Description: Rays second baseman Kelly Johnson has homered in two straight games.
Insight: Johnson is batting .273 with seven homers, 24 RBI and four steals. However, he has been incredibly lucky, putting up a .317 BABIP despite hitting line drives at a rate of just 14.3 percent.
Description: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers Saturday against the Blue Jays.
Insight: Cano has been one of the safest picks in fantasy baseball over the past four years, and 2013 has proven to be no different. He has 12 homers to go with a .295 average and 31 RBI.
Description: Houston second baseman Jose Altuve will return to the lineup Saturday against the Pirates, according.
Insight: Altuve (.333, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 17 runs) was placed on the bereavement list Tuesday morning due to the death of his grandmother. He also suffered a dislocated jaw Monday night, so the time off allowed him to heal. Get him back in your fantasy lineups.
Description: Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler missed Friday's game with bruised ribs and is questionable for Saturday's game against Detroit.
Insight: Kinsler is off to a hot start. He's hitting .302 with seven homers and 20 RBI in 39 games. Kinsler hasn't hit over .300 for a full season since 2008 (.319).
Description: Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla is a .182 hitter (4-for-22) against Los Angeles starter Chris Capuano with 13 strikeouts.
Insight: Uggla has seven home runs, but 53 strikeouts in 37 games. The single season strikeout record is 223 set by Mark Reynolds in 2009 and Uggla is on a pace to get close to this unwanted record. Avoid this matchup.
Description: Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley is a career .353 hitter with a pair of homers and a 1.095 OPS versus Cincinnati right-hander Bronson Arroyo.
Insight: Utley has played 41 of 42 games this season, batting .273 with seven homers and 24 RBI. He seems more healthy than in the past few seasons and his OPS is the highest it's been since 2010. Start him in this favorable matchup.
Description: Ian Kinsler will be out of the lineup Friday night against Detroit. The Texas second baseman has bruised ribs.
Insight: Kinsler is off to a hot start. He's hitting .302 with seven homers and 20 RBI in 39 games. Kinsler hasn't hit over .300 for a full season since 2008 (.319).
Description: Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler is 6-for-10 against Detroit starter Rick Porcello with a couple of extra base hits and a 1.445 OPS. He's also stolen two bases against the Tigers' right-hander.
Insight: Kinsler has added a .300 batting average to he repertoire which makes him one of the top fantasy second baseman.
Description: New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is a career .400 hitter (8-for-20) versus Toronto left-hander Mark Buehrle with thee home runs, nine RBI and a 1.405 OPS.
Insight: Cano (.298, 10 HR, 26 RBI) has not been hitting the ball well over the past two weeks (.245, .669 OPS), but this matchup could get the best second baseman in the game started again.
Description: Mariners shortstop prospect Nick Franklin is hitting .339 with four homers and a 16/24 K/BB in 30 games with Triple-A Tacoma this season. He ranks as MLB.com's No. 44 overall prospect.
Insight: Seattle Mariners' shortstops have combined to hit .121 with 34 strikeouts and a .318 OPS this season, so Franklin should be on the way up soon.
Description: Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler is 2-for-17 over his last four games and he'll face Justin Verlander Thursday against the Tigers.
Insight: Kinsler is 3-for-25 (.120) with six strikeouts against Verlander. His overall numbers -- .304, seven homers, 20 RBI, 22 runs, three steals, 16/12 K/BB -- are fantastic, but he's doubtful to produce anything worthwhile Thursday.
Description: Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks hit his third homer of the season Wednesday against the Pirates.
Insight: Weeks is off to another terrible start, hitting .187. He hit .183 with six homers and 94 strikeouts through June 30 last year, but rebounded to bat .269 with 15 homers and 75 K over his final 84. There's reason to believe he'll have another resurgence. He has a 14 percent BB rate and a 19.8 percent line-drive rate (16.9 percent LD in 2012), but his BABIP is an unlucky .250.
Description: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is batting .288 with five doubles, two triples, six homers, 17 RBI, 15 runs and three steals over his last 16 games.
Insight: Kipnis has displayed 15-20 homer power in his career (including minors), and he stole 31 bags a season ago, so he obviously has fantasy value. But he strikes out a lot and doesn't hit for a high average.
Description: Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley is 5-for-10 against Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes with a 1.200 OPS.
Insight: Ackley has not developed after an intriguing 90-game cameo in 2011. He hit .226 last year and owns a .231 average in 2013. This is a favorable matchup, but overall we don't see much of a future for the second overall pick of the 2009 draft.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (quad) will start his minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Chattanooga Friday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Ellis was hitting .342 with two homers, 11 RBI, 10 runs and a steal when he went on the DL on April 27 with a strained right quad.
