👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Points Leagues Third Basemen: Overvalued and Undervalued

Most fantasy baseball analysis is geared toward rotisserie and head-to-head formats. Given the popularity of those setups, that's understandable. But plenty of folks out there play in points leagues, and player values can change quite a bit in that format compared to the more mainstream variants. This series is aimed at identifying some of the players whose valuations move most, in either direction.

All week, I’ll be offering my thoughts on potential points league bargains and busts at every position.

Today, we're looking at some potential third base sleepers and busts, or draft targets and avoids in points leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Overvalued for Points Leagues

Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins

Whether or not you believe the market has properly recalibrated Sano's value based on his coming off a major leg injury and/or the likely impending suspension (I don't), he's a tough sell in points leagues. Sano has now logged over 1,300 plate appearances in the majors, and his strikeout rate sits at an absurd 35.8%. Unsurprisingly, that's the worst mark in baseball during that time. You'll also note that Sano has missed significant chunks of the last two seasons with a variety of injuries. The power is awe-inspiring, he draws lots of walks, and when he does make contact, it's usually of the loud variety...but there are just too many reasons to stay away.

Jake Lamb, Arizona Diamondbacks

As with Sano, there's plenty to like about Lamb. He hits for power, draws plenty of walks, and he keeps his strikeout rate at a manageable level. Unfortunately, the flaws are real and fairly glaring. The 27-year-old has cratered after the All-Star break in each of the last two seasons, and unlike in 2016, there wasn't an injury to pin as the obvious culprit. Lamb has also been one of the worst hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching over that time - only Max Kepler and Billy Hamilton have produced a worse wRC+ versus southpaws. The news that Arizona will install a humidor at Chase Field will also likely ding Lamb's production, at least a little.

 

Undervalued for Points Leagues

Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals

Rendon has managed to stay healthy in three of the last four seasons, largely allaying fears about his injury proneness. There was never much question about his ability, as evidenced by his excellent work in those healthy seasons. Throwing out the injury-truncated 2015 campaign, Rendon has produced a .286-22-94-89-12 average line since breaking out in 2014. While his stolen base totals (both successes and attempts) have fallen during that time and he may be tapped out in terms of power, the Nationals’ overlooked star is still one of the better all-around contributors in fantasy. Rendon’s always been a high-quality hitter, but last season he was just one of five qualified batters to walk more often than he struck out. The others: Joey Votto, Mike Trout, Anthony Rizzo, and Justin Turner. Pretty great company, eh?

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

Beltre will be 39 in April, and he failed to play in at least 100 games last season for the first time since his rookie year all the way back in 1998(!). When he wasn't dealing with multiple leg injuries, he was excellent as usual: .312/.383/.532 with 17 HR and 71 RBI in only 94 contests. The ageless wonder posted the best walk rate of his career, while maintaining his typically low strikeout rate. Time is, of course, undefeated; eventually Beltre will stop being awesome. There's little reason to believe the bottom will fall out this year, though, given the remarkable steadiness of Beltre's peripherals. Also, I would like to note that Beltre has stolen exactly one base in each of the last seven years - this is barely relevant to his value in points or any other format, it's just my current favorite random stat.

Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds

Suarez quietly put together a solid season in 2017, hitting .260 with 26 HR, 87 R, 82 RBI, and 4 SB. That wasn’t far behind Lamb (whose ADP is 75 picks earlier) and was better than Kyle Seager (55 picks earlier). Suarez isn’t flashy, but he can turn a nice little profit for you in the middle rounds. He may also pick up shortstop eligibility depending on how the Reds end up making room for Nick Senzel. Most intriguingly for our purposes here, Suarez bumped his walk rate up from eight to 13 percent last season,

 

More Points Leagues Analysis & Draft Values




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Walker Buehler

Padres Sign Walker Buehler to Minor-League Deal
Juan Brito

to be a Utility Option This Spring
Richie Palacios

Will Get Reps at Third Base
Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Taking Reps at First Base
Tanner Houck

Resumes Throwing for First Time Since Injury
Salvador Perez

Takes Live Batting Practice on Monday
Ian Happ

Cubs, Ian Happ Not Currently Engaged in Extension Talks
Tyler Freeman

Dealing With Back Soreness
Seiya Suzuki

Cubs and Seiya Suzuki Not Discussing an Extension Yet?
Oswaldo Cabrera

Yankees to Slow-Play Oswaldo Cabrera This Spring
Konnor Griffin

Showcasing Elite Power in Camp
Corey Seager

Takes Live Batting Practice in Camp
Kyle Stowers

Takes Part in Live Batting Practice on Monday
Zack Gelof

Could Play Center Field This Spring
Kevin McGonigle

Still Focused on Shortstop Long-Term
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Aiming for More Consistency in 2026
Philadelphia 76ers

