Don’t be afraid to wait for second baseman

When establishing a fantasy baseball draft plan and deciding on your early-round targets, positional scarcity is always something to keep in mind.

There are some positions that are flush with talent and afford you the opportunity to wait until much later to draft a player at that spot, while others present a greater disparity in production from the top-five to the next tier.

Second base is the perfect example, as players like Mookie Betts, Ozzie Albies and Marcus Semien stand head-and-shoulders above someone like Andres Gimenez, widely considered a top-10 second baseman.

But does that mean you have to attack the keystone in the first two rounds of your draft? It does not.

Much further down the draft boards, you’ll still be able to find quality help.

There are a few second basemen outside the early rounds to consider, based on how your first several rounds go. If you find yourself chock full of power and are expected to struggle with your batting average or on-base percentage, then a 13th-round selection of Luis Arraez could be the way to go.

He may not hit for any power or steal any bases, but he has won a batting title in both leagues and has a career .326/.379/.427 slash line.

Those numbers, with 600-plus plate appearances, have a massive impact on your overall totals.

If it is more power you covet, then there’s nothing wrong with waiting until the 15th round to grab Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman.

He is expected to be the full-time DH this season, but, thankfully, still qualifies at second.

The batting average is weak, and he isn’t much of a base-stealer, but the 27 home runs he hit in just 119 games last season not only put the raw power on display but that he is more than capable of clearing 30 in the majors.

Of course, everyone is looking for that late-round gem who can contribute across the board, and that just might be Edouard Julien of the Twins.

He showed us last season that he was ready for the big leagues when he hit 16 home runs and posted a .263/.381/.459 slash line over just 109 games.

He only swiped three bags, but he flashed 20-stolen base potential throughout the minors, and with the way steals continue to be on the rise, his numbers should follow suit. At just 24 years old, there may be some risk, but you can do a lot worse in the 18th round.

Paying attention to positional scarcity is important, but you don’t need to overreact and build your whole draft plan around it.

Top-tier players are great, but you have to pick and choose your moments.

Let the rest of the league raise the ADP of second basemen like Matt McLain or Ketel Marte. Keep your top targets sensible and build properly with one of these late-round gems.

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.