Target Multi-Position Players

While some fantasy baseball strategies require trial-and-error testing before declaring them as “winning strategies,” the notion of targeting multi-positional players is one that needs no test. In fact, it’s probably more of a requirement than it is an actual strategy. Simply put, if Player A and Player B have similar skill sets and comparable numbers, who would you rather own – Player A who qualifies at shortstop or Player B who qualifies at both shortstop AND third base? Duh.

Actually, before we even start talking about why you should be targeting multi-positional players, let’s first make sure we all read our league rules and learn who the multi-positional players are. Every league has a games-played eligibility requirement and it’s your job to read the rules and find out what it is. It may sound basic, but let’s face it…how many times do you need to verbally slap someone for asking basic rules questions in the middle of your draft?

Most leagues will use a 10 or 20-game minimum for a player to qualify at a position. Pretty standard stuff. The NFBC uses a 20-games played minimum from the previous season for eligibility, but also has a 10-game in-season minimum as well. That way, if your third baseman shifts to the outfield for some reason, after 10 games played, he’ll qualify for both positions. Of course, then you have Yahoo which, for some inane reason, uses just a one-game played minimum for added position eligibility. If you’re looking for a platform to house a competitive league, then look elsewhere. Using a one-game minimum is like being an experienced Madden player and leaving the game on the Rookie setting so you can beat your grandpa 154-0.

In any event, now that you know what it takes to qualify at a position, it’s time to talk about why these players are so helpful.

Two words: roster flexibility

With most fantasy baseball leagues turning to daily roster moves rather than weekly, roster flexibility has grown increasingly more valuable. Whether it’s a player getting a day of rest, a manager utilizing a lefty/righty platoon or even just a rain-out, filling holes in your starting lineup has become a necessary task each and every day. If you have some ridiculously deep bench, then hey…no big deal. You can house at least one back-up at every position. If not, though, targeting players with multi-position eligibility is going to be your best course of action as you look to maximize your team’s at-bats and overall statistical productivity.

Simply put, multi-position eligible players make your fantasy life easier. Not only can you plug-and-play guys all over the place and avoid daily holes created by days off and what not, but owning them also changes the way you make your waiver claims each week. Consider how thin the third base position has been over the years. If you lose Adrian Beltre to the DL, your waiver options at the position are bleak, at best. Sure, you can hope Marwin Gonzalez sees enough playing time to contribute, but wouldn’t you rather use a regular starter like Javier Baez at your hot corner and see if there’s better waiver depth at second base which has proven to be deeper in recent seasons?

Now you’re shopping for players based on overall talent and productivity, not just who the best available third baseman is at the moment. It’s the difference between being proactive and reactive. Everyone has to be reactive at some point in the season, but it’s the proactive owner who tends to be sitting atop the standings come the end of the year.

If there’s one caveat to all of this, it’s that you need to be careful you don’t over-value players on Draft Day just because they qualify at multiple positions. As stated before, if you’re deciding between two players who are statistically equal, then additional position eligibility is definitely a great tie-breaker. However, bypassing a more productive player simply because he doesn’t offer up that same flexibility is a mistake.

Call it the David Ortiz rule, if you will. All too often, fantasy owners passed over Ortiz on Draft Day simply because he only qualified at the utility position and curtailed roster flexibility. But 40 bombs are 40 bombs and while you may not have been able to move players around your roster more freely, you also weren’t going to get the same level of production from your utility spot as you would have had you drafted the former Red Sox slugger. Productivity should come first. Position eligibility second.

Also keep in mind that, for the most part, players with multi-position eligibility tend to be more in the mold of a role player rather than a superstar. You’ve got your exceptions like Kris Bryant and Matt Carpenter, but even a guy like Ben Zobrist, based on his overall production, is more of an interchangeable cog in your fantasy machine rather than a featured component. That alone should help you avoid reaching too high for a player simply because he qualifies at three different positions. Yangervis Solarte, Jedd Gyorko, Derek Dietrich and Sean Rodriguez can be valuable commodities, but none of them are players who should be taken earlier than those mid-to-late rounds.

Below is a list you’re going to want to keep on-hand throughout the spring and on Draft Day. It houses over 450 players and their games-played count for 2016. Not only will you be able to find yourself some solid bench players who can improve your roster flexibility, but you are also going to be able to find higher-quality players you can sneak into another position. While everyone is looking at Hernan Perez at third base, be that sneaky owner who drafts him over at second and fill your hot corner with some power.