Where do you play Hanley Ramirez?

It seems like a silly question, right?

With apologies to his new teammate in Miami, Jose Reyes, Ramirez has been fantasy's best shortstop for what seems like five years.

Not this year. This year, he's not even the best shortstop on his team.

Hence, Ramirez's move to third base. Hence the dilemma.

Call me crazy, but I say he's more valuable in fantasy at the hot corner.

If you draft him, you'll have to choose between short and third once Ramirez becomes eligible at third (he won't be to start the year).

The case for shortstop: Ramirez can hit for average and power, and steal a lot of bases. That's a rare combination for a middle infielder.

The case for third: Ramirez might be the third-best fantasy shortstop, behind Troy Tulowitzki and Reyes. At third base, Ramirez and another player switching positions, the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, are easy choices ahead of the rest of the field.

Once Evan Longoria, David Wright, Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis are off the board, you might be considering drafting Alex Rodriguez. Heck, you could find something wrong with any of the five players we just mentioned. Factor in Ryan Zimmerman and Pablo Sandoval, and the top seven third basemen prior to the position changes of Ramirez and Cabrera all had fewer than 500 at-bats a year ago.

Granted, Ramirez was dreadful last season. He was also hurt. Prior to 2011, the .306 career hitter averaged 25 homers, 78 RBI and 39 steals in his previous five seasons.

Sign us up for this Marlins infield experiment.

The same goes for the Tigers' curious move of Cabrera to third, where he played with the Marlins at the start of his career.

Cabrera is a .317 career hitter who has had eight consecutive seasons with at least 26 homers and 103 RBI. His shift to third base makes him the No. 2 overall player on our board, behind only Albert Pujols.

Note: Players are listed only at the position at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not every position at which they are eligible.

1. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: We had another ho-hum season for Cabrera in 2011 -- .344, 111 runs, 30 homers, 105 RBI and 19 more walks than strikeouts.

2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: He was limited to 338 at-bats in 2011, but is expected to be recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.

3. Evan Longoria, Rays: As usual, he hit for power (31 homers and 99 RBI), but his average (.244 last year) and steals (three) have been plummeting.

4. David Wright, Mets: He did it all in 2010. He didn't do much of anything in 2011.

5. Adrian Beltre, Rangers: He made his 487 at-bats count -- .296, 32 homers and 105 RBI.

6. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: He has been limited to fewer than 800 at-bats since 2010, but when healthy should help you in average, homers and RBI.

7. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: Last year was his first without 30 homers and 100 RBI since he was a skinny shortstop for the Mariners in 1997.

8. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals: He was limited to 395 at-bats last year, but averaged 30 homers and 96 RBI in 2009 and '10.

9. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: He slimmed down and hit .315 with 23 homers.

10. Aramis Ramirez, Brewers: His final stats from 2011 (.306, 26 homers and 93 RBI) make us forget how powerless he seemed at the start of the year.

11. Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays: He hit .293 with nine homers and 25 RBI in 150 at-bats as a rookie, and his minor-league stats are excellent.

12. Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks: He seems to play everywhere, and he seems to do everything except hit for average (.249 with 86 runs, 19 homers and 18 steals last year).

13. David Freese, Cardinals: The World Series MVP's postseason (.397) was much better than his injury-limited regular season.

14. Mark Reynolds, Orioles: He'll hit a lot of homers (37 last year), and he'll strike out much more than any annoying college friend you can remember (an average of 208 Ks since 2008).

15. Mike Moustakas, Royals: He .263 and didn't display much power as a rookie, but he was very good in the minors.

16. Chipper Jones, Braves: Ready to feel old? He'll turn 40 on April 24.

17. Chase Headley, Padres: He .289 with 13 steals last year, and he averaged 12 homers, 61 RBI and 14 steals in 2009 and '10.

18. Pedro Alvarez, Pirates: He was impressive as a rookie in 2010 and so bad last year the Pirates brought in Casey McGehee as competition.

19. Danny Valencia, Twins: He hit 15 homers and drove in 72, but his average dropped from .311 in 2010 to .246.

20. Placido Polanco, Phillies: He's a .301 career hitter who has almost no power.

Eligibility notes

Jose Bautista played 25 games at third last season, but he's our top-ranked outfielder. … The Rangers' Michael Young should be eligible here, but he tops our DH rankings. … The Braves' Martin Prado is an outfielder.

Others to watch

Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians: Once a top prospect, he was disappointing as a rookie and could share time with Jack Hannahan.

Brent Morel, White Sox: He hit .245 as a rookie, but he was excellent down on the farm.

Ian Stewart, Cubs: He totaled 43 homers and 131 RBI in 811 at-bats in 2009 and '10 before hitting .156 in 122 at-bats a year ago.

More 2012 fantasy rankings:

Top 20 catchers: In a weak and banged-up crop of catchers, Indians youngster Carlos Santana could be poised for a breakout third season.

Top 20 first basemen: Albert Pujols should find American League pitching to his liking.

Top 20 second basemen: Robinson Cano is the top choice at a surprisingly deep position.

Top 20 shortstops: It's Troy Tulowitzki's time to be the top shortstop, assuming you can shrug off the injury risks.

Top 10 designated hitters: Michael Young might be able to help your team at several positions, but he's a default DH.

Top 60 outfielders: With Ryan Braun's suspension avoided, he's the best on the board, just over Jose Bautista.

Top 80 starting pitchers: Where do big-potential starters such as Stephen Strasburg and Yu Darvish fit in?

Top 20 closers: Don't jump on a closer too early in a draft; there are many decent options.

Top 100 overall: Plus links to other draft tips.