Tyrese Martin Set to Join 76ers on Two-Way Deal
Chase Burns

Competing for Rotation Spot This Spring
Washington Wizards

Alondes Williams Signs 10-Day Contract With Wizards
Santiago Espinal

Dodgers Sign Santiago Espinal to Minor-League Deal
Golden State Warriors

Nate Williams Joins Golden State on Two-Way Deal
Adam Frazier

Angels Sign Adam Frazier to Minor-League Deal
Jabari Walker

Signing Two-Year Deal with 76ers
Mike Tauchman

Mets Add Mike Tauchman on Minor-League Deal
Cameron Payne

Signing Rest-Of-Season Deal With 76ers
Bucky Irving

Undergoes Offseason Shoulder Surgery
Tyreek Hill

Says he Will Play in 2026
Kumar Rocker

Looks "Really Good" During Live Batting Practice
Joey Logano

Finishes Third in the 2026 Daytona 500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Finishes as the Runner-Up in the Daytona 500
Chase Elliott

Falls Short of His First Daytona 500 Victory Again
Brad Keselowski

Ends Daytona 500 With a Top-Five Finish
Tyler Reddick

Wins the Daytona 500 for the First Time with 23XI Racing
Tyreek Hill

Released by Dolphins
Victor Wembanyama

Shines Despite Team World Loss
Kawhi Leonard

Leads Team Stripes In All-Star Thriller
Anthony Edwards

Takes Home All-Star Game MVP
NBA

Malik Beasley Agrees to Deal with Puerto Rico Team
Joey Logano

Should DFS Players Roster Joey Logano At Daytona?
Ryan Blaney

Is Ryan Blaney Worth Rostering for DFS at Daytona?
Chase Briscoe

May Not be Worth DFS Consideration for Daytona
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Daytona This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric

May Be Worth Rostering At Daytona
Cleveland Browns

Browns to Spend Top Draft Picks on Receiver or Offensive Lineman?
Brad Keselowski

Is Brad Keselowski Worth Rostering for Daytona Lineups?
Tyler Reddick

May be A Solid and Sneaky Pick for Daytona Lineups
Alex Bowman

is A Highly Favorable Mid-Tier Option for Daytona
Ross Chastain

Could be A Top DFS Scorer for Daytona
Justin Allgaier

is One of the Safest DFS Options for Daytona
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Matches Team Germany Record With Third Goal
Karl-Anthony Towns

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns Claim 2026 Shooting Stars Crown
Jack Eichel

Off to Hot Start in Olympics
Keshad Johnson

Wins 2026 Slam Dunk Contest
OTT

Mads Sogaard Injured Saturday
Damian Lillard

Wins Third Three-Point Contest
Haywood Highsmith

Agrees to Multi-Year Deal With Suns
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Returns For All-Star Game On Minutes Cap
NASCAR

Christoper Bell Emerging As One of The Best at Daytona
William Byron

Trying for Third Straight Daytona 500 Victory
Kyle Larson

Has Never Posted a Top-Five Finish at Daytona
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Overrated at Daytona?
Chris Buescher

an Easy DFS Pick for the Daytona 500
Kyle Busch

on Pole, Still Searching for Elusive Daytona 500 Victory
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Feeling "100 Percent"
Lucas Raymond

Ties Team Sweden Record With Three Points Saturday
Anton Lundell

Battling Illness
Kevin Fiala

Out for the Season
Riley Minix

Signs Two-Way Deal With Cavaliers
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Available for All-Star Game
Toronto Raptors

Chris Paul Retires From Basketball
Zach LaVine

to Undergo Season-Ending Hand Surgery
David Pastrnak

Gets Off the Mark at Olympics
Macklin Celebrini

Pots Another Goal Friday
Kevin Fiala

Stretchered Off Against Canada
Aaron Rodgers

Likely to Return to Steelers?
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Want Terry McLaurin to Get 10 Targets a Game
Deandre Ayton

Remains Day-to-Day for Lakers
LeBron James

Posts Historic Triple-Double in Win
Jordan Binnington

Records 26-Save Shutout Against Czechia
Connor McDavid

Ties Canadian Record With Three Assists in Olympic Debut
Josh Morrissey

Hurt in Olympic Opener
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Eligible for 2026 Season
CFB

BYU's Parker Kingston Charged with Felony Rape
Cameron Young

Looking for Pebble Beach Success
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Turn Things Around at Pebble Beach
Collin Morikawa

Eyes Turnaround at Pebble Beach
Jake Knapp

Brings Hot Form to Pebble Beach
Nick Taylor

in Good Form Going into Pebble Beach Event
Viktor Hovland

Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
Tommy Fleetwood

Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Harris English

Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
Justin Rose

Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Keegan Bradley

a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
Maverick McNealy

Playing Well with Pebble Beach Looming
Russell Henley

Carries Momentum to Pebble Beach
Shane Lowry

Makes 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Michael Kim

Putting Well with Pebble Beach on the Horizon
Billy Horschel

a Little Rattled After Consecutive Missed Cuts
Ben Griffin

Solid But Not Spectacular Early in 2026
Wyndham Clark

Has Question Marks Heading to Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger

Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF