2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy: Attacking Second Base After the Top Tiers

The second base position for fantasy baseball this season features a clear-cut top two or three tiers, and then it seemingly falls off a bit of a cliff. While I think you may be best suited to get one of the top four or five second basemen in our 2026 fantasy baseball rankings, you aren’t out of luck if you put the position on the back burner and find options a bit further down the draft board. Whether you are looking for undervalued hitters, bounceback candidates, or maybe a fantasy baseball sleeper, there are some intriguing value options at second base at numerous different ADP ranges. Using our 2026 fantasy baseball projections, as well as Spring Training stats and historical trends, this article will help you navigate the second base position in your fantasy baseball drafts!

Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates acquired Lowe in December to add some much-needed production to their lineup. Lowe’s 2025 campaign was the second-best season of his career, and he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs, 83 RBI, and 79 runs scored. Yes, the team’s home games were played at Steinbrenner Field, but his production wasn’t inflated by the stadium’s confines. In fact, he was better on the road than at home!

There will always be some swing-and-miss in his game, but when he does make contact, good things tend to happen. He’s posted a .200+ ISO in three straight seasons, and he’s a double-digit barrel rate guy year in and year out. The strikeout rate is going to live in the mid-to-upper twenties, but he’s one of the better power sources at the 2B position this year.

PNC Park may not be the best for left-handed power, but Lowe has more than enough juice to leave the park, and he’s going to be a stalwart in the top-third of this Pittsburgh lineup. In terms of name value, the Pittsburgh lineup has looked the best it has in years, which would stand to benefit Lowe’s counting stats.

Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds

McLain is the trendy pick amongst players outside of the top 10 at the position that could potentially play at a top-five level. Honestly, rightfully so. He’s an intriguing power/speed option at the position, and he’s just 26 years old. After missing the entirety of the 2024 season, McLain was largely healthy in 2025, hitting 15 home runs, stealing 18 bases, and playing in 147 games.

His .220/.300/.343 slash line left a ton to be desired, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that as the year went on, the plate discipline metrics waned considerably.

That certainly isn’t going to help an already high propensity to strikeout, and as long as his strikeout rate is in the upper-twenties, he’s going to be a bit of a liability when it comes to batting average (and OBP). However, when he does make contact, a strong fly ball rate is perfect for Great American Ball Park, and there could still be some untapped power potential.

As I mentioned, he’s the trendy pick at the position, and with his red-hot start in Spring Training, his ADP is steadily on the rise, but he remains a solid value. There’s reason to believe he could hit closer to .250 than .215 in 2026, and he has the tools to be a member of the 20/20 club at his ceiling.

Marcus Semien, New York Mets

Semien’s 2025 stat line was his worst since the COVID year in 2020, as he slashed .230/.305/.364 with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 127 games. He gets a park upgrade in New York, not to mention an improved supporting cast. His wOBA and SLG have declined in each of the last two seasons, and while he’s routinely sported a lower BABIP, his .250 mark in 2024 and .251 mark in 2025 were abnormally low (.277 from 2021-2023).

Here’s the thing: Semien hasn’t been this low on the board in years, and that presents a unique buying opportunity. You don’t need him to be elite. You don’t even need him to be very good. If he finishes as a top-12 second baseman, that’s a win, and being a regular part of this Mets lineup should help get him there. Prior to missing time last year, availability was one of his main calling cards, and a return to 20 home runs wouldn’t surprise me in 2026.

If Semien can hit .245 with 20 home runs and 8-10 stolen bases, that’ll play at his current average draft position. If he hits his projections that we have for him here at Fantasy Alarm, watch out!

Jeff McNeil, Athletics

What if I told you that you could draft a career .284 hitter set for an everyday role at one of the best parks for offense in baseball, who also happens to have dual-eligibility and is drafted outside the top 30 second basemen? Sound enticing? Then you might fancy yourself some Jeff McNeil in 2026!

The Athletics will once again play at Sutter Health Park in 2026, and in 2025, it had the third-highest park factor for left-handed hitters! Despite McNeil’s batting average falling off a bit the last two seasons, his batted ball profile was similar to years past, and his 5.1% barrel rate last season was a career-best!

McNeil won’t give you much in the stolen base department, but he’s going to play nearly every day for the Athletics, and I don’t think a .265 average with 12-15 home runs is out of the question for the veteran! Also, he should be hitting right around the heart of the order, so it could be beneficial for his RBI chances.

Wait, what if he does hit .300 this season? Wouldn’t that be somethin’!?

Luisangel Acuna, Chicago White Sox

Want a cheap dart throw in the final rounds of your draft? Don’t overlook Luisangel Acuna! He boasts elite speed, and while he has second base eligibility, he’s expected to play in center for the White Sox, so he’ll get outfield eligibility added to his ledger early on in the season.

There are sure to be some growing pains, but he’s still just 24 years old, and he has an elite fantasy tool: Speed.

He went 16-for-17 in stolen base attempts in 95 games with the Mets last season, boasting 97th percentile sprint speed. Acuna has had excellent stolen base numbers through his minor league career, and that speed will translate at the big league level, like we saw last season.

There’s optimism that he can tap into some power, and Chicago GM Chris Getz said that Acuna was working on lifting the ball more in the offseason. Well, he posted a .939 OPS, .542 SLG, and swatted eight home runs in 39 games in the Venezuelan league, so I’d say it worked a bit!

He’s off to a red-hot start in Spring Training, and the White Sox should hopefully give him a lengthy leash in the lineup. Not many players at his ADP have an elite fantasy trait, and the hope is that he can continue to develop with more reps at the major league level.