X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Second Base (January)

Welcome to the third installment of our January ranking breakdowns! If you’re like us here at RotoBaller, you’ve been huddled around the stove awaiting that precious heat for a while now. While there are still some free agent dominoes yet to fall, we've seen quite the flurry of moves.

This round of rankings features seven of our experts. They are Brad Johnson, Max Petrie, Kyle Bishop, Harris Yudin, Jeff Kahntroff, Bill Dubiel, and Nick Mariano. Today we'll cover second base. Assume a standard 5x5 redraft league when reading.

Don't forget to also read the rest of our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings columns and analysis. Aside from our January tiered rankings, we also have lots of great content on MLB prospects, dynasty leagues and keeper values.

 

2016 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis: Second Base

"The keystone" is a bit of a misnomer when speaking in terms of fantasy baseball. Second base is typically one of the shallowest pools of talent for those seeking counting stats, but there are still some bona fide studs and budding superstars there. In this review, I'll take a look at the players I specifically like in 2016 and explain any of my rankings that differ significantly from my colleagues.

When drafting second basemen, many fantasy owners will either try and shoot the moon with a superstar like Jose Altuve or Robinson Cano, but they always end up a bit too pricey for my tastes. More often than not you can find value in what many consider the dregs of the second base rankings, as we saw on several occasions last year--Devon Travis, for example, was off to a red-hot start after going undrafted in nearly all leagues. 2016 is shaping up similarly, with a lot of relative nobodies making up the bottom half of the rankings.

The top tier remains the same as it was last year--Altuve and Dee Gordon are the clear 1-2 thanks to their potent combinations of speed and average. I was tempted to sneak Cano back in there after his absurdly hot second half, but the memory of his painful first half stayed my hand. I expect him to finish right around where he was last year as long as he remains healthy--.280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs should be well within his grasp.

The second tier guys are who I'll be aiming for in most of my drafts, as all have the potential to be the number one second baseman come October. Most of these guys have more power than the top two, but their average and steal totals will be much lower.

Jason Kipnis had a huge bounce back season in 2015, and I think he's capable of continuing that success in 2016. Brian Dozier has the most power upside at the position, but his low batting average and high strikeout rate will keep him out of the top five for me. I'm higher than any of my colleagues on Anthony Rendon, and I suspect his relative fragility plays a large role in that. I'm expecting him to get at least 130 games in, and if he does he should approach the line he posted in 2014 (.287/21 HR, 83 RBI, 17 SB).

The third tier has a mix of up-and-comers and reliable veterans, and of this group I'll be leaning towards the young guys. I loved what I saw from Rougned Odor last year, and I think he's going to be pushing towards the top five at the position in 2016 with his mix of power and speed. I'll also have my eye on Kolten Wong in 2016, as he's improved in each season since his debut in 2012. He has 20/20 potential, although the 20 homers will likely be a tall task as he works on his plate discipline. Joe Panik hit .312 in 2015, and he should thrive once again at the top of the young and talented Giants roster.

I really think DJ LeMahieu is poised for a true breakout year after an excellent 2015 season in which he hit .301 with 23 steals. No matter where he is in that lineup, he'll produce counting stats. If he improves his power stroke a bit he could be a true five-category fantasy asset. I would love to rank Travis higher, but with shoulder surgery keeping him out until at least May, there's no upside on draft day.

In the fifth tier I seem to be lower than everyone on Brock Holt, and I'm not quite sure what they're seeing that I'm not. I'm concerned about the lack of opportunities for Holt, as he's behind someone at every position. He's versatile to be sure, but I always shy away from players who don't have a starting gig on lock down. I'm interested to see how Starlin Castro plays in New York, as Yankee Stadium isn't the easiest park for righties. Fun fact--only 25 players in MLB history have more hits through their age-25 season than the new Yankee second baseman. Perhaps Harris is on to something!

The rest of the rankings are full of players who are essentially lottery picks, but I'll point out a couple of my favorites. Cesar Hernandez flashed some potential in 2015, and the speedster may bat leadoff for the Phillies. Ryan Goins will fill in at second base while Travis recovers from the aforementioned shoulder surgery, and should be given every opportunity to establish a role for himself in the explosive Toronto offense. Jace Peterson didn't blow anyone away last season, but he did enough to establish himself as the starter in Atlanta, and he should be able to take a couple steps forward if he can improve his contact.

