It’s odd to think that only a few years ago third base was considered the shallowest of all positions, and, at least for the time, it was true. Back in 2008-2009 , fantasy owners were left with the tough choice of getting one of the stars early or forgoing third base for a while and getting one-stat guys to cover up the weakness. Looking back on 2014’s season, however, we see a stark change in that third base really has become a strong position if not one of the deeper positions in the game. In addition to the third basemen on this list, there are still plenty of solid options that can help owners if they cannot get one of the top 10 players.

If there is one thing all owners need to be careful of when drafting their teams' third basemen, it is injuries. Many very useful third base options found themselves on the DL at some point and lost up to 30 games or more. Granted, this is an inherit risk for any player, but the hot corner does seem to churn up more injuries than does other positions. Given that, it would be a prudent idea to draft a good backup just in case an owner finds himself/herself with one of the more injury prone players out there.

One good thing about third base is the depth, and that means owners can hold off on drafting the position until later. Many of the players that did not make the list will be mid-draft picks, so that gives owners time to build up on a position that has a little less strength. On the flip side, draft one early, allowing owners to build on the strength of a good third baseman.

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

2015 Predictions: .310/.380/.510, HR-27, RBI-90, R-75, SB-2

If there has been any pattern to these rankings, it has been the fact that the older players tend to fall to the bottom of the list while younger players are more valued. Beltre bucks that trend by being one of the most consistent players in the game even at 35. Since 2010, Beltre has batted under .310 only once, and be batted .296 that year; the worst OBP he had in that same time frame was .331, which players these days would kill for.

The 2014 season was the first year we saw a drop in his power numbers, dropping from a average of 30 home runs since 2010 to only 19 in 2014. While this could be a sign of regression coming, there is nothing in the numbers to suggest anything other thanthat he was hampered by injuries. Adrian Beltre is a model of consistency that any fantasy owner would love to have.

Anthony Rendon, Washginton Nationals

2015 Predictions: .284/.340/.480, HR-23, RBI-70, R-105, SB-20

Rendon was always looked at as a possible breakout star, and in 2014, we got to see it. At 24, Rendon showed us a power/speed combo that the position sorely lacked for a while, and with 21 homeruns he was third among second baseman. The only real negative to bring up is the fact he is a free swinger, and this can lead to some slumps at times. Last year, Rendon swung at pitches outside the zone at 23.7% and made contact with said pitches only 73.2% of the time. Fantasy owners would like to see both of those totals go in the positive direction sooner rather than later, but Rendon is young and has time to adjust. 

Another thing to remember is that with the moves that the Nationals made in the offseason, Rendon is likely playing third base and not second, so 2015 may be his last year of duel position eligibility. Likely to go in the third round, Rendon is a little of a regression risk, but the reward is well worth the potential risk.

Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays

2015 Predictions: .275/.350/.490, HR-33, RBI-105, R-89, SB-5

Donaldson wowed many fantasy owners in 2013 by having a breakout year and hitting 24 home runs and posting a .301/.384/.499 slash line for the Oakland Athletcs. Then, 2014 came around, and Donaldson was the one of the top picks in most drafts; he both did and didn’t live up to expectations.

Donaldson did hit for a more power, ending the season with 29 homeruns. However, it really did not add much to his value when he also batted only .255. His ISO went up only two points from 2013 to 2014, which means he really did not hit for any more power by sacrificing his batting average. When he was a prospect for the A’s, the main question was whether or not he could be more consistent with his bat and at making contact. A turn-around is in order.

Donaldson's BABIP was very low compared to his career total, but owners should not expect a return of the .300 hitter either.

Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners

2015 Predictions: .280/.340/.470, HR-25, RBI-90, R-70, SB-10

Seager’s slash line from 2014 was not particularly astounding, but he ended the season with 25 home runs and 96 RBI, so there is definitely something there.

At 27, Seager is hitting his golden years of productivity, and even if last year's line looks pedestrian compared to someone like Donaldson, Seager is showing improvement. Raising his slash line each year since his rookie year does make him look like he is on the cusp of a breakout season.

There are some worries, though, and the main one is his strikeout rate, which has also been on the rise since his rookie season. It is a slow rise, and it is still in the league average, but it something owners would rather not see from a young power hitter.

Seager is young still and has a good chance to take a step up in production. The odds are that the Mariners will go out and pick up some more bats for Seager. While nothing major, every little bit counts when the main stadium Seager plays in is well-known to sap power.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

2015 Predictions: .278/.335/.500, HR-29, RBI-80, R-65, SB-4

Looking at his career numbers shows that Longoria has fallen well short of the stardom we all hoped he would achieve. To be fair, he has been just fine, but this was a first-rounder for many years, and now he is maybe a fifth-round pick.

To say if that is a knock on Longoria or big thumbs up to the talent at third base nowadays is a good question. Longoria himself is still a good pick for teams anyway owners slice it, and he should not be overlooked. He still makes good contact, and the last two seasons are the only two seasons so far in his career in which he has hit under .270 although he did hit .269 in 2013.

Longoria is also a very consistent source of power , having a career ISO of .223 and last season being the first one to see it dip below .200.

The strikeouts are a little erratic at times, but he has been able to continue to put up big numbers with that strikeout rate thus far in his career, judgement is fair.

Health is always a risk with Longoria, so to any owner plans on drafting him, plan on getting a backup third baseman. This is not merely a suggestion; this is almost mandatory.

Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles

2015 Predictions: .290/.350/.440, HR-15, RBI-70, R-80, SB-9

Number six was a very tough choice between Machado and the gentleman that will be number seven, but the potential of Machado wins out.

In such a short career, Machado has shown us some amazing talent such as in 2013 when he hit 39 doubles and was on pace to break the doubles record by quite a margin. On the other hand, he has also shown us great disappointment such as in 2013 when he only hit 12 doubles after the All Star break.

Machado's 2014 season will go down as an injury-plagued season for Machado, but that does not mean it did not give us good information about his going forward. In 82 games, he was able to hit 12 home runs, which is a home run every 6.8 games, and given a full season, Machado porjects to have had 24.2 homeruns ; that is nothing to overlook.

On the other hand, Machado also struck out 19.2% of the time, his career worst strikeout rate, and that needs to be taken into account as well. Unlike the home runs , the strikeout rate is closer to Machado’s normal stat line, and owners should definitely keep an eye on that.

At 22 for Machado, this could all be a case of over analyzing the kid , but since fantasy needs to take these things into account, we cannot just waive them away.

Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds

2015 Predictions: .275/.335/.460, HR-26, RBI-85, R-75, SB-13

When looking at Fraizer’s career numbers, owners have to wonder one little thing. Where did this guy come from? Seriously, there is nothing in the numbers to suggest that Fraizer’s 2014 season was coming, and if anyone says, “Oh I knew it was going to happen,” well then…congrats because that is one heck of a guess.

The only season we can compare this to is his 2012 season in which he batted almost an identical slash line of .273/.331/.498; the main difference is he hit 10 fewer home runs and stole 17 fewer bases. The power is something he can repeat in 2015, but some regression is likely -- not as much as some would think, however, since he has hit for this kind of power once before.

Switching back to 2012, Fraizer only had 465 PA’s that year, so that meant had he kept at that pace, he would have hit 27.2 homeruns had be been given the 660 at bats he had in 2014. Yes, the power is repeatable.

As for the speed, well, that has never been replicated, and owners should not expecting Fraizer to ramp it up again. While it is completely possible that he steals a good number of bases now that he knows he can, it does seem hard to believe he would get 20 again. If we see any real regression from Fraizer, it is going to be his stolen bases, but his power makes up for it.

Pablo Sandoval, Boston Red Sox

2015 Predictions: .290/.350/.470, HR-17, RBI- 85, R-75, SB-1

Now that he is in a far better stadium for hitters, we can really see if “Panda” has some of that old power left in him.

At 28, Sandoval is in the prime of his career , and this could be a big breakout for him if he can stay healthy. Sadly for Sandoval, health is something he has not had much of in his career thus far. In his seven-year career , Sandoval has made it to the DL at least once per season, and from 2011-2013, he lost significant time to the DL. As much as he claims it is not the case, his weight and figure probably have much to do with his injury problems, so owners will need to take that into account before draft day.

