First base is one of the rare fantasy baseball positions where you can win your league from multiple draft paths. You can spend early and lock in production, or you can wait and still come away with a starter you trust. The key, as emphasized throughout the FantasyPros Ultimate First Base Guide, is understanding where the player pool actually changes.
This is not a flat position. The difference between the top and the bottom of the rankings is real, and if you miss the wrong cutoff point, first base can quietly become a weekly headache. Tiers, not raw rankings, are the correct way to attack the position in 2026. Let’s dive into the top-12 fantasy baseball rankings for first base and the tier breaks to use for your drafts.
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Fantasy Baseball Rankings & Tiers: First Base
We highlight the top-12 first basemen and the four tier breaks for the position as you fill out your starter at first.
Tier 1: The Elite Anchors
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B – TOR)
- Pete Alonso (1B – BAL)
- Nick Kurtz (1B – OAK)
This is the group that lets you stop thinking about first base entirely.
Guerrero is the safest profile in the tier. He plays every day, gives you batting average stability, and piles up runs and RBI without forcing you to absorb extreme category risk. He may not always lead the position in home runs, but his floor is unmatched.
Alonso is the power bank. Every draft season, he gets pushed down slightly because he feels boring, and every season he reminds managers how hard it is to find 35-plus homers and elite RBI volume. If Kurtz and Guerrero cost you a first-round pick, Alonso often becomes the value pivot just behind them.
Kurtz is the upside play. The power ceiling is league-altering, but the strikeout rate and expected batting average create volatility that doesn’t exist with the other two. Drafting Kurtz is a bet on ceiling, not safety, and roster construction needs to reflect that.
Strategy note: If you take one of these three, you can ignore first base for a long time. That flexibility matters.
Tier 2: Strong Starters With Value Swings
- Bryce Harper (1B – PHI)
- Matt Olson (1B – ATL)
- Rafael Devers (1B – SF)
- Freddie Freeman (1B – LAD)
- Vinnie Pasquantino (1B – KC)
This is where most leagues are won.
All five players can realistically finish as top-eight first basemen, yet their draft prices vary wildly based on perception, age, or recency bias. Olson and Devers, in particular, stand out as discounted power bats whose underlying skills remain elite. Freeman has lost speed, but the batting average and lineup context keep his floor high. Pasquantino brings batting average stability and growth potential that fits modern roto builds better than many managers realize.
Harper is the wild card. He’s still very good, but the elite category spikes that once defined him are less consistent. He belongs in this tier, but cost sensitivity matters more with him than with the others.
Strategy note: If you miss Tier 1, your goal should be to land one name from this tier. Waiting beyond it changes the entire feel of your roster.
Tier 3: Solid but Context-Dependent
- Josh Naylor (1B – SEA)
- Tyler Soderstrom (1B – OAK)
This tier isn’t bad. It’s just fragile.
Naylor’s value leans heavily on category balance, particularly stolen bases, which are historically difficult for first basemen to repeat year over year. Add in a tougher home environment, and his margin for error shrinks.
Soderstrom is the opposite profile. His second-half performance was better than many realize, and his multi-category contributions make him playable. The concern is role stability and whether the power ticks back up enough to separate him from the pack.
Strategy note: These players are fine starters, but you’re drafting them knowing you’ll need support elsewhere. They’re better as Plan B than Plan A.
Tier 4: Upside and Roster Construction Plays
- Ben Rice (C/1B – NYY)
- Michael Busch (1B – CHC)
Once you’re here, first base becomes a puzzle rather than a solution.
Rice is interesting because the bat plays regardless of position, but his fantasy value depends heavily on how your league handles eligibility and how you fill catcher. Busch has power and opportunity, but lacks the category stability of the earlier tiers.
These are players you draft because the board pushed you here, not because you wanted to be here.
Strategy note: If Tier 4 is your starter tier, you should already be strong in power or batting average elsewhere.
How to Draft First Base in 2026
The biggest takeaway from the podcast is that you don’t need to panic early, but you do need to respect the drop-offs.
- Tier 1 gives you freedom.
- Tier 2 gives you value if you time it correctly.
- Tier 3 forces you to manage risk actively.
- Tier 4 demands roster creativity.
First base is deep enough to wait, but shallow enough that waiting too long changes your entire draft. Know where the tiers end, and don’t let the room push you past your comfort point.
Fantasy Baseball Takeaways
- Tier-based drafting matters more than raw rankings at first base.
- Guerrero, Alonso, and Kurtz are the only true set-and-forget anchors.
- Tier 2 is the profit zone, especially Olson, Devers, Freeman, and Pasquantino.
- Tier 3 starters are viable but require stronger category support.
- If you fall into Tier 4, plan to compensate elsewhere.
- You don’t have to draft first base early, but you do have to draft it deliberately.
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