👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 in Review: First Base (1B) Busts

Our review of the 2016 fantasy baseball season continues with a look at some first base bust. While some of these players contributed modest home run totals, they simply couldn't bring enough value to justify their ADP.

 

First Base Busts - 2016

Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers

When Prince Fielder was forced to prematurely end his career, Moreland's responsibilities increased. Unfortunately, his production did not. On the surface, you could point to the fact that Moreland hit just one fewer home run (22) as the previous year in practically the same amount of at-bats. His 4.5% HR% and 20.9 AB/HR could even be considered assets in deeper leagues. That's where the value ends, however. Despite playing for a top contender all season, Moreland drove in 60 runs and finished with a poor .233/.298/.422 line. His 3.37 K/BB rate was also nearly identical to the previous season, so Moreland simply made less contact on his swings.

After an encouraging 2015, Moreland was expected to at least match his .278 average with 23 home runs and 85 RBI. That would have placed him near the top 10 at the first base position. Instead, he reverted to his old form. In fact, it's eerie how similar this season compares to 2013 when Moreland was considered nothing more than a borderline corner infield option. For comparison's sake, here are his 2013 primary stats: .232 AVG, .736 OPS, 23 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 117 K, 45 BB in 462 AB. In 2016, he produced much of the same: .233 AVG, .720 OPS, 22 HR, 60 RBI, 49 R, 118 K, 35 BB in 460 AB. If anything, 2015 appears to be outlier season in a mostly mediocre career. It seems increasingly unlikely that the 31 year-old will bounce back or produce more than he did this year. He is still usable in deep leagues for his power, but shouldn't be counted on for much more.

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals

On the plus side, Zimmerman played his highest game total in the past three years and logged 467 at-bats. That's where the good news ends, however, as his .218 batting average was by far the lowest of his 12-year career. Zimmerman has battled injuries over the last three seasons, making him a risky pick entering the 2016 season. It may then be more concerning that, despite playing a majority of the year, he performed so poorly.

Although he logged 81 more at-bats than last season, Zimmerman ended up with 27 fewer RBI and one less HR. Moreover, his 22.3% K% was the highest in his career and his 6.2% BB% was the lowest since his rookie year. He is just 32 years old, so it's too early to write Zimmerman off completely. You could point to his .248 BABIP and argue that he is due for regression at least somewhat closer to his .308 career mark. Still, Zimmerman is trending downward and is not worth anything more than a late round pick. He can't be counted on to hold down a starting spot on fantasy rosters.

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that a 36 year-old slugger suddenly declined, but few players have fallen so hard so fast (Bret Boone comes to mind). Remember that in 2015, Tex jacked 31 HR, 79 RBI and made the third All-Star appearance of his career. His power was invisible from the start, as he notched just three homers in April and May combined and only two more in June. In 2015, his 12.6 AB/HR rate was the best of his career, ahead of his typical 17.0 AB/HR mark. That number fell all the way to 25.8 AB/HR in 2016. The main problem is that his HR/FB% fell to 10.6%, rendering a once elite power hitter useless.

Tex likely wasn't expected to be a starting first baseman in most fantasy leagues, but he was universally drafted as a CI or Util player as a reliable power source. While 15 HR and 44 RBI in 387 at-bats are nothing to sneeze at, his lowly averages were an albatross around the collective neck of fantasy teams. He ended the season with a triple slash line of .204/.292/.362, all career worsts if you exclude the 2013 season in which he only made 63 plate appearances. His abrupt retirement was in the best interest of the rebuilding Yankees and Teixeira personally, but it's never a good feeling to see a player you drafted call it quits mid-season.

This serves as a reminder that selecting an aging star is often a double-edged sword. If you chose to ignore a player like Teixeira in 2015, you passed up a great late-round value who still appeared to have plenty left in the tank. If you took a chance on that same player in 2016, you were able to squeeze two good months of power out of him while taking a serious hit to other categories before ultimately having to drop him. Fantasy owners won't need to make any decisions about Tex now that he's out of the picture, but when considering a veteran like Carlos Beltran or Matt Holliday in next year's draft, be careful about overpaying for past success.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

J.T. Realmuto

Leaves Game on Tuesday Due to Bruised Right Foot
Shaedon Sharpe

Picks Up Doubtful Tag
New York Giants

Dexter Lawrence Looking for $30 Million Annually?
Stephon Castle

Considered Doubtful for Wednesday
Marte Mapu

Texans Acquire Linebacker Marte Mapu From Patriots
Jaxson Hayes

a Late Scratch Against Thunder
Cleveland Browns

Browns Considering Francis Mauigoa at No. 6 Overall?
Max Strus

Returning to Action Wednesday
Deshaun Watson

Medically Cleared for QB Competition
Caleb Martin

Still Sidelined Tuesday
Donovan Mitchell

Listed as Questionable for Wednesday
James Conner

Present for Start of Offseason Program
James Harden

Available Wednesday
Brandon Williams

Ruled Out Tuesday
Cam Skattebo

in Attendance at Offseason Program
Malik Nabers

to be Ready to Play at Some Point in Training Camp
Kevin Porter Jr.

