🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

First Base ADPs - Overvalued and Undervalued

Matt Terelle looks at some overvalued and undervalued first basemen (1B) for 2017 fantasy baseball. These players may be ADP draft values, sleepers or busts.

In this piece, I'll lay out some first basemen who are shaping up as great values in fantasy drafts and also a few who are not worth their current prices. All ADP data can be found using our awesome rankings wizard.

The first base position is an interesting one in fantasy. There's a clear top-three at the position in Paul Goldschmidt, Miguel Cabrera, and Anthony Rizzo. The second wave, which includes Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Freddie Freeman is also very solid. Once that group is off the board things thin out relatively quickly, with many question marks out there at the position. The goal here is to make sense of the position once we get past the previously mentioned top-six fantasy first basemen.

Here are some players who may far exceed or fall way short of their current draft slots.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Undervalued First Basemen

Wil Myers, San Diego Padres
ADP: 54, 1B7

Wil Myers was finally able to stay healthy for an entire season and the results were spectacular. Myers was able to make good on his previous top prospect billing, slashing .259/.336/.461 with 28 homers, 99 runs, 94 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. The stolen bases are the most enticing part of Myers' game as only mega-stud Paul Goldschmidt swiped more bags as a first baseman. Don't expect much, if any, regression as Myers' batted ball profiles in 2016 were in line with his career marks, he was just able to remain on the field and off the trainer's table for the first time. There's no reason to believe he can't post another 20-20 season in 2017, which makes him the top available option to target once the big six are off the draft board.

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
ADP: 170, 1B12

Santana posted a huge 2016 season, slugging a career-high 34 home runs while also posting career-best marks in runs scored (89) and RBI (87). Look for more of the same out of Santana heading into 2017. Santana spent much of the 2016 season batting leadoff when the Indians faced right-handed starting pitchers and longtime Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes expects Santana to resume the role against righties this season. Many projection sources have Santana's homers dropping back into the mid-20s, but his 16.9% HR/FB rate in 2016 is now the third time he's topped 16% in that category. Santana has a good chance to reach 30 homers again and with him hitting atop the Indians lineup most games he should be good for around 180 to 190 combined RBI and runs scored. This makes him a fine target at the position if you miss out on the top six. I much prefer him at his price over Hanley Ramirez and Jose Abreu, who are going three to four rounds earlier in drafts.

Mitch Moreland, Boston Red Sox
ADP: 333, 1B25

Moreland saw his stock take a hit in 2016 after posting a .233 batting average, the second-lowest total of his career. Much of Moreland's struggles in the batting average category can be attributed to bad luck as he saw his BABIP dip to .266, well below his .287 career mark. While Moreland suffered from bad luck in 2016, most of his batted ball statistics fell in line with his career norms. The veteran first baseman should enjoy hitting in an absolutely stacked Red Sox lineup which will afford him ample run-producing opportunities in 2017. He can't be counted on as a starting first baseman in standard leagues, but with an uptick in luck, he will far outperform his current draft position in fantasy leagues.

ByungHo Park, Minnesota Twins
ADP: 499, 1B37

Park is one of my favorite deep sleepers at the position heading into the 2017 season. The former Korean Baseball Organization star had some struggles in his first season in the United States, but he also suffered from a wrist injury for most of the year. The injury became bad enough that he eventually opted for season-ending surgery in August. Park is now fully healthy and primed to make up for his lost season. Park's power in 2016 was as advertised as he was able to sock 12 homers in 62 games, but he did struggle with contact as he struck out at a 32.8% rate. In order to become a viable big league asset Park is going to need to cut down on his whiffs without sacrificing his elite power. In Korea, Park sported a 24.5% strikeout rate, showing that he is unlikely to fully kick the problem, but at least that rate would be a much more palatable number for fantasy owners. Either way, he has been hitting well this spring and is worth taking a flier on in deep leagues.

Overvalued First Basemen

Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
ADP: 61, 1B8

Abreu's struggles from 2016 are well-documented. He rode a hot streak in the second half to finish with respectable numbers, but overall his homers and RBI have now declined in all three of his major league seasons. If you dig deeper into the advanced stats, Abreu's ISO, hard hit rate, and HR/FB rate have also all dipped every year since his debut. Making matters worse for Abreu, if you check out the park factors at Fangraphs, U.S. Cellular Field has been a top-five park for home runs for right-handed hitters with a few first place finishes in 2010 and 2011. This makes Abreu's steady power decline even more concerning from a fantasy perspective. Abreu is still coming off the board as a starting first baseman in 12-team leagues, but I would much rather hold off on the Cuban slugger and get Carlos Santana 60 picks later or Kendrys Morales (if he's first base eligible) 100 picks later.

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
ADP: 81, 1B10

Major league baseball saw a huge power surge this past season. In 2016 we saw an average of 1.16 home runs per game, the second-highest total in history and way up from the 1.01 we saw in 2015 or the 0.86 in 2014. All this goes to say that a hitter like Davis, who is known for providing exceptional home run totals, is seeing his number one asset being made less scarce. To compound issues, Davis hurts your batting average and has only reached a combined 200 runs scored and RBI twice in his career. 2016's power league-wide power explosion may be an outlier but the reality is fantasy owners don't need to spend a relatively early pick on a one-dimensional player like Davis. Hanley Ramirez is coming off boards right around Davis and serves as a much better fantasy option. He won't provide the power that Davis does, but he will provide more well-rounded fantasy production.

Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
ADP: 175, 1B15

Gonzalez, now entering his age-35 season, turned in the worst statistical season of his career in 2016. He slashed .285/.349/.435 with just 18 home runs, 69 runs scored, and 90 RBI. Add in ongoing struggles with his elbow and Gonzalez's days as an elite fantasy first baseman are over. His ISO dipped all the way to .150 last year, the lowest mark he's posted since becoming an everyday player. Add in a 32.8% hard hit rate, 2.5% lower than his career average, and Gonzalez's chances at posting one last big season look slim. He's still the 15th first baseman coming off the board, a number which is likely bolstered by his name value alone. He's a player to avoid in fantasy drafts at his current prices.

 

More Undervalued & Overvalued Picks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Miles Bridges

Listed as Questionable Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Misses Second Straight Game
Devin Vassell

Ruled Out for Wednesday
Stephon Castle

Iffy for Wednesday
Josh Giddey

Sidelined "at Least a Few Weeks"
Desmond Bane

Might Miss Wednesday's Game in Indiana
Jalen Suggs

on the Injury Report Again for Wednesday Night
Trae Young

Questionable Against Timberwolves
Kristaps Porzingis

Returning Versus Minnesota
Jalen Johnson

Not Listed on the Injury Report for Wednesday
Josh Giddey

Sidelined Wednesday
Coby White

Won't Play on Wednesday
Jock Landale

Set to Suit Up on Tuesday
Joel Embiid

Available on Tuesday
Keyonte George

Active Tuesday
Connor Dewar

Available Tuesday
TOR

Chris Tanev to Miss Time With Lower-Body Injury
Dakota Joshua

Out With Kidney Problem
MON

Samuel Montembeault Returns to Canadiens Crease
Erik Karlsson

Good to Go Tuesday
William Nylander

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Auston Matthews

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Corey Kispert

Will Not Return Wednesday
Kyshawn George

Will Not Play Wednesday Against the Bucks
Vince Williams Jr.

Remains Out Tuesday
Caris LeVert

Ruled Out on Tuesday Against the Lakers
Keegan Murray

Will Be Available on Tuesday
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Out for At Least Four Weeks
CFB

Deuce Knight Officially Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

Kewan Lacy Expected to Be Full-Go Against Georgia
Stefon Diggs

Facing Strangulation, Assault Charges
CFB

Chip Kelly Named Northwestern Offensive Coordinator
Alex Lyon

Bags Another Victory Monday
Riley Leonard

Will Start Against the Texans
Marcus Johansson

Matches Career High With Four-Point Effort
Steven Stamkos

Shines Monday Night With Three Points
Dylan Strome

Extends Point Streak in Loss
Sam Reinhart

Leads Charge Against Capitals With Three Points
Troy Terry

Enjoys Three-Point Night Against Sharks
Macklin Celebrini

Remains Hot Against Ducks
Bijan Robinson

Explodes for 229 Total Yards, Two Touchdowns on Monday Night
Davante Adams

Officially Out on Monday Night
Drake London

Active Against Rams
Jake DeBrusk

to Miss Monday's Game as Healthy Scratch
Shane Pinto

Available Monday
Pius Suter

to Miss at Least Four Weeks
Pyotr Kochetkov

Likely Done for the Season
Josh Morrissey

Expected to Play Monday
Karel Vejmelka

Moved to Injured Reserve
Rasmus Dahlin

Expected to Rejoin Sabres Lineup Monday
Justin Herbert

Won't Face Broncos in Week 18
Marcus Mariota

Considered "a Stretch" to Play in Week 18
Geno Smith

Dealing With Significant Ankle Injury
Dak Prescott

Will Play in Week 18
Lamar Jackson

Week 18 Status "to be Determined"
Joe Mixon

Won't Return This Season
T.J. Watt

a Long Shot to Play in Week 18?
CFB

Penn State Working to Hire D'Anton Lynn as Next Defensive Coordinator
Joe Burrow

Will Play in Week 18 Against the Browns
CFB

Omar Cooper Expected to be Full-Go for Rose Bowl
CFB

Marcus Freeman Staying with Notre Dame for 2026 Season
CFB

Star Wideout Cam Coleman Entering Transfer Portal
Luther Burden III

Set to Undergo Additional Testing on Quad Injury
D'Andre Swift

Finds End Zone Twice in Sunday Night Loss
Luther Burden III

Posts Season-High 138 Yards, Touchdown in Loss
Christian McCaffrey

Racks Up 181 Total Yards, Touchdown in Win Over Bears
Brock Purdy

Delivers Second Straight Five-Touchdown Performance
Parker Washington

Leads Jaguars in Targets, Receptions, and Receiving Yards
Wan'Dale Robinson

Posts Season-High 11 Receptions in Week 17
Josh Allen

Seen Limping From X-Ray Room, Says Foot Injury Didn't Affect Him
CFB

Jay Hill Expected to be Next Michigan Defensive Coordinator
CFB

Michigan Targeting Kyle Whittingham as Next Head Coach
CFB

Texas Leading Rusher Quintrevion Wisner Set to Transfer

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP