2026 First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Points Leagues

January 14, 2026

2026 points fantasy baseball first base rankings, tiers, draft strategy for first base and points leagues. Nick Mariano is a top-accuracy fantasy baseball ranker.

The fantasy baseball offseason will continue to ramp up as we get closer to pitchers and catchers reporting. It's never too early to start preparing for your upcoming drafts in March. Today, we focus on points leagues and break down the first base position. In points leagues, fantasy managers want first basemen who get on base and hit for power. It's one of the weaker positions overall; managers may want to draft an elite one early on. For looking for first base points rankings, we've got you covered with our 2026 fantasy baseball first base rankings for points leagues and head-to-head (H2H) points leagues.

The first base rankings below are specifically designed for points leagues. We also have many other fantasy baseball rankings, tools, and resources to help you win in 2026. Throughout the preseason and MLB season, we'll be publishing rankings, tools, and analysis articles, all geared for fantasy baseball points and H2H points leagues -- so bookmark that link and be sure to check back often.

In the article below, we will be taking a look at our first base points rankings list put together by RotoBaller's MLB expert Nick Mariano. These rankings cover the top 30 first basemen. Be sure to also download our free fantasy baseball mobile app so you can stay on top of all the MLB news and analysis articles.

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2026 First Base Rankings: Points Leagues

These 1B rankings are for points and head-to-head points leagues. You can also see our roto fantasy baseball rankings.

Before we get to the rankings, let's quickly review points leagues and how they differ from other formats. Typically, points leagues have different league settings and scoring formats than other fantasy baseball leagues. Different MLB stats and categories are assigned different point values, and those can vary by individual league settings. Those different point buckets are then added up over the course of a scoring period or season.

In many cases, hitters who walk more and strike out less are preferred for points leagues. Also, many league formats tend to give more weight to pitchers than normal, as they can easily accrue points through categories like Innings Pitched. These are the general frameworks that we use for our points league rankings below, and explain why they look different than more standard 5x5 roto fantasy baseball rankings.

Fantasy Baseball First Base News

Christian Walker, Houston Astros

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker seems to be in an overcrowded situation in Houston, but according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, there isn't much interest in him on the open market. The Astros have Carlos Correa back in the mix, most likely at 3B, with Yordan Alvarez locked in as DH for most of next season. That leaves Isaac Parades without an everyday spot unless he moves to 1B, or he could be moved in a trade. Parades would likely get more in return, but it makes more sense for the Astros to try to move Walker.

The veteran has two years, $40 million left on his contract, and could end up being moved in a salary dump if the Astros can find a taker. While he did have 27 homers last year, he only hit .238 with a .310 wOBA in 154 games. Walker's market doesn't seem to be heating up, though, so the Astros may have to get creative to solve their infield logjam.

Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora views first baseman Willson Contreras as the cleanup hitter for the 2026 season, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. If Contreras does indeed become the BoSox's cleanup hitter this year after being acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, the 33-year-old former catcher will have plenty of RBI opportunities, even if the team was unable to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman.

Outfielder Jarren Duran, shortstop Trevor Story, and outfielder Roman Anthony should hit in the top three spots to help set the table for Contreras. The three-time All-Star had an OPS under .800 for the first time in four seasons in 2025, but he also produced career highs in RBI (80), doubles (31), and runs scored (70) with more playing time (135 games) at first base. There will be plenty of RBI opportunities in the cleanup spot, but Contreras is more of an average fantasy first baseman without a high-end power profile.

Charlie Condon, Colorado Rockies

According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Charlie Condon is expected to compete for the starting first base job during spring training. Condon was selected with the third overall pick by the Rockies in the 2024 MLB Draft. The former Georgia Bulldog came out of college as an outfielder but appears to be in the mix for a role at first base, hoping to get him to the majors sooner.

In 2025, Condon split his time between High-A and Double-A and posted an overall .268/.376/.444 line with an .820 OPS. He launched 14 home runs and added 16 doubles with two stolen bases. Condon also turned in a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. Given that the Rockies do not have a firm answer at the first base position, Condon could make a strong case to start there on Opening Day. He will be competing alongside Troy Johnston and Blaine Crim.

Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman has decided to withdraw from the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Freeman has pulled out of the tourney due to personal reasons. He has played for Canada in each of the last two tournaments, but has decided to sit this one out. Freeman has played in back-to-back World Series with the Dodgers, so it makes sense that he'd want to spend as much time as possible with his family.

Relief pitcher Jordan Romano has also dropped out of the WBC, which has opened a door for Jameson Taillon to join the roster. Also, catcher Liam Hicks and infielder Tyler Black will suit up for Canada in the upcoming tourney.

Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (knee) has resumed baseball activities and is optimistic about playing in Spring Training. Casas is working his way back from a serious knee injury that limited him to 29 games. It seems that Casas is heading in the right direction, but might not be ready for Opening Day. The 26-year-old is likely going to be limited to designated hitter duties with Willson Contreras joining the club this offseason.

The Red Sox have enough organizational depth that they could potentially send Casas to the minors until he's ready to contribute again. Casas has only played one full season since making his MLB debut in 2022. There's decent upside here, but Casas is looking more like a late-round option.

Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals

Outfielder/infielder Alec Burleson is set to be the St. Louis Cardinals' everyday first baseman in 2026, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The move comes after St. Louis dealt Willson Contreras to the Red Sox earlier this week for right-handers Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita. With Contreras gone, Burleson will move over to first base after spending most of 2025 in the outfield.

He put together a strong offensive season last year, posting a .802 OPS and .275 xBA with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, 54 runs scored, and five stolen bases, good for a 124 wRC+. He also showed excellent plate discipline, striking out just 14.5% of the time.

Defensively, Burleson graded out as a below-average outfielder, but he did make 38 starts at first base in 2025, so the transition shouldn't be much of an issue. From a fantasy perspective, Burleson offers dual eligibility and is expected to play every day, including against left-handed pitching after showing real improvement against them last season. Looking ahead to 2026, Burleson projects for up to 25 home runs with a .270 batting average while hitting in the middle of the Cardinals' lineup, making him a player who should be rostered in both 12- and 15-team leagues.

Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics

Outfielder/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom and the Athletics have agreed to a seven-year, $86 million contract extension, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal includes a club option for 2033 and can escalate to $131 million if all incentives are reached. This is the largest guaranteed deal in A's history.

The 2025 season marked Soderstrom's first full year in the majors and his first extended run in the outfield, and he impressed on both sides of the ball. He slashed .276/.346/.474 with 25 home runs, 93 RBI, and 75 runs scored across 624 plate appearances, good for a 125 wRC+, while also finishing as a Gold Glove finalist.

While the 24-year-old ran at a relatively high.327 BABIP, his 49.8% hard-hit rate suggests the production was driven more by skill than luck. The former first-round pick consistently barreled the ball while keeping his strikeout rate to a manageable 22.6%. Looking ahead to 2026, Soderstrom is expected to hit in the middle of the A's lineup in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. With a current 95.6 ADP, he offers legitimate 30-homer, 100-RBI upside while providing positional flexibility, making him a solid target for fantasy managers in all leagues.

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