As was the case last year, second base looks to be a deeper position than in years past. There really isn’t that much of a discrepancy between the second group of 2nd basemen and the lower ranks. There are a few standouts at the position, but after the first three or four, one can wait for a second baseman and still receive reasonable value later in the draft.

For the second year in a row, Chase Utley headlines the second baseman fantasy baseball rankings on RotoKingdom.net. Utley was a consensus pick despite missing a month with a broken hand a season ago. The Phillies second baseman obliterated his previous career high in batting average by 23 points when he hit .332 last year. Utley also set career highs in on base and slugging percentages. An MVP award may have been Utley’s to lose had he remained healthy all season. Utley projects to be a mid-to-late 1st round draft pick in a normal sized league. He was ranked eighth overall on our player ranking list and was taken with the twelfth pick in our mock draft. Look for another monstrous year from the second baseman. A career high in RBI should be a strong possibility, with a batting average around .315, 110 runs scored, 30 home runs, and 10-15 stolen bases.

Checking in at number two in our rankings is Brandon Phillips. The Cincinnati Reds second baseman had a breakout season in 2007. The youngster established career highs across the board and posted an extremely rare 30 home run/30 stolen base season from a second baseman. While it’s hard to imagine Phillips repeating his numbers of a season ago, he still projects as a mid second round pick.

B.J. Upton is another young second baseman who had a breakout year in 2007. The Tampa Bay Devil Ray had an impressive line in which he hit .300, had 86 runs scored, hit 24 home runs, had 82 runs batted in, and stole 22 bases. Upton was the first Devil Ray to hit for 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in the franchise's history. He also offers his owners additional flexibility after logging 78 games in centerfield a season ago. Upton is another second baseman deserving of selection in the first three rounds.

Sliding into the ranks at number four is Oriole Brian Roberts. The Baltimore second baseman shattered a previous career high of 36 when he stole 50 bases last year. The speedster also set career highs in hits and walks in 2007. Roberts seems destined to leave the Orioles as they look to trade him and rebuild. If Roberts is dealt, there will be some implications on his fantasy value, but he should remain a solid pick wherever he lands. Roberts was drafted with the 38th pick in our mock draft and checked in at number 41 on our overall rankings.

The next group of second basemen includes Robinson Cano, Chone Figgins, Ian Kinsler, and Rickie Weeks. While these men are easily considered the best at their position after the first four we covered, is there really a big difference between the statistics they produce and players that you could find in the waning rounds of a draft? The answer is no.

Ian Kinsler, for example, is rated anywhere from fifth to eighth among our experts. He’s a very solid youngster who should be quite productive. He could easily threaten to produce another 20 home run/20 stolen base season. I actually have the Ranger projected just below that, but I also think he will hit nearly 20 points higher than a season ago. A reasonable projected line for Kinsler is a .282 batting average, 89 runs scored, 19 home runs, 66 runs batted in, and 19 stolen bases. Another example: Tadahito Iguchi is a similar player you could get much later in deeper leagues and very likely with the last pick of a draft in a normal sized league. One can expect Iguchi to hit around .271, with 78 runs scored, 14 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases. We have Kinsler rated 74 on our overall rankings, and he was taken at the 89th pick in our mock draft. Iguchi was undrafted entirely and not listed in our overall rankings.

Just look at the difference between Robinson Cano and Freddy Sanchez. Cano is our fifth rated second baseman with votes ranging from second to ninth. Freddy Sanchez is rated 21st with votes ranging from 17th to 28th. It’s very possible for the Yankee to lead all second basemen in batting average, hitting, and post a line of .324, 80 runs scored, 16 home runs, 81 runs batted in, and 3 stolen bases. Cano is rated 54 on our overall rankings and was taken 47th in our mock draft. Freddy Sanchez was unranked and undrafted despite winning a batting title just two years ago. While Sanchez is definitely missing some of Cano’s home run power, he has a fairly similar line otherwise. A modest projection would be for Sanchez to hit .315, with 72 runs scored, 7 home runs, 67 runs batted in, and two stolen bases. While Cano is undoubtedly the more talented of the two, playing in New York instead of Pittsburgh might help inflate his perceived value. You can see Cano’s line isn’t all that much more impressive than Sanchez.

Outside of the top 8 at the position, you might look for a category killer. If you want a home run hitter, try Dan Uggla, Jeff Kent or Ray Durham for those in deep leagues. For speed, try Kazuo Matsui, Ryan Theriot or Luis Castillo. If you want average, Howie Kendrick, Placido Polanco and Sanchez will fit the bill.

Second base is one area where if you don’t land one of the top players, you can easily find someone that will fit into your team strategy. If you have a favorite among the second group, please feel free to grab them in the middle rounds, but you may not be gaining a whole lot of production. By drafting a second-tier player, you are receiving someone with a lot of upside. So you would not want to completely ignore the position as you would second-rate catchers.

For those of you in the normal-sized leagues, please remember these three things:

1. Utley is a mid-to-late first round pick, but second base is much deeper than years past. Phillips is a mid-second round pick, and Upton is worth grabbing if he’s still sitting on the board during the third round.

2. If you want a second-group 2nd baseman -- take one. But don’t waste a pick just to take the best player left at a position. Keep in mind that you can still get a similarly-valued player in the waning rounds of the draft.

3. Finally, remember that second base is deep. Draft a player who will fit into your team strategy whether that is the best player available or a category killer.

Well, we hope you liked this year’s preview of the second basemen. For all of your baseball questions, comments and concerns, please visit our baseball forums, where some of the best fantasy baseball minds in the business reside on a full-time basis.

- Jason Aufderhaar– RotoKingdom Staff Writer