Key Stats And Strategy To Win Your League

The beginning of the MLB regular season is right around the corner. With fantasy football firmly in our rearview mirror, now is a good time to get your fantasy fix by drafting a baseball squad. We’ll help guide you through how the game works, where it can be played, and some key stats to consider while drafting your team.

How Fantasy Baseball Works

There are different kinds of fantasy baseball formats to play. In fantasy football, the most popular format is head-to-head leagues that pit managers against each other every week. There are also best ball leagues where fantasy managers draft a team, then let the fantasy platform they are playing on select their top scorers from each week to include in their starting lineup. For those who don’t have the time to make lineup decisions and waiver wire adds on a regular basis, best ball leagues are a way to get in on the fun without having to do all the work. Head-to-head and best ball leagues are also available in fantasy baseball.

Another popular fantasy baseball format is a rotisserie league. In these leagues, teams are ranked from first to last in specific statistical categories. Those categories can include batting average, home runs, earned run average (ERA), and strikeouts. In a 10-team league, a team in first place in a particular category would receive 10 points, the second-place team would get nine points, going all the way down to the last place team receiving one point. The overall standings are determined by the point totals combined from each statistical category. This is a season-long format that determines an overall winner after the final day of the regular season, not winners on a weekly head-to-head basis.

Another type of league to play in is a points league. In this format, a certain number of points are assigned to each statistical category. For example, a hit equals one point, while a home run equals four points. Points are tallied up either at the end of a week or at the end of the regular season to determine the league winner, depending on league settings.

Where To Play

Just like fantasy football, many of the top platforms also have a fantasy baseball option. That includes Yahoo, ESPN, Fantrax, CBS Sports, and Sleeper. There are also high-stakes platforms like the National Fantasy Baseball Championship for more experienced players.

Key Fantasy Baseball Stats

Every fantasy league can select their own stat categories. They can be made up of basic stats like hits, home runs, and strikeouts, or go deeper into advanced stats. While knowing your league settings is key, here are some stats to keep in mind when researching players to draft.

1. On-Base Percentage (OBP)

Batting average is a category in most fantasy leagues. Some include OBP, but even if they don’t, it’s an important stat to know. Players who get on base more often tend to provide more fantasy value. Not only can they have a higher batting average, but they also have more opportunities to both drive in and score runs.

2. Stolen Bases (SB)

Don’t forget about stolen bases when drafting your team. They are often included in most leagues, but they aren’t as easy to obtain as home runs. Last season, 50 players hit at least 25 home runs. Only 27 players came away with at least 25 stolen bases. Players who can provide both home runs and steals are extremely valuable. A good example is Jose Ramirez, who finished last year with 30 home runs and 44 stolen bases. He will be a top 10 pick in most fantasy drafts again this year.

3. Walks And Hits Per Innings Pitched (WHIP)

This stat is important because pitchers who allow a lot of base runners tend to have a high ERA. Two of the best starting pitcher options in fantasy are Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. Skenes has a career WHIP of 0.95, while Skubal’s sits at 1.03. They keep men off base, which helps them prevent runs.

4. Strikeout Rate (K%)

Strikeout rate can pertain to both pitchers and hitters. It’s most known for pitchers because strikeouts is a category in the majority of fantasy leagues. It’s important to draft pitchers with high strikeout rates to help you in the category.

When it comes to hitters, those who strike out more often can have lower upside in fantasy. By not putting the ball in play, they have fewer opportunities to rack up stats line hits, runs scored, and RBI. However, many power hitters often have a high strikeout rate. Eugenio Suarez ranked fifth in baseball last season with 49 home runs despite having a 29.8% strikeout rate. Don’t completely avoid hitters with high strikeout rates, but don’t load up your roster with them, either.