The Phenom's Top 5 Fantasy Thirdbasemen for 2011

The Phenom's Top 5 Fantasy Thirdbasemen for 2011

1. David Wright/ NYM: Ok, Wright had one bad year a few years ago. Besides that, he's been as consistent as anyone at 3B. He IS the top fantasy 3B for 2011!

Projected 2011 Stats: .309 avg., 28 hr's, 105 rbi, 93 runs, 25 sb's

2. Evan Longoria/ TB: Longoria is not far behind Wright. In fact, he could become the #1 fantasy 3B with another outstanding season in 2011.

Projected 2011 Stats: .292 avg., 27 hr's, 107 rbi, 97 runs, 13 sb's

3. Alex Rodriguez/ NYY: A-Rod is...A-Rod. When he is healthy, he's still the #1 3B in the fantasy ranks. However, he hasn't been healthy for an entire season for a few years now.

Projected 2011 Stats: .284 avg., 33 hr's, 108 rbi, 89 runs, 12 sb's

4. Ryan Zimmerman/ WAS: Zimmerman could be the next Wright/ Longoria-type 3B. This could be a break-out year.

Projected 2011 Stats: .290 avg., 28 hr's, 95 rbi, 95 runs, 3 sb's

5. Casey McGehee/ MIL: McGehee had a solid season in 2010, and I expect more of the same in 2011.

Projected 2011 Stats: .291 avg., 25 hr's, 92 rbi, 78 runs, 2 sb's

2011 3B Draft Strategy: Yes, you may spend a first-round pick on a 3B. However, it may only be used for David Wright or Evan Longoria. 3B is not a deep position, but it has become deeper over the last few years. A-Rod is a risk due to the injuries over the last few years. Adrian Beltre is a high-risk pick due to his inconsistency throughout his career. Mark Reynolds is a strikeout machine and should only be used as a back-up 3B/UTIL/DH on your roster. Aramis Ramirez needs to be healthy in 2011 to provide any sort of value. Pablo Sandoval should bounce back after a disappointing 2010 season. Jose Bautista hit 54 hr's in 2010, but that was his first season with more than 16 hr's. Bautista's career avg. is .244. Be careful with Bautista, and do not spend an early pick on him. I think you can spend an early pick (3rd-5th round) on guys like Zimmerman, McGehee, and A-Rod. If you are dead-set on getting a Tier 1 thirdbasemen, then you better get Wright or Longoria in the first round. Beyond those two guys, there are no guarantees at 3B in 2011. Here's another little piece of advice regarding 3B. If you wait too long and miss out on any of the guys I mentioned above, you better get two 3B's that can play other positions as well. For example, Ian Stewart (3B/2B), Neil Walker (2B/3B), Miguel Tejada (SS/3B), Martin Prado (3B/2B), Michael Cuddyer (1B/3B/OF), Juan Uribe (2B,3B, SS) and Omar Infante (2B,SS,3B,OF), are guys that can play several positions. Get two of these guys if you miss out on the top 3B's available, but wait until the end of the draft to do so. These multi-position players will be around in the later rounds...trust me!

The Phenom