X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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

Late-Round First Basemen - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have playing time concerns. It is essential to know the player pool so you can take a chance at a spot in the draft that you're comfortable without deviating from your overall strategy.

Today we are looking at some late-round first basemen for you to consider. Do we think they are draft targets or players to avoid? Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and be one of your later-round draft sleepers? Read on to see our take.

Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2020 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 400+ of our 2020 player outlooks, and many other premium articles and tools, available exclusively in our 2020 Draft Kit.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and weekly lineup resources:

 

Edwin Encarnacion - 1B, Chicago White Sox

Encarnacion continued to defy Father Time during the 2019 season. While his .244 batting average and 21.2% K-rate were mediocre, the 37-year-old managed to blast 34 home runs and pick up 86 RBI in just 418 at-bats split between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. Encarnacion has not had a campaign with less than 32 HRs and 86 RBI since the 2011 season, and more of the same is the expectation for the Dominican slugger heading into 2020.

Encarnacion joined the White Sox talented young core in the offseason and will see ample opportunity to produce in the middle of the lineup. Over the past five seasons, his exit velocity (90 MPH), barrel percentage (11.5%), and hard-hit percentage (42.1%) have stayed remarkably consistent, suggesting that his powerful stroke shows no signs of decay. All things considered, as long as Encarnacion can avoid injury, he should be able to breeze past his current NFBC ADP of 197. Expect a healthy Encarnacion to finish among the top-15 fantasy first baseman by season's end.

--Raymond Harrison

 

Luke Voit - 1B, New York Yankees

Voit was never going to sustain his .322/.398/.671 small-sample slash line from 2018, but he remained productive when healthy in 2019. Prior to suffering a sports hernia in late July, he hit 19 homers in 94 games with a .278/.392/.493 line. After returning, he hit just .200/.319/.338, which left him with an overall line of .263/.378/.464, with 21 home runs in 118 games. A .494 xSLG and 38 barrels on the season suggest that his results were somewhat worse than you might expect in the power department, although his .249 xBA was a bit low.

Voit had surgery after the season and will enter 2020 healthy. It's never 100% clear how playing time will work out on the Yankees; Voit had to compete with Greg Bird last spring training and may see a fight with Mike Ford this year. However, Voit has done nothing since 2018 to suggest he shouldn't be an everyday player when healthy.

Voit should ultimately hit plenty of homers and drive in runs for another strong Yankees offense. His ADP of 193 seems like an overreaction to his late-season slump that was connected to his hernia; his RotoBaller staff ranking of 169 is a better spot to target him. His price will rise if he is named the starting first baseman, but it will trend downward if Ford starts to gain traction.

--Nate Green

 

Christian Walker - 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Heading into the 2019 season, Walker had amassed 99 career plate appearances over 61 games in four seasons. Then Paul Goldschmidt was traded, Jake Lamb picked up an early injury, and the flood gates opened for Walker. He had 603 PA over 152 games and slashed .259./.348/.476 with an impressive 29 home runs, 86 runs, and 73 RBI in what was essentially a rookie season.

The 28-year-old underachieved according to his expected stats as his xSLG was .511, 35 points higher than his actual slugging percentage, and his xWOBA sat at .358 compared to his actual wOBA of .341. Walker also made great contact last season and ranked 32nd in baseball in barrel percentage (13.1 percent) among players that had at least 250 plate appearances.

For drafters worried about the league adjusting to him in his second full season, they will be happy to learn Walker saw his walk rate rise from 8.9 percent in the first half of the season to 13.9 percent in the second. Also, he dropped his strikeout rate from 28 percent to 22.8 percent. He's the 19th first baseman off the board, and his ADP sits at 203 right now. Walker is a perfect corner infielder for a team that needs to find some pop in the later rounds of their draft.

--Euan Leith

 

Eric Hosmer - 1B, San Diego Padres

Hosmer had a decent season on the surface in 2019, hitting .265/.310/.425 with 22 homers, 99 RBI, and 72 runs as the primary cleanup hitter for the reloaded San Diego Padres lineup. Looking under the hood, though, reveals some brutal hitting metrics that need to be considered for his 2020 fantasy outlook.

