Positional scarcity is something that all fantasy baseball managers need to keep in mind, on draft day and beyond. Rosters consist of different positions, all of which need to be filled, but some spots are deeper than others. Managers can't simply draft using fantasy baseball rankings alone or they'll wind up with an unbalanced roster and negative contributors at those scarce positions.
On the flip side, managers can lose out on value if they try too hard to fill those scarce positions and overlook better players just because there's depth at those positions. It's a delicate balance but an important one, and something that RotoWire's fantasy baseball draft assistant can help with as you build your team. Here's what else managers should know about scarcity.
What Position Scarcity Means in Fantasy Baseball
Position scarcity in fantasy baseball looks at the talent pool at each position. Deeper positions have more positive contributors across the board, while more scarce positions tend to "dry up" after the first few players are selected at that position.
That means managers who miss out on the top-tier talent at a certain position may be left to pick from scraps, resulting in a potential advantage for the managers who did go after that top talent.
"Some positions are thinner, forcing some teams to start some pretty unappealing players," said RotoWire baseball expert Erik Halterman. "You don't want to put yourself in that spot, so it's important to know which positions fall off a cliff late in the
Positional scarcity is something that all fantasy baseball managers need to keep in mind, on draft day and beyond. Rosters consist of different positions, all of which need to be filled, but some spots are deeper than others. Managers can't simply draft using fantasy baseball rankings alone or they'll wind up with an unbalanced roster and negative contributors at those scarce positions.
On the flip side, managers can lose out on value if they try too hard to fill those scarce positions and overlook better players just because there's depth at those positions. It's a delicate balance but an important one, and something that RotoWire's fantasy baseball draft assistant can help with as you build your team. Here's what else managers should know about scarcity.
What Position Scarcity Means in Fantasy Baseball
Position scarcity in fantasy baseball looks at the talent pool at each position. Deeper positions have more positive contributors across the board, while more scarce positions tend to "dry up" after the first few players are selected at that position.
That means managers who miss out on the top-tier talent at a certain position may be left to pick from scraps, resulting in a potential advantage for the managers who did go after that top talent.
"Some positions are thinner, forcing some teams to start some pretty unappealing players," said RotoWire baseball expert Erik Halterman. "You don't want to put yourself in that spot, so it's important to know which positions fall off a cliff late in the draft and to make sure you have those spots covered before the cliff arises."
Positions Most Commonly Affected by Scarcity
There are two positions considered scarce in fantasy baseball: catcher and second baseman. In RotoWire's standard fantasy baseball rankings for 5x5 rotisserie leagues, there are four catchers (Cal Raleigh, William Contreras, Hunter Goodman and Ben Rice) and seven second basemen (Ketel Marte, Jazz Chisholm, Jose Altuve, Nico Hoerner, Brice Turang Luke Keaschall and Ozzie Albies) who really stand out. Compare that to other positions like first base and outfield and you understand why it's scarce.
"Second and third base are the offensive positions most often affected by scarcity in recent years. Catcher is also nearly always affected by scarcity, but in two different directions. In a one-catcher league, there is usually an excess of acceptable options, so you can wait until very late to draft your catcher, but in two-catcher leagues, you'll want to act much sooner to avoid the extremely uninspiring second-catcher options at the end of the draft," Halterman said.
Beyond just the top-100, those two positions really have steep fall-offs beyond the top players. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need top options at those two positions, but it does mean that if you fail to grab one of the elite at those positions, you can wait a little longer to address it. This spells the importance of doing a fantasy baseball mock draft or two to test out the strategy.
How Position Scarcity Impacts Draft Strategy
It's important to consider position scarcity at catcher, second base and to a lesser degree third base, as well as relief pitching, on draft day. Going in with a plan about whether or not you're going to target the top options at those scarce positions or wait on them, is important. If you're going after the top options at scarce positions, understand that you may need to go above fantasy baseball auction values for those players if other managers have the same strategy.
If you plan to wait on scarce positions and find better value on the board at deeper positions, you'll need to have a few players in the scarce positions that you know you want to grab, so you aren't left with negative contributors. No matter your strategy, you'll need a plan on scarce positions, and have a back-up plan if something goes awry on draft day.
Balancing Scarcity With Overall Player Value
If you're deciding between two players with similar fantasy baseball ADP early in the draft, it makes sense to go with a more scarce position. One example is catcher William Contreras and first baseman Freddie Freeman. Those two are next to one another in 2026 ADP as of this writing, but nabbing Contreras and finding a first baseman later is easier than grabbing Freeman and still having to worry about catcher.
"It's very important to not lose sight of a player's overall value when thinking about positional scarcity. In nearly all cases, positional scarcity concerns should be nothing more than a tiebreaker. If you reach too far down your draft board just to fill a scarce position, you're going to end up with a team that has less total talent than it should," Halterman said.
Managers need to remember that the team they select on draft day isn't set in stone. You'll pick up players and make trades throughout the season, so don't panic if you don't fill a scarce position as long as you're grabbing great value each time you're on the clock or bidding on a player you feel good about.
Common Mistakes When Evaluating Position Scarcity
Reaching for players just because they're a scarce position is a losing proposition. Remember that draft day is just the beginning for your team. Fantasy baseball managers can always add to their team through the waiver wire or trade. The goal on draft day is to find the best possible players while building a well-balanced roster.
Managers also need to understand that scarcity is more about the bottom-of-the-barrel options rather than what things look like at the top of the board.
"Positions that have very few early picks but offer plenty of boring, viable options late in the draft aren't really scarce, because you'll end up with an acceptable option even if you wait," Halterman said. "Positions which offer tons of stars, but few late-round players are scarce, on the other hand, and you're at risk of getting stuck with a very poor option at that position if you're not careful."
Don't draft a scarce position too early just because you don't want to be stuck with a weak player at the position. It's a balancing act that you can prepare for by subscribing to RotoWire and using RotoWire's comprehensive fantasy baseball draft kit as you plan your attack on those positions and others
