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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Later-Round First Basemen - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the later rounds of drafts, you start thinking about upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. These are the rounds to take risks on more unknown commodities like prospects, forgotten-about veterans, players returning from injuries or players that have previously showed promise but haven't put it all together yet. Knowing about the deeper player pool can help you be more flexible throughout the draft, especially if you can identify someone you like and plan your earlier picks around that.

Today we are looking at some late-round first basemen who need to be considered. Do we think they are draft targets, or players to avoid? Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and be one of your later-round draft sleepers? Read on to see our take.

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. Be sure to subscribe today and read all 400+ of our 2019 player outlooks available exclusively in our 2019 Draft Guide.

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

 

Tyler White - 1B, Houston Astros

Tyler White had a great 2018 campaign in the small sample size of 66 games. He posted a .276/.354/.533 slash with 27 runs, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI. His stats are pretty bulletproof evidenced by an above-average walk rate at 10.1% and an average strikeout rate of 20.7%. In other words, there’s nothing in his profile from 2018 that would suggest a significant decline in performance; he’s as solid as they come (provided the small sample size).

That being said, the stats aren’t eye-popping but can provide solid fantasy production when he’s in the lineup. The likely departures (through free agency) of Marwin Gonzalez and Evan Gattis should open up a near-everyday DH/1B spot for White. He’s currently projected to hit seventh in the Astros lineup and split time at first base with Yuli Gurriel.

Since we’re talking about the Astros, there’s no bad spot to hit, although it’s worth noting most games in 2018 he hit in the four through six spots. There’s definitely upside here, you can likely expect that he will get double the at-bats which would produce around 60 R, 24 HR, and 80 RBI, which would have made him a fringe top-ten 1B last year. A current ADP of 247 is good value to take White as a backup 1B with potential for more.

--Zach Alexander - RotoBaller

 

Jake Bauers - 1B/OF, Cleveland Indians

Jake Bauers will get a change of scenery entering his first full season in the major leagues after being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Cleveland Indians in December. He should be locked into regular at-bats as the team’s first baseman, surrounded by quality bats such as Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. There are still plenty of questions surrounding just how valuable Bauers will be, however, as he hit only .167/.281/.307 in 192 post-All-Star break at-bats.

He showed surprising pop -- his 13.8 percent HR/FB was the highest of his career at any level -- but still had a 43.8 percent groundball rate, likely capping his power potential. His average batted ball exit velocity of 86.8 was also below the major-league average, suggesting that he benefited from unearned home runs and providing more reason for skepticism surrounding his power output. His six stolen bases appear to be a strong contribution, but he had just a 50 percent success rate and could get the red light if his inefficiency continues.

If anything will help Bauers maintain fantasy value, it’s his strong plate discipline as he continued to show the ability to draw walks once he hit the majors. That will give him the chance to stick in the lineup, get on base, and profit from a strong surrounding batting order. Currently being drafted outside of the top 250 players in early drafts, Bauers is worth a flier given his positive team context and multi-position eligibility.

--Daniel Marcus - RotoBaller

 

Ryan Zimmerman - 1B, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman surprised a lot of folks when he hit .303/.358/.573 with a .930 OPS, career-high 36 home runs and 108 RBI in 144 games in 2017. The 34-year-old predictably fell back to Earth last season, hitting just .264/.337/.486 with an .824 OPS, 13 home runs and 51 RBI in 85 games. His bloated .335 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and lofty 26.5 home run/fly-ball rate carried him in his bounce-back 2017 campaign.

While he walked more and struck out less last year, his BABIP fell to .284 and his HR/FB rate to 16.5 percent. Being healthy in 2017 also played a big part, but Zimmerman is no spring chicken anymore and has played in over 100 games just three times since 2013 because of injuries. The Nats know this, which is why they went out and signed left-handed hitting Matt Adams to platoon with Zimmerman at first base. At this stage of his career, having him play every day would be detrimental to his overall production. Besides, he's more effective in doses and against left-handed pitchers; he hit .377 against southpaws in 2018 compared to just .228 against righties.

