Fantasy Baseball: First base offers power, but position lacks category juice

After a couple of down years, the first base position came roaring back into fantasy prominence last season. And although not yet the deepest position in fantasy baseball, first base now offers more than enough options to go around.

There is, however, one caveat to my excitement over the players at first base — they generally lack diversity. This is a long-time problem for a position that offers sluggers, sluggers and more sluggers. Still, with proper planning at other positions, fantasy managers can grab their first baseman early or late in drafts and still come away satisfied with the results.

First base is deep in 2022 ... but with the familiar weakness

Still just 21-years-old for a few more weeks, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (ADP: 4) has made a rapid ascension to become the top option at first base. The young slugger was the No. 1 overall player in Yahoo! formats last year after hitting .311 with 48 home runs, 111 RBIs and 123 runs scored. To achieve such a lofty ranking without the benefit of having plus speed is absolutely remarkable.

I prefer to start my drafts with a base stealer or pitcher, but I won’t argue with anyone who tabs Guerrero in Rd. 1.

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Freddie Freeman (ADP: 13) joins Guerrero as the only first basemen who warrant a spot in the initial three rounds. The recent World Series champ is still without a home, but no matter where he signs in free agency, Freeman will be a four-category star who chips in a few swipes.

Editor's Note: Freddie Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Once we move past Guerrero and Freeman, the list of sluggers seems endless. Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Pete Alonso, Jose Abreu, Jared Walsh, Ryan Mountcastle ... and the list goes on and on. You can pick your sweet spot in terms of the player who catches your eye or the round in which you decide to address the position. That being said, here are a few players who appeal to me for a variety of reasons.

Mid/late-round 1B targets to consider

Paul Goldschmidt (ADP: 49) fills a niche for those who come out of the first four rounds without a strong base stealer. The veteran should lead his position in swipes, which will help those who can’t resist drafting a couple of middle infielders who lack speed. Goldy is not a value pick at his current ADP, but he is the perfect fit for a drafter out there.

I like Pete Alonso (ADP: 62) at his current ADP more than any other 1B who is being drafted in the top-100. The Mets slugger battled back from an injury-impacted start to 2021 to produce 30 homers and 71 RBIs across the final four months of the campaign. He is on the shortlist of players who can lead the Majors in both power categories this year.

A career .300 hitter who was a top-40 pick in most 2021 leagues, DJ LeMahieu (ADP: 93) is a solid bounce-back candidate. The 33-year-old was plagued by a sports hernia last year and underwent core surgery during the offseason to hopefully put the issue behind him. A healthy LeMahieu could lead the Majors in batting average and score 100 runs.

One of the most consistent players in baseball, Anthony Rizzo (ADP: 169) is past his prime but still good enough to provide a solid floor for managers who wait to address first base. Rizzo also quietly contributes a few steals each year and will be even more appealing if he signs a free-agent deal with a contending team.

[Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]

For those who want to throw some late darts at high-upside first basemen, here are the players to target:

High-upside lottery-ticket first basemen

In all honesty, no one knows what to make of Frank Schwindel (ADP: 176). The late-bloomer was crushing Triple-A pitching last year before making his mark in the Majors by producing a 1.002 OPS across 239 plate appearances with the Cubs. I would normally dismiss a partial breakout season from a 29-year-old, but I have to admit that Schwindel’s advanced stats are promising and playing time is readily available on a retooling Cubs team. It makes sense to use a late-round pick while determining whether or not Schwindel is for real.

After an uneventful rookie season, Alex Kirilloff (ADP: 228) isn’t a hot commodity in 2022 drafts. But those who believe in Statcast data should be ready to use a late-round pick on the 24-year-old, who logged a .291 xBA and a .541 xSLG. Kirilloff is recovering from wrist surgery, which does make me wary of drafting him in deep leagues, but he is a great late-round option in the standard Yahoo! formats, where the waiver wire is full of replacements if he gets off to a slow start.

On a per-game basis, Brandon Belt (ADP: 247) was quietly one of the better hitters in baseball last season (.975 OPS). The native Texan continued a career-long pattern of missing plenty of time, which has held his 2022 draft value in check. He’s a great option to open the season in your starting lineup before being shipped to the waiver wire when the inevitable IL stint occurs.

Connor Joe (ADP: 251) could be the latest player to benefit from playing half his games at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Equipped with multi-position eligibility (1B/OF), Joe hit .285 with an .848 OPS in 211 plate appearances last year and will be a strong breakout candidate for 2022 if the Rockies promise him an everyday role.