Preseason Baseball Coverage: Draft Kit Central | New Faces in New Places | Top 250 Rankings

By Zach Freeman
Fantasy Sports 101 Baseball

Second base is one of the most improved positions in fantasy baseball, meaning more big guns to rely upon and more depth in the event that you miss on the player you're targeting.

1. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Utley played in 28 fewer games in 2007 than in 2006, but still finished with more RBI (103) than any other second baseman in baseball. Utley has gotten on base at higher clips in each of his professional seasons (.410 on-base pct. last year) and comes off a career-high .566 slugging percentage. The guy is still improving. Surrounded by MVP candidates Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard and in Major League Baseball's most explosive home ballpark, he'll once again be the most productive second baseman in fantasy.

2. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
Phillips had a career year in 2007, hitting .288 with 30 home runs, 32 stolen bases, 107 runs scored and 94 RBI. Only Adam Dunn had more homers for the Reds, and only Dan Uggla had more among second basemen. Phillips, who hit cleanup for the Reds, had more opportunities to drive in runs than most at his position, but a switch to leadoff may be happening in 2008. If that's the case, his RBI count would go down, but his steals would likely make a jump.

3. B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Upton’s first full season provided the Rays with a ton of offense in his stints at second base and in center field. With Upton gaining more confidence at the plate and in center field, look for his numbers to increase in his second full year in the big leagues. He appears to have 30-30 potential while best fitting your squad as a second baseman, offering as much upside as any other player on this list.

4. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
Cano became one of the Yankees most consistent offensive producers in 2007, using a smooth lefty swing to hit .306 with 19 home runs and 97 RBI. His average dropped a bit from 2006 - at .342, there was nowhere to go but down - but he upped his production totals with consistent numbers over 160 games. Entering the prime of his career and in the middle of a lethal lineup, look for his numbers to be similar, if not better this season.

5. Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles
Roberts, like his AL East counterparts, provides his team with a solid batting average, extra base hits and stolen bases. His 50 steals tied him with Carl Crawford for most in the American League last season, and he could very well build on that total in 2008. The Orioles ranked 10th in the AL in runs scored in 2007 and made few upgrades to their lineup. Look for a veteran like Roberts to get on base more than ever and force the action when he gets there.

6. Chone Figgins, Los Angeles Angels
Figgins was limited to just 115 games last season with injuries, but still managed to make an impact with a .330 average and 41 stolen bases. Figgins' average, on-base percentage and slugging all went up by leaps and bounds, while he struck out the fewest times since his rookie campaign in 2003. If he can stay healthy, Figgins will ignite the Angels' offense and your fantasy team by putting up a big number in the steals department.

7. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Kinsler’s first two seasons in the majors have been a model of consistency, even through a stress fracture in his left foot in 2007. He has tremendous ability, and his statistics are showing a player who is figuring it out at the plate. He was a more disciplined hitter in 2007 and was successful on a remarkable 23-of-25 stolen base attempts (92 percent success rate). He may not reach the 30-30 mark in 2008, but if healthy, he will come awfully close.

8. Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins
Uggla’s power numbers rival those of Utley’s, but his dreadful batting average (.245) prohibits him from reaching elite status. While his average dropped last season, his 31 home runs, 88 RBI and 113 runs scored cannot be overlooked. This season he will need to carry more of an offensive burden after the trade of third baseman Miguel Cabrera. But, with less lineup help and fewer good pitches to hit, it will be a more difficult battle to match those hefty RBI and runs totals.

9. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels
Kendrick only played in 88 games last season, but continued to flash plenty of upside in limited action. Questions remain about his power and speed, but if his numbers translated to a full season, Kendrick should be on pace for 40 doubles, 80 RBI and 100 runs scored. He and Chone Figgins should team up to ignite the Angels' offense from the top and wreak some havoc on the basepaths.

10. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
Weeks had a strange year last season as his stats indicate. He hit just .235, but had a .374 on-base percentage and drew 78 walks last season, 48 more than the previous year. A former NCAA batting champ, it should only be a matter of time before Weeks comes of age at the plate. With teammates Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun coming of age, look for Weeks to improve his batting average and continue to draw walks, steal bases and score runs for Milwaukee.

11. Kelly Johnson, Atlanta Braves
With the departure of Andrew Jones, Johnson will be looked upon to provide more offense this season. Johnson should score more runs batting in front of Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira. Johnson slugged .593 last April and .658 in July. If Johnson can maintain numbers close to the .593 slugging percentage he had in April or the .658 slugging in July for an entire season, look for his home run total to rise to the mid-20s as well.

12. Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers
Polanco’s numbers returned to normal last year, after a somewhat disappointing 2006. His .341 average was third in the majors, behind only teammate Magglio Ordonez and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki. With the addition of Miguel Cabrera to the line-up and stars Curtis Granderson and Ordonez cleaning up behind him, look for Polanco to score plenty of runs and hit for a high average once again.

13. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Pedroia, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, will look to build on his regular season and postseason success in his second season. Pedroia - a fan favorite in Boston - performs his exclusive roles, getting on base and scoring runs, to perfection. He should do more of it than ever in 2008 with David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell continuing to hit the cover off the ball.

14. Orlando Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks
Hudson’s production has been consistent during his first two years for the Diamondbacks. With Arizona’s young stars Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson coming of age, look for Hudson to score and drive in more runs this season. With others taking more of a power-hitter role on the team, Hudson can be more selective, walk and steal some bases.

15. Freddy Sanchez, Pittsbugh Pirates
Sanchez is a lifetime .310 hitter who has had limited help around him in his time in Pittsburgh. With Pirates management again making few moves in the offseason, there won't be much change - for better or worse - to Sanchez's production. If Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche can rebound from down seasons, Sanchez could be in line for boosts in the runs and RBI departments.

AL-Only Rankings:
1. B.J. Upton, TB
2. Robinson Cano, NYY
3. Brian Roberts, BAL
4. Chone Figgins, LAA
5. Ian Kinsler, TEX
6. Howie Kendrick, LAA
7. Placido Polanco, DET
8. Dustin Pedroia, BOS
9. Aaron Hill, TOR
10. Mark Ellis, OAK

NL-Only Rankings:
1. Chase Utley, PHI
2. Brandon Phillips, CIN
3. Dan Uggla, FLA
4. Rickie Weeks, MIL
5. Kelly Johnson, ATL
6. Orlando Hudson, ARI
7. Freddy Sanchez, PIT
8. Jeff Kent, LAD
9. Ty Wigginton, HOU
10. Felipe Lopez, WAS

** Position averages were determined by eliminating the top and bottom totals in each category, adding the rest, and dividing by 13. For example, in the runs category: Dan Uggla's leading total of 113 and Howie Kendrick's trailing total of 55 were eliminated, while the other 13 were averaged. For the stat sample, the top 15 players on this list were used. All figures were rounded up.