Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Second Basemen | FIOMattyH's Blog

1. Chase Utley, PHI - Utley is deserving of a 1st Round fantasy pick regardless of the position he plays. Last season, the left-handed Utley batted .332 with 22 homers and drove in over 100 runs for the third straight season, despite missing a month because of a broken hand. With the potential to steal double-digit bases and the protection provided by slugger Ryan Howard, Utley should certainly go in the 1st Round once again.

2. B.J. Upton, TB - Upton burst onto the scene last season, hitting .300 with 24 homers and 22 stolen bases. He did, however, strike out 154 times in 474 at bats, suggesting that if he has a similar strikeout rate this year, his average will drop. Nonetheless, with Upton's potential to become a 30-30 player and with his permanent move to centerfield, this could be the perfect time to bid high on the up and coming 23-year-old, as this will likely be the last year in which he eligible at second.

3. Brandon Phillips, CIN - While many have the potential, Phillips is the only second basemen to date to actually have proven that he is capable of being a 30-30 player, doing so last season when he hit 30 homers and swiped 32 bags. And there is no reason to think that the 26-year-old cannot do it again in '08, as he plays half of his games in a short-fenced Great American Ballpark and should receive decent protection in the Reds lineup.

4. Robinson Cano, NYY - Cano's poor first-half was overshadowed by an outstanding post All-Star break performance, in which he hit .343 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs. Despite the slow start, Cano was still able to set career-highs in homers (19) and RBIs (97). A strong start to the first half in '08 and Cano will easily build on his production, especially batting in a strong Yankees lineup.

5. Brian Roberts, BAL - Roberts is one of a handful of second basemen capable of producing solid numbers in every major fantasy category. Last year, Roberts hit .290 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs, while setting a career-high in stolen bases with 50. Hitting in a Tejada-less Orioles offense may hurt Roberts, but... (Read the full article here: Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Second Basemen)

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