X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Mid-Round Second Base (2B) Fantasy Baseball Draft Values And Targets In 2024

Zack Gelof - fantasy baseball draft sleepers DFS MLB injury news

Analysis of five second base fantasy baseball targets to draft in the mid rounds. Potential 2024 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued 2B to target in drafts.

Welcome officially to the 2024 fantasy baseball season! Spring training is in full force, and fantasy managers are gearing up for another exciting season in the MLB. Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players who can provide a great return on value. You can start taking calculated risks on emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even players with some playing time concerns out of the gate. The early rounds are critical, and the late rounds are where you can take your chances on dart-throw sleepers, but the middle rounds can make or break your roster.

Today, we're looking at some middle-round second base options for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority mid-round draft target? Read on to see our take.

Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Zack Gelof, Oakland A's

An unexpected bright spot on an abysmal 2023 Oakland Athletics roster was second baseman Zack Gelof. Promoted during the All-Star break, the rookie put the league on notice, hitting .305/.373/.617 with nine home runs, 17 RBI, 23 runs, and eight stolen bases in his first 33 games. His pace slowed over the rest of the season, ending the year with a line of .267/.337/.504, 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 40 runs, and 14 stolen bases through 69 games. Despite a short and uneven first season, Gelof's speed and power were apparent with a 29 ft/sec sprint speed (91st percentile), .424 xwOBAcon, and a .448 xSLG.

However, the second baseman overperformed offensively in 2023, with his .333 xwOBA falling below his actual results. For the 24-year-old to reach the next level, he must improve on an abysmal 33.7% whiff rate, especially when faced with non-fastball pitches (44.4% whiff rate on breaking pitches, 36.8% on offspeed). There is tremendous upside to Gelof's 135 ADP because of his speed, power, and everyday role, but his contact issues and dysfunctional environment are serious risks.

-- Pranav Uppalapati - RotoBaller

 

Thairo Estrada, San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants infielder Thairo Estrada finished 2023 with a .271 batting average, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, 63 runs, and 23 stolen bases. His season was interrupted by injuries that limited him to 120 games, including a hand fracture that took him out of action for a month after getting hit by a pitch on July 3. Estrada's batting average was buoyed by a .331 BABIP, and his average exit velocity of 85.9 MPH ranked him in the fourth percentile of qualified major leaguers. His walk rate decreased from 6.1% in 2022 to 4.2%, putting him in the third percentile of that category.

He is projected to hit second in the Giants' lineup in 2024, but he will not last long there if he cannot get on base. Another 20-steal season is in reach, and he has eligibility at three positions (2B, SS, and OF), but that is where Estrada's fantasy appeal ends. Taking a chance on Estrada at his 144.3 ADP is unnecessary when there are plenty of other second basemen that fit his profile available further down the board.

-- Dan Stephens - RotoBaller

 

Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds

The 26-year-old Spencer Steer didn't receive the hype of many of his highly-regarded teammates, but he still delivered a .271/.356/.464 line with 23 HRs and 15 SBs over 665 PAs for his fantasy managers in 2023. Steer doesn't have eye-popping tools, instead relying on volume for his production. For example, you aren't impressed with his 92.9 MPH average airborne exit velocity, 6.7% rate of Brls/BBE, or his max exit velocity of 110.6 MPH. However, Steer hit 43% of his batted balls in the air and plays in the best ballpark for home runs per Statcast, so we can expect him to accumulate 20-25 HRs again as the club's everyday left fielder.

Similarly, Steer's 28.4 ft./sec Statcast Sprint Speed is more good than great, but his 83% success rate on SB attempts should keep the green light. Steer possesses a good eye that should keep his strikeouts in check (27.7% chase rate, 20.9 K% in 2023), but his .250 xBA suggests his average might decline a little. Still, a .250ish average with power and some speed is a good value at Steer's ADP of 105.66, even if it isn't the sexiest possible pick.

-- Rick Lucks - RotoBaller

 

Andres Gimenez, Cleveland Guardians

After wRC+ seasons of 105 and 76, few saw a 142 wRC+ season coming in 2022 for Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez. Unfortunately, Gimenez came back to Earth in 2023, disappointing managers who invested hoping for a repeat campaign. Looking back, 2022's stats were likely bolstered by a .353 BABIP. His actual BA of .297 with an xBA of .257 corroborates this. His final 2023 line was .251-15-62-76-30 with a .309 wOBA and 97 wRC+.

Expect Gimenez to bounce back in 2024, but other than his 93rd-percentile sprint speed, his offensive metrics don't indicate a return to his 2022 breakout. The former All-Star's Contact% has increased in consecutive years, but it was still just 77.1% in 2023, barely above the league average. His SwStr% has dropped in consecutive years, too, but it was still worse than the league average at 12.4%, while his O-Swing% was one of the worst in the entire league at 42.7%.

ATC projections have wOBA and wRC+ increasing to .327 and 110, respectively, in 2024, but the counting stats don't promise much of a change from last season, with a .264-17-66-74-26 line. He's fairly priced as far as second basemen go, and his 117 NFBC ADP is nearly identical to his 116 rank at RotoBaller.

-- Jarod Rupp - RotoBaller

 

Ha-Seong Kim, San Diego Padres

What a year it was for San Diego Padres second baseman Ha-Seong Kim in 2023. In his third season with the Padres, he was one of the team's most consistent performers all around and set career-highs in batting average (.260), on-base percentage (.351), slugging percentage (.398), OPS (.749), home runs (17), RBI (60), stolen bases (38) and runs scored (84) in a career-high 152 games played. The 28-year-old Korean infielder has steadily shown increased plate discipline in each of his three major-league seasons and no longer looks overmatched by big-league pitching like he did in his first year in 2021. Most of Kim's production has come as a lefty killer, as he produced a 148 wRC+ against southpaws in 2023, compared to just a 95 wRC+ against right-handers.

Because of his breakout campaign, Kim went from being a bargain in fantasy drafts last spring to now being overpriced. ATC sees him hitting .248 with 15 home runs, 60 RBI, and a drop in stolen bases from 38 to 27 in 2024. Kim's multi-position eligibility at shortstop, second, and third base justifies his draft-day price more, and there's still room for improvement in his batting average if he can find more success against right-handed pitching.

At RotoBaller, Kim is ranked 77th overall and is considered the No. 7 fantasy second baseman, just behind the Yankees' Gleyber Torres. UPDATE: Kim's addition to shortstop eligibility in 2024 — he's moving to the 6 full-time this year — will drive his fantasy cost up even more.

-- Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Darren Waller

Signs $2 Million Deal With Dolphins
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
C.J. Stroud

Working on Speed, Pocket Mobility Entering Year 3
Daiyan Henley

Daiyan Henley Full-Go for Training Camp
Bradley Beal

Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Kurtis Rourke

Starting Training Camp on NFI List
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
Micah Parsons

Not Worried About Extension Talks
Jahdae Barron

Broncos Agree to Terms With Jahdae Barron on Rookie Deal
Tyrone Broden

Seahawks Place Tyrone Broden, Montorie Foster on NFI List
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Landon Jackson

Lands on PUP List
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Ja'Kobe Walter

Produces Big Numbers at Both Ends Against Nuggets
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Ajay Mitchell

Outstanding Against Magic Tuesday
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
VJ Edgecombe

Busy in Las Vegas Summer League Debut
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Dominick Barlow

to Sit Out Rest of Summer League
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
NBA

Oshae Brissett Links Up with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Charlotte Hornets

Josh Okogie Waived by Hornets
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Junior Colson

Competing for Starting Job
Isaiah Likely

Ravens Looking to Extend Isaiah Likely
Kyle Pitts

Not in Falcons' Long-Term Plans?
Quinshon Judkins

Browns in "No Rush" to Sign Quinshon Judkins to Rookie Deal
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
JC Latham

Could be Looking at Big Improvement in Second Season
Tykee Smith

Could be Every-Down Player for Bucs
Derick Hall

has High Ceiling Going into Third Season
Kaleb Johnson

an Ideal Scheme Fit in Pittsburgh
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Kelee Ringo

Will Get his Chance in 2025
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Kool-Aid McKinstry

in Line to Start
Chop Robinson

Double-Digit Sack Season Well Within Reach for Chop Robinson
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
Brian Thomas Jr.

Could be Even Better in 2025
Laiatu Latu

Primed to Take a Step Forward
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF