X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Base (1B)

It's 'bout that time, eh chaps? The Winter Meetings have come and gone. With it, some of the biggest offseason dominoes have already fallen. The 2017 fantasy baseball draft board is beginning to come into focus. Now it's time to delve into player rankings. We'll continue with our 2017 first base fantasy baseball rankings for December.

This first round of rankings features picks from Kyle Bishop, Nick Mariano, Bill Dubiel, and me. I know I've had my initial lists in place since mid-October, and my colleagues here weren't too far behind me.

This year, we'll begin by presenting our rankings then share a few thoughts round table style.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Base

Ranking Tier Player Brad Kyle Nick Bill Composite
1 1 Paul Goldschmidt 1 1 1 1 1
2 1 Miguel Cabrera 3 2 3 2 2.5
3 1 Anthony Rizzo 2 3 2 3 2.5
4 2 Joey Votto 4 4 4 4 4
5 2 Freddie Freeman 5 5 5 6 5.25
6 2 Edwin Encarnacion 6 6 7 5 6
7 2 Wil Myers 7 11 6 9 8.25
8 2 Hanley Ramirez 11 7 10 8 9
9 2 Chris Davis 8 9 9 10 9
10 2 Matt Carpenter 12 8 12 7 9.75
11 2 Jose Abreu 9 10 8 12 9.75
12 3 Carlos Santana 10 13 11 11 11.25
13 3 Adrian Gonzalez 14 14 14 13 13.75
14 3 Albert Pujols 18 12 17 14 15.25
15 3 Eric Hosmer 16 16 15 15 15.5
16 3 Brandon Belt 13 19 13 18 15.75
17 3 Victor Martinez 17 17 16 17 16.75
18 4 Greg Bird 22 15 19 16 18
19 4 Matt Holliday 19 24 18 19 20
20 4 Kendrys Morales 15 23 20 24 20.5
21 4 Lucas Duda 26 20 27 20 23.25
22 4 Mike Napoli 23 21 23 26 23.25
23 4 Chris Carter 24 25 24 21 23.5
24 5 Tommy Joseph 21 22 22 28 23.25
25 5 Brad Miller 20 27 21 30 24.5
26 5 C.J. Cron 28 26 29 23 26.5
27 5 Justin Bour 33 18 30 22 25.75
28 5 Josh Bell 27 28 28 27 27.5
29 5 Brandon Moss 25 29 25 32 27.75
30 5 Travis Shaw 38 39 38 28.75
31 5 Steve Pearce 29 31 31 25 29
32 5 Logan Morrison 40 40 39 29.75
33 6 Mitch Moreland 32 33 26 31 30.5
34 6 Jefry Marte 42 30 33 29 33.5
35 6 Adam Lind 31 35 35 33 33.5
36 6 Ryan Zimmerman 30 36 32 36 33.5
37 6 Joe Mauer 41 32 34 34 35.25
38 6 Matt Adams 34 38 36 35 35.75
39 6 Wilmer Flores 37 37 37 37 37
40 6 Byung-ho Park 35 34 40 40 37.25

 

Are there any picks you want to defend?

Brad: It would seem I'm the only one in the group who believes Morales will do big things while batting cleanup for an actually productive offense in a division littered with actual hitter friendly parks. Sure, the Jays lineup won't be the same without Encarnacion and Bautista, but it's still an above average offense. More importantly, it's a much better situation for Morales who should have no problem repeating 30 home runs and could reach 100 RBI. He's boring, old, low risk, and low cost.

Kyle: I'm surprised to be the optimist on Pujols. He's certainly not what he used to be, but the veteran still has life in his bat. Over the past three seasons, he's fourth in homers, seventh in runs scored, and second in RBI among first basemen. He's even top 10 in stolen bases. He doesn't hit for average anymore, but with those counting stats, he doesn't really need to.

I'm also the Debbie Downer on Myers. Questions about his health, his lousy second half, and skepticism about him running that much again are enough for me to push him outside the top 10.

Nick: The highest one that jumps out to me is Brandon Belt, who was a solid OBP asset but nothing special in 5x5 leagues in 2016. At first glance, it looks like he's reached a clear plateau. But his selectivity at the plate didn't lead to a huge drop in hard-hit rate (still 36.4% from 39.8%), yet an 8.1% rise in fly-ball rate was mitigated by an uncharacteristically low 9.3% HR/FB rate. Even if it was just 2014's 13.6%, you'd feel better here. I'm feeling alright about his chances here.

Bill: I love Matt Carpenter at any position, so perhaps that's affecting my judgment here...nah, sticking by it. Carpenter missed some time last year, but still put up a very solid season (.271-21-68). It certainly appears that his power-for-average swap is going to stick, so we'll probably never see that .318 batting average from 2013 again. However, if he can get back to playing 150+ games, we could definitely see him threaten 30 homers and get the batting average back above .280. That's a rare power/average combo at the first base position (outside of the top four or five).

 

Which picks by others look overly bullish/pessimistic?

Brad: I'll point out Bill's ranking of Joseph only because it matches what I expected of the consensus. I thought I'd be high man on the totem pole, but Kyle and Nick agreed he's a solid late-round option in 12 team leagues with a corner infield slot. Bill sees him as the guy you grab off waivers when somebody blows a knee.

Kyle: Belt is the epitome of "better IRL than in fantasy," and I honestly have no idea why Brad and Nick have him ranked as highly as they do. He's never hit .290, never hit 20 home runs, his modest run production totals last year (77 runs, 82 RBI) were both career bests, and he was 0-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Oh, and he's entering his age-29 season and has played more than 150 games only once in six seasons. Does his home park hurt his numbers? Sure, but last I checked, the Giants don't plan to trade him. His awesome OBP means nothing in a standard league.

Nick: Kyle having Holliday down at #24 while the rest of us sit in the #18-19 range seems out of place, as his move to the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium where he can stay fresh at DH should keep that bat alive. He's had some durability concerns flare up over the last two years, but New York has finally learned how to treat their veteran bats.

Also Bill's #30 ranking for Brad Miller feels way too low. I know he doubled his HR/FB rate from 10.3% to 20.4%, but I believe some of that growth is genuine. He could finally find a groove in an everyday role in Tampa, and 20 homers with a few steals while regular batting cleanup should be worth more than #30.

Bill: Brad looks a bit too low on Greg Bird for my liking. He has a clear path to the first base job in New York, although he and Matt Holliday will likely swap on and off a bit at 1B/DH for what it's worth. In 2015, Bird hit 11 homers and knocked in 31 RBI in just 46 games, so the power is legit. He has a career .222 ISO across all levels, and now that he's back to full health he has a monster ceiling. 40 homers this year is probably out of the question, but I'm optimistically (and perhaps naively) projecting him for 30 bombs, 80+ RBI and around a .260 batting average--your prototypical first baseman. I'd take him on draft day over guys like Brad Miller and Tommy Joseph for sure.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

MLB17 mins ago

Rockies-Mariners Postponed On Friday
Bobby McMann47 mins ago

Could Play In Postseason Opener
Calle Jarnkrok53 mins ago

Practices Friday
William Nylander57 mins ago

Doesn't Practice Friday
Owen White58 mins ago

Rangers Option Jack Leiter, Call Up Owen White
Jean-Gabriel Pageau1 hour ago

Listed As Day-To-Day
Aaron Ekblad1 hour ago

Back For Game 1 Sunday
Zach Wilson1 hour ago

Not At Voluntary Workouts
Noah Dobson1 hour ago

Returning For Game 1
Dean Wade1 hour ago

Ruled Out For Game 1
Max Domi1 hour ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
Giannis Antetokounmpo1 hour ago

Not Participating In Live Practice
DJ LeMahieu1 hour ago

Not Ready For Rehab Assignment
Kyle Freeland1 hour ago

Rockies Place Kyle Freeland On 15-Day Injured List
De'Anthony Melton2 hours ago

Remains Sidelined For Game 1
Joel Embiid2 hours ago

Deemed Questionable For Game 1 Against Knicks
Tobias Harris2 hours ago

76ers Expected To Part Ways This Summer
Alex Caruso2 hours ago

Expects To Play Against Heat
Ricky Tiedemann2 hours ago

Undergoes MRI For Elbow Discomfort
Jayden Daniels2 hours ago

Not Interested In Playing In D.C.?
Rafael Devers3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Friday
Brent Rooker3 hours ago

A's Activate Brent Rooker From Injured List
DJ Chark Jr.3 hours ago

Visits With Chargers
Courtland Sutton4 hours ago

Broncos Not Concerned With Courtland Sutton
Alex Cobb16 hours ago

To Throw On Flat Ground On Friday
Ryne Nelson17 hours ago

Has Elbow Contusion
Kirby Yates17 hours ago

Strengthens Grip On Closer Role
Brandon Ingram19 hours ago

Has "A Great Practice" On Thursday
Ryne Nelson19 hours ago

Removed From Start After Taking Comebacker To The Wrist
Max Scherzer19 hours ago

Rangers Hopeful Max Scherzer Can Return In Early May
Los Angeles Dodgers19 hours ago

Walker Buehler Doesn't Reach Pitch Goal In Rehab Start
Darren Waller20 hours ago

Giants Haven't Given Darren Waller A Deadline For His Decision
J.K. Dobbins20 hours ago

"Should Be" Ready For Training Camp
Triston McKenzie20 hours ago

Reportedly Pitching Through Torn Ligament
Trevor Lawrence20 hours ago

Jaguars Making Progress On Extension For Trevor Lawrence
Alex Cobb20 hours ago

Now Dealing With Shoulder Irritation
Jameson Taillon20 hours ago

Cubs Activate Jameson Taillon For Friday's Start
Zach Collins21 hours ago

To Undergo Surgery
Duncan Robinson21 hours ago

Probable Versus Chicago
Terry Rozier21 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Evening
Jimmy Butler21 hours ago

Out Several Weeks
Andre Drummond21 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Ayo Dosunmu22 hours ago

Questionable Against The Heat
Alex Caruso22 hours ago

Questionable For Friday Night
Justus Annunen23 hours ago

Starting On Thursday
Tyler O'Neill23 hours ago

Hopes To Return When First Eligible
Dustin Wolf23 hours ago

Starting Thursday's Series Finale
Aroldis Chapman23 hours ago

Tagged With Two-Game Suspension
Devin Cooley23 hours ago

To Start Regular Season Finale
MLB23 hours ago

Marlins-Cubs Postponed On Thursday
Sidney Crosby24 hours ago

To Discuss Extension With Penguins
Rasmus Ristolainen24 hours ago

Undergoes Triceps Surgery
Robert Stephenson1 day ago

To Undergo Elbow Surgery
Jack Leiter1 day ago

Lit Up For Seven Runs In MLB Debut
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Commanders Won't Trade Down From No. 2 Pick
NFL1 day ago

NFL Reinstates Five Suspended Players On Thursday
Zay Flowers1 day ago

Won't Face Discipline From NFL
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Commanders "Feel Great About Staying At No. 2"
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Vikings To Meet With Jayden Daniels On Thursday
Buffalo Bills1 day ago

Terrel Bernard Feels Good Health-Wise
Nick Chubb1 day ago

Running On Land
New England Patriots1 day ago

Patriots "Open For Business" On Trades For NFL Draft
Andrew Wiggins1 day ago

To Be On The Trade Block In Offseason
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Expected To Log Full Practice On Friday
Kawhi Leonard1 day ago

Clippers "Preparing" To Have Kawhi Leonard Available In Game 1
Sam Merrill1 day ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Game 1
Dean Wade1 day ago

Unlikely To Play In Game 1
Alex Caruso1 day ago

Doubtful For Friday With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Jimmy Butler1 day ago

Feared To Have Suffered MCL Injury
Dougie Hamilton2 days ago

Could Have Returned For Playoffs
Nikita Kucherov2 days ago

Reaches 100 Assists
Auston Matthews2 days ago

Fails To Score Goal No. 70 Wednesday
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Planning To Sign With Chargers
Calvin Pickard2 days ago

