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Over the next week, RotoBaller analysts will give you a sneak peak into our consensus Premium Tiered Rankings at each position with some in-depth analysis to help you prepare for your drafts. The rest of our tiered rankings can be found in our 2015 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit & Cheat Sheet.
Tiered Second Base Rankings Analysis
Tiered rankings are critical for fantasy baseball drafts. Faced with the decision of drafting player X or Y at second base, you need to have an idea of how those players stack up against each other. If they are in the same tier, you can wait on the more costly player, and draft the cheaper player instead. Knowing which tiers players are in will help avoid overpaying and also help spend your draft dollars or picks as wisely as possible.
Second base is typically one of the shallower talent pools in fantasy baseball. However, in recent years it has been getting deeper as young players establish themselves. 2015 is no exception, as there will be at least 18-20 solid options out there on draft day. This is another position I’d feel comfortable waiting on versus gunning for (and likely overpaying for) one of the top-tier guys. Below I’ll provide a sneak peek into the third and fourth tiers of RotoBaller’s Premium Tiered Rankings.
*Note: All round estimates are based on 10 or 12-team leagues.
Tier 3 - Solid Starters
These are the players I am targeting most for second base. You’ll be able to pick them up far later in most drafts than the players in the second tier, and still receive similar value.
Ben Zobrist is rightfully ranked towards the top of this tier, as he has added value with eligibility at shortstop and outfield in most leagues. The two-time All-Star has been a model of consistency for most of his career, playing in 145 or more games in each of the last six seasons. He’ll be 34 in 2015, but I see no reason for his skills to decline. In his prime he was a perennial 20-20 candidate, but I think those numbers are closer to 12-12 these days. The rest of his counting stats should be there, as I fully expect him to hover around .270 with 70 runs/RBIs, assuming he stays healthy. I’d target him around rounds 8-10.
Daniel Murphy doesn’t get anywhere near as much love as he should, as he’s a valuable four-category contributor almost every year. He missed a bit of time last year, depressing his overall statistics slightly, but in the 143 games he did play he put up excellent numbers for a second baseman. He’ll wind up towards the top of the Mets’ lineup, which should still be solid enough to allow him to score 80 times and knock in 50 or so runs. He’s a career .290 hitter, and I believe he’ll stay right around there in his age-30 season, chipping in 10 homers and 15 steals. You can wait until at least the 10th round to snag him, and he should be an excellent value pick at that point.
I’m a huge Josh Harrison fan, although he may or may not have eligibility at second base depending on the league you play in. If he does, you’ll have another great value pick with a stat line that should be very comparable to Daniel Murphy’s. He’ll finally get a full season of at-bats following his All-Star-caliber season last year, and I expect him to thrive as an important part of the Pirates offense. Again, I wouldn’t draft him any earlier than round 10, but after that draft him with confidence.
I simply don’t believe in Dee Gordon heading into 2015. There is no denying that he had an exceptional fantasy season in 2014, but I think the .289 average from last season is an outlier, not a new norm. As a strict speed threat, his overall value will decrease with a lower batting average, as he needs to be on base to steal. His low walk rate (4.8%) and high BABIP (.346) in 2014 means he is likely to regress as on overall hitter, and he won’t have enough homers or RBIs to make up for the decrease. Chances are good you’ll have to overpay to get him (his ADP is round six-eight), and I’d say you’re much better off waiting.
Kolten Wong is more of a speculative pick than a sure thing, but he’s shown flashes of brilliance in his time in the bigs, and 2015 could be the year he puts it all together. His 2014 stats suffered from a demotion and a DL stint, but he was able to hit 12 homers and swipe 20 bags in the 113 games he played in. I believe he’s capable of a 20-20 season if he manages to play at least 140 games, and his batting average should rise above last year’s .249 as he gets more accustomed to big league pitching. This Hawaiian speedster makes for a good dice roll in the later rounds, but definitely don’t reach any higher than round 12 for someone who has yet to truly prove himself.
Everyone seems to overlook Howie Kendrick for some reason. I was able to snag him in round 16 in a recent 12-team draft, and I couldn’t be happier. The 31-year-old swapped Los Angeles teams in the offseason, and figures to slot in right behind the meat of a potent Dodgers lineup come Opening Day. A career .292 hitter, Kendrick has been remarkably consistent over the years, typically a lock for 60 runs/RBIs, and around 10 jacks and 15 steals. He’s going to bring you middling five-category value, and should be a steal in the later rounds.
Utley is not longer the perennial All-Star that he was in the late 2000’s, but he should still bring decent enough value for a second baseman in 2015. The days of a .300 batting average and 20+ home runs are behind us, but assuming his health you should still expect 10 jacks and 10 steals with a .270 batting average. He’ll still be a major player in the Phillies offense, and is a likely trade candidate for a team in full-on rebuild mode. A trade to a contender could boost his run and RBI totals, making him an intriguing pick in rounds 14-16.
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