Second base certainly isn’t the deepest position in fantasy, but the more I dig into the position the more I like it. Yes, the best options are obviously the guys you have to pay a premium for, but if you decide to wait on the keystone position, there is a good chance of finding a diamond in the rough in the later rounds. Most of the players listed below fall outside the top 100 in most drafts, and I really think the best route this year is to take care of some other scarce positions early on and then pounce on a second baseman in round 10 or later.

Let’s dive in!

Despite his age, Jose Altuve remains the safest option to return five-category value amongst all second basemen. The power has been consistently there for nearly a decade, he’s a perennial threat to hit .300, his counting stats (specifically runs) are all but guaranteed as he sits atop one of the deepest lineups in baseball, and he even started stealing again last year (18 SB in 2022 after combining for 13 the previous three years). There’s no doubt in my mind that he will be the most valuable 2B for fantasy this year.

Semien, Albies, and Chisholm make up the next tier. All should provide fairly similar value to Altuve with the big exception of batting average, as all are likely to trail him by roughly 50 points there. Other than that, all provide an elite base of power and speed and are firmly set up for a positive ROI this season. Semien is my slight preference because of how much he stays on the field, but you could really have them arranged any way depending on personal preference. If you take an early second baseman, make sure it’s one of the four names we mentioned so far.

Andres Gimenez should be able to roughly replicate what he did last year, with the possibility that his batting average comes down a bit. However, he still provides a great power-speed combo that should see him produce 15-15 at a minimum, with the strong possibility that he exceeds 20 SB.

Brandon Lowe is coming off a down year in which he missed nearly 100 games due to injury, and he wasn’t exactly flourishing when he was healthy either. I’m willing to bet on a bounceback because he showed us in 2021 that his power is legit by hitting 39 bombs. He’s shown a consistent ability to take a walk (9.8% BB) and he occupies the cleanup spot in Tampa’s lineup behind Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena. He’s going outside the top 150 picks in most drafts and could end up as the steal of the season.

Jonathan India has been written off a bit by the fantasy community but it seems way too early to do that. He’s only a year removed from going 21-12 with a .269 average. He struggled in 2022 but also missed 60 games, and never really got himself going outside of a hot July. He’s still in one of the best parks to hit in all of baseball and is only 25 years old. You can get him close to pick 200 and I think that’s a crazy steal considering what we’ve already seen from him.

I don’t feel at all comfortable in Max Muncy this year. He’s coming off a dreadful year at the dish that saw him hit only  .196 with 21 home runs, a career-low over a full season. The Dodgers’ lineup also got quite a bit worse, so those run and RBI totals we’ve grown to love (from all Dodgers, not just Muncy) will probably not reach the same heights we’ve seen in years past. His price (usually around 130) seems very high considering the talent that goes after him at the position.

Whit Merrifield isn’t someone I’m targeting, but he’s as cheap as he’s ever been (ADP of ~190) if you did want to buy on him this year. I think we likely see his SB get back over 20 considering his speed and the rule changes, and he will be in the best lineup he’s ever played in, albeit batting close to the bottom and not his more customary leadoff spot. That tradeoff should see a fairly similar number of runs and RBIs that we are used to from Whit (140-150 combined) and I think he makes sense as a utility piece on your rosters with one of your last picks.

Bryson Stott has been a bit of an afterthought this draft season despite debuting last year with double-digit homers and steals in one of baseball’s best lineups. He sits closer to the bottom of the lineup and therefore shouldn’t feel as much pressure as one might expect considering the other firepower at the Phillies’ disposal. He may have batted only .234 in the bigs, but his minor league track record and player profile scream .270-280+ average long-term, which is the only thing holding him back from being a massive fantasy asset. He’s a massive sleeper this year that you can grab with the last pick in your standard 12-team drafts, and I’d highly recommend it.