Tiers are a simple but effective way of plotting out a draft strategy that assures you won't fall behind at any position while maximizing your return on every pick. They serve as an alternate form of rankings that groups players by expected level of production, denoting the points in the rankings where the most significant drop-offs occur. In the heat of a draft, you'll know which position to target by observing which one is closest to having its current tier depleted.
Below are the second base tiers for 2020. They depict a position that has its share of high-end talent but offers fewer assurances if you miss out on it. Listen to our second base preview from the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast and check out the latest tiered rankings for the postion:
The Elite: Ketel Marte, Jose Altuve
The Near-Elite: Gleyber Torres, Ozzie Albies, Whit Merrifield, Jonathan Villar^, DJ LeMahieu, Keston Hiura, Max Muncy, Jeff McNeil
The Next-Best Things: Mike Moustakas, Cavan Biggio, Tommy Edman^
The Fallback Options: Eduardo Escobar, Gavin Lux, Garrett Hampson^
The Last Resorts: Ryan McMahon, Brandon Lowe, (Nick Solak), Luis Arraez, Kevin Newman, Kolten Wong^
The Deep-Leaguers: Tommy La Stella, Howie Kendrick, Robinson Cano , Rougned Odor, Dee Gordon^, Starlin Castro, Nick Madrigal, Mauricio Dubon, Michael Chavis, David Fletcher†
The Leftovers: Luis Urias, Jonathan Schoop, Cesar Hernandez, Jurickson Profar, Hanser Alberto, Asdrubal Cabrera, Adam Frazier, Brendan Rodgers, Shed Long, Niko Goodrum, Freddy Galvis
^:one tier lower in points leagues
†: one tier lower in categories leagues
( ): DH-only