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
P.J. Washington

Out Tuesday Against Clippers
Marvin Bagley III

Daniel Gafford Out, Marvin Bagley III Available Tuesday
Kristaps Porzingis

Ruled Out Tuesday
Stephen Curry

Good to Go Tuesday
Duncan Robinson

Available Wednesday
Tobias Harris

Set to Return Wednesday
Victor Wembanyama

MRI is Clean, but he's Doubtful Wednesday
Cade Cunningham

Questionable Wednesday
Cody Ponce

to Have Knee Surgery, Expected to Miss Six Months
Coby White

Ruled Out Tuesday
Kyle Filipowski

Good to Go Tuesday
Ace Bailey

Ruled Out Against Pelicans
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Active Against Heat
Alejandro Kirk

Facing Six-Week Absence
Jacob deGrom

to Undergo MRI on Tuesday
Mike Trout

Back in the Lineup on Tuesday
Hunter Brown

Diagnosed with Grade 2 Shoulder Strain
Pavel Mintyukov

Returns From Three-Game Absence
Cutter Gauthier

Remains Sidelined Tuesday
Kirby Dach

Ready to Return Tuesday
Jordan Staal

Good to Go Tuesday
Adam Scott

Form Points to Him Competing at Masters
Jordan Spieth

Finding Consistency Heading to Masters
Hideki Matsuyama

Trending In Right Direction For Masters
Valeri Nichushkin

Nicolas Roy Available Tuesday
Cale Makar

Expected to Miss More Time
Matthew Tkachuk

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Cade Horton

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
De'Von Achane

Not Present for Start of Voluntary Workouts
Malik Nabers

Present for Start of Offseason Program
NFL

Fernando Mendoza Not Planning to Attend the NFL Draft
New York Giants

Dexter Lawrence to Get a New Deal From Giants?
Carolina Panthers

Diego Pavia Visiting With Panthers on Tuesday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Hosting Denzel Boston on Pre-Draft Visit on Tuesday
Malik Willis

Dolphins Looking to Build Around Malik Willis
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Signs Franchise Tag, Present for Offseason Workouts
Tommy Fleetwood

a Contender if his Putter Cooperates at The Masters
Evan Engram

Fading Value Could Sink Even Lower After NFL Draft
TreVeyon Henderson

Experience and Emphasis on Run Game Could Help TreVeyon Henderson's Value Soar
Caleb Williams

The Sky is the Limit for Caleb Williams in Second Season with Ben Johnson
Nikita Kucherov

Nets 400th Career Goal
Elijah Arroyo

Are the Pieces in Place for a Year 2 Jump From Elijah Arroyo?
Evander Kane

Unlikely to Play Tuesday
Tre Tucker

Could Be an Early-Season Sell Candidate
Kevin Lankinen

Won't Dress on Tuesday
Morgan Barron

Considered Week-to-Week
Pontus Holmberg

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Monday
Philipp Grubauer

Exits With Injury Monday
Jack Bech

Could be a Nice Buy-Low Candidate Going into Sophomore Season
Mark Scheifele

Collects Three Helpers on Monday
Jacob deGrom

Pitches Through Knee Issue on Monday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Defeats the Lightning
Dalton Rushing

Smacks Two Homers in Rout of Blue Jays
Max Scherzer

Dealing With Forearm Tendinitis, Expected to Make his Next Start
Collin Morikawa

Vegas has Lost Confidence in Collin Morikawa Ahead of Masters Tournament
Ludvig Aberg

One of the Top Plays For This Week's Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy

Set to Defend his Long-Awaited Masters Victory
Bryson DeChambeau

Looks to Finally Claim a Green Jacket
Patrick Cantlay

Needs Plenty to Go Right at Augusta
Harris English

Playing Solid Golf Heading to Masters
Sam Burns

Bouncing Back Nicely After Slow Start to 2026 Season
Corey Conners

Quietly Putting Together A Strong 2026 Season
Russell Henley

Looks to Bounce Back At Masters
Robert MacIntyre

Hopes to Rebound After Missed Cut at Masters Last Year
Justin Rose

Ready to Put Heartbreaking Playoff Loss Behind Him
Matt Fitzpatrick

Heads to Masters After Winning Valspar Championship
Xander Schauffele

Continues Scorching Start to 2026 Season
Scottie Scheffler

Returns to Action For Masters
Maverick McNealy

Might Perform Well Early at Masters Tournament
Gary Woodland

Riding the Wave Heading into Augusta National
Rasmus Hojgaard

Seeks to Continue Momentum from Houston
Andrew Mangiapane

Available for Monday's Tilt
Shane Wright

Expected to Miss Another Game
Vladislav Namestnikov

Available Monday
Anthony Cirelli

Out Against Sabres
Nino Niederreiter

Rejoins Jets Lineup
Brandon Hagel

Sits Out Third Consecutive Game
Mike Trout

Held Out of Series Opener Against Braves
Alejandro Kirk

to Undergo Thumb Surgery on Tuesday
Juan Soto

Mets Place Juan Soto on 10-Day Injured List
Matthew Boyd

Cubs Putting Matthew Boyd on 15-Day Injured List With Biceps Strain
Mickey Moniak

Goes Yard Twice Against his Old Team
Brent Rooker

Homers Twice, Drives in Six in Win Over Astros
Mike Trout

Considered Day-to-Day With Hand Contusion
Chris Duncan

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Renato Moicano

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci

Gets Outgrappled
Virna Jandiroba

Bounces Back
Brendson Ribeiro

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Earns First-Round Submission Win
Rafael Estevam

Suffers His First Loss
Ethyn Ewing

Dominates At UFC Vegas 115
Mike Trout

Exits Early After Getting Hit by Pitch
Pete Fairbanks

Serving as Opener Before Going on Paternity List
George Klassen

Called Up to Start on Sunday
Hunter Brown

Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Right-Shoulder Strain
Chris Duncan

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Main Event
Renato Moicano

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 115
Tabatha Ricci

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Co-Main Event
Virna Jandiroba

Looks To Bounce Back
Brendson Ribeiro

In Desperate Need Of Win
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Ethyn Ewing

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Rafael Estevam

Looks To Remain Undefeated
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF