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In terms of value, third base is the deepest position in fantasy baseball. That doesn’t mean that every third baseman is a good value, as there are plenty of players with bust potential. With that in mind, here are some third basemen that you should avoid when heading into your 2022 fantasy baseball drafts.
Fantasy baseball busts: 3B
Anthony Rendon, Angels
ADP: 205
The past two years have been a nightmare for Rendon, who has only managed to hit .235 with a .709 OPS in 105 games in the past two seasons. While he’s said that he’s entering this year fully healthy and feeling fantastic, I’ll believe it when I see it. Rendon opens the season as a depth option until he proves otherwise.
DJ LeMahieu, Yankees
ADP: 204
A toe injury hampered LeMahieu in the second half last season, which led to him having a nearly 100-point drop in his OPS over the back-half of the schedule. LeMahieu is expected to be ready for Opening Day, but it’s never a good sign when an injury lingers into the next Opening Day, especially for a 34-year-old. Wait and see on LeMahieu.
Ryan McMahon, Rockies
ADP: 195
While I never like betting against a player who plays half their games in the launch pad that’s Coors Field, the book is out on McMahon. For the past three non-pandemic impacted seasons, he’s cleared 20 home runs. The only difference is that he only drove in 67 runs, his lowest total in a season he’s played 100+ games in. The Rockies are in the midst of a deep rebuild and don’t have a ton of power in their lineup, so McMahon won’t get as many opportunities to drive runners in, which diminishes his value.
Other candidates: Justin Turner, Boston Red Sox; Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox