X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

RotoBaller's 2013 Fantasy Baseball Strategy: When in Doubt, Go with Position Flexibility

Click here to read about the top 5 players in fantasy baseball with duel position eligibility. RotoBaller has put together this list to help you win your league.

When in doubt…Go with flexibility.

Much like when choosing that special someone at a bar, for fantasy position players, when in doubt, go with flexibility.  As the game of baseball evolves, teams are looking for players that are more athletic and capable of playing more than one standard position.

Multi-position eligible players are more valuable then your typical one position eligible players and when deciding whom to take on draft day, go with flexibility. That’s not to say that if you have to decide between Albert Pujols and Nick Swisher, that you
should take Swisher because he is eligible at OF and Prince Albert is not; however if deciding between Nick Swisher and Alfonso Soriano, the extra OF eligibility should sway you towards the former Yankee.

Now, every league has different standards for how many games a player must play at a certain position in order to become eligible at that position, so for your viewing pleasure I have included the position and number of games started.*

5. Adrian Gonzalez, LAD, 2012: 1B (151); OF: (18) - Most people are in two different camps regarding Mr. Gonzalez. Is he a bounce back candidate that batted .298 with 31HR and 101 RBI back in 2010 with San Diego or a bust that the spendthrift Dodgers should not have traded for who batted .299 with 18HR and 108 RBI with Boston and L.A. in 2012. His true power is probably somewhere in between; but Mr. Gonzlez is #5 on this list because he is eligible at two positions that are fairly top heavy. Mr. Gonzalez is being taken in the third round  on average, and you may want to jump on this guy early given his positional mobility along with new lineup and surroundings.

4. Hanley Ramirez, LAD, 2012: SS (57); 3B (98) - Much like Adrian Gonzalez, some people are willing to throw in the towel on the once elite SS and others think he will regain the form that made him one of the best, if not the best SS in baseball. However, Hanley is on this list because he is not just a SS, but also has that 3B eligibility. If you draft the former 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2009 NL batting champ early on in the draft, I suggest you look to cover your bases with some other players on this list who may be available later on.

3. Nick Swisher, CLE, 2012: 1B (41); OF (109)
Newly acquired bopper, Swisher projects to be batting in the middle of a revamped and potent Indians lineup featuring speedsters Michael Brantley and free agent acquisition Michael Bourn at the top of the order, along with mainstays Carlos Santana, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kipniss.  Not to mention Drew Stubbs who was acquired via the Shin Soo Choo deal, and Mark Reynolds. With all these players looking to get playing time, it would appear that Swisher will be the first baseman with Stubbs, Brantley and Bourn manning the OF and Reynolds as the full-time DH. However, Swisher still has the eligibility from a year ago. Because of the newly revamped Indians lineup, Swisher should have nice opportunities for RBIs at the very least, and he should not lose any value coming from New York, especially given the flexibility at OF and 1B.

2. Ben Zobrist, TB, 2012: 2B (58); SS (47); OF (71)
Joe Maddon is someone who loves taking players and putting them all around the field and that’s not just when David Ortiz and Mark Texieria are up at that plate. Maddon is one of the preeminent managers to take a player like Ben Zobrist and use him all over the diamond. Now, because Zobrist gained eligibility at SS last year, that would seem the most logical spot to play him; but that should give you more flexibility with taking other positional players or if Zoby drops in your draft, he may end up being that super stud you can plug in should an elite player get hurt.

MPrado01
1. Martin Prado, AZ, 2012: 1B (4); 2B (10); 3B (25); SS (13); OF (119)
There is a reason Mr. Prado is #1 on this list. I mean, just look at all that flexibility!!! Normally, you would take someone like Prado and say that SS seems to be the most logical choice to play him and you would probably be correct; however I say draft someone like Prado and that gives you the option to then draft the next best player regardless of the position and that gives you even more flexibility should the next player or even Prado himself, get hurt. Say you draft Prado in roughly the 10th Round - that gives you the flexibility to gamble and take Jose Reyes or even Hanley Ramirez early on and then you have a backup in case of injury or high quality starter at a weak position like 3B.

Honorable mentions: Danny Espinosa, Allen Craig, Marco Scutaro.

Lost eligibility: Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion.

*Note: Games do not add up to 162 as a player need not play 9 innings at any position to become eligible at said position (i.e. Hanley Ramirez could play 5 innings at SS and 4 innings at 3B and that would be considered 1 game at SS and 1 game at 3B even though
it was only 1 game total and not two games)




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Muncy

Exits With Apparent Knee Injury
Christian Moore

Exits Early with Thumb Irritation
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Josh Naylor

Returning to Diamondbacks Lineup
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Oronde Gadsden

an Active Pass-Catcher This Offseason
Brashard Smith

Speed Could be Put to Use
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Pat Bryant

Off to a Good Start
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs With Islanders for Two Years
Cody Barton

Quickly Becoming a Leader With his New Team
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal With Mammoth
Montaric Brown

has Worked With Starters
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
DET

James van Riemsdyk Joins Red Wings on One-Year Contract
Viktor Arvidsson

Traded to Boston
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Josh Jung

Sent to Triple-A
Jurickson Profar

Officially Reinstated and Hitting in Five-Hole on Wednesday
Spencer Schwellenbach

Going on Injured List With Fractured Elbow
Maxwell Hairston

Facing Sexual-Assault Lawsuit
Tai Felton

Rookie Season Likely to be Spent on Special Teams
LeQuint Allen Jr.

to Have Receiving Role for Jaguars?
Justin Walley

Turning Heads Going into Rookie Season
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
Jamari Thrash

Establishing Himself as Reliable Option
Grayson Murphy

Could Provide Rotational Pass-Rush Depth
Joe Andreessen

in a Good Position to Compete for Backup Job
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Bhayshul Tuten

Needs to Improve Pass Protection
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Brandon Woodruff

Likely to Pitch on Sunday in Miami
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
PHI

Dan Vladar Links Up With Flyers on Two-Year Deal
EDM

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact With Oilers
SEA

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
PHI

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NYI

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NJ

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
SJ

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Jeff Green

Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF