The following is an excerpt from the Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Guide Powered By Baseball Guys which is on sale now:

Multi Position Players

By Matthew Beck

 

Every year fantasy owners look for a way to get the most bang for their buck on draft day, and one way of fulfilling that need is through finding players with multi-position

eligibility. Whether it is a catcher who happens to qualify at first base, or a shortstop you can plug into an outfield spot, where a player qualifies in fantasy matters. Year in, year out players gain position eligibility whether through a position change or an injury to a teammate, but no matter what causes the change in position it could be very beneficial in the chase for a fantasy championship.

Let’s take a look at the case of Ben Zobrist. A .275 batting average with 13 home runs and 71 RBIs isn’t very special for a second baseman, but since he can be used at shortstop, a much shallower position, and in the outfield his fantasy value increases, in return, moving him up the draft board. Then, if you factor in the flexibility while dealing with an injury, that is just the icing on the cake. He is only one of many players to hold that I believe is one of the best weapons when putting together a championship team – versatility.

After much research (and little sleep), I have compiled the 2014 multi-position performers based on the assumption that it takes 20 games played at a position to gain eligibility.

The numbers in each column below indicate how many games were played at each position. Each player is placed in the group in which they made the most appearances.

For example, Evan Gattis qualifies at both outfield and catcher, but he will not appear in the catcher category since he made more appearances in the outfield in 2013. Being that every fantasy league is different, I have also included players who were on the fringe of gaining eligibility at multiple positions. So just because a given player doesn’t qualify based on our baseline of 20 games played doesn’t mean they won’t in another league with different qualifications. Be sure to check your league settings prior to draft day to make sure you are aware of your league’s position eligibility qualifications.

 

 

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To read more of this article and 199 more pages of Fantasy Baseball Bliss, get the 2014 Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide Powered by Baseball Guys and the great Ray Flowers.