Rankings: Second Basemen

Previous Rankings: Starting Pitchers, Relief Pitchers, Catchers, First Base, Shortstops, Third Base, Outfielders

Well, here we are, the last of the position rankings. I used these rankings in my drafts this year, and will continue to do so since they have been largely successful. Second base is considered a deep position this year, and I can't say I disagree. While it is top-heavy, much like shortstop and third base, it is so top heavy that at least half the players in your league will end up with someone with holes in their roto game. Because of this, I consider 2nd base to be an ideal position to assess needs and strengths in the later rounds, and will talk about those "plugs" near the end.

Tier 1: Chase Utley

Tier 2: Brandon Phillips, B.J. Upton

Tier 3: Brian Roberts, Robinson Cano, Ian Kinsler

Tier 4: Howie Kendrick, Rickie Weeks, Dan Uggla

Tier 5: Aaron Hill, Dustin Pedroia, Kelly Johnson, Ty Wigginton, Jeff Kent, Placido Polanco, Kaz Matsui, Akinori Iwamura, Orlando Hudson, Freddy Sanchez

Now, Utley is a stud and while I won't dedicate an entire bullet to him I will state that I expect the difference between him and Phillips/Upton will be worth the round difference. If you can get Utley late, you should jump on him--anywhere after seventh pick he's your man. Upton and Phillips are interchangeable, though I give the nod to Phillips due to the hitter-friendly park (both lineups are improved). In a ten-team Yahoo! league, I'd say it's worth grabbing those Tier 3 2B if you have your ace pitcher, a cornerstone to your offense (first three picks say), and a shortstop. Your better off with Tulowitski over Roberts or Furcal over Kinsler, considering the relative depth of second base verses shortstop.

Finally, lets consider "patching" with a late round pick. These guys will contribute heavily to their category, but probably not much else...

Power: Dan Uggla (obviously not that late on this one), Ty Wigginton

Speed: Kaz Matsui, Luis Castillo

Average: Howie Kendrick (not too late with this one either), Placido Polanco