15 Players Experts Draft: First Basemen (2024 Fantasy Baseball)

When preparing for your fantasy baseball drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy baseball rankings compared to average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable players below.

2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice

Rank	Player	Team	Positions	Best	Worst	Avg	Std Dev	ADP	vs. ADP
81	Triston Casas	BOS	1B	48	112	81.3	13.8	91	10
108	Yandy Diaz	TB	1B	71	176	113	16.5	116	8
110	Josh Naylor	CLE	1B,DH	77	155	113.9	14.3	125	15
129	Christian Encarnacion-Strand	CIN	1B,DH	95	232	135.2	21.5	135	6
138	Vinnie Pasquantino	KC	1B	113	237	142.9	26.5	162	24
151	Alec Bohm	PHI	1B,3B	102	235	154.9	22.5	157	6
163	Rhys Hoskins	MIL	1B	109	238	162.5	20.1	188	25
186	Nathaniel Lowe	TEX	1B	112	258	187.2	33.9	215	29
192	Jeimer Candelario	CIN	1B,3B	147	246	195	17.9	207	15
208	Andrew Vaughn	CWS	1B	156	256	212.8	24.4	247	39
210	Ryan Mountcastle	BAL	1B,DH	141	255	213.6	30	243	33
212	Brandon Drury	LAA	1B,2B	143	298	213.8	25.3	235	23
232	Anthony Rizzo	NYY	1B	172	275	232.4	25.3	257	25
233	Jose Abreu	HOU	1B	135	310	238.4	24.8	287	54
235	Josh Bell	MIA	1B,DH	188	302	239	26.9	326	91

What is Fantasy Baseball?

Fantasy baseball is an online game where participants act as managers of virtual baseball teams based on real-life Major League Baseball (MLB) players. The performance of these players in actual games determines the results in the fantasy league. It’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, akin to the real-world decisions team managers must make.

Basic Strategy for Fantasy Baseball Success

1. Understand Your League’s Format and Scoring

Before drafting your team, it’s essential to understand the scoring system and rules of your specific league, as this will influence your drafting and management strategy. Knowing whether you’re in a points-based, category-based, or head-to-head league will guide you in selecting players whose strengths align with the scoring system.

2. Drafting Your Team Wisely

A solid draft is the foundation of a successful season. Here are a few tips for the drafting phase:

Balanced Team: Ensure you have a balanced team with a mix of power hitters, average hitters, speedsters, starting pitchers, and relievers.
Position Scarcity: Be aware of the depth of talent at each position. Some positions, like shortstop, may have fewer high-quality players, making it beneficial to draft a top player at that position early.
High-Floor Players: Early in the draft, focus on players with a proven track record of consistency.
Upside Picks: In the later rounds, look for “upside” players. These are athletes who have the potential to outperform their draft position.

3. In-Season Management

Stay Active: Constantly look for ways to improve your team through waivers, trades, and free-agent pickups.
Mind the Matchups: Pay attention to player matchups, platoon splits, and ballparks. Starting a pitcher in a hitter-friendly park, for example, can be risky.
Injury Management: Stay on top of player injuries and have backups ready for your key players.