👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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


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.

Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SPRING, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW

 

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




REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trevor Story

has Hernia Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-10 Weeks
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Sprained Ligament in his Finger
Tucker Kraft

a Top Trade Target in Dynasty Leagues?
Cedric Tillman

Falling Out of Favor in Cleveland
Emmett Johnson

the Handcuff to Roster in Kansas City?
Devaughn Vele

Could Dynasty Managers Sell High on Devaughn Vele Early in the Season?
Brenen Thompson

a Perfect Fit for Chargers, Rising in Dynasty Leagues?
Jonathan Taylor

Is Jonathan Taylor Still a High-End Dynasty Option?
Malik Nabers

' Recovery Timeline Still Unclear
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Comfortably Into His Dynasty Prime
Saquon Barkley

Still a Capable League-Winner at a Sunken Dynasty Cost
Jack Campbell

Signs Four-Year Extension with Lions
Matthew Stafford

Signs One-Year Extension with Rams
Evan Mobley

Fills the Box Score in Game 2 Loss
James Harden

Held to Two Assists Thursday
Donovan Mitchell

Leads Cavaliers in Scoring in Game 2 Defeat
Karl-Anthony Towns

Records Double-Double in Game 2 Win
Sebastian Aho

Picks Up an Assist in Series-Opening Loss
Mikal Bridges

Adds 19 Points as Knicks Grab 2-0 Lead
Jalen Brunson

Hands Out 14 Assists in Game 2 Win
Seth Jarvis

Needs 33 Seconds to Score in Game 1 Loss
Josh Hart

Erupts for Playoff Career-High 26 Points in Game 2
Jaccob Slavin

Struggles in Game 1 Against Canadiens
Jakub Dobes

Sharp in Game 1 Victory
Cole Caufield

Bags Two Points in Impressive Road Win
Juraj Slafkovsky

Opens Conference Finals With Three-Point Performance
Nick Suzuki

Notches Three Assists in Game 1 Win Over Hurricanes
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits Early, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Jrue Holiday

Wants to Stay in Portland
Ayo Dosunmu

Timberwolves Hope to Bring Back Ayo Dosunmu
Dylan Harper

Considered Questionable for Friday Night
De'Aaron Fox

Listed as Questionable for Game 3
Jalen Williams

Questionable for Game 3 Against Spurs
Alex Tuch

Hopes to Remain in Buffalo
Sidney Crosby

Wants to Play for "as Many Years as Possible"
Troy Terry

Could Miss Start of Next Season Due to Hip Surgery
Arber Xhekaj

Scratched for Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals
Jakub Dobes

Seeks More Success Against Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen

Looks to Stay Undefeated Thursday
Calvin Ridley

Not Taking Part in OTAs as Value Continues to Plummet
Carnell Tate

Receiving Early Buzz at OTAs
Ashton Jeanty

Bigger Role Could be Coming for Ashton Jeanty in Year 2
Robby Snelling

Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Malik Nabers

' Goal is to be Ready for Start of the Season
De'Von Achane

Dealing With Injury at OTAs?
Dalton Kincaid

Says he Feels "Really Good"
Keenan Allen

Door isn't Closed for Keenan Allen in Los Angeles
Ty Simpson

Does Ty Simpson Have First-Round Appeal in Rookie Drafts?
Fernando Mendoza

Working Behind Other QBs
Cam Ward

is "Perfectly Healthy"
Devin Vassell

Contributes 22 Points in Wednesday's Loss
Stephon Castle

Tallies Team-High 25 Points in Game 2 Loss
Victor Wembanyama

Records Eighth Postseason Double-Double
Isaiah Hartenstein

Bounces Back With Double-Double
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads Thunder to Game 2 Victory WIth 30 Points
Dylan Harper

