Valuing Your Last Roster Spot Revisited

Back in December of 2013, in one of my earliest appearances on this site, I pontificated about how to value your last roster spot. I spent… oh my… 1,482 words on a topic that is indisputably of marginal importance. For most fantasy formats, the last player on your roster is incredibly fluid and has a minimal effect. Let’s critique this old behemoth of a post.

I never actually come right out and define the point of the original post. That’s probably why it wandered far and wide. There appear to be three main points I was making:

• A fantasy version of the Win Curve can be imagined to determine the value of the last roster spot. But reality usually doesn’t let us pin down where we were on the curve until after the fact.
• The last roster spot can be used on a prospect (Oscar Taveras, Travis d’Arnaud), streamer (Patrick Corbin, Corey Kluber), or role player (Rajai Davis, Andres Torres). Examples used in the article listed in parentheses.
• The “proper” time to use a prospect, streamer, or role player varies based on setting and opportunity.

Poof! That’s how to cut 1,400 words.

To me, “valuing” the last roster spot feels like a wasted effort. The edges should always be used to chase opportunities. That’s all. No need to assign a dollar value or economic utility. Find what complements your roster subject to the constraints of your league.

Part of the original article reads like a hidden advertisement for streaming*. I’m not surprised. I was born into the world writing about streamers. Keeping a fluid final roster spot carries numerous advantages.

*For the uninitiated, streaming refers to the practice of frequently picking up players off waivers to use in one specific matchup.

Ode To Streaming

In most leagues, the last rostered player sits around doing nothing. However, streamers are targeted specifically because you plan to immediately use them. In other words, you’ve turned a fallow spot into an active one. And while a permanently stashed platoon bat might offer a little juice in the five hitting categories, a streamed slot offers 10 category potential – provided you make good/lucky choices.

Streaming, depending on the size of your bench, can also make it easier to stash prospects. It feels like teams are getting better and better at developing studs who immediately transition to the majors. Buying cheap shares of Ronald Acuna or Juan Soto could have won you a league. Whiffing on Nick Senzel barely hurts when you’re streaming around him. If, instead, you were to forego a streamer in order to roster a marginal pitcher and a prospect, you would miss out on opportunities to actually improve multiple categories.

The most difficult task is knowing when to stop. Back in 2013, it was a big deal when one unexpected player like Jose Bautista or Ben Zobrist came off the waiver wire with a studly performance. These days, it feels like dozens of monsters cross the wire. You don’t want to pick up Max Muncy, Jesus Aguilar, or Luke Voit, bank a home run, then discard them. While mistakes will be made, it’s important to occasionally pump the brakes on your streaming protocol. Take a chance on potential breakouts. To this end, it can help to have multiple streamers.

Occasionally, a sort of roster saturation occurs. You wake up to discover every active roster spot occupied by studly studs. Streamers only find purchase on Mondays and Thursdays. This is often a great opportunity to target players, such as prospects, who could be hugely valuable later. Or, if such a prospect isn’t readily available, snag that snazzy platoon bat. And if that’s not an option either, you can always stream setup relievers until something better floats down the pipe.