Fantasy Surprises, 3B

3B is a stacked position so far in the fantasy season. You have your mainstays Longoria, A-Rod and Youkilis, as well as a number of surprises. Here's a look at three of the biggest surprises at the 3B position. (Note: This list could also include Casey McGehee and Ty Wiggington, who both have 3B eligibility. I decided to leave them off because I wrote about them in the Fantasy Surprises, 2B entry).

Jose Bautista (Blue Jays - 3B, OF) - .244 BA, 32 R, 15 HR, 39 RBI. Ignore the low batting average because Bautista has been spectatcular in all other statistics. He's leading the majors in HR, 3rd in RBI, and tied for 7th in runs scored. Pretty good for a guy who was an under the radar signing last December, and expected to be a backup the entire season. Bautista has never hit more than 16 HR in a season but don't let that fool you. Through out his 7 year big league career he hasn't receieved very consistent playing time. Now that he's playing everyday in the outfield, he's making the most of it. Expect his production to eventually slow down, especially considering he historically doesn't hit for a good average. However, if you're not in a competitive league and he's still available, pick him up and ride the wave.
Alberto Callaspo (Royals - 2B, 3B) - .306, 22 R, 7 HR, 31 RBI. Callaspo is following up his first full big league season in which he batted .300, hit 13 HR, and drove in 73. He's getting most of his AB's in the 5 and 6 hole and has been the most productive in those spots. Callaspo has put up pretty similar numbers through each month, so look for him to continue with his good season. He's especially an attractive option at 2B, where his potential 20 HR power would be welcome in a position devoid of that stat.

Martin Prado (Braves, 1B, 2B, 3B) - .314, 32 R, 4 HR, 20 RBI. Prado resigned with the Braves for a year and has supplied some good production from the second spot in the order, although lately he's been leading off. Prado has always been a good hitter, he has a .308 lifetime BA, and now he's getting steady playing time at 2B. He has a OBS of .363 and his real value as a fantasy player is for the runs he scores. He currently ranks 7th in the NL in runs scored. Prado will never be a big power guy so he there's probably better options at 1B and 3B, but for the 2B position he hits for a great average and scores a lot of runs, two areas he should continue to produce in, hitting in front of Heyward, Jones, and McCann.