Zimmerman can go on hot streaks and squares the ball up occasionally, but his lack of consistent playing time and injury history makes him a corner infield option without much upside in NL-only leagues. RotoBaller has him as the 34th-ranked first baseman in fantasy.

--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller

 

Peter Alonso - 1B, New York Mets

Mets first base prospect Peter Alonso was one of the top hitters in the minor leagues this year. As a 23-year-old, he mashed 36 HR to go along with 92 R, 119 RBI and a .285/.395/.579 slash line between Double- and Triple-A. His stat lines in the upper minors resemble those of another right-handed, power-hitting first baseman: Rhys Hoskins, who has quickly turned into one of Major League Baseball’s premier sluggers.

Alonso isn’t likely to replicate what Hoskins managed his rookie season, but he should provide plenty of value in Flushing this season. The Mets are almost definitely going to manipulate Alonso’s service time, so it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mets’ second-ranked prospect until at least mid-April-- and perhaps not until late May, after the Super Two cutoff.

Still, Alonso’s offensive tools should allow him to adjust to big league pitching and make him a viable fantasy option rather quickly. Beyond keeper and dynasty leagues -- in which he is a must-own -- Alonso is a worthy stash in deeper redraft leagues, particularly those with a corner infield roster spot.

--Harris Yudin - RotoBaller

 

Ryan Braun - 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers

While he is no longer the MVP candidate that he was in the early stages of his career, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun continues to plug along as a solid fantasy outfielder after he slashed .254/.313/.469 with 20 homers, 59 runs, 64 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 125 games in 2018. While none of those numbers are eye-popping, Braun makes solid statistical contributions across the board for fantasy owners.

The veteran outfielder has posted double-digit homers and steals in each of his MLB seasons, outside of his 2013 suspension-shortened season. Braun is currently the 48th ranked outfielder at RotoBaller while his ADP of 219 makes him a solid late-round value in standard mixed leagues as a third outfielder or bench depth.

--Matt Terelle - RotoBaller

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brock Purdy5 hours ago

Limited On Thursday
Tyler Lockett5 hours ago

DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett Remain Sidelined On Thursday
Breece Hall5 hours ago

Logs Limited Session On Thursday
Trevor Lawrence5 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
Calvin Ridley6 hours ago

Tyjae Spears Log Full Practice On Thursday
Noah Brown6 hours ago

Austin Ekeler, Noah Brown Sidelined During Practice Thursday
Brian Robinson Jr.6 hours ago

Remains Limited Thursday
Younghoe Koo6 hours ago

Drake London, Younghoe Koo Added To Injury Report Thursday
Darnell Mooney6 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participant Thursday
Philadelphia Eagles7 hours ago

DeVonta Smith Limited Thursday, Darius Slay Remains Absent
Dalton Kincaid8 hours ago

Misses Another Practice Thursday
Drew Lock8 hours ago

Confirmed As Giants’ Week 13 Starter
Tommy Devito8 hours ago

Tommy DeVito Serving As Emergency Third QB Thursday
Cedric Tillman8 hours ago

Sidelined To Begin Week 13 Prep
Bo Nix8 hours ago

Limited Thursday With Back Injury
Roschon Johnson8 hours ago

Ruled Out With Concussion
Breece Hall9 hours ago

Back At Practice Thursday
Aidan O'Connell10 hours ago

Officially Activated Ahead Of Week 13 Start
Alexander Mattison10 hours ago

Questionable To Face Chiefs
Drew Lock11 hours ago

Tommy DeVito Expected To Miss Week 13, Drew Lock Slated To Start
Isiah Pacheco11 hours ago

Activated, Expected To Play Friday
Garrett Crochet11 hours ago

Dodgers, Orioles, Red Sox Viewed As Contenders For Garrett Crochet
Brayden Point11 hours ago