Description: Houston second baseman Jose Altuve is expected to return to the lineup Saturday against the Pirates, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
Insight: Altuve (.333, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 17 runs) was placed on the bereavement list Tuesday morning due to the death of his grandmother. He also suffered a dislocated jaw Monday night, so the time off will allow him to heal.
Description: Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley is not is Tuesday's lineup against Cleveland and left-hander Scott Kazmir.
Insight: Utley has already played 39 games this season, batting .289 with seven homers and 24 RBI. But he's been injury-prone over the past few seasons so giving him a rest day every now and then, particularly against a tough left-hander, is a good idea.
Description: Houston second baseman Jose Altuve, who suffered a dislocated jaw Monday against Detroit, will miss time for another reason as the team has placed him on bereavement leave.
Insight: Altuve (.333, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 17 runs) is one of the few Astros who is worthy of a spot in fantasy lineups. Bereavement leave allows a player from 3-7 days away from the team.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is just a .160 career hitter (4-for-25) against Miami right-hander Ricky Nolasco with eight strikeouts.
Insight: Batting in the cleanup spot this season, Phillips has become a solid RBI man with 31 in 36 games, but this matchup is unfavorable.
Description: New York second baseman Robinson Cano is a career .366 hitter (15-for-41) versus Seattle ace Felix Hernandez with a pair of home runs.
Insight: Cano (.299, 10 HR, 23 RBI) had a tough day in Monday's makeup doubleheader in Cleveland (1-for-9), but has always hit well against "King Felix."
Description: Pirates second baseman Neil Wallker (finger) has been activated for Monday's game against Milwaukee, according to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report.
Insight: Walker hasn't done much with the bat this season, hitting just .253 with one home run, eight RBI and a .693 OPS in 23 games. Frankly, we were hoping to get a longer look at Jordy Mercer (.258, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .894 OPS in nine games).
Description: Pirates second baseman Neil Wallker (finger) is expected to be activated in time for Monday's game against Milwaukee, according to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report.
Insight: Walker hasn't done much with the bat this season, hitting just .253 with one home run, eight RBI and a .693 OPS in 23 games. Frankly, we were hoping to get a longer look at Jordy Mercer (.258, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .894 OPS in nine games).
Description: New York second baseman Robinson Cano reached double-digit homers Sunday in a victory over Kansas City.
Insight: Cano (.311, 10 HR, 23 RBI) has collected two or more hits in three out of his last four games. He's on pace for 45 homers this season, which is 12 more than he hit last year.
Description: Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley went off for four hits Sunday against Arizona.
Insight: Utley (.289) is on pace for 29 homers and 100 RBI this season. He hasn't reached 20 HR and 100 RBI in the same season since 2008 (33 HR, 104 RBI).
Description: Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla is hitless in 10 at-bats over his career against San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum with six strikeouts.
Insight: Uggla has seven home runs, but 49 strikeouts in 34 games which means he's on pace for 31 homers and 221 strikeouts. The single season strikeout record is 223 set by Mark Reynolds in 2009.
Description: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is a career .324 hitter (12-for-37) with five home runs against Royals starter Ervin Santana.
Insight: Cano is having another excellent season (.306, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 21 runs) though he went hitless on Saturday in another favorable matchup. He's also dealing with a sore foot after fouling a ball of it and aggravating the injury in the middle of the week.
Description: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is a career .413 hitter (31-for-75) with four home runs against Royals starter James Shields.
Insight: Cano is having another excellent season (.311, 9 HR, 20 RBI, 21 runs) and his hitting along with that of Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner have lifted the Yankees to a winning record despite massive injuries to their starting lineup.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (quad) is eligible to come off the DL Sunday but manager Don Mattingly said the team has not discussed a rehab assignment yet, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Insight: Mattingly indicated that Ellis will need a rehab assignment before returning, which means he won't be rejoining the Dodgers Sunday.
Description: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano's X-ray on his sore right foot came back negative, according to the New York Post.
Insight: Cano fouled a ball off his foot last weekend against the Athletics and aggravated the injury while covering first base against the Rockies. He appears to be fine.
Description: Washington Nationals minor league second baseman Jeff Kobernus is batting .371 this season and showing solid base running skills with 14 SB over the team's first 31 games.
Insight: Kobernus has hit above .300 over the past two plus seasons, but his path to the majors is blocked by Ian Desmond and he isn't likely to help fantasy owners any time soon unless there is an injury or a trade.
