NFBC Message Boards

Okay, as we were going to press last week I failed to keep up the position rankings from our NFBC Content Panel. Let's get back on track and get your Top 20 Third Basemen by Tuesday afternoon. I'll get an e-mail list of our 15 content members and start doing this via e-mail. I apologize, but we'll get this revved up over the next 10 weeks.



I've just been working on a special project, which hopefully will come to fruition soon!! Stay tuned.



Also, we opened up our signups on Friday for the 2007 National Fantasy Football Championship and we set a one-day record with over $100,000 in signups. Those guys are crazier than our baseball die-hards, and I mean that in a nice way! All is good, but Tom and I have just been juggling a few too many balls the last few weeks. Let's get baseball back on track and keep going.



By the way, our signups are ahead of last year's pace for the main event by 30, which is a good sign since we're shooting for 30 more teams. All of the other side events are also ahead of last year's pace. Let's keep it going everyone. Thanks again.

Here's my alphabetical list of 34 players eligible at 3B worthy of Top 20 consideration. Feel free to add anyone else.



Atkins

Aurilia

Beltre

Blalock

M Cabrera

Chavez

Crede

DeRosa

E Encarnacion

Ensberg

Feliz

Figgins

Glaus

Gordon

Helms

Hillenbrand

Huff

Inge

Iwamura

C Jones

Lamb

Lowell

Marte

Mora

A Ramirez

A Rodriguez

Rolen

F Sanchez

Teahen

Tracy

Upton

Wigginton

Wright

Zimmerman



I'm assuming Kouzmanoff will start the year as UT-only.

IN MY ORDER.

1 AROD

2 M CABRERA

3 D WRIGHT

4 A RAMERIZ

5 ATKINS

6 FIGGINS

7 ZIMMERMAN

8 CHIPPER

9 T GLAUS

10 ROLEN

11 HUFF

12 F SANCHEZ

13 MORA

14 BELTRE

15 TEAHAN

16 BLAYLOCK

17 TRACY

18 J CREDE

19 ENSBERG

20 ENCARNARCION

Big time sleepers all over the hot corner this year. May be better off letting some go and going after someone this. (This from the guy who grabbed Cabrera 9th overall.)

Here's the composite third base ranking from our NFBC Content Panel:



1. Alex Rodriguez

2. David Wright

3. Miguel Cabrera

4. Aramis Ramirez

5. Garrett Atkins

6. Chone Figgins

7. Ryan Zimmerman

8. Scott Rolen

9. Troy Glaus

10. Chipper Jones

11. Adrian Beltre

12. Morgan Ensberg

13. Eric Chavez

14. Mark Teahen

15. Joe Crede

16. Edwin Encarnacion

17. Hank Blalock

18. Chad Tracy

19. Melvin Mora

20. Aubrey Huff



Here's a few interesting points:



1. Every single owner made A-Rod their No. 1 choice.



2. David Wright and Miguel Cabrera finished second or third on all ballots, with just one vote separating them.



3. Aramis Ramirez and Garrett Atkins were fourth or fifth on every ballot except one (Garrett ranked sixth on one ballot).



4. The Top 10 list was pretty solid among all owners, but after that it gets interesting. Guys like Morgan Ensberg ranked 10th on one list and 20th on another. Eric Chavez ranked as high as 11th and as low as 20th. Same for Crede, who ranked as high as 10th and as low as 20th. Edwin Encarnacion ranked as high as 9th and as low as 20th.



5. No rookies made the Top 20, but Alex Gordon did make a few Top 20 lists.



This is definitely one of the deepest positions for talent and it could produce some surprises.



Thoughts?

Rolen could easily be in the top 5. I'm surprised wes helms didin't make the list

Originally posted by Gordon Gekko:

Rolen could easily be in the top 5. I'm surprised wes helms didin't make the list Rolen went as high as 7th and as low as 15th.

Greg, is Kouzmanoff going to be listed at 3B or UT?

Originally posted by King of Queens:

Greg, is Kouzmanoff going to be listed at 3B or UT? To be consistent with past NFBC rulings, Kouzmanoff will be UT eligible only in the NFBC. He appeared in 16 games last year with Cleveland and was DH in 14 of those, while playing third base two times. He was a DH in the majors last year, not a third baseman. We did list him under third base in our first issue of Fantasy Sports Magazine as a reference for the majority of our readers, but I'll convince Tom to move him to UT for our next issue!



He will be 3B eligible after he plays 10 games in the majors.

1. Every single owner made A-Rod their No. 1 choice.Interesting. He must be paying for votes! Kidding.



As for depth, I do agree, several value picks here.



My main comment is for the panel who put Blalock near the bottom of the top 20...even that may be too high! Seriously, I agree with him not being top 10 or even top 15.



Nice job!



Gekko, I know you live in York, PA (ever hang out with that group Live?) Anyway, as for Wes Helms, I think he has sleeper potential also. My concern with him is possibly losing some playing time, not much, but some to utility players. Also, he'll hit low in order, so his run total will suffer. But by end of year, he could easily crack top 20, if not top 15.

I always seem to question utility players who have been around for a few years then get starting roles after a good year.



Helms had a good year last year just like another former Brave, DeRosa. Unfortunately, when I think of those two guys, I always think that Helms was referred to by those writing about the Brewers when he was a starter as someone they would use "...unless they found someone better..." The Braves were willing to trade him when there was no heir apparent to Chipper (DeRosa flopped in that role in '04), and then he became a bench player after only a few seasons as a starter. Good guys to have on your bench that may be a bit exposed as starters for a full season.



I think Helms will be a starter (as will DeRosa) only until "...they find someone better.." I think Helms and DeRosa will dissappoint. Good year for both that will not be repeated in '07.

BTW, my opinions on DeRosa are exactly the opposite of what I was thinking even a few weeks ago...still time to change my mind again! :rolleyes:

I don't think A-Rod before Wright is a no-brainer. I definitely stopped and considered and I think most people would, but after considering everything I'm not surprised everyone came to the same conclusion.



I'm not in front of my list but I believe Helms made it. He's not a bad option; it's just the vast pull of talent and potential that keeps him off of it. One could argue that he doesn't have near as much upside or downside as some of these cats like Chavez and Ensberg.



Speaking of Ensy--with Houston being woefully mismanaged and never really believing in him, I'd think the biggest concern is that if he happens to hit .200 the first week he could end up riding the pine for half a season. That has been an issue for him almost every year.