James Loney is the 13th rated roto first baseman this year but somehow he continues to fly under the fantasy radar.
Analysis: Loney is hitting .371 with 2 HR, 19 RBI, 15 R and 2 SB this year. The batting average should not come as a surprise, Loney has hit over .280 in five of his seven years in the majors. He may not be a home run hitter but he does still produce enough for a fantasy first baseman. He’ll contribute a bit in the steals department but his biggest asset is his contact rate. Loney is making contact with 91.8% of pitches he swings at, good for 7th in baseball this year. His 9.8% strikeout rate is the 12th lowest in baseball.
Loney’s BABIP is well above his career mark so expect him to hit around his career average of .285 going forward. He’s seeing tons of RBI opportunities hitting fifth behind Evan Longoria and you have to love that he puts the ball in play so often. Loney is available in 70-80% of fantasy leagues and if you can afford to sacrifice some home runs in exchange for batting average then he makes a fine lower tier first baseman.