While sifting through this year’s potential sleepers and breakouts, crafting a deep roster will also be pivotal to fantasy baseball success. One very overlooked category, players with multiple eligibility. Especially with the implementation of the 10-day disabled list. In 2016, disabled list appearances spiked to a record high 571 only to be eclipsed by a staggering 659 instances in 2017 culminating in 699 last year.
It comes with little surprise the Dodgers led the majors with 38 disabled list moves, which seems outlier high, but the major league average of 23.3 moves per team means injuries will be coming. Or teams manipulating workloads via trips to the disabled list. This trickle down effect can force fantasy owners into some tough decisions on how to salvage their lineup and with roster resolution. It can foster an atmosphere of fantasy owners having to use up valuable FAAB resources or waiver claims to find a reasonable replacement. Depending on the depth of a league or format, this proves to be a daunting task. Especially in a draft and hold formats.
How can one mitigate FAAB losses or burning a precious waiver claim to fill a position? Drafting players who can be deployed at multiple positions. Flexibility not only applies to self-improvement, but also allows savvy fantasy owners to replace players without having to make sacrifices.
Layering a roster with players eligible at more than one position makes sense in this ever changing environment. Another definition of flexibility references the “ability to easily modified”. For instance, drafting Javier Báez and Cody Bellinger gives an owner the opportunity to cover the entire infield and an outfield slot with two players. Baez can be deployed at second base, shortstop and third base while Bellinger will be eligible at first base along with outfield. Along with the middle and corner infield slots as well.
Understanding one’s league settings along with some sites ability to adjust rosters within a draft provides an advantage for those who do their legwork. Since playing time can be volatile, owners need to prepare in advance. Another way to define flexibility can be a “willingness to change or compromise”. Targeting players who can fill at least three positional slots during a season helps alleviate the headaches caused by in-season injuries along with the increased frequency of players being placed on the disabled list.
Not only will this pay off during the season, but it also pays dividends in draft rooms where rosters can be adjusted as it progresses. If a run at a position happens, knowing late round fliers to target can pay dividends. No one targets Jay Bruce , but, if corner infield starts to dry up, Bruce can be taken in the late rounds and be used as a first baseman or an outfielder.
Players who can fill more than one spot, like Marwin González , prove more valuable over the length of a season due to their multi-positional eligibility. Teams which win not only build balanced rosters, they maintain a “quality of bending easily without breaking”, yet another variation to the definition of flexibility.
In order to prepare you for the year ahead, here’s some intriguing targets of note along with a list at the bottom showing players games played by position.
Double your pleasure: Jake Bauers
Last year, this column suggested targeting José Ramírez in the second round due to his versatility and ability to produce double digits in home runs and stolen bases, jackpot. For 2019, a future teammate of Ramirez, Jake Bauers , could breakout. Although his slash line in 2018 does ont jump off the page, he did get on base 36 percent of the time in the first half before his swing got too long adjusting to the majors after the All-Star break.
But, Bauers possesses 20 home run potential along with the ability to steal 12-to-14 bases with a clear path to playing time in Cleveland. He also owns dual eligibility at first base and the outfield along with an average draft position in the 250 range.
Second base sweetener: Travis Shaw
Even though Travis Shaw ’s added second base eligibility to his draft resume, he’s still on the border as a top-100 pick in drafts. Last year, Shaw increased his walk percentage to 13.3 percent, reduced his ground ball rate by five percent for almost a seven percent increase in fly balls and upped his isolated power to .257 in the second half fueled by a 44.8 hard hit rate.
Already armed with back-to-back 30 home run seasons, Shaw represents a bargain at his present price point and could even turn in a career high in home runs in the midst of his power peak years. Yes please.
There’s many more players of interest. Here’s a list of players by main position played with their game totals which could provide interest for fantasy this year. Heeding Yahoo’s 10-game eligibility, players will only be listed with at least 10 games played at a position, but most leagues still adhere to the 20-game minimum.
