2008 Fantasy Baseball 1B Rankings: Keeper League Draft Values

Here are my expected draft day values for AL- and NL-only keeper leagues. What struck me immediately is how poor the position is in the AL. Carlos Pena could be a $30+ hitter if you are convinced he will hit 40 and keep his AVG north of .280. I don't quite believe yet.

How about how bad the Yankees' situation is  I've got all of them listed in the $1-7 bucket. However, if it becomes clear that one player will get the majority of ABs, then I'd move that player upwards $10 or so. Why  Because all three players - Shelly Duncan, Jason Lane and Morgan Ensberg - are power hitters. If one gets the job, then I expect 20+ HRs.

In the NL, the cream of the 1B crop resides. Between the extreme HR totals of Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder to the more balanced efforts of Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman and Mark Teixeira, NL-only players have plenty to chose to anchor their corner. Even 6th and 7th choices Derrek Lee and Adrian Gonzalez offer good values.

Initially, I under-valued Reds 1B Joey Votto especially in light of Giants's 1B Dan Ortmeier inclusion in the $8-14 bucket thanks to his ability to steal 10+ bases at 1B, but decided to stick Votto in with Ortmeier. In keeper leagues, Votto will fetch more on future value alone.

As for his present value, I am not bullish on Scott Hatteberg losing his job with new Reds' manager Dusty Baker at the helm. Despite Hattebrg's lack of HR and RBIs, he does get on-base and is not considered a hack in the field. Further working against Votto in 2008 is the fact he and Hatty are both left-handed hitters. No obvious platoon situation there.

AL 1B Draft Prices:

NL 1B Draft Prices: