Albert Pujols Injury: Top 10 Fantasy First Basemen to Replace the Hurt Cardinal

A lot of fantasy owners thought they saw their season shatter when first baseman Albert Pujols fractured his left wrist in Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Pujols numbers have been off the charts since he came into the league and his durability has never been an issue. Pujols has played at least 143 games since 2001 and the least productive he has been was in 2007 when he hit 32 home runs and had 103 RBI.

Pujols is having a somewhat down year this season, but he’s still an elite player. He is batting .279 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI.

Even though Pujols is one of the best first baseman, don’t fret because there are still plenty of fantasy first baseman to add to your roster.

Here is a list of the top 10 first basemen available.

10. Brett Wallace, Houston Astros

The Astros don’t have a lot to hang their hat on, in terms of hitting or pitching, but Wallace is one the few good players the Astros have. In his first full season, the young first baseman is showing he belongs in the league.

He’s batting .303 with a .392 OBP and has four home runs and 21 RBI.

9. Daniel Murphy, New York Mets

Murphy’s is so important to own because he is eligible not just at first base but second and third as well. Murphy is in the middle of a slump right now, but his numbers this season are decent.

He’s batting .285 with four home runs and 22 RBI. Look for Murphy to break through later this season.

8. Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers

Moreland is kind of a hot-cold hitter, but when he’s hot, he’s hot. Moreland has massive power. Hitting in that Texas ballpark will only help him hit more homers.

He has nine home runs and 21 RBI this year.

7. Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies

Mr. Consistency, Todd Helton. A career .323 hitter, Helton will always give you average points for fantasy. Helton is already having a better year than last.

Last year, he had eight home runs and 37 RBI batting only .256. This year he’s batting .311 with nine home runs and 31 RBI. Over his last 10 games Helton is on a tear, racking up eight runs, 11 hits, one home run and six RBI.

6. Anthony Rizzo, San Diego Padres

Rizzo tore up the minor leagues this year hitting .365 with a ridiculous .444 OBP. In the majors this year, Rizzo isn’t doing too well, but he has an OBP of .350 meaning he is not over swinging when he steps up to the plate.

Rizzo just needs time to find his groove again.

5. Ty Wigginton, Colorado Rockies

Last year, Wigginton had an unbelievable first half. This year it seems like he’s come back to earth a little bit, but recently is showing that last season, wasn’t a fluke.

Wigginton is very good for power, hitting seven home runs this season for Colorado. Over his last 10 games, Wigginton has seven runs, 11 hits, two home runs and six RBI. Wigginton is also available at third base.

4. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves

Coming in at 6’5" and weighing 222 pounds Freeman is the ideal first baseman. He also is only 21 years old and was rated the No. 17 prospect this year.

His output this year is solid. Freeman has seven homers and 27 RBIs. Over his last 10 games, Freeman has 10 hits, two home runs and five RBI.

3. Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels

Another tall young first baseman, Trumbo has a lot of potential and is putting up a solid year. The Angels are not looking too bad this year.

Only three games back of the Rangers for first place, and Trumbo could play an important role at the end of the year. He leads his team with 12 home runs.

2. Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners

Smoak was part of the big deal that brought Cliff from Seattle to Texas. Mariner fans were of course angry about Lee leaving, but Smoak has showed fans why the Mariners acquired him.

This year he is tied for sixth among American League first baseman with 12 home runs. He also has ranks sixth among American League first baseman with 40 RBI.

1. Casey Kotchman, Tampa Bay Rays

A lot of people had high hopes in Anaheim for Casey Kotchman, when he first debuted in 2004. After some pretty average years in Los Angeles, he moved to Atlanta, then Boston and finally, Seattle last year, where he struggled.

This year, it’s a different story in Tampa. In the 58 games he’s played this year, Kotchman is off to a career-best season.  Kotchman leads the team in batting average (.341) and OBP (.402). Over his last 10 games Kotchman has 14 hits, one home run and six RBI. Not too shabby.