🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - 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

Davante Adams

Catches Two Touchdowns in Sunday Night Win
Baker Mayfield

has Sprained Shoulder, Will Undergo MRI Monday
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Quinshon Judkins

Salvages his Day With Two Trips to the End Zone
Alvin Kamara

Dealing With MCL Sprain, Timetable Unclear
Michael Wilson

has Double-Digit Catches, Over 100 Yards for Second Straight Week
Baker Mayfield

Doubtful to Return on Sunday Night With Shoulder Injury
A.J. Brown

Delivers Vintage Performance in Week 12
George Pickens

at the Center of Cowboys Offense Once Again
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Alvin Kamara

Getting an MRI on His Knee
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Aaron Gordon

Sidelined 4-6 Weeks with Hamstring Strain
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Chris Godwin

Officially Active for Sunday Night Football in Week 12
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Kareem Hunt

Totals 33 Touches in Productive Outing Sunday
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Chimere Dike

Scores Long Special Teams Touchdown in Week 12
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
DJ Moore

Scores Twice in Narrow Win at Home
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Dereck Lively II

Out with Foot Issue Again
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Anthony Davis

Doubtful With Calf Strain Against Miami
Derrick Henry

Rushes for Two Scores in Week 12 Victory
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
MON

Alexandre Texier Joins Canadiens
Goga Bitadze

a Very Late Scratch on Sunday Night
Rashee Rice

Goes for Nearly 150 Yards in Win Over Colts
Ryan Dunn

Ruled Out with Wrist Sprain
Jason Dickinson

Returns to Action Sunday
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out With Knee Injury
Elias Lindholm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Mikko Rantanen

Suspended for One Game
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Totals Season-High in Yardage in Week 12
Neal Pionk

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Donovan Clingan

Upgraded to Available vs. Thunder
Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Out Week-to-Week
Hunter Henry

Feasts in Win Over Cincinnati
Robert Williams III

Sidelined Against Thunder
Anthony Black

Entering the Starting Lineup Versus Boston
Alexander Romanov

Out 5-6 Months Due to Shoulder Surgery
Emanuel Wilson

Punches in Two Touchdowns Against Minnesota
Goga Bitadze

Getting the Start on Sunday Night
Alvin Kamara

Injures Knee Sunday, Questionable to Return
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Remains Out Sunday
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Sidelined on Sunday Evening
Tre Mann

Returns to Action Sunday
Wendell Carter Jr.

Ruled Out on Sunday Night
Luke Kennard

Misses Sunday's Contest
Onyeka Okongwu

Good to Go Sunday
Collin Murray-Boyles

Available Against Nets
Egor Demin

Cleared for Sunday
Nicolas Claxton

Available Sunday
Kevin Durant

Will Miss the Next Two Games
Kristaps Porzingis

Taking the Night off on Sunday
Kawhi Leonard

Off the Injury Report, Cleared to Suit Up on Sunday
Sidney Crosby

Records 500th Multi-Point Game
Mackenzie Blackwood

Posts 35-Save Shutout
Aaron Ekblad

Battling an Illness
Jake McCabe

Suffers Upper-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Makes Early Exit Versus Capitals
Nikita Kucherov

Hurt on Saturday
Nic Dowd

Out Against Lightning
Jake Evans

Good to Go Saturday
Gavin Brindley

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
Thomas Chabot

Available Against Sharks
Roman Josi

Returns From 12-Game Absence
Jake Walman

Out Saturday
J.T. Miller

Won't Play Against Mammoth
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?

RANKINGS

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