One of the clearest themes from the FantasyPros Ultimate First Base Guide was this: the best value at first base isn’t coming from the top of the board. While Nick Kurtz and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dominate the headlines, the real profit is sitting a few rounds later with veterans and post-hype bats whose prices have drifted too far.
These are the first basemen the show repeatedly circled as best fantasy baseball draft values for 2026, players who can return top-8 or even top-5 production at a fraction of the cost.
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position (ADP)
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
Fantasy Baseball Draft Values to Target
Here are a few fantasy baseball draft values to target at first base.
Olson is the definition of a boring value, and that’s exactly why he’s being undervalued. He has played 162 games in four straight seasons and still just posted 29 homers with nearly 100 runs and RBI on a Braves team that underperformed offensively.
The skills did not collapse. His hard-hit rate rebounded, his barrel rate ticked back toward peak levels, and his approach against fastballs improved. The only thing missing was the extreme pull-side loft that fueled his monster 2023 season.
At a mid-round cost, Olson doesn’t need to repeat that peak. If Atlanta’s lineup normalizes around him, a 30 to 35 homer season with elite counting stats is very much back on the table.
Devers may be the best pure value at the position. The fear around his move to San Francisco has created a discount that the underlying data does not support.
He set career highs in hard-hit rate, barrel rate, walk rate, and average exit velocity. The bat speed and power are fully intact. While the batting average dipped, his expected metrics suggest improvement rather than decline.
The Giants lineup is quietly deep, with on-base skills in front of him and legitimate protection behind him. Devers is being drafted several rounds after the elite tier despite offering nearly identical power upside. That gap is where value lives.
Freeman is not a ceiling play anymore, but he is still one of the safest floors in fantasy baseball. The market is pricing in age decline aggressively, yet his second-half production showed no real signs of erosion.
He continues to hit for average, continues to barrel the baseball, and continues to live in one of the best run-producing environments in the sport. The stolen bases are mostly gone, but they were never the foundation of his value.
As a fallback option after the top names come off the board, Freeman provides stability that helps balance riskier roster builds.
Vaughn’s post-trade transformation with Milwaukee was one of the most interesting developments discussed on the show. After struggling badly in Chicago, he immediately found life with the Brewers, hitting over .300 with legitimate power.
The batted-ball data supports the rebound. Career-high barrel rate, improved launch angle, better pull rates, and a lower strikeout profile all point toward a real adjustment rather than a fluke hot streak.
Batting in the middle of a Brewers lineup that consistently generates runs, Vaughn has a clear path to 25 homers and strong RBI totals at an extremely cheap draft cost.
Burleson does not have flashy upside, but he does something quietly valuable. He does not hurt you anywhere.
He improved across the board last season, raising his batting average, on-base percentage, and barrel rate while cutting down on chase and swing-and-miss. He offers multi-position eligibility and enough power to clear 20 homers without sinking batting average.
In deeper leagues or as a corner infield option, Burleson gives you lineup flexibility and steady production, which is exactly what you want from a value pick.
Contreras moving off catcher has pushed his fantasy price down more than it should. The bat did not regress. In fact, last season featured some of the best quality-of-contact numbers of his career.
Now he lands in Fenway Park with a strong top-half lineup around him. The catcher tax is gone, but the power and RBI profile remain. That makes Contreras a sneaky value, especially in leagues where first base dries up faster than expected.
If he gives you 22 to 25 homers with solid average, that production will vastly outperform his draft slot.
Caglianone is the upside swing of the group. The surface stats were ugly last year, but the underlying indicators tell a very different story.
He showed elite bat speed, a double-digit barrel rate, and a manageable strikeout percentage for a rookie power hitter. His BABIP was abnormally low, suggesting significant positive regression.
If the contact quality begins to translate into loft and results, Caglianone is one of the few late first basemen with true 30-homer upside. At his cost, that is a bet worth making.
Fantasy Baseball Takeaways
- Matt Olson and Rafael Devers are the clearest examples of elite skills drifting into value territory.
- Freddie Freeman is no longer a ceiling play, but his floor remains extremely useful at cost.
- Andrew Vaughn‘s Milwaukee resurgence looks supported by real skill changes.
- Alec Burleson offers quiet stability and flexibility in deeper formats.
- Willson Contreras is being discounted too heavily due to position perception rather than performance.
- Jac Caglianone is the ideal late-round upside swing if you miss early first basemen.
If you want to win at first base in 2026, the path does not require a first-round pick. It requires patience, tier awareness, and the willingness to take proven production when the room gets distracted by upside.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn