Second base has traditionally been a fantasy baseball black hole and this year is hardly an exception. There are two second basemen that stand heads and shoulders above the pack and one of them won't be 2B eligible next year in all likelihood. Those two are Chase Utley and BJ Upton.
Utley is so good and so far ahead of the rest of his position that he should be considered a top 5 pick this year. I honestly wouldn't fault anybody taking him after A-Rod. You should be tripping over yourself to grab him in the back half of the first round. If he slips to you in the 2nd, well...jackpot.
I think you have to give very serious consideration to taking one of Utley, Upton or Brandon Phillips in the first four rounds because the drop off after that point is so steep. And to be perfectly honest, I don't quite trust Phillips yet.
If you miss on one of these three, look long and hard at Brian Roberts. I don't quite trust him staying healthy over the course of the season, but he's one of the few pure speed threats at a position that traditionally can be used as a source of stolen bases. Robinson Cano is looking like an okay option, though I think his power potential is limited and he has no speed.
After this, things drop off again. That doesn't mean there isn't any talent, it's just very questionable or else comes with trade-offs. Ian Kinsler and Rickie Weeks are legitimate 20/20 threats, but will likely bring a poor average. Howie Kendrick and Placido Polanco should provide a nice average, but lack power or speed. Jeff Kent is still a decent player but is losing pop and has no speed. Dan Uggla has lots of power but brings a bad batting average. Kaz Matsui is a decent source of steals and can be gotten fairly cheaply.
Two younger players to keep a close eye on and consider drafting later are Kelly Johnson or Aaron Hill. Johnson could develop into a 20/20 threat and Hill is looking to be a lighter version of Chase Utley. After these players are all gone, pickings get slim with players like Akinori Iwamura, Mark Ellis, Dustin Pedroia, Freddy Sanchez, Ryan Theriot and Orlando Hudson. You probably don't want to end up with one of these guys.
Your goal at 2B should you miss on Utley/Upton/Phillips should be to draft a player that helps a need. If you have lots of speed in the outfield and short stop, take a Jeff Kent or Aaron Hill. If you need speed, look at Brian Roberts or Kaz Matsui.
Players to Target
Chase Utley - One of the game's better hitters at a very shallow position.
BJ Upton - Can do a bit of everything, though expect a bit of regression in batting average.
Rickie Weeks - Has power and speed and I think he can become a .280 hitter.
Aaron Hill - If you have enough speed elsewhere in your line-up, consider Hill, who should blast 20-25 HRs this year with a .290 average. He belted 17 HRs and 47 doubles last year...and as he enters his prime you should anticipate several of those doubles becoming HRs.
Players to Avoid
Robinson Cano - I'm simply not a believer and he doesn't do enough in the speed department to justify his lofty draft position.
Placido Polanco - The average is nice but he simply has no power or speed.
Dustin Pedroia - Same as Polanco and the amount of hype in the press is really inflating his fantasy value.
Luis Castillo - Only value is in his speed and his constant leg injuries have sapped him of that.
Freddy Sanchez - Only skill is the ability to hit for average. Add in the fact he plays on a bad offense, and you end up with poor all around counting stats.
Sleepers
Marcus Giles - If he can wrestle the starting job from Jayson Nix, he could have a resurgence in the hitter friendly confines of Coors Field.
Mark Ellis - Always an injury concern, Ellis showed he has 20 HR pop in his bat and could reach double digit steals. Not bad for a 2B going undrafted most of the time.
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