Fantasy Baseball 2008: Top First Basemen

First Base is the deepest position in baseball right now.

It is primarily the position where you want to get your power from when it comes to fantasy baseball. The top thing to look out for though is a player that may have an injury-plagued year.

Nothing kills a team's chances of winning a championship more than an injured first baseman. First baseman also have a good chance of being your first pick in a multiple-team draft, so drafting at the position is something that needs to be done wisely.

That being said, here are the top 5 first baseman coming into 2008, and their projected stats for the 2008 year.

1. Albert Pujols

Who else can have an "off" year like Albert Pujols had, and still put up MVP worthy numbers? His average has been the same almost every year, around the .330 range, and he's also a lock every season to hit at least 34 HR's and put up at least 100 RBI's.

Pujols always gets the job done, and is one of the most consistent players in the major leagues. Also, at 28 years old, he is just entering the prime of his hall of fame worthy career. You might see his walks go up though, as the departure of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen leaves him with little protection in the middle of the lineup.

That also means both his OPS and OBP will shoot right up, a plus in leagues that use that statistic for head-to-head matchups.With a little luck and good health, you'll definitely see an MVP year from Alber Pujols once again.

Projected Stats: .335 AVG, 42 HR, 125 RBI, 110 Runs, .430 OBP

2. Prince Fielder

Beef or no beef, Prince Fielder is a big man with big power. After a 50 Hr and 119 RBI season in 2007, there's not much that he can improve on. His .288 batting AVG could go up, but other than that, his numbers next season could be MVP worthy.

Although don't expect another 50 HR's out of the big boy, he's a great player, and barring a major injury to his huge frame, you'll see another great season from the big man out of Milwaukee.

Projected Stats: .295 AVG, 48 HR, 115 RBI, 120 Runs, .400 OBP

3. Ryan Howard 

Ryan Howard can produce power numbers up there with anyone, but if you're looking for someone to lead your team in batting AVG, do not look at Howard. A huge slump in the middle of July/August left him with a .268 average, but i think this year he'll be back up to his career average of around .290 AVG.

The other statistic that possibly puts a potential drafter off are his strikeout rates. Howard led the league in strikeouts with 199, 32 more than the next guy. Overall, I think this season might be better than last, but don't expect him to match his 2006 MVP numbers.

Projected Stats: .287 AVG, 57 HR , 125 RBI, 110 Runs, .390 OBP

4. Mark Teixera

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