1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays, Draft Projection: 1st Round
– His power numbers hit a lull in 2010 and he was still the top ranked 3B basemen. Longoria is easily the best player at his position and will continue to be in 2011.
2. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals, Draft Projection: 2nd Round
– A jack-of-all-trades who consistently performs well in just about every category and should hit even better with Jayson Werth protecting him in the lineup. It could be a breakout year for the otherwise “Ratty Nattys” and it will take a dominant year from Zimmerman for that to become reality.
3. David Wright, New York Mets, Draft Projection: 2nd Round
– 29 homers and 19 stolen bases for one of the more balanced 3rd basemen in the fantasy game. Wright is a very safe pick and will hit near .300 as a worst case scenario.
4. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers, Draft Projection: 2nd Round
– Beltre’s career appeared to have fallen into the ether in Seattle, but hey what big free agent pickup has worked for the Mariners? Ever? Beltre was a new man in Boston last year and was a dark horse MVP candidate. Beltre is on a contending team yet again in Texas and will back up a strong 2010 with an even stronger 2011.
5. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees, Draft Projection: 3rd Round
– Hi haters. There’s probably a million people who are upset about A-Rod ranking fifth but I’m sorry the four guys ahead of him are better fantasy players. He’ll be lucky to hit .270 and won’t sniff five stolen bases. On top of that I hate him and every time I hear the “A bomb from A-Rod” call I cringe.
6. Michael Young, Texas Rangers, Draft Projection: 3rd Round
-Young is currently on the Rangers but probably won’t be come opening day so a lot could change by then. No matter where he plays he’s a gold glove, power-hitting monster and will have a good season and will dominate fantasy leagues everywhere.
7. Mark Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles, Draft Projection: 4th Round
– A lot of people are excited about the O’s and Reynolds is part of it. I don’t think those people realize he was the NL strikeout king (not a good title when you’re a hitter), and hit less than .200. The change of scenery could help the very talented Reynolds put it all together, but use caution.
8. Pablo SandovaL, San Francisco Giants, Draft Projection: 5th Round
– Kung-Fu Panda was a key part of the Giants’ magical run towards the championship last year. I’m a big believer in fantasy karma and having the loveable Panda on your team will certainly give you the benefit of the doubt. Additionally he’s very solid and should help you in every category with the exception of stolen bases.
9. Chase Headley, San Diego Padres, Draft Projection: 5th Round
– If he played in a hitter friendly park he might be ranked a little higher, but for hitters Petco Park is the devil and Headly will have to deal with it in his 3rd full season but I have faith in Headley to turn it around and be the man for the Padres. Again, use caution.
10. Danny Valencia, Minnesota Twins, Draft Projection: 6th Round
– Only played half the season for the Twins but that was still enough time to make him a serious contender for AL rookie of the year, finishing 3rd in the final voting. He hit .311 with 40 RBI and could easily be a plus .300 hitter in the long run, he’s a gamble at the tenth overall 3B spot but there’s a good chance he could be the best bargain in the bargain bin that is 3B basemen in 2011.
Rest Of The Pack
11. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs, Draft Projection: 7th Round
12. Casey McGhee, Milwaukee Brewers, Draft Projection 7th Round
13. Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates, Draft Projection: 8th Round
14. Ian Stewart, Colorado Rockies, Draft Projection: 9th Round
15. Miguel Tejada, San Francisco Giants, Draft Projection: 9th Round
16. Alberto Callaspo, Los Angeles Angels, Draft Projection: 10th Round
17. Wilson Betemit, Kansas City Royals, Draft Projection: 10th Round
18. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, Draft Projection: 11th Round
19. Chris Johnson, Houston Astros, Draft Projection: 11th Round
20. Brent Morel, Chicago White Sox, Draft Projection: 12th Round
21. Scott Rolen, Cincinnati Reds, Draft Projection: 13th Round
22. Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers, Draft Projection: 13th Round
23. Kevin Kouzmanoff, Oakland A’s, Draft Projection: 14th Round
24. Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies, Draft Projection: 14th Round
25. Melvin Mora, Arizona Diamond Backs, Draft Projection: 15th Round
26. Jorge Cantu, San Diego Padres, Draft Projection: 15th Round
27. Casey Blake, Los Angeles Dodgers, Draft Projection: 16th Round
28. Brandon Inge, Detroit Tigers, Draft Projection: 17th Round
29. Mark Teahen, Chicago White Sox, Draft Projection: 18th Round
30. Mat Gamel, Milwaukee Brewers, Draft Projection: 20th Round
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