We’re almost there, everybody: After a long, cold, frustratingly slow offseason, MLB’s regular season begins on Wednesday, March 20, with the Dodgers and Padres squaring off in Seoul (the 28 other teams will get things started on Thursday, March 28). With precious little time to go until Opening Day, now is the time to start cranking up your fantasy baseball drafts — and we’re here to be your one-stop shop for all things draft prep. We just recently unveiled our top 300 overall for redraft leagues in 2024, as well as top prospects to know and full previews of each position. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, the stuff that really helps you win your leagues: a list of sleepers to target at every position.
Next up: second base, a position that comes with plenty of intrigue but also plenty of landmines as well. Given the uncertainty in the position’s middle class — how much are you buying one-year breakouts like Matt McLain, Nico Hoerner, Bryson Stott and Ha-Seong Kim? — I could see it making sense to wait a while if you miss out on one of the top options. Which is where the names below come in, offering a chance at starter-level production at minimal cost.
Fantasy baseball sleepers: Second base
Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins
ADP: 222
Julien is something of a three-true-outcomes player, with an elite eye at the plate (15.7% walk rate) and some in-zone contact issues to work out. But his batted-ball metrics were excellent in his rookie season, helping him launch 16 homers in just 109 games. The Twins have cleared the deck for him to start every day at second base, and if he can make some small K rate gains, there’s a four-category contributor here — he’s got the speed and Minor League track record to think he can improve on his three steals from last season. If that gaudy OBP earns him the leadoff spot, he could produce 100+ runs, 20+ homers and 8-10 steals with a batting average that won’t hurt you.
Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers
ADP: 283
Lux was a buzzy name this time last year, only for a torn ACL to send things sideways. But he’s back healthy now, and the Dodgers seem confident enough in him as a starter this season. Whatever optimism there was around Lux this time a year ago has largely disappeared, but if reports that he added 6 mph to his bat speed at Driveline are true, there could still be breakout potential — we know he’s got the raw athleticism, even post-knee surgery, and he could be a 15-15 guy in a strong lineup available basically for free.
Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
ADP: 291
I wish I knew how to quit this guy. Lowe was once again hampered by injuries last season — and balky backs are an immediate and glaring red flag — but when he was on the field, he just kept on being … well, Brandon Lowe: a 30/10 pace over 150 games. He also started regularly, even against a lot of lefties, and that will likely continue given the hole Wander Franco’s absence has left in the Rays’ middle infield picture. The batting average and health will always be concerns, but around pick 300, you should be in a place to afford a roll of the dice on a guy who’s got a 39-homer season in the not-too-distant past and will be hitting in the middle of a good lineup.
Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles
ADP: 307
What’s the deal here? Westburg didn’t set the world on fire in his first taste of the Majors last year, but he also didn’t drown either, posting a league-average OPS over 228 plate appearances. This is the same guy who tore it up at every level of the Minors (.295/.372/.567 line with 18 homers in just 68 games at Triple-A last year) and the O’s seem content to let him be their everyday second baseman — at least for now. He doesn’t have particularly loud tools, but he also projects to be at least decent across the board, and his Statcast data (88th percentile sprint speed, plus hard-hit rate and average exit velocity) point to a 15-15 or even 20-20 player in here. In a good lineup, at this price, that’s pretty good business.
