25 ---
David Freese 31 31 ---
Yunel Escobar 26 ---

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel7 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray7 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele7 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons9 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler10 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson10 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele10 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle10 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans10 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic10 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney10 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga10 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant10 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith10 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen11 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara11 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele11 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes11 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson11 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic11 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar11 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton11 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert11 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones11 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday
Zeke Nnaji11 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Minnesota
Jaden Ivey11 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee11 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards11 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani11 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson11 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo11 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley12 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque12 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez12 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler12 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel13 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley13 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal13 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes14 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis14 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer15 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw16 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler16 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager16 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz16 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds18 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano20 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad21 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov21 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto21 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin21 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard21 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins21 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist21 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear21 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen2 days ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers2 days ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT3 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn3 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield3 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR3 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras3 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen3 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb3 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift3 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson3 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell3 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas4 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football, Waiver Wire Pickups

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact- Part III

Throughout the NFL's offseason, many players see their fantasy football values fluctuate based on their movement and personnel decisions by their respective teams. Throughout this series, we have identified 12 players who have seen their fantasy football value increase over the free-agency period. The final big fantasy football value movement will come after the NFL... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 1 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including E.J. Perry, CJ Marable, Jace Sternberger, more

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 1 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More