Records Unique Hat Trick Versus Capitals
Filip Gustavsson11 hours ago

Records Second Shutout Of The Season
Taylor Hall12 hours ago

Turns Back The Clock With Fifth Hat Trick
Jordan Binnington12 hours ago

Celebrates Historic Victory Wednesday
Leo Carlsson12 hours ago

Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Bobby McMann12 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day Following Wednesday's Exit
Pavel Buchnevich12 hours ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Miles Bridges12 hours ago

Resumes On-Court Activity
Day'Ron Sharpe12 hours ago

Expected To Make Season Debut Next Week
Noah Clowney13 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In Two Weeks
Dalen Terry13 hours ago

Injures Right Ankle Wednesday
Jalen Williams13 hours ago

Sustains Eye Injury Versus Warriors
Bradley Beal13 hours ago

Suffers New Injury
Kyle Kuzma24 hours ago

Injured On Wednesday Night
Cam Thomas24 hours ago

Sidelined 3-4 Weeks
1 day ago

Yankees Raise Their Offer To Juan Soto
1 day ago

Brandon Crawford Announces His Retirement
Nicolas Claxton1 day ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Dalton Knecht1 day ago

Cleared To Suit Up Versus San Antonio
Anthony Davis1 day ago

Good To Go Versus The Spurs
Bradley Beal1 day ago

Will Warm Up, Still Questionable Against Brooklyn
Kevin Durant1 day ago

Expected To Face His Former Team
John Collins1 day ago

Ruled Out Versus Denver
Brandon Ingram1 day ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Dejounte Murray1 day ago

Officially Cleared To Play On Wednesday
Klay Thompson1 day ago

Ruled Out Wednesday
Scoot Henderson1 day ago

To Play On Wednesday
Deandre Ayton1 day ago

Returning On Wednesday
Lonzo Ball1 day ago

Available On Wednesday
Norman Powell1 day ago

Absent On Wednesday
Jonathan Drouin1 day ago

Out Week-To-Week
Roope Hintz1 day ago

Sits Out Wednesday's Game
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Remains Sidelined Wednesday
William Karlsson1 day ago

Back In Action Wednesday
Alex Pietrangelo1 day ago

Returns To Golden Knights Lineup
Patrick Kane1 day ago

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Mike Matheson1 day ago

Unavailable Wednesday
Auston Matthews1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Ilya Sorokin2 days ago

To Face Bruins On Wednesday
Jayden Struble2 days ago

Scores In Second Consecutive Game
Dylan Guenther2 days ago

Bags Two More Points Against Canadiens
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Two Assists In Tuesday's Win
Conor Garland2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Two-Point Effort
Kevin Lankinen2 days ago

Shuts Out Bruins
2 days ago

Red Sox Focusing On Max Fried
Blake Snell2 days ago

Dodgers Agree On Five-Year, $182 Million Deal
2 days ago

Red Sox Stepping Up Their Efforts For Juan Soto
Nolan Arenado2 days ago

Willing To Move To First Base
Evan Carter2 days ago

Swinging A Bat, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Josh Jung2 days ago

Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Adolis García2 days ago

Adolis Garcia Resumes Running
Corey Seager2 days ago

Nearing Full Baseball Activities
Devin Williams3 days ago

Brewers Plan To Hang Onto Devin Williams For Now
3 days ago

Blue Jays Could Make Aggressive Play For Anthony Santander
Alec Bohm3 days ago

Phillies, White Sox Have Discussed Alec Bohm, Garrett Crochet
3 days ago

Mets The Clear-Cut Favorites To Land Juan Soto
Yusei Kikuchi3 days ago

Signs Three-Year Deal With Angels
Yan Xiaonan3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Macau
Muslim Salikhov3 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Macau
Song Kenan3 days ago

2-2 In Last Four Fights After UFC Macau Loss
Zhang Mingyang3 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC Macau
Ozzy Diaz3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Macau
MMA5 days ago

Carlos Uberg Extends Win Streak At UFC Macau
MMA5 days ago

Cong Wang Gets Submitted In Upset Fashion At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes5 days ago

Pulls Off Massive Upset At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo5 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Macau
Petr Yan5 days ago

Gets Dominant Win At UFC Macau

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Dolphins vs. Packers Thanksgiving Day Showdown (Week 13)

