Positional eligibility shouldn't be a main focus when you're building your Fantasy Baseball team. Just draft the best players and set the best lineups you can and figure out the particulars later.

Well, "later" is now. Because while that's good advice for your draft, once it actually comes time to set your lineup every week, having more players than you can actually start in any given lineup spot can be kind of a nightmare. It's better than the alternative of not having enough good players, of course,but trying to decide between multiple similar options at first base can be frustrating, especially if you've got a weak spot somewhere else in your lineup. 

This is where positional flexibility really matters. And luckily, early in the season gives us a lot of players gaining new eligibility. We're five games or less into the season for every team in the majors as of Tuesday afternoon, so we haven't actually had many players gain new eligibility yet. But we've had one relevant name add eligibility already, and a few more are on the verge, so let's take a look at the biggest names who have played at least one game at a new position, with some thoughts on what their new eligibility might mean for their value moving forward:

Brendan Donovan, Mariners is now eligible at 3B and 2B

That gives Donovan eligibility at the two weakest positions in the game, which is a nice bonus for a guy who is otherwise kind of fringe-y. It's always nice to have a batting average specialist around to slot in at the two toughest positions to fill. 

Yordan Alvarez, Astros needs 3 games to be eligible at OF

This one matters a great deal seeing as Alvarez entered the season with only DH/UT eligibility. But the Astros roster crunch has created the need for Alvarez to get out into the field, and the fact that he is so far willing and able to do so regularly seems like a great sign for a guy who has struggled to stay healthy in his career — though let's hope this doesn't materially increase his injury risk. We want him to get those five games in the outfield — okay, 10, for those of you in NFBC leagues — and then stay wrapped in bubble wrap until he's needed at the plate. 

Bo Bichette, Mets needs 1 game to be eligible at 3B

This'll come to fruition Tuesday night and it's a nice boost for Bichette. You should have drafted him with the expectation of using him at third base, so whenever your next lineup swap comes up, get ready to move him there. And don't worry about the slow start, he'll be fine. 

Ivan Herrera, Cardinals needs 4 games to be eligible at C

It'll be three more games after Tuesday, which is a great sign for a guy who has a DH-caliber bat and big questions about his ability to play enough behind the plate. He's a viable starter at DH, of course, which makes him a potential top-five catcher even in the newly deep state of the position. 

JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals needs 1 game to be eligible at 2B

This is another one coming to fruition after Tuesday's game, and it's another one you should have been anticipating to open the season. Even with his hot start, it's going to be hard for Wetherholt to be a must-start option at shortstop. At second base? I'm already ready to rank him in the top 12. 

Kevin McGonigle, Tigers needs 2 games to be eligible at 3B

After Tuesday, this is down to one game, and it'll make McGonigle even more valuable. This was one where we didn't quite know what McGonigle's role would be in the spring, but I'm happy to see the Tigers using him at the more valuable position. Though the fact they've also used him at shortstop as well is a sign of how much they value him, which is a good signal moving forward.

Isaac Paredes, Astros needs 4 games to be eligible at 1B and 2B

Paredes is getting the day off Tuesday, and if that had happened earlier, it might have elicited some panic. But after he started five days in a row — while forcing the Astros to accommodate him, no less — I think we can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that Paredes is a big part of their plans. Now let's just get him those second base appearances quick. 

Colson Montgomery, White Sox needs 3 games to be eligible at 3B

I thought Montgomery was mildly undervalued entering the season, and that was without even really considering the possibility of him re-gaining eligibility at third. His fairly empty power profile is hard to use at shortstop when there are so many well-rounded stars available. But being able to use him at third or in either the middle infield or corner infield spots would be enough to push Montgomery into the must-start territory if he lives up to his 35-homer upside. 

Jorge Polanco, Mets needs 3 games to be eligible at 1B

Polanco's push to gain first base eligibility was slowed by some Achilles soreness in recent days, but it really isn't a big obstacle for his value. there are certainly some leagues where you might want to use him at first base, but second is generally harder to fill, so the added eligibility mostly helps by making him a viable corner infield option when that happens. Hopefully that'll come by the end of this week. 

Luis Arraez, Giants needs 1 game to be eligible at 2B

The value proposition for Arraez doesn't really change based on where he's eligible. If you really need batting average help bad enough to take the hit in the other four categories, you're probably fine using Arraez anywhere. But having second base eligibility certainly wouldn't hurt, and he'll gain that after Tuesday's game.

Spencer Steer, Reds needs 2 games to be eligible at OF

Steer is the kind of guy where every little bit helps his Fantasy value. You shouldn't be relying on him as a starter anywhere, but it'll be nice to add eligibility somewhere besides first base — and he made an appearance at third base earlier, so we could add another position. And he was second base eligible as recently as 2024, so there's hope for real flexibility here in the long run. 

Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks needs 2 games to be eligible at OF

By all accounts, Lawlar's transition to the outfield has gone well. After Tuesday, he'll only need one more appearance to gain eligibility, so now he just has to get the bat going. I remain hopeful. 

Coby Mayo, Orioles needs 1 game to be eligible at 3B

Mayo hasn't done much with the bat yet, which is concerning given his lack of production at the MLB level. But I remain hopeful he'll figure it out, and it'll be easier to find a spot in your lineup for him at third than first, even if he isn't forcing his way in yet. 

Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox needs 1 game to be eligible at 2B

Like with Mayo, we're still waiting on Mayer to live up to the hype. And, given the Red Sox's organizational depth, he needs to start showing something at the MLB level soon to avoid being usurped. But he's got a bit of runway and will gain second base eligibility after Tuesday's game. 

Nasim Nunez, Nationals needs 3 games to be eligible at 2B

Nunez is an interesting sleeper for speed, but he's very likely to be a non-factor in at least three of the other categories, so you're taking a big hit with him at shortstop. At second base? Well, it's still a pretty big hit, but it's easier to make him fit there. 

Matt Shaw, Cubs needs 2 games to be eligible at OF

Shaw's super utility bid was helped by Seiya Suzuki's season-opening injury, and after Tuesday he'll need jut one more appearance. This is another young player who needs to prove himself, but he's getting a bit of runway early in the season, and if he starts hitting like he did in the second half of last season — he hit .258/.317/.522 with 11 homers and six steals over the season's final 63 games — he could lock in a long-term role where he just plays all over the diamond. If he doesn't get hot, Shaw might end up truly buried.