X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Overrated/Underrated Week 7: Second Basemen

Week 1 (OF/SP) | Week 2 (OF/SP) | Week 3 (SS) | Week 4 (1B) | Week 5 | Week 6 (SP)

* * *

We're a few weeks in so you know the drill by now. A big part of winning your fantasy baseball league is recognizing the market inefficiencies that arise during the season. Players are not always properly valued, and it's these discrepancies in valuation that can be exploited for personal gain. It sounds malicious when put like that, but you know what I mean.

This week focuses on second basemen. Ironically, it's a position that looks pretty solid in terms of ownership rates. But there are still some questionable names both farther up and down the list that should probably be swapped.

 

Overrated

Kolten Wong, STL
57% owned, via Fleaflicker

This is kind of a bummer because I had long been a Wong proponent. There are just too many factors not favoring him presently. He generally doesn't hit the ball hard and has fared worse than ever this year. He also doesn't hit the ball in the air. Perhaps worst of all, he doesn't play every day anymore. The Cardinals are losing faith in his bat, and I think they see his relatively weak performance against left-handed pitching and see a platoon hitter.

It's a shame, because his minor-league speed, power and plate discipline signaled an underrated middle infielder who could eventually rise to the top of the position in fantasy terms. The power could reemerge this season, but he's on pace to attempt only 13 stolen bases, way down from last season. And that's a full-season pace, something Wong obviously won't achieve the way Mike Matheny uses him.

Unless the league is incredibly deep, there's really no reason to own Wong at this point. He doesn't contribute much, and his peripherals don't support any kind of special breakout on the horizon.

Howie Kendrick, LAD
43% owned, via Fleaflicker

Kendrick also is no longer an everyday player. His plate discipline has regressed into something rather unsightly, and he's sporting a putrid .011 ISO (isolated power) through 94 plate appearances. There's evidence to support some kind of bump in production -- Kendrick, historically a high-BABIP guy, is sporting the worst mark of his career by far. And his hard-hit rate (Hard%), while not astounding, is not so low that you'd think he shouldn't be hitting for at least a bit more power, too.

The 66.2-percent ground ball rate (GB%), though, is atrocious. At 32 years old, Kendrick is too old to be making that kind of weak contact and expect to succeed. He could still hit .290 by season's end, and that would be a nice wave to ride as he surges. But he won't hit home runs, and he'll barely steal. It's the definition of an empty batting average, and I could point you to a dozen other players who can provide the same kind of value and a dozen more who could provide substantially more.

 

Underrated

Brandon Phillips, CIN
39% owned, via Fleaflicker

This one kind of blows my mind because a trend has kind of carried over from 2015. Last year, everyone thought Phillips would be toast. He had a lackluster 2014 season and, entering his mid-30s, it was reasonable to expect the decline was imminent. Yet while the power remained suppressed, Phillips stole bases at a rate unseen since his early glory days in Cincinnati. It was good enough to make him a top-3 second baseman last year.

Here we are, again, and Phillips isn't even a top-20 second baseman in terms of ownership despite near-top-10 performance. He's hitting the ball more authoritatively than ever before, as evidenced by his early-season power display, and he's on pace to attempt as many stolen bases as last season. That he actually succeeds as frequently is highly unlikely, given he has already been caught as many times as last season. But even a coin-flip success rate would still net him 15 steals.

In other words, Phillips could be a post another season of double-digit home runs and stolen bases. Moreover, his runs and RBI haven't suffered from hitting amid a weak Cincinnati Reds lineup. When the abnormal performances slow down -- looking at you, Neil Walker -- Phillips' name could rise even further.

Jonathan Schoop, BAL
18% owned, via Fleaflicker

Schoop will always have his issues. As a high-strikeout, low-walk guy, he's like a poor man's Adam Jones at second base. (Funny that they both play for Baltimore.) But boy, does Schoop hit the ball hard. He has legitimate 25-homer power, which helps offset his liability in the batting average department. He doesn't run very often, so it's essentially all-or-nothing power. He's like Brian Dozier, a top-10 second baseman by ownership, who doesn't run as often. Schoop is essentially Mitch Moreland but at a weaker offensive position and currently less-owned. Sometimes, all you need is context.

Chris Owings, ARI
9% owned, via Fleaflicker

Owings plays full-time, whether as an infielder or in center field, as part of the collateral damage of A.J. Pollock's season-ending injury. He boasts the best plate discipline of his career and is on pace to swipe almost 30 bags. He doesn't have a ton of pop, but a fly ball or two should eventually clear an outfield fence, too. A post-hype hitter, Owings is finally making good on some of his promise and could conceivably finish the season among the top 10 in stolen bases.

 

Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)

Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dennis Schröder23 mins ago

Dennis Schroder Flipped To The Pistons
MarJon Beauchamp30 mins ago

Traded To Clippers
Kevin Porter Jr.35 mins ago

Traded To Bucks
Jake LaRavia43 mins ago

Traded To Kings
James Wiseman48 mins ago

Traded To Toronto
Marcus Smart51 mins ago

Traded To The Wizards
Georges Niang59 mins ago

Joins The Hawks
De'Andre Hunter1 hour ago

Traded To Cavaliers
Caris LeVert1 hour ago

Traded To Hawks
Radko Gudas1 hour ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Owen Tippett2 hours ago