Getting The Start Wednesday
Matt Tomkins2 days ago

Starting Regular Season Finale Wednesday
Luke Hughes2 days ago

To Play For USA At World Championships
NYI2 days ago

Ruslan Iskhakov Could Make NHL Debut Wednesday
Timo Meier2 days ago

Dealt With MCL, Oblique Injuries In 2023-24
MON2 days ago

Canadiens Exercise Two-Year Option On Martin St. Louis
De'Von Achane2 days ago

Looking Shredded
Brock Bowers2 days ago

Visiting With Chargers
Spencer Rattler2 days ago

Giants Visit With Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler
Adam Hadwin2 days ago

Too Volatile To Touch At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

A Boring Play At RBC Heritage
Tom Kim2 days ago

Heads To Hilton Head Looking For Consistency
Emiliano Grillo2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC Heritage
Chris Kirk2 days ago

A Safe Option For RBC Heritage
Adam Schenk2 days ago

Trending Up Ahead of RBC Heritage
Lucas Glover2 days ago

Looks To Reverse Fortune At Harbour Town
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Should Contend At Harbour Town
Max Homa2 days ago

Be Wary Of Max Homas At RBC Heritage
Rickie Fowler2 days ago

In Poor Form Heading To Harbour Town
Eric Cole2 days ago

Out Of Form Heading To RBC Heritage
Sepp Straka2 days ago

Continues Maddening Run Of Inconsistent Play
Keegan Bradley2 days ago

Looking To Get Over The Hump At Harbour Town
Tony Finau2 days ago

Looking To Find Putting Stroke At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris2 days ago

Makes Return To Harbour Town
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston A Decent Leverage Play With Upside At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

Brings Near-Perfect Course History To Harbour Town
Akshay Bhatia3 days ago

A Perfect Fit For Harbour Town, But Take Caution
Jake Knapp3 days ago

In Solid Form Heading To Harbour Town
Nick Taylor3 days ago

In Bounce-Back Spot At Harbour Town
Justin Rose3 days ago

Searching For Form Heading To RBC Heritage
Royce Freeman3 days ago

Cowboys Sign Royce Freeman To One-Year Deal
Nick Chubb3 days ago

No Timetable For Nick Chubb's Return
Alex Pereira4 days ago

Defends Light-Heavyweight Title At UFC 300
Jamahal Hill4 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 300
Yan Xiaonan4 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Capture UFC Title
Arman Tsarukyan4 days ago

Edges Out Competitive Decision At UFC 300
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Drops Decision Matchup
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes Seventh At Texas Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch4 days ago

Earns Top 10 Finish In Backup Car At Texas Motor Speedway
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Emerges Victorious in Texas Race Riddled with Cautions
William Byron4 days ago

Finishes Third at Texas After Wrecking Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Gets Wrecked on Final Lap at Texas While Battling for the Lead
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Sees Dominant Day Slip Away at Texas Due To Loose Wheel
NASCAR5 days ago

Daniel Suárez the Luckiest Driver at Texas, Scores Top Five
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Late Spinout Costs Denny Hamlin Likely Second-Place Finish
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Had Speed at Texas, But Burnt by Pit Crew
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Was Best Ford Driver Until Wreck With Ryan Preece
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Earns Hard-Fought Fourth Place Finish At Texas
Austin Dillon5 days ago

Gains His Best Finish Of The Year At Texas
Carson Hocevar5 days ago

Rounds Out Top Ten At Texas
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Ends Up Sixth At Texas
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Great Tournament Option At Texas
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Starts From the Rear After Texas Practice Crash
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Should Chase Elliott Be Rostered In DFS For Texas?
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Can Ty Gibbs Score His First Win At Texas?
Cody Brundage5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 300
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Quality Value Play For Texas
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 300
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Will Start 11th At Texas On Sunday
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Brings Continued Upside To Texas
Justin Gaethje5 days ago

Gets KO'd At UFC 300
Max Holloway5 days ago

Scores Highlight-Reel KO At UFC 300
Zhang Weili5 days ago

Retains Strawweight Title At UFC 300
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Why Jahmyr Gibbs Should NOT Be A First-Round Pick: 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! We're already digging into what the fantasy football landscape will look like in 2024. RotoBaller's David Rispoli breaks down why talented Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs could be getting too much hype in 2024 drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM... Read More


Joe Milton - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

2024 NFL Draft – Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt, Joe Milton III NFL Draft Outlooks

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a week away. Everyone knows the Chicago Bears will select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. However, the uncertainty starts after the first selection. Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy will be top 10 picks, potentially coming off the board in the top five. Meanwhile, Bo... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 4: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

Week 4 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature three games on Saturday with one game on Sunday. Memphis and St. Louis will play at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, followed by DC-Birmingham and Michigan-San Antonio both at 7. Sunday's game pits the 0-3 Renegades against the 0-3 Roughnecks.... Read More


Tom Brady - NFL QB Passing Leaders, Fantasy Football All Time Greats

2000 NFL Draft - Who Were The Six Quarterbacks Selected Before Tom Brady?

With 10 Super Bowl appearances, seven Lombardi Trophies, and five Super Bowl MVPs, Tom Brady is undoubtedly the greatest quarterback to ever step on an NFL field. What has always made his story even more remarkable is that he was all but forgotten in the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady had to watch 198 players be... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Running Back 2024 NFL Mock Draft - Projected Landing Spots and NFL Draft Analysis

Believe it or not, the 2024 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away. While we can never make a perfect prediction of which teams will select which players, we do have a strong sense of major areas of weakness for individual teams. With that in mind, we can explore some of the teams that... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 4 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including Adrian Martinez, Deon Cain, Cody Latimer, More

Welcome to the Week 4 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 4 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


Josh Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Who Are The Top Five Quarterbacks in 2024 Fantasy Football?

We might be a couple of months away from fantasy football drafts taking place. But it is never too early to start researching and getting an idea where players are falling in drafts, especially at the quarterback position. Quarterback is the most important position in football and the position that scores the most points in fantasy. Despite many fantasy managers choosing to wait... Read More


Three Sneaky Winners of NFL Free Agency: 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! We're already digging into what the fantasy football landscape will look like in 2024. RotoBaller's David Rispoli breaks down three sneaky fantasy football winners of the NFL free agency period. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87)... Read More


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Top 300 Early Fantasy Football Best Ball Rankings for 2024 (Pre-NFL Draft)

Hey, RotoBallers! While it feels like the NFL season just ended, it's never too early to start preparing for your upcoming fantasy football drafts. Fantasy managers are already preparing for 2024 by drafting in best ball leagues. Today, we will review our NFL team's early 2024 fantasy football best ball rankings for the top 300 fantasy... Read More


Brian Thomas Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Rounds 1, 2, 3 Predictions (Post Stefon Diggs Trade)

The better part of free agency is done. While we continue to watch the depth pieces trickle through on smaller deals, the lion’s share of noteworthy moves are behind us. That is usually a sign that another mock draft is needed. In this mock, I will dive three rounds deep. I will factor in A... Read More


2024 Dynasty Startup Blueprint - FFPC Draft Strategies and More

There's nothing quite like the feel of a new dynasty startup and the anticipation of your incoming draft slot as you decide which players you want to make up the cornerstone of your roster for years to come. While we still have to wait four months for some live NFL action, the good news about... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Mock Draft: First-Rounder with Trades

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than 10 days away. Yet, the next several days will feel like a lifetime for NFL Draft fans. While everyone wants to discuss the quarterback class and the first few picks, the NFL Draft doesn’t end after the first round. This year’s draft class will have several impact players... Read More


Ja'Marr Chase fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Who is the Top Wide Receiver in 2024 Fantasy Football?

It feels like just yesterday we watched Patrick Mahomes get showered in confetti, lifting the Lombardi Trophy for the third time. The NFL Draft is nearly upon us, though, and the fantasy football offseason is beginning to pick up steam. It's never too early to predict which players will sit atop the leaderboards at the... Read More