2011 Fantasy Baseball: Justin Morneau No. 1 of 3 Underrated First Basemen

1 of 5

CHICAGO - SEPTEMBER 24: Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a single in the 9th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cardinals defeated the Cubs 7-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

I think we can all agree that Albert Pujols should be the first first baseman off the board and probably the first player in general during your fantasy baseball draft. However, there are several other players at this position who also deserve more attention than they have been receiving lately. Some of these names will have a little more value in your draft than others, but the focus is finding value at their draft spots! First base is a great position to find quality players for your utility positions due to the depth of quality players.

By Brian Holt, Senior Writer for 4thandHome.com

1. Justin Morneau: Currently Ranked No. 60 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 30: Justin Morneau #33 of the Minnesota Twins looks at home plate umpire Bill Welke #52 after being called out on strikes in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers during their game on June 30, 2010 at Target Field in Minneapo

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

That's right Justin, you are No. 1 on the underrated list!

Last Season’s Statistics:

Runs	HR	RBI	SB	Avg
53	18	56	0	.345

Nothing too impressive until you realize he only played in 81 games! Extrapolate that over an entire season and you get the following:

Runs	HR	RBI	SB	Avg
106	36	112	0	.345

Those of you that are quick are already noting that his BABIP was about .090 over his career average, but there’s no doubt he was on pace for an MVP caliber season when he was injured. Not too dissimilar to the following stats:

Runs	HR	RBI	SB	Avg
115	42	118	14	.312

And those got Mr. Jose “Albert” Pujols ranked No. 1. If you can get him in the 40’s or 50’s, do it and laugh all the way to the championship.

2. Paul Konerko: Currently Ranked No. 97 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

CHICAGO - AUGUST 10: Paul Konerko #14 of the Chicago White Sox hits a double against the Minnesota Twins at U.S. Cellular Field on August 10, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Twins defeated the White Sox 12-6. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Last Season's Statistics:

Runs	HR	RBI	SB	Avg
89	39	111	0	.312

With Konerko there are a few strikes against him going into this season, he’s going to be 35, his BABIP last year was .041 over his career average last year and it’s not a contract year. So we should expect some regression this season for a team that selects him. With that said, would you be upset if you got 30 HR’s, 100 RBI and a .280 Average out of an 8th or 10th-round draft choice??

3. Gaby Sanchez: Currently Ranked #232 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

PHOENIX - JULY 10: Infielder Gaby Sanchez #14 of the Florida Marlins in action during the Major League Baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 10, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Marlins 5-4. (Photo

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Last Season’s Statistics:

Runs	HR	RBI	SB	Avg
72	19	85	5	.273

While Sanchez has not lit the world on fire, he did have a productive first full season in the major leagues. At only 27 and since he was a career .302 hitter in five minor league seasons, I would say he has decent upside for someone that will most likely go undrafted in several leagues. Think of him as Butler-lite, similar stats but at a much cheaper price!

Begin Slideshow