Exits Game 2 Early Due to Right-Leg Injury
Jalen Williams

Suffers Another Hamstring Injury
Valeri Nichushkin

Ends Scoring Slump in Game 1 Loss
Nathan MacKinnon

Extends Point Streak With an Assist
Brett Howden

Pots Another Goal in Game 1 Win Against Avalanche
Tomas Hertl

Extends Point Streak to Four Games
Pavel Dorofeyev

Scores in Fourth Straight Outing
Carter Hart

Records Third Consecutive Win
Timothy Liljegren

Capitals Re-Sign Timothy Liljegren to Two-Year Extension
Jackson Merrill

Tweaks his Back on Wednesday, Pulled Early
Chicago Bulls

Jerry Stackhouse Emerges as Bulls Head-Coach Candidate
Cooper Flagg

Kon Knueppel Headline All-Rookie Team
Jiri Kulich

Aims to Return Next Season
CFB

Lincoln Riley Believes USC is Ready for Playoff Run
CFB

Notre Dame-Stanford Rivalry Renewed Through 2028
CFB

Ahmad Hardy Says He's "Back to the Road to Success"
CFB

Texas Tech Graduate Judge Recuses Himself from Brendan Sorsby Case
CFB

UCLA Tackle Jordan Davis Officially Eligible for 2026 Season
CFB

Bret Bielema Supports Significant College Football Playoff Expansion
Michael Thorbjornsen

Brings High Upside to CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Luke List

Carrying Poor Form Into CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Tom Kim

Hoping to Build on Strong Myrtle Beach Finish
PGA

Sungjae Im Brings Upside to TPC Craig Ranch
Billy Horschel

Looking for Turnaround at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Adam Hadwin

Difficult to Trust at TPC Craig Ranch
Tony Finau

Looking for Consistency at TPC Craig Ranch
Luke Clanton

Searching for Form at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Aaron Rai

Withdraws From CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Wyndham Clark

Can Wyndham Clark Find Form at CJ Cup?
Si Woo Kim

Looks To Stay Hot at CJ Cup
Scottie Scheffler

to Defend CJ Cup Byron Nelson Title This Week
Jordan Spieth

Looking For Victory at TPC Craig Ranch
PGA

Matti Schmid Looks to Keep Recent Momentum Going at TPC Craig Ranch
Brooks Koepka

a High-Upside Play at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Exits Early on Tuesday After Being Hit By Pitch
Chris Kirk

Continues Search For Putting Form at TPC Craig Ranch
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking to Shake Off Poor Major Showing at TPC Craig Ranch
Joel Dahmen

is of No DFS Consideration This Week in Dallas
Pierceson Coody

is Not The Fun DFS Play He Used to Be
Gerrit Cole

to Make Season Debut on Friday Against Rays
Drake Baldwin

Braves Place Drake Baldwin on Injured List With Oblique Strain
CFB

Ezavier Crowell has Immediate Opportunity at Alabama
CFB

Mark Bowman a Day 1 Impact Player for USC?
CFB

Bill Belichick Says Relationship with First North Carolina Team "Wasn't Great"
CFB

Kemario Taylor a Breakout Candidate at Quarterback
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss the Undisputed Top SEC Quarterback Entering 2026?
CFB

Rocco Becht The "Unifier" of Penn State's Roster
Jackson Holliday

Orioles Reinstate Jackson Holliday From Injured List on Monday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Braves Reinstate Ronald Acuna Jr. From Injured List on Monday
Jose Altuve

Astros Put Jose Altuve on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Corey Seager

Going on Injured List With Back Injury
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Reinstated and Starting on Monday Against Twins
Melquizael Costa

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 117
Arnold Allen

Bounces Back
Daniel Santos

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
MMA

Dohoo Choi Wins His Third Consecutive Fight
Malcolm Wellmaker

Suffers His Second Loss In A Row
Juan Diaz

Scores Second-Round Submission
Christian Edwards

Defeated At UFC Vegas 117
CFB

Transfer Running Back Arnold Barnes Visiting Iowa State on Monday
Modestas Bukauskas

Gets Split-Decision Win
Jhostynxon Garcia

Expected to Join the Pirates on Tuesday
Colt Emerson

Mariners Promoting Top Prospect Colt Emerson to Major Leagues
Munetaka Murakami

Fantastic First Season Continues With Two More Homers
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Dazzles With 13-Strikeout Complete Game on Saturday
Blake Snell

to Undergo Elbow Surgery on Tuesday
Clay Holmes

Could Miss Around Three Months
Jose Altuve

Exits After Swing
Corey Seager

Absent With Back Spasms on Saturday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF