Psst! This post is gonna list 2nd basemen that you should target in your 2018 fantasy baseball drafts. I’m whispering because you don’t want everyone to see this post. No, I can’t whisper louder, then it WOULDN’T BE WHISPERING! Okay, gig’s up (or maybe that’s jig’s up), the love I’m about to reiterately (Made Up Word of the Day!) confirm is on these guys I love later in drafts. I’m not going to mention Ian Happ other than this one mention of him where I say I’m not going to mention him. I’m not mentioning Happ other than this mention of not mentioning him because these are players that you’re looking at later and all of them have ADPs after 200. Some could be the 2nd baseman on your team, they are more than likely MIs. This is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Croatia) supplement to the top 20 2nd basemen for 2018 fantasy baseball. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2018 projections. Anyway, here’s some 2nd basemen to target for 2018 fantasy baseball:
Scooter Gennett (ESPN 284) Scott Kingery, who I don’t mind, is ranked ridiculously high in ESPN’s rankings. This is weird (not weird). Why I say this is weird (not weird) because ESPN never ranks rookies above vets of comparable value. I don’t even think ESPN knows rookies. Seriously. No joke. However (this is were it becomes ‘not weird’) Karabell’s favorite team is the Phillies, so he ranked Kingery extremely high. Told you weird (not weird). As for Scoots McHitTheBallInTheAiry, there’s no consensus on where to draft him. Some people say around 300 overall, some say around 175. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to do, because I’m not a witch, but my money’s on closer to last year, than previous years. His HR/FB% was high, but he’s also in a top ten park for homers. His .295 average was high, but he cut down on his swings, made the swings he did take count for more and his .339 BABIP isn’t insane for a career .327 BABIP guy. I’d bet on a 25+ HR, 5 SB, .270 season from Scoots vs. a total bust season. Trying to make this wager in Vegas hasn’t been easy, however.
Brandon Drury (ESPN 293; Yahoo unranked) Feels a little like the guy the Yanks just got rid of that he’s replacing, assuming Drury’s starting at 3rd, i.e., Chase Headley. Might peak at 16 homers with a .265 average, but he’s still very young (25) headed into his 3rd full season (breakout time), and the Corporate Teepee To Consumerism They Built Across The Lot From The House Ruth Built won’t hurt Drury.
Chris Owings (ESPN 308; Yahoo 266) I always seem to be the only person interested in Owings, and every year it seems like there’s a reason for that. All I will say is he went 12/12 in only 362 ABs last year, and he’s still only 26. Also, maybe the D-Backs have to be more aggressive on the basepaths this year since the ill-humidor’d conditions. I know, Owings isn’t pegged as the starter, but he always gets his at-bats.
Jose Peraza (Yahoo 220) One quick note here, in general. If it wasn’t for Yahoo’s cockeyed rankings, there wouldn’t have even been enough 2nd basemen to write this post. I love Jose Peraza, and he’s ranked on ESPN around 180, which is before my arbitrary cutoff for this post. Yahoo, on the other hand, well, if you can figure out why they have some of the guys in this post ranked so low, you win the Nobel. Go to your mailbox and wait there, I’m mailing it out. Get it yet? How about now? Now? Okay, check back in 20 minutes. As for Peraza, he’s covered by Anime Grey:
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Eduardo Nunez (Yahoo 203) Fenway seems like it will play right into Nunez’s strengths. Just slap some dubs off the wall, and jog into first, only to then steal 2nd. If you’re hesitant on him because Pedroia will return and Nunez will be pushed to the bench, then I have a few names for you of players who can’t stay healthy: Pedroia, Hanley, Mitch Moreland, J.D. Martinez and Nunez himself. Even in 400 ABs, Nunez always seems to get that good value.
Paul DeJong (Yahoo 213) Previously, I laid on your medulla oblongata my Paul DeJong sleeper. There I said, “There’s little to pass on with DeJong or for Grey to poop on, but can he be Colonel Mustard? He hit 16 HRs in only 289 post-All-Star Break at-bats, but he did hit a bunch of ‘Just Enough’ homers. I’m not confident in saying he’s going to hit a ton more homers with an extra 150 ABs in 2018. He did hit 13 homers in only 48 Triple-A games, so he does elevate the ball, and gets to his power. My guess is his strikeout rate (28% last year) will come down a little, he’ll hit for a little less BABIP, and his 20% HR/FB% will come down a hair. Which makes him a push-push-push in the Busch. So, is his last year repeated good enough for you or do you want a Bob boffer?” And that’s me quoting me! Legit, I had no idea what I meant by ‘Bob boffer’ either. I thought it was a typo at first or Bob Barker with a pussy. Cat! C’mon, gross! Turns out ‘Bob boffer’ was a reference to a Bob who was sleeping with your wife and/or girlfriend, which I went over in the sleeper post. I will now say ‘Bob boffer’ without any reference point.
Tim Beckham (Yahoo 279) I was going to say it’s crazy town how low Yahoo is on Beckham, and I do think that, but looking at a collective ADP on him, and, well, Yahoo’s a lot closer to collective wisdom on Beckham than I am, so let’s ask ourselves about plastics and dive into the pool to figure out why I like him. Camden is a lot better than the Trop for homers. Orange you glad this bears fruit for Beckham’s power surge after his trade to Baltimore? I am. He was a lot more aggressive at the plate than I’d like to see, but all things equal he’s a .260 hitter. Not awful, not great. He stole six bags in 11 attempts last year, which is awful, but he did have years of 15+ steals in the minors and he’s only 28. Would a 15-steal surprise you? Well, it would surprise me, but I guess it’s possible. 20/7/.260 in the top of Baltimore’s order is still worth more than the 279th overall pick, and if he sneaks into a 25/12/.275 season it’s going to be way more valuable.
Devon Travis (Yahoo 341) I think I might be in the Bob boffer scenario for Travis, and I might need to raise him in my rankings. Or maybe that’s me not boffing Bob — a Bob unboffer? I was thinking maybe I’d put Travis in as the top 2nd baseman in Fantasy Pros, so everyone who did no research, went there, would see him above Altuve, and draft him in the first round. It’s the Anarchists’ fantasy baseball cookbook. By the way, out of all hundred or so experts’ rankings last year, Rudy’s rankings came in 2nd. As for Travis, he has 15/12 potential, and might be leading off for the Jays. Then again, every year around this time, Travis or Kevin Pillar are supposed to be leading off for the Jays and never do.
