Ottoneu Top 20 First Basemen for 2020

by
October 9, 2019

Using a format similar to the one Paul Sporer recently posted for 2020 Roto player rankings, below is the 2020 ranking of the Top 20 First Basemen for Ottoneu fantasy baseball.  Ottoneu leagues are auction style, but with no salaries listed (league dependent), think of these lists as simplified “snake draft” rankings (“which player would I take before the next”), or a value ranking of players above replacement level for 2020. Players with multi-position eligibility may receive a slight bump in value (2020 positions listed).  You can reference average Ottoneu player salaries here, but keep in mind these salaries fluctuate throughout the winter as rosters shape up towards the January 31st keeper deadline for all leagues.

Since a majority of Ottoneu leagues are points leagues (offense based on linear weights), you’ll notice speed is less of a factor here than Paul’s rotisserie ranking lists.  Even if you don’t play Ottoneu, this list might be a good proxy for OBP, OPS, or sabermetric leagues, so keep that context in mind as you review.  If I’ve missed an important player, or you believe I’ve wildly over or under-valued someone, please let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to update.

In 2019, the 29 qualified first basemen averaged the following production:

  • 5.88 Points Per Game (P/G)
  • 30 HR
  • 10% BB%
  • 22% K%
  • .227 ISO
  • .268 AVG
  • .353 OBP
  • .495 SLG
  • .354 wOBA
  • 120 wRC+

Ottoneu 2020 Top 20 First Basemen
RK Player 2020 POS Outlook
1 Cody Bellinger 1B/OF One of only six players above 8.0+ Points per Game; only 24 y/o + OF
2 Freddie Freeman 1B Worth the price of prime consistency above almost anyone else at 1B
3 Pete Alonso 1B The most power at the position, and possibly the most in the game
4 Josh Bell 1B .408 wOBA 1st half; .326 in 2nd; young enough (27) to improve
5 Anthony Rizzo 1B Only 30 years old and still a steady producer despite less power than most
6 Max Muncy 1B/2B/3B 35 home runs makes him valuable in three key spots for 2020
7 DJ LeMahieu 1B/2B/3B .349 BABIP hard to repeat but NYY, 20+ HR, and xwOBA make him a mainstay solution
8 Hunter Dozier 1B/3B/OF Top seven in Hard Hit % makes 2019 breakout appear real; 3B/OF helps
9 Rhys Hoskins 1B Upcoming age 27 season makes big bounceback likely in 2020
10 Carlos Santana 1B Excellent 135 wRC+ won’t repeat but 1.0 BB/K rate gives confidence
11 Miguel Sano 1B/3B 53% Hard Hit % trailed only Judge in 2nd half; he’ll be 27 y/o
12 Matt Olson 1B Elite Hard Hit % and abilty to pull ball make big breakout likely
13 Paul Goldschmidt 1B Stolen bases (3) are gone, and power is now sporadic
14 Trey Mancini 1B/OF A quietly excellent season on a bad team; great bargain in this group
15 Luke Voit 1B Strong per game value but expect another ~120 games or so
16 Edwin Encarnacion 1B Age 37 and home ballpark will be key factors in 2020 value
17 Jose Abreu 1B AL RBI leader likely to resign with CHW for another ~.340 wOBA season
18 Joey Votto 1B Expect a recovery above a career-worst .332 wOBA
19 Christian Walker 1B If he gets another 600+ PA, he’s a possible 40 HR candidate
20 Yulieski Gurriel 1B/3B He’ll be 36, but he just keeps hitting
Offense in Ottoneu points leagues are based on linear weights.

If you’re interested in tools and resources to help find or create your own Ottoneu player values ($), bookmark the community site, which will be updated often. You can also find a ranking of these players on the 2020 version of the Surplus Calculator.





 

Trey is a 20+ year fantasy veteran and an early adopter of Ottoneu fantasy sports. He currently administers the Ottoneu community, a network of ~1,200 fantasy baseball and football fans talking sports daily. More resources here: http://community.ottoneu.com

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rustydudemember
4 years ago

Ottoneu top position lists?! I love it. Thank you, Trey. Will you be doing all positions or just select ones such as this one?

I also love the average pts/gm that you quoted above. 5.88 is really high for 1B. It really makes one think twice about spending any significant money on a first baseman who is below average.

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Trey Baughn
4 years ago
Reply to  rustydude

Thanks for reading. The plan is to do each position, and roll out slowly throughout the winter. For first base, I see a few tiers, with Bellingers/Freeman in 1, Alonso/Bell/Rizzo/Muncy in 2, and then DJM to Mancini probably in 3. There should be some good values there.

2