Hosmer's 24.4% strikeout rate (highest of career), 6% walk rate (lowest of career), 73.7% contact rate (lowest of career), .160 ISO, .320 wOBA, and 4.6% barrels per plate appearance rate are all alarmingly terrible. He did hold a solid 40.1% hard-hit rate, and he was reliable against righty's (30% better OPS and 21-of-22 homers against RHP), so he could be deployed as a matchup-based option.

Hosmer is durable (at least 152 games played in seven of his nine seasons) and doesn't have much competition for playing time, so he'll get his opportunities. Expect him to hover right around what he did last season, holding a subpar batting average and contributing just enough in homers and RBI's in a somewhat-scary lineup to remain relevant. Hosmer is being taken as the 23rd first baseman at pick 219 in early drafts, which is right around where he should be valued. There are less-reliable, higher-upside options (Christian WalkerYandy Diaz, or Michael Chavis) in his range if you choose to go that route.

--Kyle Ringstad

 

Daniel Murphy - 1B, Colorado Rockies

Murphy's first season in Colorado didn't go as hoped, either for the Rockies or for fantasy owners who invested an early-round pick in his services. The veteran suffered an injury in March that cost him most of April and never seemed to get on track afterward. Ultimately, he turned in his worst performance since 2015, slashing .279/.328/.452, with just 13 home runs in 478 plate appearances.

Since winning the National League batting title with a .347 mark in 2016, Murphy's average has declined at least 20 points in each season. He has spent time on the injured list in each of the last six campaigns and will turn 35 in April. He has also lost second base eligibility for 2020, meaning he only qualifies at first base. Still, playing in the game's most hitter-friendly park lends Murphy some intrigue as a late-round flier. With an ADP of 235, he's the 24th first baseman off the board. Even a modest rebound would allow him to turn a profit at that cost.

--Kyle Bishop

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




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

Ke'Bryan Hayes2 hours ago

Hits The 10-Day Injured List
Jarvis Landry2 hours ago

Works Out With Jaguars Friday
Edwin Díaz2 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Will Be Used In Three Straight Games At Times
Christian Scott3 hours ago

Does Not Have A Hard Innings Limit
Jayden Daniels3 hours ago

Impresses During Rookie Minicamp
Connor Wong3 hours ago

Getting The Day Off On Saturday
Rome Odunze3 hours ago

Sitting Out With Hamstring Tightness
Bam Adebayo3 hours ago

Expected To Receive An Extension
Bryan Woo4 hours ago

Leaves Early Friday, Expected To Make Next Start
Max Scherzer4 hours ago

Given Cortisone Injection
Kyle Schwarber4 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Back
Jesús Luzardo4 hours ago

Jesus Luzardo Activated And Starting Saturday
Pete Fairbanks4 hours ago

Rays Reinstate Pete Fairbanks From Injured List
Freddy Peralta4 hours ago

Back From Suspension, Starting Saturday
George Springer4 hours ago

Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer Still Out Sick
Brandon Lowe8 hours ago

Exits Rehab Game Friday
Matt McLain15 hours ago

Cleared To Resume Throwing And Running
Jorge Soler15 hours ago

Begins Hitting Progression
Lane Thomas15 hours ago

Ramping Up Activity
Kodai Senga15 hours ago

Could Begin Rehab Assignment Soon
Jesús Luzardo15 hours ago

Jesus Luzardo Set To Start Saturday
Gerrit Cole15 hours ago

Throws Long Toss Friday
Robert Gasser15 hours ago

Twirls Gem In Major-League Debut
Nick Gonzales15 hours ago

Drives In Two In Season Debut
Yennier Cano15 hours ago

Trending Up, Notches Second Save
Josh Hart17 hours ago

Grabs A Double-Double In Game 3
Donte DiVincenzo17 hours ago

Explodes Offensively On Friday
Jalen Brunson17 hours ago

Can't Lift New York To A Win
Myles Turner18 hours ago

Bounces Back In Game 3
Pascal Siakam18 hours ago

Helps Indiana Claim Game 3
Tyrese Haliburton18 hours ago

Surges Again On Friday Night
Bo Nix19 hours ago

Signs Rookie Deal With Broncos
Dean Wade21 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Game 3
Jarrett Allen21 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Luka Doncic21 hours ago

