This is fun. The offensive talent that is available in the player pool for the last two positions covered - shortstop earlier in the week and third base today, is just unbelievable. With a variety of pairings possible, a fantasy owner in 2017 drafts could conceivably start their squad with a 3b/SS combo and end up with 60-70 home runs and 20-30 stolen bases. If you're a 75/75 HR/SB after 3-rounds type of drafter, these two positions, plus an outfielder, could be the way you're leaning in your early preparation. Even if you decide to wait at third base, there's a large group of talent available later on - Jake Lamb, Alex Bregman, Nick Castellanos & Maikel Franco, who all carry a varying degree of floor and potential upside. To sum it all up, third base is strong and will offer a variety of ways to fill the position in 2017.

The projections you see below are based upon Ray's 2017 Early Third Base Rankings. If you're new to this series, feel free to take some time and catch up on the other positions we've covered so far.

2017 Catcher Rankings: Projected

2017 First Base Rankings: Projected

2017 Second Base Rankings: Projected

2017 Shortstop Rankings: Projected

DISCLAIMER:

It is important to note that while a set of projections might add up to a dollar value when converted using a variety of methods that would rank a certain player above another, that doesn't necessarily mean the projection is correct and the ranking is incorrect. With a ranking things such as consistency and the odds of more or less playing time can be the difference between one spot in a ranking list and another. When converting projections straight over to dollar values, this can be lost at times. Using both projections and rankings from your favorite sources is an ideal way to build an appropriate expectation level for the coming season.

As always, please share any thoughts or questions in the comments below.



