2007 MLB Fantasy First Basemen
Here Are Your Top 10 Fantasy Baseball First Basemen Draft Picks
The first baseman is often the best player on a MLB Fantasy Team. This article will help you choose the best player for your squad.
There is no question who the best first baseman is in the 2007 Fantasy Baseball Draft. It's Albert Pujols. He is also the top-rated fantasy player in all of baseball. However, there are plenty of legitimate arguments about who the next best MLB Fantasy First Basemen are. Here is an in-depth look at the best producing first sackers in the Majors. Use it to find the right Fantasy First Basemen for your 2007 MLB Fantasy Draft.
1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
In 2006, Pujols had another brilliant season. His final statistics for the season were as follows: a .331 Average, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 119 Runs, and a .431 On-Base Percentage. Over his six-year career, Pujols has been the best MLB Fantasy First Baseman every season. His 162 Game Averages over the course of his six-year career are staggering: a .332 Average, 42 HR, 128 RBI, 127 Runs, and 6 SB.
Keep in mind that Pujols is just 27 years old. Traditionally, players get better as they move into their late 20’s and early 30’s. He is also a workhorse who rarely misses time. Pujols has played in an average of 156 games a year over his career. With time, health and incredible skill all on his side, Prince Albert is the 2007 Top Fantasy First Basemen, and should also be the top pick in anyone's 2007 MLB Fantasy Draft.
2. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Pujols is the only reason that Howard doesn't top this list. The young man from Philadelphia hit .313 with 58 HR and 149 RBI last season. The year before he won the Rookie of the Year Award, even though he played in just 88 games. Howard is a force of nature. He is not just a slugger; this man is a hitter. Watch for him to put up stats that are just a little less than Phat Albert's 2007 Numbers. Still, those numbers will be good enough to keep any fantasy team in the hunt.
3. Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers
This guy allegedly had a bad season in 2006, and he still managed to hit .282 with 33 HR and 110 RBI. For most players, that would be a career year. Not Teixiera. In 2005, Big Mark hit .301 with 43 HR and 144 RBI. Teixiera came on strong in the seond half of 2006, and he is already off to a good start in spring training, so there is good reason to believe that Teixiera will hit around .300 with about 40 HR and 120 RBI in 2007.
4. Jason Giambi, New York Yankees
The steroid scandals are over. The tumor is gone. Giambi is back. Last season, Jason hit 37 HR, drove in 113 runs and had the sixth best On Base Percentage in baseball. With players like Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui and Abreu hitting around him in the Yankees' lineup, expect Giambi to hit close to 40 HR and pick up 120 RBI. He will also lead the AL in walks, On Base Percentage and OPS (if your League takes these stats into account.) Giambi is a good, if somewhat controversial, fourth pick among 2007 Fantasy First Baseman.
5. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
In 2006, Morneau hit .321 with 34 HR and 120 RBI. That was good enough to beat New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter for the AL MVP. Morneau will have another great year, but not as spectacular as his 2006 campaign. Look for him to slide just a bit this year, but he will still be good enough to be the fifth first baseman taken in your 2007 Fantasy Baseball Draft.
6. Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs
Lee was limited to just 50 games in 2006, so you really need to look at his 2004-05 numbers (and his health) to make a fair assessment of him as a fantasy player. Lee's numbers over '04 and '05 were fantastic. He averaged .310 with 39 HR, 105 RBI and 14 SB. Had he not been hurt last year, Lee would probably be in the top three 2007 Fantasy First Baseman. Wherever he is taken, Lee should not disappoint.
7. Lance Berkmann , Houston Astros
Berkmann is another slugger who could be picked as high as Number 3 at this position. Berkmann put up great numbers last year. He hit .315 with 45 HR and 136 RBI. But those numbers were well above his career averages. With the arrival of Carlos Lee to provide some protection in the Astros' lineup, Berkman will have another good year, but will not duplicate his 2006 efforts.
8. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets
Delgado hits in a great lineup, consistently hits at least 35 HR and picks up over 100 RBI, and scores 100 runs regularly. However, Delgado's Batting Average and On Base Percentage slipped a lot last year. He will still put up the power numbers, but he won't hit for average and he won't steal any bases. Nonetheless, he will provide a good deal of pop to any fantasy squad.
9. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
This is another 2007 Fantasy First Baseman you can't go wrong with. Over the last three years, Konerko has averaged .291 with 39 HR and 110 RBI. Even though the lineup around him will not provide the same support that it has since 2004, Konerko will still do very well this year. Pencil him in for a .285 Average with 35 homers and 110 RBI. No stolen bases, though.
10. Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays
Overbay is the sleeper of the 2007 Fantasy First Baseman list. He had his best season in 2006 after coming over to the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto's lineup will get even better this year, and so will Overbay. If you have to choose between Overbay and Nomar Garciaparra, take Overbay because he will likely play in at least 40 more games than Nomar.
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Those are your Top 10 Fantasy Baseball First Baseman for your 2007 Fantasy Baseball Draft. You should also check out the Top 100 Fantasy Players, the Top 25 Fantasy Outfielders, the Top 20 Fantasy Starters, and the 2007 Fantasy Depth Chart.
