I don’t do 1st baseman sleepers because there are none. If you’re drafting a 1st baseman sleeper, you’re losing your league. Who are you putting at 1st? Yonder Alonso? That’s cool. Don’t pay your league fees until the end of the year and then duck out of the country. You feel me? Okay, now stop. 3rd baseman are more or less in the same boat, and that boat is the Titanic and if you draft a sleeper 3rd baseman, you’re gonna sink while holding until to a lady named Rose who gets real old. But some of youse have corner men in your league, so may as well look at a few 3rd basemen for s’s and g’s. Do not draft, say, Chris Johnson as your 3rd baseman. Clear? Good. These are all 3rd basemen that being drafted after 150 overall. Now, this is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Singapore) supplement to the top 20 3rd basemen for 2013 fantasy baseball. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2013 projections. Anyway, here’s some 3rd basemen to target for 2013 fantasy baseball:
Todd Frazier – (Yahoo 203; ESPN 173; MDC 203) Before Rutledge and I were cruising past The Castro looking for a place to get comfortable, it was Frazier and I. (That’s cruising past Starlin Castro, by the way. Was that clear? Cool. Oh, crap, how do I get out of these parenthesis? A little help here! Oh, here I go…) My love blossomed early for Frazier, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less of a FBC (fantasy baseball crush). We just drafted him yesterday in the Funston-run Yahoo league. And, back on January 1st (damn, don’t I ever rest?), I said he has the upside of 35 homers. To be that confident in him and his playing time with Dusty, you’d think I had Jack Hannahan tied up in my car’s trunk. Hmm, well… *coughing over the banging from inside my trunk*
Will Middlebrooks – (Yahoo 154; ESPN 188; MDC 154) He’s barely a sleeper. I don’t mean that in the conventional sense of barely. That would mean he sleeps in the buff. Wait, huh? Shoot, I meant, I don’t mean he’s a sleeper in the conventional sense. Okay, you know what? I don’t know what “in the conventional sense” means. You got me, are you happy? Middlebrooks is going for around what his value is, not much more and not much less. He does have some upside, but I’m concerned about his wrist issues. I would not reach for him, but I would draft him around 150-ish to slot in at my corner.
Chris Johnson – (Yahoo 340; MDC 341) I liked Johnson a lot when he was on the Diamondbacks. Simultaneously happening in another part of my brain, I liked Juan Francisco a lot. Then those two players crashed together like they were in a god-awful Dave Matthews song and now their fantasy values are fingercuffed to each other. I like Johnson a tad more, in the non-sexual way.
Juan Francisco – (Yahoo 335) See what I said about Johnson and multiply it by “Yeah, I’m not sure who will be the everyday 3rd baseman, but if one does become that guy, he will have more value.”
Lonnie Chisenhall – (Yahoo 300; MDC 354) Talking about Lonnie Chisenhall gives us a good opportunity to reflect on the passing of Bonnie Franklin. *clapping hands together* Okay, back to fantasy! I’m not thrilled Aviles is lurking to prospblock Chisenhall, but Chis’ has blocked his own opportunity to break out with his lackluster performances so far. Like I mentioned the other day with Cozart and shortstops to target, Chisenhall could be a post-hype sleeper. If you have both Cozart and Chisenhall on the same team, your team might be post-hype sleeping with the fishes.
Jedd Gyorko – (Yahoo 246; MDC 265) In the 2nd basemen to target, I went over him. Go read it, Gyorko!
Manny Machado – (Yahoo 213; ESPN 178; MDC 254) I’ve already drafted Machado on one team (there’s some draft recaps I need to post; once I get these sleeper posts out of the way I will do that). After I drafted Machado, balloons fell from my ceiling and Boog Powell emerged from my pantry to congratulate me (I was wondering where all of my Teddy Grahams were going!). Last year, if you wanted to draft a guy like Machado, you had to draft him in the 5th round, as shown by 2012 ADPs of Lawrie and Hosmer. Whether it’s people actually smartening up about drafting a young player that high or people dumbing down and not realizing how good Machado is, I’m not sure. Let’s take it as a blessing like when your mother spit you out onto the hospital floor. “One day, little man, we’re gonna talk about Machado’s fantasy baseball ranking while I enjoy a Cobb salad.” That’s you and your ma nineteen years ago. She was prescient.
