Normally, this is the position that features the players you start at a utility position because they aren’t eligible anywhere else.

Depending on your league’s rules, that might not be the case this season, thanks to Adam Dunn’s move to Chicago, and the Rangers and Angels forcing Michael Young and Bobby Abreu, respectively, to regular designated-hitter duties.

The trio might join David Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero as players only eligible at DH, unless your league allows you to start a player at a position at which he played a certain amount of games the year before.

If so, Dunn is obviously more valuable at first base, and he might play enough games there in 2011 to be eligible anyway. Young should play enough in the infield to be eligible at multiple positions, but Ortiz, Abreu and Ortiz likely will be relegated to DH-or-nothing status, depending on how highly touted Angels rookie Peter Bourjos fares as the everyday center fielder. The latter’s presence in the lineup has bumped Abreu from a corner outfielder to designated bat.

Another potential dilemma is the Twins’ Jason Kubel, who batted only .249 last season, struggles to hit lefties, doesn’t have a regular outfield position and has Jim Thome around to take away at-bats at DH. Kubel — who batted .300 with 28 homers and 103 RBI in 2009 — is worth a look late, but should be drafted as a reserve.

On to the rankings:

Rank, player: R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Adam Dunn, CWS: 85-38-103-0-.260
2. Michael Young, Tex: 99-21-91-4-.284
3. David Ortiz, Bos: 86-32-102-0-.270
4. Bobby Abreu, LAA: 88-20-78-24-.255
5. Vladimir Guerrero, Bal: 83-29-115-4-.300
6. Jason Kubel, Min: 68-21-92-0-.249
7. Jorge Posada, NYY: 49-18-57-3-.248
8. Hideki Matsui, Oak: 55-21-84-0-.274
9. Manny Ramirez, TB: 38-9-42-1-.298
10. Travis Hafner, Cle: 46-13-50-2-.278

Preseason top 100 players (4): Dunn (52), Young (67), Ortiz (83), Abreu (98).

Short hops
Adam Lind has moved from DH to first base in Toronto, and Johnny Damon is now an outfielder in Tampa Bay. ... Ortiz has had at least 30 homers and 100 or more RBI in six of his last eight seasons. ... Posada is expected to spend most of his time at DH because of the Yankees’ signing of Russell Martin and the grooming of uber-prospect Jesus Montero as the backstop of the future. ... Ramirez has compiled only 617 at-bats the last two seasons, but his numbers in that span are very good (.293, 28 homers, 105 RBI, 100 runs). ... The Tribe’s Hafner has batted .259 with a combined 34 homers and 123 RBI the last three seasons.

NOTE: Statistics are from the 2010 season. ... Players are listed only at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2011.

THIS WEEK: Shortstops, Thursday; third basemen, Saturday; designated hitters, today.

LAST WEEK: Catchers, March 7; first baseman, March 8; second baseman, March 9.

NEXT WEEK: Outfielders, starting pitchers, relievers and overall top 100.

If you finished your draft with Alfonso Soriano as your third outfielder, Vladimir Guerrero at designated hitter and Adrian Beltre at third base, your buddies might have asked you if you thought it was 2006.

Now, Soriano, Guerrero and Beltre are playing as if George W. Bush is still in office and LeBron James is driving to the hole, and Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones are ready to brick the open shot that results.

Of the three, Soriano had the highest fantasy value entering the season, but he was a lower-level starting candidate in deep mixed leagues following a 2009 season in which he batted .241 and was limited to 117 games by injury. The same went for Beltre, who had a miserable 2009 (.265, eight homers, 44 RBI, .683 OPS) but was making the move to a more productive lineup in Boston.

Guerrero, meanwhile, was a late-round candidate at age 35, due to the fact he no longer steals bases (a combined 12 since 2007) and wasn't viewed as an everyday player after batting .295 with 15 homers and 50 RBI in 100 games in 2009.

Let's break down the current value of the trio following a recent stretch in which they have played their way into many owners' starting lineups:

-- Soriano: Prior to the Cubs' game against the Pirates on Thursday, Soriano was batting .326 with seven home runs, 18 RBI and a 1.063 OPS. In his previous five games, he was 9-for-19 with seven runs, five homers and 11 RBI.

During his peak years of 2002-08, Soriano averaged 36 homers and 29 steals. The last two seasons, he has a combined 10 steals in 144 games, which significantly reduces his value.

Soriano should be viewed as a No. 3 outfielder in mixed leagues and he should help you in home runs, but he hasn't driven in more than 75 runs since 2006 and he's hit better than .280 only once since 2003. If you're skeptical, you're not alone.

-- Guerrero: He entered Thursday batting .333 with three homers, 19 RBI, three steals and an .849 OPS in his first season in Texas.

He's no longer close to the player who, in an 11-season span from 1998 to 2008, averaged 35 homers and 112 RBI. In 2001 and '02, he stole a combined 77 bases. With three more steals this year, he would have six -- or more than he's had in a season since 2006.

Guerrero's value is also limited by the fact he isn't eligible at any other position than utility. Like Soriano, he's a starting candidate. Unlike Soriano, you don't need to worry about Guerrero's batting average dipping significantly below .300 (he's a .321 career hitter whose worst norm since his rookie season was the .295 he batted in 2009).

-- Beltre: He has the worst numbers of the three, but probably the most value.

Beltre entered Thursday batting .340 with two homers, 15 RBI and an .844 OPS. He didn't have a home run in his first 18 games with the Red Sox, but is batting .439 with two homers and eight RBI in his last 10.

Beltre's nightmarish 2009 was the worst of his 12-year career, but at 31, he's three years younger than Soriano and four younger than Guerrero. And it helps that you can play him at third instead of being forced to plug him into a utility spot.

From 2002-08, Beltre averaged 27 homers and 90 RBI. His average is destined to drop (he's a career .272 hitter and he's batted above .276 only twice), but if he hits in the .275 range with more than 20 homers and 90 RBI, he's a fantasy starter.

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