Injuries aside, Sandoval has some good upside when it comes to fantasy. Good OBP and good batting skills has given him a career .294/.346/.465 slash line, and while last year seemed like a down year for him, it really was just a lack of walks that hurt him. If he can stay healthy, Panda is a pretty safe bet to get solid numbers, and in Boston we could see him get a few more home runs in the process of another solid year.

David Wright, New York Mets

2015 Predictions: .290/.350/.480, HR-15, RBI-85, R-80, SB-9

Gone are the days where David Wright stood as the best fantasy third base option, and his 2014 season was just abysmal to fantasy owners. Last year, Wright had the second worst average of his career, a career-low OBP, career-low SLG, career-low ISO, and career-low BB%.  All this added up to just a bad year for Wright and his owners.

Luckily for Wright and the owners, last year was likely just a down year, and, yes, while regression is definitely setting in for him, it is not likely to hit him like a brick wall again. Wright’s swing rate and contact rates were right in line with his career numbers, so the main areas that hurt him were the lack of walks.

Do not expect to many home runs from Wright, but he still has plenty of power to give fantay owners 20 home runs in 2015 and maybe even steal 10 bases in the process. Owners should be careful drafting Wright too early. Any owners out there gunning for Wright should make sure to have a backup plan. Getting a Casey McGehee type to back him up would be a very sound strategy.

Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies

2015 Predictions: .280/.320/.490, HR-23, RBI-85, R-70, SB-3

Arenado, along with Manny Machado, is one of the hardest players on this list to predict but for different reasons. Machado’s issues stemmed from inconsistent play all around while Arenado has issues playing away from home. Surprising no one, Arenado plays far better in the cozy confines of Mile High Stadium than away from it. In 2014, his slash line at home was .303/.344/.584 with 16 homeruns and a BB/K of 0.52 . Away, he faired far worse, batting .269/.310/.403 with two home runs and a BB/K of 0.36. The lack of power on the road is going to be an issue for any Rockie, and, sadly, Arenado is no exception to that rule.

Then again, his numbers at home last year were amazing and even better. He faired just as well versus right-handed pitchers as he did lefties, so there are some encouraging signs.

Owners could consider platooning Arenado with another third baseman and play him only when the Rockies are at home to get max imum value.

Stock Rising/Falling

Rising Stock

Manny Machado: One year younger than Nolan Arenado, Machado is one of the best pure talents in the game today. As stated previously, Machado’s biggest issues all stem from lack of consistency, but he is only 22, so it is not to shocking to see him struggle. While not completely fantasy-relevant, Machado is also strong in the field, so unless he just falls utterly to pieces, Machado is not likely to lose playing time.

Nolan Arenado: The home/road splits are his biggest worry at the moment, but for fantasy reasons , that just means owners play him only at home. There is not much else to add other than -- like Machado -- there is not much to threaten Arenado’s playing time unless he also hits a brick wall.

Kyle Seager: He is a blossoming power bat in a stadium that is as hard to him home runs out of as the old Astrodome. Unlike Arenado and Machado, Seager is in the prime of his career. While he is still improving, we have seen what he can do and we have a baseline. At 27, he is still young, and he has time to improve his contact ability.

With the recent contract extension he just signed, it is unlikely fantasy owners will get lucky and see him traded to a team better suited to him. Owners will just have to live with the 27 homer uns and 100 RBI he can give them.

 

Falling Stock

David Wright: There is really nothing to add here other than he still should have a few good years left in him. He is not a fantasy bench player just yet, but he is long past being that amazing keeper he used to be.

Aramis Ramirez: For age 36, Ramirez has been quietly one of baseball's better third base fantasy options for a while now. His power has obviously been going down, but that does not mean he is fantasy irrelevant just yet. In fact, he was just as much a candidate for the main list as anyone else.

Sadly, age is Ramirez's major issue, and with age comes injury problems. Ramirez has missed significant time due to injuries. Still, he is a valid option for fantasy owners but not a keeper option.

Adrian Beltre: Age will catch up with Beltre eventually, but, for now, the numbers show he is not showing many signs of slowing down. Beltre is still the best and most consistent option out there until the day father time finally catches up with him.