Third base is typically a thin position in fantasy baseball, so any injuries to top options quickly drain what little depth there is. Third baseman have been dropping all across the league with stars like Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers, Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay Rays, Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals, Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox, and Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants all going down over the past week.
There are some emerging options that can help you get through your star's down time. Check out these five options available in many leagues still:
Pedro Alvarez: 3B-Pittsburgh Pirates
Alvarez is now owned in almost half of ESPN leagues after being available in 99% of them seven days ago. He started the season dreadfully going 2-30, but now has two hits in five of his last seven games. He's hit seven home runs on the season with three coming in the last week. His current average of .257 doesn't reflect how well he's been hitting since his awful open to the season. If you need offensive production from your fantasy 3B, he's the top option available in most leagues.
Jed Lowrie: SS-Houston Astros
While Lowrie is playing SS everyday for the Astros, he maintains 3B eligibility from his utility-role in Boston last year. Since returning from the DL, he's been on fire hitting .329 with 3 home runs with 11 runs scored and 10 RBI. The sample size is small, but he's a key part of Houston's offense whether he bats second or third and should continue to provide production at least short-term. His ownership has shot up during the past week as well and is now at 47% in ESPN leagues.
Jack Hannahan: 3B-Cleveland Indians
Hannahan is available in over 90% of ESPN leagues, but has had a great first 21 games of the season for Cleveland. He's currently hitting .306 with 5 doubles, 6 runs scored, 2 home runs, and 16 RBI. He won't provide any speed or the power from Alvarez, but Hannahan will contribute with runs, RBI, and average.
Cody Ransom: 3B-Arizona Diamondbacks
If all the above options are gone, Ransom probably isn't. He's owned in under 0.5% of ESPN leagues but has been earning playing time away from Ryan Roberts in the desert. Ransom is a high-risk, high-reward Mark Reynolds-type player for the snakes with 3 home runs, 10 RBIs, 5 runs scored, and 9 strike outs. The most surprising aspect of his first 8 games this year is his .345 batting average. His lifetime .226 average means that he probably won't maintain that pace. He's worth a look though as a fill-in for a injured 3B while he's swinging a hot bat.
Will Middlebrooks: 3B-Boston Red Sox
Middlebrooks got the call when Youkilis was sidelined and projects to be the 3B of the future in Fenway. He had a strong debut going 2-3 with a double and stolen base on May 2nd and will get to start everyday while Youk recovers. He will most likely end up back in the minors since the Red Sox have been committed to getting him at bats and not letting him sit on the bench. If you own Youkilis or another need a temporary fix, Middlebrooks is a hot commodity right now who is owned in 5% of ESPN leagues.
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