Once a repository for all things slug, first base got stuck in a state of sameness for about a half-decade, recycling the same standouts, with a number of youthful misses along the way.

But then came Nick Kurtz. To say he delivered on the hype would be selling him short. Not only did he homer 36 times in 117 games, giving him a 162-game pace of 50, but he also had arguably the best single-game performance for any hitter in history, homering four times en route to a record 19 total bases. Some players sputter when rushed to the majors. He found another gear.

Position Strategies: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RPPosition Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

And with that, the position accustomed to sameness has a new No. 1. Turns out Kurtz wasn’t the only one to break through, either. Vinnie Pasquantino finally stayed healthy long enough to deliver on his potential. Tyler Soderstrom made good in his first full season. Michael Busch and Jonathan Aranda had a long road to regular playing time in the majors but proved deserving of it, delivering numbers much like they did in the minors. Makes you forget all about Triston Casas, doesn’t it?

Makes you forget about a lot of people, actually. When the same names are populating the rankings year after year, you relish the opportunity to try something new, and first base offers at least a little of that this time around.

But here’s the thing about those old reruns: They’re still good. They still offer everything they did previously, but with those shiny new alternatives available, the cost is deflated. Any time you can get the same for cheaper, it’s a win in Fantasy, so my approach to first base this year may be clearer than at any other position.

Give me the usual.

You see what’s happened here? Vladimir Guerrero, Pete Alonso, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman all remain from years gone by — a fairly robust top tier as it is — but they’ve been joined by Kurtz, Rafael Devers and Josh Naylor. The addition of three names, including a new No. 1, has made the standbys seem more ordinary, causing their stock to slip to unfamiliar levels. When was the last time Harper was a Round 3 pick? What about Devers in Round 4 or Freeman in Round 5? They’ve long staked out a spot in Round 2, even sometimes creeping into Round 1.

Now, you might say they’ve warranted this downgrade through their performance, but you see their point-per-game averages from 2025. Comparing them to 2024 — when Harper’s was 3.31, Olson’s was 2.75, Devers’ was 3.21, and Freeman’s was 3.28 — gives you a clear picture of what actually changed. Olson got notably better. Freeman got notably worse. Harper and Devers were about the same. It’s a wash.

Sure, you could say additional context is needed, such as the fact that Freeman is 36, a prime age for decline. But what about the context of him still healing up from ankle surgery in the first half? He hit 14 of his 24 home runs in just 63 second-half games, slashing .293/.369/.536. Likewise, you could point out that Rafael Devers’ strikeout rate spiked after he was traded to the Giants and has seen major increases each of the past two years. But what about his home run output also increasing with the Giants, taking the venue concern more or less off the table? The bottom line is that the cries of decline for these players come across more as excuse-making. You could see the glass half full if you wanted, and you probably should given how steady they’ve been over the years and how little their production has actually changed.

Knowing I can grab one of those four in Round 4 takes Kurtz off the table for me in Round 2, as much as I may like him. I have to prioritize positions that I can’t be sure I’ll fill in the next couple rounds, like third base via Junior Caminero. And if I do miss out on the four, well, there’s always Naylor to fall back on. He had been trending toward stud status with his hitting the past couple years, but his newfound skill of base-stealing puts him over the top.

Lesser, but potentially viable, options: Spencer Steer, CIN; Willson Contreras, BOS; Alec Burleson, STL

When you cross out Ben Rice and Salvador Perez, who will obviously be drafted as catchers, this group reduces to only five, which underscores the need to draft one of The Studs when they’re plentiful. You’re not only accepting less production from this group, in all likelihood, but also increasing your chances of missing out altogether, given that they’re scarcer.

And they may not be all that they seem. Vinnie Pasquantino is fairly safe, particularly in light of the fences moving in at Kauffman Stadium this year, but you’re also paying the most for him — a near-stud price tag without the same across-the-board assurances. Tyler Soderstrom showed potential in his first full season but also suffered from an identity crisis, hitting nine of his 25 home runs in April, enduring a lengthy midseason slump, and then hitting .327 (but with only six home runs) in August and September. Hard to know what to make of him exactly. Michael Busch broke through with strong home run and RBI numbers — not unlike Pasquantino, actually — but faces continued platoon concerns, particularly with the Cubs bringing lefty masher Tyler Austin back from Japan.

Yandy Diaz might be the most concerning of all, having set a career high in home runs last year largely due to playing his home games at a venue perfectly suited for his opposite-field approach. He hit 18 of his 25 home runs at George M. Steinbrenner Field, taking advantage of the short porch in right field, but the Rays are back at Tropicana Field this year.

The one who’s most attractive to me — at cost, anyway — is Spencer Torkelson, who I thought was just as much of a breakout as Soderstrom and Busch last year, using some swing adjustments to re-engage the 30-homer power we had seen once previously. I’m not saying he’s as valuable as those two. He’s clearly a greater liability for batting average. But the power is legitimate, and he’s batting in the heart of a playoff-caliber lineup. He’s a more deserving starter than his ADP gives him credit for and a reasonable fallback in a categories league.

*minor-league stats
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I shouldn’t be able to get away with calling Jonathan Aranda a sleeper anymore. His stellar exit velocities and line-drive approach finally yielded the sort of slash line (.316/.393/.489) I always dreamed of and even earned him an All-Star nod. But because he missed most of the second half with a fractured wrist — and maybe because of some platoon concerns — he remains something of an afterthought at this position. I described Spencer Torkelson as a reasonable fallback at first base a few lines back, but Aranda is the ultimate fallback. He’ll hit, and as long as the Rays don’t play games with his playing time, he’ll matter.

The other player I’m most targeting from this group is Sal Stewart, who broke through as a power bat in the Reds system last year and then homered four times in his first 10 games in the majors. He’s kind of like a left-handed Aranda, actually, combining hitterish qualities with premium exit velocities, and he’s one of my preferred sleepers this year, regardless of position. There are some playing-time concerns here, particularly after the signing of Eugenio Suarez, but his versatility (he can also play second and third base) should assure him regular playing time, as long as he hits.

These others are sleepers in a broad sense but not necessarily favorites of mine. If you wonder why Christian Walker makes the cut after looking like he had nothing left last year, it’s because he hit .264 with 17 homers and an .807 OPS over the final three months — typical Walker numbers, really. Munetaka Murakami, a two-time MVP in Japan, has prodigious power that should translate, but his swing-and-miss tendencies were pretty terrible even before facing pitchers on this side of the Pacific. If you want that same basic skill set but with a little more projectability, Bryce Eldridge is a top prospect who has basically locked up a job already but is being widely ignored in drafts. He’s a lottery ticket, but one with better odds than most.

Josh Naylor was the big surprise last year, tripling his previous high in stolen bases despite having only 3rd percentile sprint speed. He did so by taking enormous leads and knowing who to run against, but whether he’ll remain as committed without the element of surprise is anybody’s guess. I’m projecting only a small step back here. About the only other first base-eligible player who could contribute a significant number of stolen bases is Spencer Steer, whose stolen base output declined from 25 in 2024 to seven last year. His sprint speed didn’t change that much, so the decline is more likely tied to new manager Terry Francona’s philosophy, as demonstrated even more by Elly De La Cruz.