Fantasy Impact: First Base

Baseball's best power hitters are found at the first base position. First base is deep and fantasy owners should have no trouble getting a very productive hitter for the position. One thing to remember in fantasy drafts is that many owners will draft 2 or even 3 first basemen and roster the extras at IF or Utility positions to maximize offensive production. While many of baseball's elite hitters can be found fairly deep, the talent level drops dramatically after the top 18-20 first basemen, so if you wait too long, you might find yourself stuck with Travis Ishikawa, which puts you at a pretty severe disadvantage compared to teams with Albert Pujols, Miggy Cabrera and Prince Fielder on their rosters. Here's my list of the top fantasy first basemen:

1. Albert Pujols- #1 overall on most draft boards, and deservedly so. Even stole 16 bases last season!

2. Prince Fielder- Elite HR hitter and run producer who won't hurt you on Batting Average.

3. Mark Teixeira- Got off to a slow start with the Yankees. Now that he is settled in, could really bust out in that Yankee lineup and RF porch in home ballpark.

4. Miguel Cabrera- Won't get quite as many HR's as Ryan Howard, but makes up for it in Batting Average.

5. Ryan Howard- Has some downside on Batting Average but is an elite producer in 3 categories.

6. Adrian Gonzalez- Have to be concerned about the home ballpark, but AGone hasn't let that hold him back yet. Has improved his HR numbers 4 years in a row.

7. Joey Votto- Brilliant young hitter who is still improving. Should be even better after overcoming depression and anxiety related to his father's sudden death.

8. Pablo Sandoval- Should have dual eligibility with 3B in most leagues.

9. Derrick Lee- Steady producer in a good lineup.

10. Justin Morneau- Another reliable producer. Stress fracture in back should be fully healed, but mild concern about recurrence of back problems.

11. Kendry Morales- Stepped right in and filled the vacancy lefty by Mark Teixeira. The Angels obviously knew something when they traded Casey Kotchman for 2 months of Teixeira.

12. Lance Berkman- Had a down year for him in 2009, but that's still pretty good. Expect a rebound, but Berkman may not be the type of player who is productive late in his career.

13. Billy Butler- Finally started to hit like everyone expected him to. 2010 could be a true breakout year.

14. Kevin Youkilis- The "Greek God of Walks" is a notch below the elite hitters, but has been rock steady for years. Dual eligibility at 3B makes him a great choice for IF or Utility positions.

15. Carlos Pena- Great power and run producing numbers, but kills you on Batting Average. I tend to stay away from players like that, especially since Batting Average is not a counting stat, it's hard for your other players to make up that deficit.

16. Paul Konerko- underrated. You probably don't want him as your regular first sacker but can make a nice utility guy.

17. Adam LaRoche- See Paul Konerko

18. James Loney- See Paul Konerko. Power has been disappointing, but hits for a decent average and still produces runs.

19. Todd Helton- Finally healthy last year. Valuable as a utility player if he remains so.

20. Jorge Cantu- Also underrated. Dual eligibility at 3B.

20. Nick Johnson- If he can stay healthy, should thrive in Yankee Stadium and the Yankee lineup.

Regression alert! Garrett Jones, Russell Branyan.

Possible Rookies worth monitoring: Brett Wallace(if Toronto can trade Overbay), Logan Morrison, Chris Carter(Oakland).

Sleeper alert: Travis Ishikawa. If he can shake off the young player jitters and produce anything close to what he did in his home ballpark, could be a very surprising player. If the Giants sign a veteran first baseman like LaRoche though, Travis is done.