Happy Thanksgiving, RotoBallers! We get a banger matchup for the night game on this wonderful Thanksgiving day. Two high-powered offenses take each other on as the Green Bay Packers (8-3) host the Miami Dolphins (5-6). I'm very excited about this game as I will be at it myself. This should be a great game, so […]


Video: Week 13 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

The YouTube team is dropping tasty content for the Thanksgiving weekend ahead with our top Week 13 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 13 of the new fantasy football season. […]


Video: Week 13 Must-Start Wide Receivers - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

Welcome into Week 13 of the NFL season! As always, we must be prepared to navigate tough decisions, let us help with those by checking out our favorite 2024 fantasy football must-start wide receivers for Week 13! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" WRs that will have a fantasy football impact in Week […]


D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 13-17)

It's officially fantasy football crunch time as we wrap up the fantasy regular season over the next two weeks. Those fortunate enough to make the playoffs must continue to grind out decisions, especially when it comes to team defenses. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 13 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 13 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Chiefs vs. Raiders Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Black Friday) - Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Isiah Pacheco, Xavier Worthy, Jakobi Meyers, Ameer Abdullah

For the second straight season, the NFL will have a game on Black Friday. This year's game will be between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs are big favorites in this game but are coming off a week in which they struggled against the Panthers. As for the Raiders, they have […]


Rico Dowdle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 13 - Thursday Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Rico Dowdle, Jonnu Smith, Jayden Reed, DK Metcalf, Davante Adams, Will Dissly

When the Thanksgiving slate arrives each season, it marks do-or-die time for many fantasy managers in critical matchups. It's never been more important to nail your start-or-sit decisions this season, so let us help with our Week 13 fantasy football overall rankings for 2024. Below, you'll see where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (2024) - Week 13 Updates Include Chase Brown, Jonathon Brooks, Zay Flowers, Devaughn Vele, Braelon Allen, Taysom Hill

Happy Thanksgiving RotoBallers! Incredibly, Week 13 has arrived, and there are only six weeks left of the NFL regular season. The grind never stops, especially in dynasty leagues. Whether your fantasy team is rebuilding or looking to make a deal for that extra playoff push. We've got you covered with our NFL team's updated 2024 […]


Derek Carr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Superflex 2QB Rankings for Week 13 - Thursday Updates for Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Brock Purdy, Drew Lock

The Week 13 Thanksgiving and Black Friday games are set to begin, and time is running out to collect "Ws" before the fantasy football playoffs. If you need assistance, our Week 13 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for fantasy football can assist your start-or-sit efforts. Let's get to it! To begin Week 13 preparation, let's […]


Jayden Reed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) - Week 13 Thursday Updates for Tyrone Tracy, Jayden Reed, Jakobi Meyers, Ladd McConkey, Jerry Jeudy, more

Week 13 is loaded with exciting games on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday, and all 32 teams will be in action this week. While having all available FLEX options is great, it can make start-or-sit decisions tricker. We're here to help guide you with your lineup calls with our Week 13 fantasy football FLEX rankings […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 13 Thursday RB Updates for Bucky Irving, Isiah Pacheco, D'Andre Swift, Nick Chubb, Tony Pollard, Breece Hall

Thanksgiving Day football is here, which can only mean the fantasy football playoffs are just ahead. Whether you're at the top of your league standings, fighting for a playoff spot, or are just trying to play spoiler, our Week 13 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024 are here to help you with start-sit calls. […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 13 Thursday WR Updates for Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore, Jauan Jennings, Khalil Shakir, Calvin Ridley, more

In Week 13, no teams are on a bye. However, injuries and matchups play significant factors at the wide receiver spot this season, so start-or-sit calls are extra challenging. If you need assistance comparing two or three WR options, we're here to help with our Week 13 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Ahead […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 13 Thursday QB Updates for Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson

Only two weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain, and the all-important Thanksgiving slate is set to begin! It's a must-win week for many fantasy managers, so let's waste no time diving into our Week 13 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024. Below, you will see where QBs on the start-sit bubble such as […]