Sunday's Third Baseman Value Rankings
Here are theScore's third baseman value rankings for Sunday, August 14 (all stats exclude Saturday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Seager (SEA) | at OAK | 9 |
| Martin Prado (MIA) | vs. CWS | 8 |
| Matt Carpenter (STL) | at CHC | 8 |
The only thing preventing Seager from being a 10 is his position-leading salary, which is still entirely justified. While his younger brother Corey gets the headlines these days, Kyle has terrorized right-handed pitchers all year long, posting a .407 OBP and big power numbers despite his tough home park. He gets to face Zach Neal in just his third big league start.
If the Marlins can get to White Sox ace Chris Sale, it's extremely likely that Prado will be front-and-center. That's because Miami's third baseman has an astonishing .517 OBP in 116 plate appearances against LHPs this season. His salary takes a nice haircut because of the staunch opposition but Prado could easily hit his GPP-level returns if Sale has an off-night.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Cheslor Cuthbert (KC) | at MIN | 6 |
| Jose Reyes (NYM) | vs. SD | 5 |
| Eugenio Suarez (CIN) | at MIL | 5 |
With a .380 OBP against lefties (albeit in just 79 plate appearances), Cuthbert could have a strong game against Twins SP Hector Santiago. The Royals' 3B has filled in admirably in the wake of Mike Moustakas season-ending injury and has earned his spot batting second in the order. He doesn't have a ton of pop in his bat, but he can still be an affordable cash game option.
Reyes led off on Friday in his first game back from the DL. Before going down with an oblique injury, Reyes capped off a nice run of eight out of nine games with at least one hit, including two triples and two doubles. He's expensive given his overall season numbers aren't stellar, but the combination of opportunity and a good matchup could yield a decent return.
Suarez might be the ultimate contrarian play. Though he's been largely ineffective against RHPs (.279 OBP in 330 PAs), he's facing Wily Peralta, who has staked opposing right-handed batters to a .374 BA and .434 OBP. It's a true battle between wholly stoppable forces and completely resistible objects. Suarez gets the edge because of his dynamism (18 HRs, eight SBs).
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Nunez (SF) | vs. BAL | 3 |
| Chase Headley (NYY) | vs. TB | 3 |
| Danny Valencia (OAK) | vs. SEA | 2 |
After leading off for most of the season for Minnesota, Nunez has found himself batting closer to the bottom of the Giants' order with greater regularity. Considering he's hitting just .214 with a .655 OPS in 47 PAs with San Francisco, it's probably best if he stays at the bottom of the order -- and off your DFS lineup.