Fantasy Sleepers: 4 Options at First Base in 2016

In fantasy baseball, first base is a popular position to double up on during draft day. Here are four sleepers that could give you 1B1 production late.

First base is loaded early in the draft, with six to seven names be drafted in the first three rounds. Chances are, many of you will have locked down that position early with an eye to harvest some solid production late in the draft. These four sleepers are there late to take a flier on.

A.J. Reed

If you haven’t heard of A.J. Reed, it’s because scouts don’t rank players based on how they will translate to fantasy baseball. AJ Reed is a slow-footed, lumbering first basemen. He is also a player who hit .340/.432/.612 with 34 HRs, 127 RBIs, and 113 Runs across to levels of the minors last season. All indications point to AJ Reed supplanting Jon Singleton as the everyday 1st baseman at some point in 2016.

So how will A.J. Reed fair? Let’s temper expectations because you should expect anything close to what Kris Bryant or Carlos Correa provided you last season. After all, Reed does have holes in his game that can’t be covered up with pure talent like Bryant and Correa were able to do. Reed’s K-rate is around 20% which only figures to increase when he faces major league pitching. And scouts are in agreement that there are questions whether or not he can handle major league left-handed pitching.

Depending on league size, Reed profiles as a guy you could draft late and sit on until his eventual call to the bigs or a waiver wire pick up as you monitor the Astros roster moves. Don’t expect Anthony Rizzo-like stats but it’s reasonable his production will match Brandon Belt or Lucas Duda.

Projected 2016 Season Stats

Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman went into 2015 with promise. A position change aimed to keep Zim healthy manifested into someone completely unexpected, as he labored through a bout with plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis can sap a player’s power and speed, but Zimmerman is expected to enter spring training at 100 percent. 

More from FanSided

• Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
• Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
• Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
• MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle
• Chargers loosen grip on checkbook to pay Justin Herbert: Best memes and tweets

While some may want to stay away from the oft-injured National, Zimmerman is someone you take a flyer on as a second first baseman. I may be cherry picking, but there was a small stretch of 2015 where we saw a glimmer of vintage Zim. From July 28th until September 7th, Zimmerman hit 11 HRs, scored 21 runs and knocked in 39 RBIs, all while batting a robust .311/.372/.652. This wasn’t a case of luck either, as Zimmerman was driving the ball to all parts of the field and led the league in Hard Hit% during that time with 50%.

I know what you’re thinking: this guy has like a bouquet of red flags going into 2016. Exactly, which makes him the perfect sleeper candidate who has fallen behind the likes of Justin Bour in ESPN rankings. With two years worth of injury history to scare away drafters, his price now has that risk couple into it which may leave you with 2015’s Mitch Moreland if the move to first base works as designed.

Projected 2016 Season Stats

Wil Myers

Wil Myers started 2015 with a bang, hitting .291/.340/.493 with a career low K-rate and giving fantasy owners great production in the counting stats. But the same sad story reared its ugly head, with Myers wrists betraying him in early May. Can we trust Myers in 2016?

The answer lies somewhere in his medical reports, where some describe Myers’ wrists as chronic issues that cannot be resolved with surgery. Given that Myers’ injury happened during a slide rather than his swing, it gives us a bit of comfort knowing it isn’t a mechanical flaw destined to happen again. At 25 years old and playing a position which holds less injury risk, Myers still holds 20/10 potential and his ability to be rostered at first base and in the outfield is a plus. And while Petco Park is still considered a pitcher’s park, it actually ranks favorable in home run factors since they’ve moved the fences in.

Currently, ESPN ranks Myers outside the top 20 and his Yahoo! ADP is even grizzlier. Myers is a typical 20-25 round pick that will make other players in your league kick themselves for not considering him as an option.

Projected 2016 Season Stats

Mike Napoli

Mike Napoli is reunited with his former manager in Cleveland and this almost seems like deja vu. After a poor 2012 with the Rangers where he batted .227 and battled injuries, Napoli signed with the Red Sox to put up a monster year. Now after a poor 2013 where he finished with the Rangers and batted .224 while recovering from sleep apnea, he is back with Terry Francona and the Indians.

Sometimes players are breakouts candidates because of ability but others are there due to environment. If Napoli slots in the fifth spot in the order, he will be hitting behind on-base machines in Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana which will bolster his ability to generate RBIs much like he did in Boston in 2013. A platoon role seems out of the question, as it has been reported that Napoli will be the everyday first basemen with Santana shifting to the DH role. The under-the-radar caveat of this deal is that Napoli absolutely destroys left-handed pitching.

Napoli is literally off the radar in 2016 and I can’t make the recommendation to draft him in the top 25. Plenty of players earn the right to be watched during the start of the season and Nap is no exception.

Projected 2016 Season Stats

Next: Tampa Bays Rays Chris Archer: 2016 Strikeouts Leader?

If you’re in a deep league — 16-teams and more– these names may already be snagged by the time the draft is rounding down. Other players that present interesting upside are Yonder Alonso, C.J. Cron, and Chris Carter if they can adjust to their new parks or roles as everyday players.