 

Second Base Tiered Fantasy Baseball Rankings (January)

Rank Tier Name Brad Max Kyle Nick Harris Jeff Bill
1 1 Jose Altuve 1 1 1 1 1 2 1
2 1 Dee Gordon 2 2 2 2 3 1 2
3 2 Robinson Cano 4 3 4 5 2 3 5
4 2 Jason Kipnis 3 4 6 4 4 5 3
5 2 Brian Dozier 6 6 3 3 5 6 6
6 2 Anthony Rendon 5 7 5 6 6 9 4
7 3 Rougned Odor 9 11 7 8 11 4 8
8 3 Ian Kinsler 7 5 8 7 17 10 7
9 3 Dustin Pedroia 8 8 10 10 18 11 9
10 3 Kolten Wong 12 15 9 9 12 7 11
11 3 Ben Zobrist 11 10 12 13 7 20 12
12 4 Joe Panik 10 9 11 12 21 19 10
13 4 Neil Walker 14 14 13 14 8 14 16
14 4 Daniel Murphy 13 13 18 16 9 12 13
15 4 Josh Harrison 21 12 22 15 16 8 22
16 4 Devon Travis 23 16 15 11 14 26 15
17 4 DJ LeMahieu 17 18 19 19 20 15 14
18 4 Jonathan Schoop 16 20 14 18 22 16 19
19 4 Howie Kendrick 15 17 20 20 24 13 17
20 5 Logan Forsythe 18 22 16 21 10 23 18
21 5 Addison Russell 19 21 21 17 15 17 21
22 5 Brandon Phillips 20 19 17 22 25 18 23
23 5 Starlin Castro 22 23 23 23 13 21 20
24 5 Brett Lawrie 29 26 26 29 23 22 24
25 5 Brock Holt 25 27 27 25 34 27 30
26 5 Chase Utley 28 31 24 30 35 28 28
27 6 Cesar Hernandez 24 24 25 26 32 - 25
28 6 Enrique Hernandez - 32 31 24 36 30 -
29 6 Javier Baez 33 28 29 27 26 25 -
30 6 Jedd Gyorko 27 29 32 - 28 - 27
31 6 Chris Owings 26 31 34 - 29 29 -
32 6 Jace Peterson - 30 33 - 30 - 32
33 6 Cory Spangenberg - 33 28 - 31 - -
34 6 Ryan Goins 30 34 35 - - - 30
35 6 Kelly Johnson 31 37 - - 40 - -
36 7 Trea Turner 32 25 30 28 19 24 31
37 7 Wilmer Flores - 30 - - 27 - -
38 7 Dilson Herrera - 40 - - - - -
39 7 Scooter Gennett - 35 - - 33 - -
40 7 Jose Ramirez - 36 - - 37 - -
- 7 Jose Peraza - 38 - - 38 - -
- 7 Darnell Sweeney - 39 - - 39 - -

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jeff McNeil3 mins ago

Batting Cleanup On Opening Day
Jordan Clarkson36 mins ago

Won't Suit Up Friday
Caleb Martin56 mins ago

Probable Against Portland
Logan Cooley1 hour ago

Nets First Career Hat Trick Versus Nashville
Frederik Andersen1 hour ago

Continues Winning Streak With Second Shutout
Jackson Chourio1 hour ago

Leading Off In Brewers Opener
Anton Forsberg1 hour ago

Shuts Out Chicago
Kevin Love1 hour ago

Probable On Friday
Joel Eriksson Ek1 hour ago

Makes Scoring Return Thursday
Nathan MacKinnon2 hours ago

Home Point Streak Ends
Jaime Jaquez2 hours ago

Jr. Expected To Play Friday
Ryan Graves2 hours ago

Evaluated For An Upper-Body Injury
Tyler Herro2 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Against Portland
Timothy Liljegren2 hours ago

To Miss "Some Time"
Alec Burks2 hours ago

Questionable On Friday
Dean Wade2 hours ago

Won't Play Against 76ers
OG Anunoby3 hours ago

Ruled Out Again Friday
Nick Senzel11 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray11 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele11 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons13 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler14 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson14 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele14 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle14 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans14 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic14 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney14 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga14 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant14 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith14 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen15 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara15 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele15 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes15 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
David Bednar15 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Rhys McKee15 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Chidi Njokuani15 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson15 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo15 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley16 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque16 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez16 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler16 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel17 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley17 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal17 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes18 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis18 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer19 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw20 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler20 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager20 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz20 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Aaron Ekblad1 day ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin1 day ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard1 day ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist1 day ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear1 day ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen2 days ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers2 days ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore3 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson3 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery3 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown3 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff3 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins3 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams3 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT3 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Nick Chubb3 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift3 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson3 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell3 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Pittsburgh Steelers4 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson4 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas4 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Mock Draft: First-Rounder With Trades

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a month away. Yet, that isn’t soon enough for football fans. While everyone wants to discuss the quarterback class and the first few picks, the NFL Draft doesn’t end after the first round. Teams will find starters and star players on the second and third days of the... Read More


Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football, Waiver Wire Pickups

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact- Part III

Throughout the NFL's offseason, many players see their fantasy football values fluctuate based on their movement and personnel decisions by their respective teams. Throughout this series, we have identified 12 players who have seen their fantasy football value increase over the free-agency period. The final big fantasy football value movement will come after the NFL... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 1 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including E.J. Perry, CJ Marable, Jace Sternberger, more

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 1 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More