Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Count on these third basemen to shine
It is fantasy baseball season! Below, we're focusing on fantasy baseball sleepers at third base.
Third base, like first base, long used to be an essential position for power numbers in fantasy baseball, but that has changed with the overall rise in home runs across the league. The third base position can now be used more for better-rounded stat lines. We'll highlight four players capable of helping your 2021 fantasy baseball team in several areas without needing an early-round pick.
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Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Third base
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
Expectations have been lowered considerably for the Cubbies coming into 2021, but Bryant is one player who'll be looking to maintain the high standards of the last several seasons.
Chicago's clean-up hitter is entering a contract year and the former NL MVP is looking to move past a disastrous 34-game 2020 campaign in which he slashed .206/.293/.351. His ISO and BABIP were well below his career averages last year but his launch angle and fly-ball rates both improved.
Josh Donaldson, Minnesota Twins
After smashing 37 homers over 155 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2019, Donaldson disappointed in Year 1 in Minnesota, but he was still on pace for 30-plus homers.
His still-high walk rate and OBP will keep him in the top-third of the batting order, and he's projected by Baseball HQ for 84 runs and 74 RBIs along with 32 homers.
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
The main problem with Riley is the difficulty he's going to have hitting any higher than sixth or seventh in the deep Braves lineup. His 51 out of 60 games played last year was the closest he has come to a full MLB season. He showed 20-homer potential and is projected for that number exactly in just 377 at-bats in 2021.
He improved both his walk and strikeout rates last season from 2019 and should take another step with more experience against big-league pitching.
Ty France, Seattle Mariners
His .305/.368/.468 slash line was boosted by an inflated .390 BABIP last season, but France hits the ball hard and high and should be able to keep a higher-than-average number.
He'll hit in the heart of the M's order and will have a long leash in the thin lineup.
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