2026 Fantasy Baseball 2B Strategy: Studs, sleepers and draft plan

Second base has become increasingly difficult to classify in recent years. Is it deep? Is it shallow? It's all a matter of perspective.

Certainly, it's weak in the sense that few drafters will feel like their second baseman is the crux of their team. The first (Jazz Chisholm) will go off the board late in Round 2, with maybe another (Ketel Marte) in Round 3 and maybe another (Brice Turang) in Round 4. But all three are elevated due to their scarcity and don't bring the same assurances as high-end players at other positions (for instance, first base).

You see the dilemma. Sure, investing big at second base could give you a serious leg up on your competition, but not if it ruins you first.

Position Strategies: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
Position Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

So is that the way to go? Seize the day, even if it's an overpay? You'd be threading a needle. Only three players meet the criteria (again, hopefully), and because two typically go at the Round 2-3 turn, anyone who picks in the back half of Round 1 need not apply. Still, the idea of prioritizing second base early is an attractive one in shallower leagues, such as Head-to-Head, that offer few lineup spots to differentiate yourself from the competition.

In deeper leagues -- let's just say Rotisserie, with its extra middle infield spot, corner infield spot, and outfield spots -- the urgency to fill second base drops precipitously as all the ways the position is deep become more apparent. Fitting with its reputation as an island of misfit toys, second base is loaded with intriguing late-round upside plays and limited but reliable category specialists. They're non-factors in leagues shallow enough that studs (or something close to them) are required at every position, but in leagues that stretch the player pool such that having studs everywhere is impossible, well, they make for a gentler landing at this position. The category specialists can be rather handy, and some of those late-round upside plays could pay off handsomely.

So, at this position more than any other, my approach depends on the type of league I'm in. If shallow (more likely Head-to-Head), I go big, even if it means a slight overpay, but if deep (more likely Rotisserie), I'm inclined to hang back and use my second base spot to address specific needs later. I'll have plenty of choices, and since that's what most everyone else is going to have to do anyway, I'm not actually sacrificing much by doing so.

The Studs

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Jazz Chisholm NYY CF	24	3.24	.242	31
Ketel Marte ARI 2B	27	3.53	.283	28
Brice Turang MIL 2B	45	2.98	.288	18

These three represent your best and maybe only chance at high-end production at the position. Some might section off Brice Turang from the other two because he's not as proven, but the two-round discount is worth a modest leap of faith, in my eyes. It's not like Jazz Chisholm and Ketel Marte are entirely worry-free. Neither played more than 130 games last year because of injury, and in fact, neither has averaged 130 games over the past five years. If you sign up for either of them, you're also signing up for an IL stint, and you just have to hope it's on the shorter side.

My preference is for Chisholm in categories leagues, but I wouldn't consider either until the last couple picks of Round 2, after Kyle Schwarber and Jackson Chourio are already off the board. That's especially true in Rotisserie leagues, where, again, the surplus of lineup spots puts less pressure on having a stud at every position. Marte crept into the middle of Round 2 in a points league, where you can see he was significantly better than Chisholm last year. That's partly because low-walk base-stealers like Julio Rodriguez and Elly De La Cruz are less valuable in that format, in addition to position scarcity mattering more.

I'm finding that I'm higher than the consensus on Turang, so he may end up being the second baseman I draft most often. Even just a repeat of last year's numbers would make him deserving of a fourth-round pick, and I see the potential for far more than that. His exit velocities took a huge leap last year, but only in August did he elevate enough for them to translate to home runs. Some small refinement to his approach and swing could push him beyond the 25-homer threshold. And let's not forget he stole 50 bases in 2024, so his 24 last year understates his upside on that front. His best case isn't far off from Corbin Carroll, and while I wouldn't say it's the most likely outcome, it's not an unlikely one either.

The Starters

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Nico Hoerner CHC 2B	95	2.95	.297	7
Jose Altuve HOU 2B	99	2.81	.265	26
Luke Keaschall MIN 2B	121	3.44	.302	4
Ozzie Albies ATL 2B	137	2.58	.240	16
Brandon Lowe PIT 2B	169	2.79	.256	31

Lesser, but potentially viable, options: Gleyber Torres, DET; Brendan Donovan, SEA; Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS; Bryson Stott, PHI; Otto Lopez, MIA; Luis Garcia, WAS

Before I discuss the five players whose pretty faces are pictured in the table above, I should probably address the six players listed beneath them as "lesser, but potentially viable, options." Basically, they're not up to my standards in a 12-team context, and since I suspect they've maxed out their upside, I don't really see a path for them getting there. In a 12-team Rotisserie league where every team requires an additional middle infielder, some of them will need to be drafted, but if I'm the one drafting them, I consider it a failure on my part. Still, they're of enough prominence that an article breaking down the second position would be incomplete without them. Note that Torres' and Donovan's plate discipline makes them best suited for points leagues, while Rafaela's, Stott's, Lopez's, and Garcia's base-stealing make them best suited for categories leagues.

OK, now for the ones I actually sort of like. Obviously, the five faces depicted here can't measure up to The Studs at the position. Or can they? Well, three have at least demonstrated the capacity to do so. Jose Altuve and Ozzie Albies used to be stud second basemen themselves, and Luke Keaschall's point-per-game average as a rookie, even if in just 49 games, makes its own case. Nico Hoerner and Brandon Lowe have more predictable outcomes and the benefit of specialization in categories leagues (stolen bases for Hoerner and home runs for Lowe), so beyond simply cost, your choice here will hinge on need and aversion to risk.

Where do I come down? The simplest answer is that reports of Altuve's and Albies' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Even with a decrease in exit velocity, Altuve was one of the most prolific home run hitters at the position last year, his swing being perfectly attuned for the short left field porch at his home ballpark, and his plus contact skills remain intact. At a discount of 50 or so picks from his usual rate, you almost can't go wrong. Meanwhile, the decline narrative never made sense for Albies, who only recently turned 29. More likely, the same wrist injury that derailed his 2024 lingered into 2025, as confirmed by hitting coach Tim Hyers. For a 66-game stretch between July 10 and Sept. 22, Albies hit .268 (68 for 254) with 10 homers, seven steals, and a .762 OPS, which is more in line with what we used to see from him.

To me, the best bang-for-the-buck picks here are the cheapest two, Albies and Lowe, the latter of whom is perennially among the most underrated players on Draft Day, considering his power contributions at a power-poor position.

The Sleepers

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 OPS
Jackson Holliday BAL SS	118	2.42	.242	.690
Xavier Edwards MIA 2B	172	2.67	.283	.696
Marcus Semien NYM 2B	191	2.56	.230	.669
Jorge Polanco NYM 2B	198	2.81	.265	.821
Matt McLain CIN SS	222	2.10	.220	.643
Brett Baty NYM 3B	260	2.09	.255	.748
Lenyn Sosa CHW 2B	339	2.28	.265	.727
Jeff McNeil ATH 2B	353	2.42	.243	.746
Willi Castro COL LF	366	2.08	.226	.679
Jonathan India KC 2B	367	2.13	.233	.669
Christian Moore LAA 2B	430	1.72	.271*	.794*
Nolan Gorman STL 2B	488	1.84	.205	.666
Sung-Mun Song SD 2B	510	-----	.315^	.917^

*minor-league stats
^foreign stats

Now we get to the fun part. This is where second base really shines if either of two conditions are met.

Your expectations for the position are low to begin with.
You can pivot to another if your first choice doesn't pan out.

I wouldn't say a big payoff from any of these players is likely. Xavier Edwards seems like the safest bet, having served as a poor man's Nico Hoerner in 2025, and part of me wanted to include him with The Starters because of that high floor. But I think he left some meat on the bone that justifies more of a sleeper label. Remember, he had more steals (31) in 70 games as a rookie than the 27 he had in 139 games as a sophomore, and with a much higher batting average (.328) as well. Most likely, the 2025 outcome is the truer one, but either way, getting batting average and stolen bases at a weak position outside of Pick 150 is a significant win.

If I'm thinking more ceiling than floor, though, my preferred picks here are Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco. Semien fits in with Altuve and Albies in that reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated, though it's more understandable in his case, given that he's 35 and has seen his production crater the past two years. You can read why I'm so optimistic in my Sleepers 1.0, but to summarize, he looked more like his prime self for the final 71 games he was healthy last year -- batting .270 with 12 homers, eight steals and an .801 OPS -- and Statcast suggests he'd have hit 20 more homers over the past three years playing every game at Citi Field, his new home venue. Meanwhile, Polanco, who also linked up with the Mets this offseason, just needs to continue doing what he did in Seattle last year, only now with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette hitting ahead of him. His injury history makes it far from a certainty, but if you have the option of pivoting to another second base sleeper if yours goes wrong, he makes for a good first stab.

You may wonder why Jackson Holliday is part of this group when he's being drafted 60 picks ahead of anyone else in it, but the conceit here is that sleepers are players with the capacity to improve. Just because it's being priced in already doesn't make it any less likely. That's not to say it's any more likely for Holliday than for any of my preferences here -- in fact, I'd argue it isn't -- but Holliday is only 22, a former No. 1 overall pick, and the son of a seven-time All-Star. It wouldn't be me taking him at Pick 118, but the upside case is easy to make.

The Base-Stealers

	2026 ADP	2025 SB	2026 hope	Also eligible
Jazz Chisholm NYY CF	24	31	30-40	3B
Brice Turang MIL 2B	45	24	30-40	-----
Nico Hoerner CHC 2B	95	29	30-40	-----
Jose Altuve HOU 2B	99	10	10-15	-----
Jackson Holliday BAL SS	118	17	15-20	-----
Luke Keaschall MIN 2B	121	14	30-40	-----
Ozzie Albies ATL 2B	137	14	15-20	-----
Ceddanne Rafaela BOS CF	151	20	20-25	OF
Xavier Edwards MIA 2B	172	27	30-40	SS
Marcus Semien NYM 2B	191	11	10-15	-----
Bryson Stott PHI 2B	195	24	25-30	-----
Matt McLain CIN SS	222	18	20-25	-----
Jose Caballero NYY 2B	228	49	40-50	3B, SS, OF
Luis Garcia WAS 2B	241	14	10-15	-----
Otto Lopez MIA SS	261	15	15-20	SS
Andres Gimenez TOR 2B	312	12	20-25	-----
Willi Castro COL LF	366	10	15-20	3B, OF
Luisangel Acuna CHW 2B	547	16	25-30	-----

As you can tell from the length of this list, second base is one of those positions where you expect to get stolen bases, which means any pick to the contrary will require you to compensate elsewhere. That's one of the complications in taking Ketel Marte early in a Rotisserie league. One name worth singling out here is Jose Caballero, who, despite being a monster base-stealer with enviable eligibility, was mentioned nowhere else in the article. That's because his stat line is pretty empty otherwise, and even though he's going to be filling in for an injured Anthony Volpe to begin 2026, he's likely a bench bat in the long run.