Fantasy: Third Base Composite Rankings

theScore's 2015 fantasy rankings apply to standard 10-team, 5x5 rotisserie leagues. Our MLB editors - Jonah Birenbaum, Dan Toman, Greg Warren and Brandon Wile - ranked 40 third basemen and the top 25, plus Alex Rodriguez, are listed below. Check out all of theScore's fantasy content for the upcoming season here.

View rankings by position: C I 1B I 2B I SS I 3B I OF I SP I RP

Analysis: 4 high/low rankings

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
Rank: 12.3 (Birenbaum: 7)

JB: Zimmerman was a defensive nomad last season, vacillating between third base, left field and first base while battling a host of injuries that limited him to just 61 games. Regardless of where he's deployed on the diamond, though, Zimmerman has always hit. Over parts of 10 seasons with the Nationals, the 30-year-old boasts a 120 OPS+ and managed a .278 batting average (.345 on-base percentage) with 51 home runs and 62 doubles from 2012-2013 before spending most of last season on the disabled list. Despite his truncated 2014 campaign, Zimmerman maintained strong peripheral statistics when he managed to stay on the field. He should reclaim his status as one of fantasy's top third basemen this season, as a key contributor in one of baseball's strongest lineups.

Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
Rank: 14 (Toman: 17)

DT: Carpenter is the glue of the Cardinals, not your fantasy baseball team. Though his gaudy run totals and strong batting average will help two of your five categories, there are just too many power options at third base to draft Carpenter's single-digit home run potential and nonexistent running game. Carpenter holds plenty of value in OBP leagues and formats with an infield flex position, but not in standard 10-team, 5x5 pools, where sluggers like Carlos Santana, Ryan Zimmerman and even Chris Davis still maintain hot corner eligibility.

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
Rank: 2.8 (Warren: 1)

GW: Beltre is my top pick at this position because of his proven durability throughout his career. The slugger has played in at least 111 games every year with the exception of his rookie campaign, and has 30-homer, 100-RBI potential while consistently hitting for a high average. Beltre slashed an exceptional .324/.388/.492 despite a drop in his power numbers (19 HR, 77 RBIs) for a Rangers squad ravaged by injuries in 2014, and the return of bash brother Prince Fielder will provide him with some much-needed protection this time around. Beltre might not have the highest ceiling among eligible third baseman, but he's a reliable pick and the kind of player you can build your fantasy team around.

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
Rank: 14.3 (Wile: 12)

BW: There should be no player more motivated entering the season than Davis. Suspended for the final 24 games of last season (including the playoffs), Davis managed a career-worst .196 average while striking out a whopping 173 times in 450 at-bats. The power has never been an issue, as he's hit at least 21 home runs in each of his four seasons with over 110 games played, and clubbed an MLB-best 53 in 2013. Davis vowed early in spring to work on his approach in order to better manage the shift, which could help bump his average back up to his more respectable .253 career mark. Defensively, Davis has been working in the outfield and will likely see enough time to gain eligibility, making him a very versatile fantasy player.