The Phenom's Top 5 Fantasy Secondbasemen for 2011

The Phenom's Top 5 Fantasy Secondbasemen for 2011

1. Robinson Cano/ NYY: Cano started off like a house on fire in 2010 and then cooled down towards the end of the season. However, he is pretty steady from year to year.

Projected 2011 Stats: .315 avg., 26 hr's, 101 rbi, 102 runs, 4 sb's

2. Chase Utley/ PHI: Utley spent most of the 2010 season injured, but he's still one of the best fantasy options at 2B.

Projected 2011 Stats: .289 avg., 27 hr's, 96 rbi, 109 runs, 16 sb's

3. Rickie Weeks/ MIL: Weeks produced 29 hr's, 89 rbi, and scored 112 runs in 2010. I think he'll do most of the same in 2011.

Projected 2011 Stats: .280 avg., 24 hr's, 82 rbi, 105 runs, 17 sb's

4. Dan Uggla/ ATL: What a great pick up by the Braves. Uggla has averaged 31 hr's per season throughout his 5-year career.

Projected 2011 Stats: .273 avg., 32 hr's, 97 rbi, 98 runs, 3 sb's

5. Brandon Phillips/ CIN: I think Phillips has all the tools to become a top fantasy producer at 2B, but I need to see more consistency year over year.

Projected 2011 Stats: .275 avg., 21 hr's, 84 rbi, 93 runs, 24 sb's

2011 Secondbase Draft Strategy: The safe bets at 2B are obviously Cano and Utley. You really can't go wrong there, unless they get injured, which happened to Utley in 2010. You will notice that Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia did not make the top list. First of all, Kinsler can never finish an entire season. If he does, he could be a top 5 fantasy option at 2B. Secondly, Pedroia is probably the best all-around 2B in the MLB. However, his prowess at the position does not translate well in the fantasy ranks. Pedroia is a solid pick, but I would not waste a high pick on him. In fact, even the top few 2B prospects like Cano and Utley should not be selected too early. I know that it isn't a very deep position, but you also have to take into account that none of these guys will eclipse 30+ hr's and 100 rbi. You don't really have any speedsters in this group either. Weeks and Phillips could steal 20+ bases, but that isn't enough to justify a higher selection in the draft. Be very cautious when selecting your 2B. On one hand, you do not want to miss out on any of the top 7 or so players because there isn't much more after that. On the other hand, you don't want to use a top pick on any 2B in 2011. If you miss out on Cano or Utley, go ahead and try for Weeks, Uggla, Phillips, Pedroia, or Kinsler in the middle rounds if you can wait that long. If there is a run on 2B's during your draft, you better make sure you get one of the top 7 players at this position. Otherwise, you'll end up with limited options at the position.

The Phenom
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