At First Pitch Arizona 2011, Ron Shandler introduced a new challenge salary-cap game. Each owner was provided with a list of player valuations and tasked with selecting a 40-man roster without spending more than $350. The valuations were based on player performance within the Roto500 scoring system over the last two years. Here, we look at the players that would provide the biggest expected bang for the buck if drafted on day one.

With the introduction of the unbalanced schedule just over a decade ago, Major League Baseball introduced a system where teams face divisional rivals for a greater number of games than teams outside the division. From a fantasy perspective, one has to wonder what impact this macro-level divisional factor might have on player performance over the course of a season and how it could be leveraged to positively effect draft strategy.

In standard leagues with 14 offensive starting hitters, each owner fills 6 unique positions (C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and OF) in addition to the combined MI and CI positions via their draft or auction. The value of having players with multi-position eligibility on a reserve roster seems intuitive and has certainly been discussed anecdotally, but let’s take a look at just how valuable they might be and why.