Will Remain Sidelined On Thursday
NJ2 hours ago

Simon Nemec Promoted To NHL Roster
Zach Werenski2 hours ago

Could Return On Thursday To Face Utah
Anthony Cirelli2 hours ago

Will Not Play On Thursday
Sidney Crosby2 hours ago

Resumes Skating, Remains Uncertain For Friday's Contest
Jericho Sims6 hours ago

Moves To Milwaukee
Cam Reddish7 hours ago

Shipped To Charlotte
Tommy Pham7 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Pittsburgh
Dalton Knecht7 hours ago

Traded To Charlotte
Mark Williams7 hours ago

Lakers Acquire Mark Williams From Hornets
Kelly Olynyk7 hours ago

Moves To New Orleans
Bruce Brown7 hours ago

Sent To New Orleans
Brandon Ingram7 hours ago

Traded To Toronto
Quinton Byfield8 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers In Victory
Kevin Fiala8 hours ago

Scores Twice On Wednesday
Teuvo Teravainen8 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Overtime Loss
Leon Draisaitl9 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Mika Zibanejad9 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Wednesday
Jason Dickinson9 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Pete Alonso18 hours ago

Returning To Mets On Two-Year Deal
Jalen Suggs18 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Andrew Wiggins18 hours ago

Heading To Miami
Dennis Schröder18 hours ago

Dennis Schroder Traded To Jazz
Lonzo Ball19 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Extension
Jonas Valanciunas19 hours ago

Traded To The Kings
Darcy Kuemper22 hours ago

Aims To Continue Home Success Wednesday
Mattias Samuelsson22 hours ago

Ruled Out For The Rest Of The Week
Ty Dellandrea22 hours ago

Could Be An Option Thursday
Alexander Wennberg22 hours ago

Ruled Out For Third Straight Game
Craig Smith23 hours ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Quinn Hughes23 hours ago

To Remain Out On Thursday
Mitchell Marner23 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Alex Bregman24 hours ago

Cubs Offer Four-Year Deal To Alex Bregman
Josh Manson1 day ago

Sustains Lower-Body Injury
Jordan Greenway1 day ago

Expected To Return After International Break
Sandy Alcantara1 day ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brandon Woodruff1 day ago

Not Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Spring Training
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Eric Cole1 day ago

Faces Challenges At WM Phoenix Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

A Strong Value Play At WM Phoenix Open
Lee Hodges1 day ago

Looks To Build On Strong Start At WM Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Still Searching For Consistency At Scottsdale
Rashee Rice1 day ago

Doing Well In His Injury Recovery
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

A Volatile Option At WM Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover1 day ago

Looks To Build On Strong Pebble Beach Finish
Andrew Novak1 day ago

In Good Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell1 day ago

A Sleeper Pick At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Stevens1 day ago

Looking To Stay Hot At WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Worth Considering At WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun1 day ago

In Great Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Scottsdale
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston Looks To Overcome Putting Woes At WM Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At WM Phoenix Open
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

A Solid Option At WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At WM Phoenix Open
Matthieu Pavon1 day ago

Should Be Avoided At All Costs At TPC Scottsdale
Nicolai Hojgaard1 day ago

Will Be Hard To Trust At WM Phoenix Open Debut
PGA1 day ago

Sungjae Im Searching For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
Justin Thomas1 day ago

Looks To Rebound At WM Phoenix Open
Max Greyserman2 days ago

A Scary Play At WM Phoenix Open
Shane Bieber2 days ago

Not Expected To Rejoin Rotation Until Midway Through The Season
Nolan Arenado2 days ago

Red Sox Discussing Nolan Arenado Trade
Jose Altuve2 days ago

Has Been Working In Left Field
Kansas City Chiefs2 days ago

Andy Reid Won't Retire After Super Bowl LIX
Travis Kelce2 days ago

Doesn't Appear To Be Eyeing Retirement
Cooper Kupp3 days ago

Rams Seeking Trade Partner For Cooper Kupp
Nassourdine Imavov3 days ago

Picks Up Second-Round Knockout Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Israel Adesanya3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Vinicius Oliveira3 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Mike Davis3 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Farés Ziam3 days ago

Fares Ziam Extends His Win Streak To Five
Cleveland Browns3 days ago

Myles Garrett Requests Trade, Browns Sticking To Their Stance
Jack Flaherty3 days ago

Returning To Detroit On Two-Year Contract
Las Vegas Raiders4 days ago

Raiders Hire Chip Kelly As Offensive Coordinator
Shohei Ohtani4 days ago

Expected To Pitch In May
Freddie Freeman4 days ago

Starts Swinging, Not Running
Tyler Glasnow4 days ago

Throwing Bullpens, Feels Good Heading Into Spring Training
Kaan Ofli5 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Naimov5 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Jairzinho Rozenstruik5 days ago

Loses Lackluster Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Sergei Pavlovich5 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak At UFC Saudi Arabia
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Michael Page5 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Saudi Arabia
Chris Godwin5 days ago

Tampa Bay Expected To Attempt To Re-Sign Chris Godwin
Justin Tucker5 days ago

Facing More Sexual-Assault Allegations
Alex Bregman5 days ago

Tigers And Red Sox Emerge As "Co-Favorites" To Land Alex Bregman
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Cardinals Unable To Find Trade Partner For Nolan Arenado
Dallas Goedert6 days ago

Will Be Good To Go Against Chiefs
DeVonta Smith6 days ago

Expected To Play In Super Bowl
Tampa Bay Buccaneers6 days ago

Josh Grizzard Promoted To Offensive Coordinator
Pete Alonso6 days ago

Reds Showing Interest In Pete Alonso

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP