First Base has long been considered critical for success in the fantasy game. Grab a power-hitting first baseman earlier, perhaps two, and ride the power, RBI and RUNs scored to a Championship. However, the game has changed and first base is no longer where fantasy owners are focusing. Sure, there is still Freddie, Goldy, and Rizzo, but look at the guys in the 11 to 15 range…hardly pillars for your fantasy team. Which begs the question. Is first base now a scarce position in fantasy baseball?
While not deep, we don’t believe it’s at the same scarcity level as catchers or outfielders. You see, first base is still a power position, but power is so plentiful in the league, that the focus in drafts, particularly early, should be on speed and you are just not going to find that at first. That’s not to say I still don’t want Freddie Freeman or Paul Goldschmidt on my team. However, I’d much rather draft a guy early that is going to give me both speed and power because, by the mid-rounds, the speed is gone. Therefore, one argument at the draft table is to wait on first base a bit and hunt for more well-rounded players in the early rounds.
Food for thought.
Our rankings of first base can be found here.
