10 First Basemen Experts Draft (2026 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 First Basemen experts are targeting in drafts.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets Experts Love: First Basemen

Here are players fantasy baseball experts rank well above their current consensus ADP.

RK	PLAYER NAME	TEAM	POS	BEST	WORST	AVG.	STD.DEV	ECR VS. ADP
66	Vinnie Pasquantino	KC	1B9	44	86	71	6.5	13
104	Yandy Diaz	TB	1B13	50	171	109.7	16.7	29
149	Willson Contreras	BOS	1B14	97	210	152.8	27.3	18
158	Spencer Torkelson	DET	1B15	97	206	166.4	18.5	25
169	Jonathan Aranda	TB	1B16	125	233	178	24	15
219	Kyle Manzardo	CLE	1B21	174	262	226.1	24.1	24
223	Andrew Vaughn	MIL	1B22	170	286	238.1	27.6	55
250	Jake Burger	TEX	1B23	165	305	252.1	28.3	16
265	Nolan Schanuel	LAA	1B24	122	361	267.6	42.9	44
292	Josh Bell	MIN	1B26	188	392	298	40	116

Vinnie Pasquantino showed us the power we’d been hoping for in 2025, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 113. He barrels the ball well (10.8%), and he offers a decent batting average in the .265 range. Batting behind Bobby Witt Jr. and the seemingly ageless Sal Perez will never be a bad thing for counting stats. If you wait until the middle rounds, Pasquantino is in the last of the tier to be a true anchor at first base in 2026.

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.