On Injury Report With New Issue
Precious Achiuwa21 hours ago

Starts Game 3 On Friday
Tyrese Haliburton21 hours ago

Available For Game 3 Against Knicks
Jalen Brunson21 hours ago

Officially Good To Go Friday
Danton Heinen22 hours ago

Remains Day-To-Day
Andrew Peeke22 hours ago

On Track To Return On Friday
Jakub Lauko23 hours ago

Returns To Bruins Lineup
Adam Henrique23 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Leon Draisaitl23 hours ago

Considered A Game-Time Decision On Friday
Sam Bennett23 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision On Friday
Aidan O'Connell24 hours ago

The Early Favorite To Start For Raiders
Kirk Cousins1 day ago

"Pretty Much Full-Go" This Offseason
Zay Jones1 day ago

Signing With Cardinals
Gabe Davis1 day ago

Working Through Knee Injury
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Giants Sign Malik Nabers To Rookie Deal
Caleb Williams1 day ago

Bears Officially Name Caleb Williams The Starter
Nursulton Ruziboev1 day ago

Set For A Co-Main Event
Joaquin Buckley1 day ago

To Fight In Co-Main Event Of UFC St. Louis
Carlos Ulberg1 day ago

Has A Tough Test In Front Of Him
Alonzo Menifield1 day ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sean Woodson1 day ago

Looks For Fifth Win In A Row
Alex Caceres1 day ago

Set To Face Sean Woodson At UFC St. Louis
Washington Wizards1 day ago

Brian Keefe Seen As Front-Runner For Wizards' Head-Coaching Job
Phoenix Suns1 day ago

Suns Plan To Hire Mike Budenholzer
Valeri Nichushkin1 day ago

Scores Ninth Postseason Goal
Miro Heiskanen1 day ago

Nets Two Power-Play Goals In Game 2 Victory
Roope Hintz1 day ago

Explodes For Four-Point Performance
Andrei Svechnikov1 day ago

Notches Two Points In Game 3 Loss
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Hits Game-Winner In Overtime
Vincent Trocheck1 day ago

Extends Multi-Point Streak
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Logs 12 Minutes In First Game In Six Months
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander1 day ago

Leads All Scorers In Losing Effort
Luka Doncic1 day ago

Leads The Way In Game 2 Victory
P.J. Washington1 day ago

Pours In 29 Points
Jaylen Brown2 days ago

Cools Off In Game 2
Jayson Tatum2 days ago

Can't Lead Boston To A Win On Thursday
Brock Bowers2 days ago

Raiders Sign Brock Bowers To Rookie Deal
Donovan Mitchell2 days ago

Leads The Way In Game 2
Kyren Williams2 days ago

Rams Looking To Keep Kyren Williams Fresh in 2024
Jared Goff2 days ago

Extension A "High Priority" For Lions
NJ2 days ago

Devils Interested In Sheldon Keefe
Joel Kiviranta2 days ago

Avalanche Hope To Get Joel Kiviranta Back For Game 2
Mason Marchment2 days ago

Back In Stars Lineup Thursday
Brett Pesce2 days ago

Remains Out Indefinitely
Evgeny Kuznetsov2 days ago

Re-Enters Hurricanes Lineup
Pyotr Kochetkov2 days ago

Starts Game 3 For Carolina
Keon Coleman2 days ago

To Start Right Away For Bills
Hideki Matsuyama2 days ago

Withdraws From Wells Fargo Championship
Allen Robinson II2 days ago

Allen Robinson Signs With Giants
Brad Marchand2 days ago

Starting To Heat Up Again
Brandon Montour2 days ago

Wraps Up Three-Point Night With Short-Handed Goal
Waldo Cortes-Acosta2 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC St. Louis
Robelis Despaigne2 days ago

Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC St. Louis
Mateusz Rębecki2 days ago

Mateusz Rebecki A Big Favorite At UFC St. Louis
Diego Ferreira2 days ago

Ends Year-Long Layoff At UFC St. Louis
Rodrigo Nascimento2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC St. Louis
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Gets Main-Event Spot At UFC St. Louis
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

Has Chip On His Shoulder
Zay Jones3 days ago

Chiefs Next On Zay Jones' List Of Visits
Michael McDowell3 days ago

Will Join Spire Motorsports In 2025
Christian Watson3 days ago

"In A Great Place" With Hamstring Injury
Zay Jones3 days ago

Visiting Cowboys On Wednesday
Brandon Aiyuk3 days ago

49ers Want To Keep Brandon Aiyuk For The Long Term
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

Looking To Reverse Quail Hollow Fortunes
Hideki Matsuyama3 days ago

Eyeing 10th Tour Victory In Charlotte
Russell Henley3 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Wells Fargo Championship
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Back In Action At Quail Hollow
Christiaan Bezuidenhout3 days ago

Rolling Into Wells Fargo Championship
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

A Risky Option At Quail Hollow
PGA3 days ago

J.T. Poston Showing Upside Ahead Of Wells Fargo Championship
Michael McDowell3 days ago

To Leave Front Row Motorsports After 2024
Adam Schenk4 days ago

To Continue Playing Well At Quail Hollow?
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

Heads To Quail Hollow After First Win In 2024
Adam Scott4 days ago

Heads To Quail Hollow In Solid Form
Tony Finau4 days ago

Returns To Wells Fargo Championship
Anthony Richardson4 days ago

Progressing Well, Feels Ready To Go
Keegan Bradley4 days ago

Looking To Find Putting Confidence At Quail Hollow
Billy Horschel4 days ago

A Volatile Option At Wells Fargo
Taylor Moore4 days ago

Attempts To Rebound At Charlotte
Lucas Glover4 days ago

Could Feel Close To Home At Wells Fargo
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Playing Well Heading To Quail Hollow
Kurt Kitayama4 days ago

Likely To Lurk In Charlotte
Andrew Putnam4 days ago

Poised To Keep Rolling At Wells Fargo
Akshay Bhatia4 days ago

Looking To Continue Strong Play In Charlotte
Adam Hadwin4 days ago

An Interesting Pick At Wells Fargo
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Gets Win In Kansas With Amazing Photo Finish
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Misses Victory At Kansas In Closest NASCAR Finish Ever
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Unexpectedly Lackluster at Kansas
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Had Speed But Was Foiled by Pit Strategy at Kansas
William Byron5 days ago

Unable to Fully Recover From Qualifying Crash at Kansas
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Showing Consistent Speed Again After Mediocre Short Track Stretch
Martin Truex Jr5 days ago

. Misses Out On Victory At Kansas
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Scores Hard-Fought Podium Finish At Kansas
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Sees Win Slip Away Late At Kansas
Alexandre Pantoja5 days ago

Edges Out Competitive Decision At UFC 301
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Ihor Potieria5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 301
Michel Pereira5 days ago

Stops Ihor Potieria In The First Round
Paul Craig5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 301
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Earns Third Top-10 Finish In Three Weeks With Ninth-Place Finish
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Delivers Value In DFS At Kansas
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Takes Sixth Place On Sunday Night
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Ends Up 10th At Kansas
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Top Rookie Wide Receiver Landing Spots for 2024 Fantasy Football

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the rearview and we're diving into which rookie wide receivers have the best landing spots for 2024 Fantasy Football. RotoBaller's David Rispoli digs into his top four landing spots for rookies at the wide receiver position following the 2024 NFL Draft. Which rookie... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

Free UFL Betting Picks - Best Bets, Odds, Predictions for Week 7

Way too much time has already passed in this 2024 UFL campaign--I really wish we still had another ten weeks left. If you rode with me on my picks last week, we did alright at 5-3. The UFL did alright for itself last week too with some fantastic TV numbers, which is always encouraging to... Read More


Adonai Mitchell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Avoid These Rookie Wide Receivers in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

As fantasy football enthusiasts gear up for another exhilarating season, the search for rookie talent is always a tempting venture. However, caution must be exercised amidst the excitement of potential breakout stars, especially regarding rookie wide receivers. While some first-year players may dazzle with their athleticism and potential, others may struggle to acclimate to the... Read More


Ricky Pearsall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Ricky Pearsall NFL Rookie Profile - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

Projected as a Day 2 pick, the San Francisco 49ers shocked the world by selecting Florida product Ricky Pearsall at the end of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After playing five seasons of college football, Pearsall joins one of the most loaded groups of skill position players in the NFL. Pearsall will... Read More


Ja'Lynn Polk - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Sleeper Candidate - Ja'Lynn Polk, Wide Receiver

After months of speculation, rumors, continual examinations of statistics, and a collection of mock drafts, we finally witnessed the results of this year’s NFL Draft. A myriad of factors contributed to the massive buildup of this year’s draft process, representing a major step in shaping the pathway for each newcomer’s imminent arrival into the NFL... Read More


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

James Conner, Trey Benson - Fantasy Football Outlook for Arizona Cardinals RBs in 2024

It was a fairly quiet offseason for the Arizona Cardinals after they went 4-13 last season. Their biggest offseason signing was offensive tackle Jonah Williams, who agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal. Other key names they signed were Justin Jones (three years, $30 million), Sean Murphy-Bunting (three years, $25.5 million), and Bilal Nichols (three years, $21 million). Despite... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 7: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

Week 6's UFL action delivered two expected blowouts on Saturday, followed by two tightly contested games on Sunday with the home favorites coming out on top. Week 7 brings us what should be the game of the season and a potential title preview as 5-1 St. Louis travels to take on 6-0 Birmingham. The highly-touted... Read More


Fantasy Football Quarterback Winners From the 2024 NFL Draft

For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. It’s Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: If this, then that. Newton probably didn’t know it at the time, but this same law of motion can be attributed to fantasy football, too. If this team drafts this player, then this player loses value. It’s pretty... Read More


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Is Fantasy Football Harder this Year?

Michael F. Florio is back and going over early ADP's in best ball draft. Is fantasy football harder this year? Florio explains why it may be and how the board starts to thin out earlier than ever! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 3-5 pm to... Read More


Zamir White - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook for Zamir White (2024)

The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone. Several rookie minicamps are now underway. The NFL offseason is moving fast! As we enter the post-draft part of the offseason, it’s a good time to revisit some players’ dynasty values. The results of the NFL Draft can cause wild fluctuations based on its results. Make sure... Read More


2024 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings: Kyren Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., Justin Herbert, Kyle Pitts, Stefon Diggs, Brock Bowers, Xavier Worthy

Hey, RotoBallers! It's always fantasy football season here at RotoBaller HQ. With the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, it's time for more fantasy football rankings! Today, we will review our NFL team's updated 2024 fantasy football dynasty rankings (the top-500 players), including Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Breece Hall, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Kyle... Read More


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

Fantasy Football Rookie Spotlight: Brian Thomas Jr.

Former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. After struggling to put much production in his first two college seasons, Thomas broke out in a big way in his final college campaign in 2023. That year ultimately helped raise his draft stock. The Jacksonville... Read More


Troy Franklin - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top Fantasy Football Dynasty Sleepers Heading into 2024 - Wide Receivers

It’s finally time to gear up for the 2024 NFL season. Dynasty fantasy football drafts are starting up, and managers often look for those diamond-in-the-rough players during this time. With a new crop of incoming rookies, some are bound to break out for fantasy purposes. You can find dynasty sleepers in veteran guys, but I... Read More