Fantasy Baseball 2013 Head-to-Head Points League Rankings: Second Base

Yesterday I released my second set of Head-to-Head Points League Rankings, giving you my top 20 first basemen for 2013. Today we do the same thing, looking at my top 20 second basemen. (Go here for the top 20 catchers.)

Edwin Encarnacion was the surprise points' leader at first base, but there was no such surprise at the top at second: Robinson Cano took the points' crown with 512 points, finishing 36 points ahead of the No. 2 guy, Aaron Hill. Only Cano topped 500 points, while five other second baseman -- Hill, Ian Kinsler, Ben Zobrist, Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia -- cracked 400.

After the top 10 or so, the talent level drops off pretty quickly, and even the back end of the top 10 looks a little weak. I'd suggest targeting one of the top six guys below. I've participated in two mock drafts so far, and while Cano is going early (and deservedly so), I've noticed second basemen aren't going as high as I anticipated. I snagged Pedroia in the third round in one, and Kinsler went at the end of the fourth round in another. Maybe that doesn't end up being the norm, but it's something I've personally noted so far.

As a reminder, scoring in points leagues is as follows: one point for every base, run, RBI, stolen base and walk, and minus-one point for every strikeout.

Here's a look at my top 20 second basemen in H2H Points leagues:

Cano doesn't lose value in any format. He's the clear No. 1 at second base...Kinsler offers too much in terms of power, speed and run production to be anywhere else in the rankings. He has a career BB/K of 0.81, including a BB/K of 1.25 in 2010. He's a H2H Points League gem...Pedroia scored 521 points in 2011, so I can't have him any lower than No. 3. He's behind Kinsler because he doesn't offer the same power...Zobrist is right there with Pedroia, but his upside isn't as great. Still, you can't go wrong with a 20/20 threat...Kipnis really labored through the second half of 2012, but his combination of speed and power is worth investing in. I think he hits 20 home runs and steals 25... Hill had a huge 2012 that's impossible to ignore. It's possible he duplicates it, but I see 24 or so homers and 10-plus steals...Phillips is close behind Hill, but his power and speed are on the decline...Altuve stole 33 bases in 2012 and that helped him earn the ninth most points at second base. He can steal 30 more...Weeks hit .230 last year but was a hero down the stretch in fantasy leagues. I like his chances of hitting 20 home runs, stealing 15 bags and scoring 90 runs. The strikeouts bring his value down quite a bit...Utley, 34, still put together a respectable season in 2012 despite getting less than 400 at bats. He's a big injury risk, but the possibility for 20 home runs and double digit steals is still there...Scutaro was a big surprise in 2012. His lack of power keeps him down despite scoring 412 points in 2012...Uggla had a down year in 2012, but I expect his power to come back up to about 28 home runs...Ackley was probably a little over-hyped in 2012. I expect the average to come up 20 points...Walker isn't exciting, but he's consistent across the board...Profar gets the nod over some veterans here because his upside is tremendous...Murphy is Neil Walker-light. He should hit .290-plus again...Kendrick had a disappointing 2012 and I'm not waiting around any longer for a breakout...Infante is more solid in real life than in fantasy...Espinosa strikes out like crazy (27% career strikeout rate), and he played the second half of 2012 with a torn rotator cuff. Not a good combo...Beckham showed great improvement in 2012 and I think he continues to improve.

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