We finish our infield fantasy baseball rankings with the top fifty third baseman.

The third base position has been deep in the past, but it’s quite top-heavy this year. If you don’t pick one of the top-four third baseman this season, you’re doing your team a disservice.

Nolan Arenado is the consensus best fantasy third baseman this season. Who is the second-best – Kris Bryant, Manny Machado or Josh Donaldson?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – You could make a case that Arenado is the best player in all of fantasy baseball. He’s going to drive in 120+ RBI, hit near 40 homers and score 100+ runs a season. Not only is he hitting those numbers, but he will be a .300 hitter in the process. No other third baseman touches his production.

2. Josh Donaldson – Toronto Blue Jays – Picking the second-best third baseman was a tough call. I went with Donaldson over the guys below him due to his upside. He got off to a disastrous start last season, but his second-half was great. He missed almost 40 games and still hit 33 homers, so he was on pace for 40 long balls. He’s 32 years old, so I’m not sure how many monster seasons he has left in him, but 2018 should be a good one.

3. Kris Bryant – Chicago Cubs – Bryant missed out on being second just due to that place he bats in the lineup. If he hit behind Rizzo instead of being ahead of him, he would have a lot more RBI chances. Bryant is still going to have a great season in a stacked Cubs lineup. The low-double-digit stolen base total is a nice touch as well.

4. Manny Machado – Baltimore Orioles – I’ve seen Machado listed as high as the second-best third baseman in other people’s rankings. I docked him a little due to the chances he could be moved at some point in the year. Baltimore dangled him out there for awhile this offseason, so it’s a real possibility. He had an off-year when it came to contact as his average dropped considerably. His BABIP was .265, so some of that could just be credited to bad luck. I just don’t like not knowing where he would end up if traded, so that’s why he dropped to number four.

5. Anthony Rendon – Washington Nationals – This is where the talent drops off. Rendon is a very good fantasy player, but if you miss out on the four guys above, you’re missing out. The reason I like Rendon here is due to his consistency. He’s going to give you mid-20’s homers, drive in around 100 RBI and score 80+ runs. He’s also going to boost your batting average.

6. Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians – Ramirez wasn’t really looked as a power hitter until last season. He hit 29 dingers thanks to his changed launch angle. He was always a great contact hitter, but I worry he will not match last year’s power output. Even if you take that away, he’s going to add a lot to your team.

7. Alex Bregman – Houston Astros – Bregman has middle infield eligibility and in most year’s, he would be a better fit at that position than at third base. Due to the lack of depth at third base, I’d say he would be an even better fit at third base on your team. He’s going to check all the boxes on your team and add stolen bases, which are at a premium at third base. Also, he has yet to hit his peak and could easily outperform last year’s stats. You can read more about him in our second baseman fantasy rankings.

8. Kyle Seager – Seattle Mariners – Seager bounced back after a below-average 2016 season. His power came back, but his average dropped quite a bit. He’s not an average killer like some of the guys below him, but it is something to think about. He hits in the middle of the lineup and since the Mariners added some top-of-the-lineup bats this offseason, he will have a lot of RBI chances.

9. Justin Turner – Los Angeles Dodgers – Turner is the exact opposite of an average killer. Actually, up until last year, batting average was really the only reason he would be on your team. He added some power and hit 21 homers in only 457 at-bats. If he stays healthy, I could see him besting that number this year. He really fills a box score with his production.

10. Miguel Sano – Minnesota Twins – Sano could have be ranked higher, but he has an assault charge looming over his head. MLB could suspend him for awhile, so that’s a risk you will need to consider. Sano will strikeout a ton, but his power numbers are hard to ignore. Also, unlike other guys with a high strikeout rate, he’s not going to kill your average. He will hit .260+, so the strikeouts don’t factor much in fantasy.

11. Nicholas Castellanos – Detroit Tigers – Castellanos had a sneaky good season for the Tigers. He was making good contact with the ball. You could make an argument that he should be ranked above Sano. The difference between them is hair-thin. He’s underrated and could slip down a round or two. There’s some value in getting him later.

12. Travis Shaw – Milwaukee Brewers – Shaw is another guy that seemingly came out of nowhere last season. He wasn’t drafted in most drafts at the start of the season and he hit 31 homers and drove in 101 RBI. I would like to see him do it again since I’m not quite sold on him repeating those totals this year. 

13. Evan Longoria – San Francisco Giants – I’m intrigued by Longoria this season. AT&T Park isn’t very hitter-friendly and the NL West has a lot of bad hitter’s parks. There have been plenty of Giants that have had great seasons. Longoria is talented enough to still have solid fantasy numbers there. Also, I believe being on a contender will rejuvenate him. He had some very good seasons in Tampa/St. Pete.

14. Joey Gallo – Texas Rangers – People fall in love with the long ball. Gallo’s power is something that a fantasy owners cherish. I’m just not a huge fan of a one category fantasy power guy. Many players are improving their launch angle, so power is easier to find than ever. Gallo is going to kill your average. You will need to pad your average at a few other positions to just make up for him. I still have him ranked this high out of respect for his power.

15. Rafael Devers – Boston Red Sox – Devers rebounded after a bad 2016 season in the minors. He started off 2017 with great numbers in Double-A and was promoted to Triple-A. Soon after that, he found himself in the Majors. He hit 10 homers and hit .284 in only 222 at-bats. The upside is huge with Devers. He’s a guy you need to circle if you’re in a dynasty league as he is only 21 years old.

16. Mike Moustakas – Free Agent – It’s really hard to handicap him since he doesn’t have a team at the moment. He had a breakthrough season last year with 38 homers, which was a bit unexpected. He has always been a streaky player, but he finally managed to keep it up for an entire year. If he signs with a team in a hitter-friendly park, he jumps up into my top ten. I will update my rankings in late-March.

17. Adrian Beltre – Texas Rangers – Beltre isn’t expected to be an everyday player this season. He will be the team’s designated hitter, but will probably share that responsibility with someone else for at least one game a week. He will turn 39 years old early in the season, so it’s hard to believe he can touch the numbers he had just two seasons ago.

18. Jake Lamb – Arizona Diamondbacks – Lamb basically matched his production he had in his great 2016 season. He hit 30 homers with 105 RBI. I expect him to be near those totals this season if he can avoid a platoon due to his splits being poor. He’s talented enough to work on that aspect of his game and be just fine.

19. Eduardo Nunez – Boston Red Sox – This is where we see another drop-off in talent in my fantasy rankings. Nunez is a solid all-around player, but he won’t have the RBI and Runs like the guys above him. He does add some speed, so that’s why he’s ranked this high.

20. Matt Chapman – Oakland A’s – He’s a young guy and was a nice bookend with fellow rookie Matt Olson last season. I owned him a few leagues late last season. He hit 14 homers in only 290 at-bats for the A’s. He’s underrated and could be drafted late in the draft. He’s streaky, so fantasy owners could lose their patience with him.

21. Eugenio Suarez – Cincinnati Reds – Suarez made the most of his time with the Reds. He wasn’t known for his power before he landed in Cincy. He is a nice 2B/SS player, but he will most likely be a streaming option in most ten-team leagues.

22. Todd Frazier – New York Mets – Frazier was a nice signing by the Mets. He will be a nice source of power for fantasy owners, but his average could be a killer. Also, Citi Field could eat up a lot of could-be homers elsewhere. He has an uppercut swing that doesn’t quite suit that park.

23. Maikel Franco – Philadelphia Phillies – Franco could be a post-hype sleeper. Most long-time fantasy owners have lost their patience with him before. People have been expecting a huge year from him since he was in the farm system, but it hasn’t quite happened for him. Keep an eye on him as he could get off to a hot start. I doubt he will be drafted in most standard leagues.

24. Josh Harrison – Pittsburgh Pirates – Harrison is a better fit as a middle infield flex option. He will give you low double-digit homers and steals. I worry his batting average doesn’t help his fantasy stock.

25. Ryon Healy – Seattle Mariners – Healy would probably be higher in my rankings if he isn’t expected to miss a week or two to start the regular season. He hit 25 homers in 576 at-bats for the A’s. He should have more RBI opportunities with the Mariners.

26. Yangervis Solarte – Toronto Blue Jays – Solarte is another guy that is a better middle infield flex option due to his eligibility. He’s not going to give you many other stats other than low double-digit power and an ‘okay’ batting average at middle infield. You can read more about him in our shortstop fantasy baseball rankings.

27. Matt Davidson – Chicago White Sox – The White Sox have been patient with Davidson, but the dude is out of minor league options. He has power upside, but like Gallo, he’s a strikeout king and an average killer. He may just be a streamable option when he has a favorable match-up.

28. J.P. Crawford – Philadelphia Phillies – Crawford will get shortstop-eligibility early this season and would be a better play there. He has low double-digit power and speed, but as he gets acclimated to Major League pitching, his batting average could be detrimental.

29. Jedd Gyorko – St. Louis Cardinals – Gyorko is unpredictable and he has been his entire career. He is slump-prone and often goes into some serious droughts. His end-of-the-year numbers will be fine, but he’s hard to own due to his frustrating erratic output.

30. Hernan Perez – Milwaukee Brewers – I’m higher on Perez than most people. I just like the speed potential. He doesn’t have a clear role with the Brewers, so he may not play everyday. He’s still a solid bench guy for them and will see an increase in playing time if one of their many outfielders get injured or if Travis Shaw goes down.

31. Chase Headley – San Diego Padres
32. Jeimer Candelario – Detroit Tigers
33. Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets
34. Luis Valbuena – Los Angeles Angels
35. Derek Dietrich – Miami Marlins
36. Cory Spangenberg – San Diego Padres
37. Wilmer Flores – New York Mets
38. Eduardo Escobar – Minnesota Twins
39. Logan Forsythe – Los Angeles Dodgers
40. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Toronto Blue Jays

The guys above are mostly veterans near the end of the career. They still have roles, but their value in fantasy has dwindled. Guerrero Jr. will only be 19 years old to start the season, but he absolutely tore up Single-A last year. There’s an outside shot he could be rushed up to the Majors. 

41. Johan Camargo – Atlanta Braves
42. Jose Reyes – New York Mets
43. Brandon Phillips – Free Agent
44. Ryan Schimpf – Tampa Bay Rays
45. Nick Senzel – Cincinnati Reds
46. Yolmer Sanchez – Chicago White Sox
47. Ronald Torreyes – New York Yankees
48. Marin Prado – Miami Marlins
49. David Freese – Pittsburgh Pirates
50. Yandy Diaz – Cleveland Indians

Nick Senzel is expected to be called up to the Reds at some point as he crushed Double-A by hitting .340 in 57 games a year ago. The rest of the group of ten above are just backups for deep, deep leagues.

I hope you enjoyed our 2018 Fantasy Baseball Top 50 Third Baseman rankings. We are planning on doing this for every position (the outfielder and pitcher rankings will be massive).

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.