MLB Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 2010's Top 20 First Basemen

Here’s my second look at the fantasy first basemen rankings.

1. Albert Pujols

My thoughts haven’t wavered on Pujols as the No. 1 first baseman. Nobody’s have.

2. Ryan Howard

I bumped him up a spot. His average isn’t going to kill you, but you simply can’t ignore the home runs and RBI he brings to the table. Sure, Prince Fielder was toe-to-toe with him last year, and Tex and Miggy have the potential, but Howard has been doing it for four straight years.

(2006-2009): .278, 102 R, 49.5 HR, 143 RBI, 2.5 SB

3. Mark Teixeira

I rank Tex at three simply because of the ballpark and lineup he’s in.

4. Miguel Cabrera

I went into further detail with Cabrera (click to see article) to justify the No. 4 ranking. I think his average is more likely to be a competitive edge over Prince Fielder than Fielder’s home runs and RBI over Cabrera.

5. Prince Fielder

His No. 5 ranking is merely a reflection as to how deep the position is.

6. Victor Martinez

Technically a catcher, V-Mart has first base eligibility. That dramatically adds to his value.

7. Kevin Youkilis

Same goes for Youk, but replace catcher with third base.

8. Adrian Gonzalez

Quietly, steadily a nice source of homers and RBI.

9. Justin Morneau

I bumped him down a few notches mainly because of his injury history and the uncertainty of Target Field. Weather could play a key role in the opening and closing months of his season.

10. Joey Votto

Another player we profiled (click here for the article). Potential for a .310 average with 25-30 home runs and 100-110 RBI.

11. Mark Reynolds

Reynolds has more value as a third basemen, but his speed and power combo makes him a No. 1 fantasy first basemen as well.

12. Kendry Morales

I’m concerned with the departure of Vladimir Guerrero even though they brought in Hideki Matsui. I’d still use him as a low-end fantasy 1B starter.

13. Billy Butler

Butler moved up on the list after looking deeper at his numbers. He figured out to hit righties last year, which should make his value soar.

14. Pablo Sandoval

Another third baseman with first baseman eligibility. I question the power, but the average should be there.

15. Lance Berkman

He has dominated in his last four “even” years. I don’t see quite the output this year, but he’s still a nice CI/Util option.

16. Adam Dunn

You can just about pencil Dunn in for 40 home runs and 100 RBIs. You’ll have to live with the average.

17. Carlos Pena

Same deal as Dunn, only a worse average and fewer homers.

18. Derrek Lee

I don’t believe in his 2009 power numbers (35 HR, 111 RBI, .972 OPS), but I do like him as a CI/Util/backup 1B.

19. Adam LaRoche

He’s averaged 24.6 home runs and 84.8 RBI the past five years. With Arizona, He has a chance to take a step forward.

20. Michael Cuddyer

Cuddy played well filling in for Morneau last year, which makes him more valuable this year with his 1B eligibility. He’ll give you a decent amount of runs, home runs, and RBI.

Click to see the rest of the 2010 fantasy baseball rankings.

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Originally published at LestersLegends.com.