The first thing to recognize about second base this year is that it’s not deep at the top. A modest six players at the keystone currently have Yahoo ADPs in the top 100, and that’s if we graciously include Jose Altuve and Nico Hoerner, who are percentage points over the cutoff. This makes second base the least bountiful infield slot of the four positions. Third base is the next position of concern, first base is on the upswing, and there are fun shortstops everywhere you look.
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If you don’t land one of the top six at second base, you’ll have to accept some flags from your later picks. Some players are clearly missing a skill or two. Some are talented players coming off poor years or injury-wrecked ones. There are players changing teams. And a few candidates are on the back-nine of their careers, when decline is obviously a risk.
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On the plus side, a lot of these players are versatile, too. Two-thirds of the top-30 second basemen offer multiple positions of eligibility, and several of these players can cover three positions or more. I always prefer being as flexible as possible with my roster builds (allowing me to be positionless when I need fill-ins), and several of these players can help with that goal.
More positional previews
Proactive Picks
Brice Turang, Brewers (Yahoo ADP 54.3)
Bill James told us moons ago that versatile players tend to be underrated, and Turang is one of those guys. He quietly led all second basemen in oWAR last year and yet is just the third keystoner off the board, 2-3 rounds after Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ketel Marte. Even if Turang doesn’t keep last year’s power spike, his plate-discipline skills point to a plus average, and he could easily swipe more than the 24 bags he collected last year (he stole 50 in 2024). Turang also holds a good batting slot, hitting second for a plus Milwaukee offense. The Brewers are a quietly-efficient team (they’ve become the NL’s version of the Rays), and Turang is an eat-your-veggies type of pick.
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Xavier Edwards, Marlins (Yahoo ADP 181.7)
Okay, you’ll have to make up the power elsewhere. But Edwards has a .298 average and .343 OBP since hitting the majors, which marks his territory in the leadoff spot. And with a glittering success rate of 85.1% on steals, Edwards probably has the upside to swipe 40-60 if so inclined. Remember, he stole 31 bags in just 70 games two years ago.
Possible Fades
Jose Altuve, Astros (Yahoo ADP 100.6)
Altuve’s 26 homers last year obscured some leakage elsewhere — he lost 30 points in his batting average and his steals dropped from 22 to 10. And his bat speed has been well under league average ever since Baseball Savant started tracking it. Altuve is a guess hitter at this point in his career, and he’s stepping into his age-36 season. I’d rather be a year early than a year late with a player holding this career arc.
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Ozzie Albies, Braves (Yahoo ADP 124.7)
Albies has been a below-average offensive player (by OPS+) in three of the past four seasons. He continues to swing at too many pitches out of the strike zone, and his batted-ball metrics have been below code for two straight years. The Braves have caught on; Albies will probably open the year in the bottom third of the order.
Marcus Semien, Mets (Yahoo ADP 181)
Semien has long been one of my favorite players, but I can’t ignore that his OPS+ has been merely 100 — that’s exactly league average — for two straight years. He’s now in his age-35 season, and he’ll lose some volume with the Mets, who won’t need him batting first like the Rangers did.
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Sleepers
JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals (Yahoo ADP 200.7)
The Cardinals have openings at second base and third base with Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado gone, so Wetherholt should settle in somewhere, assuming he has a decent camp. The team’s No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft (seventh overall), Wetherholt posted a snappy .306/.421/.510 slash between Double-A and Triple-A last year, with 17 homers and 23 steals through just 109 games. He’s already receiving some Rookie of the Year buzz.
Luis García Jr., Nationals (Yahoo ADP 193.2)
It’s encouraging that García had 16 homers and 14 steals in what could fairly be termed an off year — that’s probably his floor. He’s still just 26 and a year removed from a .282 average and .444 slugging percentage. It’s possible García will shift to first base this year and he could fall into a platoon as well — at least it would be the heavier side of the platoon. There’s no reason to jump the line with García’s ADP. But he’s affordably priced for a player who’s already shown the ability to be a top-100 fantasy asset.
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1. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees
2. Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
3. Maikel Garcia, Royals
4. Brice Turang, Brewers
5. Nico Hoerner, Cubs
6. Jose Altuve, Astros
7. Luke Keaschall, Twins
8. Jordan Westburg, Orioles
9. Ozzie Albies, Braves
10. Xavier Edwards, Marlins
11. Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox
12. Brandon Lowe, Pirates
You can find our complete second basemen rankings for the 2026 fantasy baseball season here.
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