Catcher
Willians Astudillo C (16), 3B (6)
Austin Barnes C (61), 2B (19)
Tucker Barnhart C (118), 1B (11)
Victor Caratini C (37), 1B (20)
Russell Martin C (71), 3B (21)
Buster Posey C (88), 1B (13)
J.T. Realmuto C (112), 1B (13)
Blake Swihart C (16), 1B (5), OF (11)
First Base
Matt Adams 1B (63), OF (16)
Jake Bauers 1B (76), OF (20)
Cody Bellinger 1B (110), OF (81)
Matt Carpenter 1B (95), 2B (11), 3B (76)
Matt Davidson 1B (45), 3B (14), 3 IP
Ian Desmond 1B (138), OF (20)
Brandon Dixon 1B (27), OF (25)
Hunter Dozier 1B (51), 3B (37(
Wilmer Flores 1B (83), 2B (13), 3B (10)
Yulieski Gurriel 1B (109), 2B (15), 3B (21)
John Hicks 1B (59), C (21)
Jefry Marte 1B (71), 3B (10)
Jose Martinez 1B (84), OF (42)
Ryan McMahon 1B (31), 2B (10), 3B (17)
Brad Miller 1B (36), 2B (21), SS (6)
Max Muncy 1B (84), 2B (13), 3B (38)
Steve Pearce 1B (34), OF (15)
Mark Reynolds 1B (45), 3B (10)
Carlos Santana 1B (149), 3B (19)
Dominic Smith 1B (28), OF (13)
Pat Valaika 1B (15), 2B (17)
Neil Walker 1B (42), 2B (32), 3B (25), OF (16)
Second Base
Javier Baez 2B (104), SS (65), 3B (22)
Alex Blandino 2B (21), SS (11), 3B (15)
Asdrubal Cabrera 2B (92), SS (31), 3B (22)
Robinson Canó 2B (69), 1B (14)
Daniel Descalso 2B (52), 3B (37), 1B (11), OF (5)
David Fletcher 2B (43), SS (7), 3B (33)
Logan Forsythe 2B (99), 3B (12)
Adam Frazier 2B (55), OF (35)
Greg García 2B (31), SS (17), 3B (15)
Erik González 2B (30), SS (116), 3B (20)
Niko Goodrum 2B(64), 1B (37), SS (12), 3B (10), OF (19)
Dee Gordon 2B (81), OF (53)
Alen Hanson 2B (45), SS (16), 3B (10), OF (20)
Dilson Herrera 2B (13), OF (11)
Brock Holt 2B (56), SS (23), OF (16)
Jason Kipnis 2B (131), OF (14)
Brandon Lowe 2B (28), OF (15)
Jed Lowrie 2B (136), 3B (14)
Ketel Marte 2B (131), SS (28)
Whit Merrifield 2B (108), OF (39)
Daniel Murphy 2B (71), 1B (14)
Eduardo Núñez 2B (74), 3B (45)
Hernán Pérez 2B (51), SS(20), 3B (22), OF (44)
José Pirela 2B (77), OF (34)
Sean Rodríguez 2B (26), SS (16), OF (18)
Jonathan Schoop 2B (116), SS (17)
Cory Spangenberg 2B (49), 3B (44)
Kelby Tomlinson 2B (35), SS (13)
Gleyber Torres 2B (109), SS (21)
Ronald Torreyes 2B (20), SS (9), 3B (11)
Jonathan Villar 2B (110), SS (18)
Joey Wendle 2B (101), SS (10), 3B (20), OF (17)
Third Base
Alex Bregman 3B (136), SS (28)
Kris Bryant 3B (86), OF (27)
Johan Camargo 3B (114), SS (18)
Kaleb Cowart 3B (24), 2B (14)
Zack Cozart 3B (35), 2B (14)
Cheslor Cuthbert 3B (12), 1B (10)
J.D. Davis 3B (23), 1B (13)
Eduardo Escobar 3B (131), SS (21)
Isiah Kiner-Falefa 3B (46), C (35), 2B (20)
David Freese 3B (58), 1B (29)
Jedd Gyorko 3B (96), 2B (17), 1B (5)
Tommy La Stella 3B (26), 2B (15)
José Ramírez 3B (137), 2B (16)
Yadiel Rivera 3B (29), SS (28), 2B (11)
Pablo Sandoval 3B (36), 1B (24)
Miguel Sano 3B (56), 1B (11)
Travis Shaw 3B (107), 2B (39), 1B (17)
Yangervis Solarte 3B (83), 2B (28)
Shortstop
Willy Adames SS (75), 2B (10)
Ehire Adrianza SS (64), 3B (28), 1B (10)
Tim Beckham SS (49), 3B (40)
J.P. Crawford SS (30), 3B (13)
Aledmys Diaz SS (95), 3B (38)
Alcides Escobar SS (104), 3B (29)
Lourdes Gurriel SS (46), 2B (24)
Scott Kingery SS (119), 3B (10)
Manny Machado SS (147), 3B (16)
Adalberto Mondesí SS (61), 2B (12)
Yairo Munoz SS (40), 2B (26), 3B (24), OF (22)
Jurickson Profar SS (68), 1B (24), 2B (10), 3B (51)
Miguel Rojas SS (83), 1B (49), 2B (11), 3B (39)
Andrew Romine SS (10), 2B (10)
Chris Taylor SS (81), 2B (12), OF (63)
Richard Urena SS (20), 2B (13)
Outfield
Brian Anderson OF (91), 3B (71)
José Bautista OF (77), 3B (21)
Ryan Braun OF (93), 1B (18)
Jay Bruce OF (64), 1B (21)
Mark Canha OF (64), 1B (21)
Charlie Culberson OF (31), SS (20), 3B (20)
Derek Dietrich OF (97), 2B (33)
Adam Duvall OF (103), 1B (10)
Joey Gallo OF (108), 1B (35)
Marwin González OF (73), SS (39), 1B (24), 2B (32)
Ian Happ OF (115), 2B (20)
Enrique (Kike) Hernandez OF (87), 2B (41), SS (22)
Rosell Herrera OF (40), 2B (17)
Rhys Hoskins OF (135), 1B (17)
Trey Mancini OF (98), 1B (47)
Wil Myers OF (41), 3B (46)
Chris Owings OF (60), 3B (15)
Jace Peterson OF (36), 2B (18), 3B (35)
Chad Pinder OF (73), 2B (21), 3B (16)
Austin Slater OF (39), 1B (21)
Eric Thames OF (37), 1B (29)
Ben Zobrist OF (84), 2B (63)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statistical Credits:
Fangraphs.com, Baseball-Reference.com