The following 5×5 category OFers hit more HRs than Kemp: Werth, Braun, Granderson, Zobrist, Bay and Cruz. The biggest difference-Werth hit 10 more HRs than Kemp.
The following 5×5 category OFers scored more runs than Kemp: Werth, Bay, Braun and Damon.The biggest difference- Braun scored 16 more runs than Kemp.
The following 5×5 category OFers had more RBI: Bay, Braun and Holliday. The biggest difference-Bay had 18 more RBI than Kemp.
The following 5×5 category OFers had more SBs than Kemp: None, in fact no one was within 13 SBs from Kemp
The following 5×5 category OFers hit for a higher AVG than Kemp: Braun, Upton, Holliday, Choo and Hunter. The biggest difference-Braun hit .320 to Kemp’s .297 for a .023 diff.

I see Kemp closing the gap in the power and runs categories in 2010 batting in the middle of the LAD lineup, rather than 6th-8th like he did in 2009.

Option A is an inner circle hall of famer, probably the best right handed hitter ever, will probably out-hit ever single major league baseball player next season and to boot will lead probably his position in stolen bases.

Option B is compares favorably with the other best players at his position. He’s a 30-30 guy who might hit .300, which is great.

“The first is Ryan Braun, the second is Matt Kemp, and the third is Chase Utley. Why are 2 outfielders who have comparable lines to a second baseman being talked about in the first 2-6 picks while Utley is not in the conversation? Is it the youth/upside craze?”

Maybe 9 second basemen hit 20+ homeruns, but homeruns are not the only stat in 5×5.

These are the other 9 second basemen who hit 20+ lined up against Utley (numbers are in comparison to Utley’s line):

Runs:
Kinsler (-11)
Phillips (-34)
Uggla (-28)
Cano (-9)
DeRosa (-34)
J Lopez (-43)
Stewart (-38)
Hill (-9)
Zobrist (-21)

Homeruns:
Kinsler (0)
Phillips (-11)
Uggla (0)
Cano (-6)
DeRosa (-8)
Lopez (-6)
Stewart (-6)
Hill (+5)
Zobrist (+4)

RBI:
Kinsler (-7)
Phillips (+5)
Uggla (-3)
Cano (-8)
DeRosa (-15)
Lopez (+3)
Stewart (-23)
Hill (+13)
Zobrist (-2)

SB:
Kinsler (+8)
Phillips: (+2)
Uggla (-21)
Cano (-18)
DeRosa (-20)
Lopez (-20)
Stewart (-16)
Hill (-17)
Zobrist (-6)

AVG:
Kinsler (-.029)
Phillips (-.006)
Uggla (-.039
Cano (+.038)
DeRosa (-.032)
Lopez (-.010)
Stewart (-.055)
Hill (+.004)
Zobrist (+.015)

As you can see, there is no player who came close to Utley and any more than 4 of 5 categories. Many players who outperformed him are due for some regression, while his production should remain constant (and his average might even go up a little). The only player who has a chance at matching Utley is Kinsler. That leaves 2 people capable of 30-20 with good production in other categories at 2B in 2010, with Zobrist close on the second tier. There is practically no upside at the position for numbers of that caliber. For Outfielders you have Kemp, Justin Upton, Grady Sizemore, Ryan Braun, Curtis Granderson, Matt Holliday, Hunter Pence, Jayson Werth, Carlos Gonzalez, Nelson Cruz, and Jay Bruce all capable of producing significantly in all 5 categories, and then on top of that you have a class of world-class speedsters, as well as a bunch of other players who contribute greatly in 3 or 4 categories. If you wait on an Utley or a Kinsler and draft a Kemp instead, you could wind up with a guy like Cano or Lopez in a bad BABIP year or praying that Ian Stewart will bring his average up, whereas you could easily get Utley or Kinsler in the first round and still have any number of outfielders capable of well out-producing the second tier of 2B’s. With 5 outfielders outfielders obviously have to be picked early and often, but I think forgoing Utley for an outfielder is a mistake, because you are passing up on being guaranteed, barring injury, to be best or 2nd best in your league at 2B.