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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Mid-Round First Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats to back up the analysis. Typically, we only include these outlooks for premium subscribers, but we have a special treat for you.

Over the next few weeks we'll be releasing some exclusive player outlooks for each position. 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 2019 Draft Guide.

Today we are looking at some middle-round first basemen who need to be considered. Do we think they are draft targets, or players to avoid? Are their ADPs overvalued or undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and be one of your key draft sleepers? Read on to see our take. Be sure to subscribe as well, and read all 400+ of our 2019 player outlooks available exclusively in our 2019 Draft Guide.

Featured Promo: Get your MLB Premium Pass for 50% off the regular price when get any full-season pass. Exclusive access to our Draft Kit, Nick Mariano's #1 accuracy rankings, Ariel Cohen's #1 accuracy ATC projections, customized advice in the Team Sync platform, Live Draft Assistant, 15 in-season lineup tools, customized rankings and much more! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Luke Voit - 1B, New York Yankees

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit was a stretch-run superstar in 2018, posting a .322/.398/.671 slash line with 15 homers over 161 combined plate appearances between the St. Louis Cardinals (13 PAs) and the Yankees. His rise had precedent, as he’d posted a .896 OPS with 11 homers over 310 PAs in the Minors, but even the strongest proponents of Yankee Stadium as a power haven wouldn’t have given Voit the 40.5% HR/FB rate that he finished ‘18 with.

He also finished with a .365 BABIP that will likely tumble a bit, though he posted a .368 BABIP at Triple-A in 2017 and has elite hard-hit rates (47% in 2018, 41% in 124 MLB PAs in ‘17) and strong line-drive rates that sat around 25% in the Minors. As such, he remains a good bet for an average around .300 even as the raw power totals step back.

How the Bronx Bombers decide to deploy him and Greg Bird at first base is another story, but Voit has the clear upper hand for now after Bird’s lost ‘18 season. Steamer’s giving him 493 PAs and 130 R+RBI, but regular at-bats in this stacked lineup and a home park that can turn liners into short homers means he has top-100 potential and is easily worth the risk at his ADP of 200.

--Nick Mariano - RotoBaller

 

Jose Martinez - 1B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez was a revelation in the second half of 2017 as a late-age breakout. He proved it wasn't a fluke with a strong first half in 2018, hitting .297 with 13 HR and 56 RBI. Then, playing time suddenly became an issue. Martinez simply didn't play as much in July, sitting out for a stretch for no reason other than manager's decision.

While he survived the trade deadline and had a good finish to the season, he faces a bigger obstacle now that the Cardinals have acquired Paul Goldschmidt to hold down first base. With young players like Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill ready to take the third and fourth outfielder positions in St. Louis, a trade may be Martinez's only hope for consistent fantasy value in 2019.

At 30 years of age with a negative defensive rating, Martinez doesn't figure to fit into any team's plans as anything more than a platoon bat. He is being drafted within the top 175 overall players but could be overvalued and may not warrant more than a last-round pick.

--Pierre Camus - RotoBaller

 

Miguel Cabrera - 1B, Detroit Tigers

Gone are the days of 30 home runs, triple-crowns and even at this point, healthy seasons. Miguel Cabrera has only played more than 150 games once in the past four seasons, and the former two-time MVP appears to have seen his skills diminish as he enters his age-36 season. Cabrera won’t be the same dominant hitter he once was, but if Cabrera can still be half of what he used to, he could still be considered a late-round stash for fantasy owners come draft day.

Our RotoBaller rankings currently have Cabrera as the 1B17 and 139th overall player, but if the reports of Cabrera’s health are accurate, he could easily finish higher than that. Injuries in back to back seasons zapped his power and caused issues at the plate so the key to Cabrera bouncing back will be his health because the guy can still hit.

Having watched the Tigers quite frequently in 2017, it was clear Cabrera was having issues making contact, as evidenced by striking out once every 4.8 at-bats. For the short time he was healthy in 2018, Cabrera dropped that to one strikeout every 5.8 at bats. Now that Cabrera has had a full off-season to get straight in a couple of years, I will take a flyer at his current ADP of 156.82.

--RotoBaller Staff

 

Eric Hosmer - 1B, San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres had to be disappointed with the production they got from first baseman Eric Hosmer in 2018 after signing him to the richest contract in franchise history at eight years and $144 million. The left-handed hitter slashed only .253/.322/.398 with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, 72 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 157 games. That came after back-to-back seasons of 25 home runs in his final two years in Kansas City.

Hosmer wasn't expected to be as good in the pitching-friendly confines of Petco Park, especially since he's always been more of a line-drive hitter. To compound things, Hosmer had a career-high 60.4 percent ground-ball rate and career-low 19.7 percent fly-ball rate last season. Typically one of the harder players to strike out in previous seasons, Hosmer also made less overall contact (career-low 74.7 percent) and struck out a career-high 21.0 percent of the time.

Those are all disturbing trends for a player that already didn't stack up against the elite power-hitting first basemen in the game. He doesn't have speed to fall back on either, as he hasn't swiped double-digit bases since 2013. At a position with way more power upside available, Hosmer isn't attractive unless he's a corner infield candidate for your roster in deep mixed leagues. RotoBaller has him ranked as the 18th fantasy first baseman, behind the fading Miguel Cabrera.

--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller

 

Justin Smoak - 1B, Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak turned in a late-career breakout in 2017 but he found it difficult to repeat his success in the 2018 season. His 2018 campaign wasn't a disaster by any means, but he certainly didn't live up to the hype his 2017 season created.

Smoak wound up slashing .242/.350/.457 with 25 homers, 67 runs, and 77 RBI in 147 games, all numbers which fell well short of his breakout the previous season. His strikeout rate also ballooned 5.2% up to 26.3%. On the bright side, his 14.0% walk rate was a career high.

Smoak can't be trusted as a starting first baseman in mixed fantasy leagues this season, but he does have the potential to outperform his draft spot if he is able to land somewhere in the middle of his past two seasons' production. Rotoballer currently ranks Smoak as the 26th ranked first baseman. Smoak is still a value with his power at his current ADP of 232.

--Matt Terelle - Rotoballer

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen5 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel6 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart6 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson7 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio7 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis7 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell7 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu7 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens8 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones8 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija9 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez9 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby9 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma9 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic9 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain9 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen9 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio9 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson9 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle9 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant9 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen9 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso10 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis10 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown10 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum10 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen10 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs10 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR10 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom10 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle10 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev11 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf11 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints11 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison11 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu12 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills12 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy12 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander12 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager12 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge13 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet13 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel13 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys13 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu14 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge14 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran14 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle15 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa15 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux15 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu15 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert15 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani15 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena15 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo16 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill16 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin16 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison17 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott17 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov18 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli18 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond18 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala18 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat18 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski18 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich18 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren19 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson19 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott19 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley19 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs19 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek24 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux4 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers4 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys4 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup4 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett4 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout6 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole6 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman6 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick6 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns6 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More