Although we still haven’t returned to the heyday of first base, the position is starting to look up. The arrival of Nick Kurtz has given the position another superstar, as the youngster still hasn’t played a full season and is already the top first baseman on many draft lists. And the longstanding group of veterans, including the likes of Pete Alonso and Matt Olson, is still going strong.
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But as strong as the first base position is at the top, it drops off just as quickly. Depending on format, there are about a dozen appealing options. Unfortunately, the next tier leaves much to be desired, which is especially a problem in Roto leagues, where many managers will need to secure their corner infielder from the pool of first basemen. Here are some players to target and avoid.
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Proactive picks
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (Yahoo ADP 33.6)
A second-tier first baseman by ADP, Olson is closer to those in the tier ahead of him than those who trail him on the list. In four years with the Braves, the 31-year-old has hit .261 with an average of 37 homers, 109 RBI and 97 runs scored. Those numbers look an awful lot like the ones that are expected from Kurtz and Alonso, who are both being drafted roughly 15 picks earlier. Olson is boring, productive and the perfect third-round pick for those who have started their draft with a couple of speedy players.
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Ben Rice, New York Yankees (Yahoo ADP 84.7)
Let’s start with the obvious — the best part about drafting Rice is that he is eligible at the catcher position but will not have the physical demands of working behind the plate. And managers who come for the expanded workload will find that they get much more. Rice is an emerging star who last season logged a 95th percentile average exit velocity and 92nd percentile barrel rate. His expected stats were far ahead of his actual marks, which indicates that he could enjoy better batted-ball luck and a major uptick in performance. More volume and better on a per-game basis? Sign me up.
Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox (Yahoo ADP 105.9)
The ceiling was raised for Contreras as soon as he was traded from the Cardinals to the Red Sox. Fenway Park will be the best venue he has called home in his career, and Boston has a lineup that is vastly superior to the one Contreras left behind in St. Louis. Expected to hit out of the cleanup spot with his new team, the 33-year-old could produce 25 homers and 90 RBI across 150 games.
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Fades
Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners (Yahoo ADP 58.5)
No one truly knows what to make of a player with third percentile sprint speed who surprisingly stole 30 bases last season. The guess here is that Naylor’s steals total comes crashing back to Earth now that he is in possession of a long-term contract, and he finishes closer to 10 steals than 20. And when we take away the swipes, Naylor doesn’t look so special as a career .269 hitter who has hit more than 20 homers just once.
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers (Yahoo ADP 52.7)
Let’s take away the name value of Freeman and look at his stats from the past two seasons. Over 2024-25, the Dodgers’ star has averaged 147 games, 23 homers, 81 runs, 89.5 RBI, 7.5 steals and a .289 average. Those are excellent numbers, but they aren’t much better than the production that can be expected from a group of first basemen who have an ADP that is 30-40 picks later than Freeman. Add in his advanced age (36), and there are reasons to let someone else use a premium pick on him.
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Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers (Yahoo ADP 185.4)
Torkelson was one of the biggest busts of 2024, and after getting off to a hot start last season, he compiled just 17 homers and 36 RBI over the final four months of the campaign. The career .227 hitter needs to be a premium home-run hitter to have value in standard leagues. So far, his power stroke has been too inconsistent.
Sleepers
Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays (Yahoo ADP 179.6)
A quick look at Okamoto’s stats from Japan will make fantasy managers excited. The 29-year-old has strong contact skills and posted six 30-homer seasons overseas. He may play multiple positions (which would be great for his fantasy value) and will be a full-time member of Toronto’s lineup. He could also earn a premium lineup spot by getting off to a good start. Late-round picks are best used on players with upside, and Okamoto fits that profile.
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Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals (Yahoo ADP: 184.1)
Burleson improved in several areas last season, including walk rate (7.1%), average exit velocity (91.0 mph) and fly ball rate (42.1%). On a rebuilding Cardinals team, he has virtually no competition to play every day and bat out of a premium lineup spot. He should post a batting average similar to his .290 mark from 2025, while also hitting more than 20 homers and chipping in a few steals.
Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers (Yahoo ADP 219.0)
Vaughn was terrific after joining the Brewers, hitting .308 with nine homers and 46 RBI in 64 games. One of the smartest organizations must be confident in the sustainability of his contributions, as they did not pursue other first-base options in the offseason. Vaughn is going undrafted in most leagues despite his potential to provide a helpful batting average and solid counting stats while playing regularly in one of baseball’s best lineups.
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1. Nick Kurtz, Athletics
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
3. Pete Alonso, Orioles
4. Bryce Harper, Phillies
5. Matt Olson, Braves
6. Rafael Devers, Giants
7. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
8. Josh Naylor, Mariners
9. Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics
10. Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals
11. Ben Rice, Yankees
12. Michael Busch, Cubs
You can find our complete first baseman rankings for the 2026 fantasy baseball season here.
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