Description: Get Tigers second baseman Omar Infante in your lineup ASAP. He's batting .467 against Nationals righthander Dan Haren.
Insight: Most of those hits have been singles but that's still a lot better than striking out. Infante (.287, 3 HR, 11 RBI) is a borderline fantasy play on most days but Thursday you can start him with confidence.
Description: Rays second baseman Kelly Johnson swatted his fifth home run of the year Wednesday in a 10-4 victory over Toronto.
Insight: Johnson (3-for-4) has gone 8-for-14 in his last four games with three RBI. He's batting .423 in May after hitting a disappointing .227 in the opening month.
Description: Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro is 15-for-31 (.484) with four walks and one strikeout during an eight-game hitting streak.
Insight: Scutaro has five multi-hit efforts during that stretch, including a 3-for-5 game Wednesday against the Phillies. He has raised his average from .215 to .282 during the streak.
Description: Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa is 1-for-13 with six strikeouts in his matchups with Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez.
Insight: Espinosa (.185, 3 HR, 10 RBI) has hit safely in five of the past six games, including a home run on Sunday, but this matchup should be avoided.
Description: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is a career .412 hitter (7-for-17) versus Giants starter Barry Zito.
Insight: Utley finally looks healthy and four hits in his last nine at bats has raised his average to .276 with an .838 OPS. Despite a career batting average 29 points lower against southpaws, he obviously likes facing Zito and we like him in all fantasy lineups.
Description: Pirates second baseman Neil Wallker (finger) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Altoona, according to Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Insight: Pittsburgh placed Walker on the DL only a few days ago, but he hasn't played since suffering a right finger laceration on April 26. He's likely to rejoin the team at some point for its upcoming series at New York Thursday-Sunday.
Description: Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts (knee) will have his injured knee examined on Wednesday in Dallas, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
Insight: Roberts ruptured a tendon in his right knee on April 4 and it is not progressing as he hoped.
Description: White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham (hand) is hoping to go on a rehab assignment by the end of next week, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
Insight: Beckham suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand on April 9. He should be back in a few weeks.
Description: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is a career .167 hitter (5-for-30) versus two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum with 12 strikeouts.
Insight: Utley finally looks healthy, but that hasn't translated to a return to his career batting level. A lifetime .287 hitter with an .874 OPS, he's batting .263 with a .798 OPS through 33 games and this unfavorable matchup isn't likely to help those numbers.
Description: Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa is 1-for-13 with six strikeouts in his matchups with Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez.
Insight: Espinosa (.185, 3 HR, 10 RBI) has hit safely in five of the past six games, including a home run on Sunday, but this matchup should be avoided.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, who had to leave Sunday's game after a collision in the outfield with Shin-Soo Choo, is expected to be ready for Monday's contest with Atlanta.
Insight: If Phillips can go, he's got a favorable matchup against Braves left-hander Paul Maholm. He's a career .353 hitter (18-for-51) with four home runs and a 1.012 OPS.
Description: Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley launched a grand slam Saturday against the Blue Jays.
Insight: Ackley has not developed after an intriguing 90-game cameo in 2011. He hit .226 last year and owns a .255 average in 2013. The grand slam was his first home run of the season.
Description: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis went 3-for-4 with a triple, a homer and two RBI Saturday against the Twins.
Insight: Kipnis batted .125 in his first eight games and missed more than a week due to an elbow injury, but he's batting .294 with two triples, two homers, eight runs and six steals since returning to action 12 games ago.
Description: Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler has been mostly successful in his matchups with Boston starter John Lackey, batting .438 (14-for-32) with three homers and a 1.313 OPS.
Insight: Kinsler is off to an excellent start, batting .342 with five homers, 18 RBI and 18 runs scored. Almost all his fantasy numbers declined last season, but he may be primed for a big season.
Description: Minnesota utility man Jamey Carroll should be in fantasy lineups for Saturday considering he's 6-for-10 with a home run and a 1.367 OPS.
Insight: Carroll (.292, 0 HR, 3 RBI in 10 games) hasn't started since Wednesday, but if the manager is paying attention should be in the Twins starting lineup. If that happens, he should be in your lineup too.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips was not in Thursday's starting lineup against the Cubs, due to a slight tightness in his right hip, but is probable for Saturday's game.
Insight: The day off probably had more to do with Phillips' 3-for-21 (.143) history against Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva than the injury. He's getting plenty of RBI opportunities with Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto getting on base in front of him at a high frequency.
