How Should You Draft In Fantasy Baseball?

It’s fantasy baseball season! Here are a few tips on how to draft your team so you can have a chance at winning the championship.

Introduction

In fantasy baseball, as in real baseball, the key to success is assembling a well-rounded team of players who can give you an edge in every major statistical category. However, unlike real baseball, you don’t have to wait until after the season starts to see how your team stacks up against the competition. In fantasy baseball, you can take a “preview” swing at success by preparing for your draft as if it were Opening Day.

Here are a few tips to help you get ready for your fantasy baseball draft:

– Know the scoring system. In order to put together the best possible team, you need to know how points are awarded in your league. If your league uses a points-based system, pay close attention to which statistical categories are worth the most points. For example, in some leagues runs batted in (RBI) are worth more than home runs (HR), while in other leagues the reverse is true. If your league uses a rotisserie scoring system, make sure you understand how each statistical category is weighted. For example, in a 5x5 rotisserie league, home runs will be worth far more than stolen bases because there are only two ways to accumulate HR (by hitting them or by moving up on the list of all-time HR leaders), but there are five ways to accumulate stolen bases (by stealing them, being caught stealing them, advancing on a wild pitch or passed ball, or being thrown out trying to advance on another player’s hit).

– Do your homework. Before you draft a player, take some time to research his past performance and his current situation. For example, is he moving from a hitter-friendly ballpark to a pitcher-friendly ballpark? Is he changing teams? Is he coming off of an injury? The more information you have about each player, the better equipped you will be to make informed decisions on draft day.

– Pay attention to position scarcity. In fantasy baseball (as in real baseball), some positions are much deeper than others. For example, there are always plenty of good first basemen and outfielders available late in drafts, but good shortstops and catchers tend to be harder to find. When drafting late in the first round or early in the second round, it often makes sense to draft one of these scarce positions even if there is another player available who might be slightly better overall because that position scarcity will give you an advantage in that particular statistical category throughout the course of the season.

– Don’t reach for need. It’s important to remember that fantasy baseball is not real baseball; you are not trying to put together a team that will win 90 games and make it into October – you are trying to put together the best possible collection of individual players regardless of position or role on a real-world team. With that in mind, don’t let yourself get drawn into taking players early just because they play up-the-middle positions or fill other so-called “needs” on your fantasy squad; focus instead on taking the best available players regardless of position. You can always fill holes later in the draft or via trades and free agent pickups during the season; what you want at this stage is impact talent regardless of where it might fit onto your final roster

What is the difference between points and categories?

In points leagues, every statistical category is worth a certain amount of points. For example, in a 5x5 league, every run is worth five points, every RBI is worth five points, and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the championship. In a rotisserie league, each statistical category is worth a certain number of points (usually one to five), and the object is to finish in first or second place in as many categories as possible. The team that finishes first or second in the most categories wins the championship.

What are the different types of fantasy baseball drafts?

Most fantasy baseball leagues will use one of these three types of drafts: snake, auction, or linear.

Snake draft: In a snake draft, the order of picks is reversed in each successive round. So, if you pick first in round 1, you’ll pick last in round 2. But then you’ll get the first pick again in round 3. This gives an unfair advantage to the person who gets the first pick overall, so some leagues will randomize the draft order before the start of the draft.

Auction draft: In an auction draft, each owner has a set amount of “dollars” (usually $200) to spend on however many players they want. Players are nominated one at a time and owners bid on them until only one owner is left bidding. That owner gets that player and their bidding “dollars” are deducted from their total. The process continues until each team has a full roster.

Linear draft: In a linear draft, each team picks in a set order for every round and there are no trades or exceptions. So if you have the third pick in every round, that’s what you’ll stick with no matter what. This type of draft is the most fair since everyone knows exactly when they’re going to be picking and there’s no confusion about it.

What is the best draft strategy for each type of draft?

In most leagues, you’ll have one of three types of drafts: an auction, a snake, or a hybrid. Let’s break down the best strategy for each.

Auction:
In an auction draft, each owner is given a set budget (usually $200) to fill out their roster. Players are then nominated one at a time, and owners bid on them until only one owner is left standing. The winner of the bid then adds that player to their team.

The key to success in an auction draft is to be disciplined with your bidding. It can be tempting to get into a bidding war for a player you really want, but remember that every dollar you spend on one player is a dollar you can’t use to bid on another player. Try to stay within your budget and focus on building a well-rounded team.

Snake:
In a snake draft, each owner takes turns selecting players in reverse order of the standings from the previous year. So, if you finished first last year, you’ll pick last in every round except for the first round, where you’ll pick first. Then, in the second round, you’ll pick first again (since everyone else has already picked once), and so on.

The key to success in a snake draft is to have a plan and stick to it. You should know which players you want to target in each round and be ready to pounce when they’re available. It’s also important not to reach for players just because they’re at a position of need – wait until it’s your turn and then take the best player available regardless of position.

Hybrid:
A hybrid draft is a combination of an auction and a snake draft – usually, it’s an auction for the first few rounds and then Snake for the rest of the draft. This can be helpful if you want to get some elite players early on but still want the stability of drafting from fixed positions later in the draft.

The key to success in a hybrid draft is similar to that of an auction – discipline is key. In the early rounds, resist the urge to overspend on players just because they’re at positions of need. Focus on building a well-rounded team with good value throughout.

How does the draft order affect your strategy?

strategize based on where you’re picking in the first round. If you have a top-three pick, you should be targeting one of the best hitters in baseball regardless of position. Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are obvious choices, but Nolan Arenado and J.D. Martinez also fit this bill. If you’re picking fourth through sixth, you should still prioritize hitting, as Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt and Kris Bryant are all in this range. Bryce Harper would also be in play if he falls to sixth.

Picking seventh or later? You can start to think about getting an ace pitcher like Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale or Corey Kluber. If you want to wait on pitching, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Greinke are still options in the 10-12 range.

Of course, this is just a general guide — your league settings (e.g., number of teams, type of scoring) will play a big role in how you approach the draft. The main takeaway is that the higher up you pick, the more leeway you have in terms of what kind of player you can draft. If you have a late pick, you’ll need to be more strategic in terms of who you target.

How do you choose between two similar players?

It can be difficult to choose between two similar players in fantasy baseball, but there are a few factors you can consider to help make your decision. One is the player’s recent performance. If one player has been on a hot streak and the other has been struggling, the hot-hitting player is probably the better choice. Another factor to consider is the quality of the opposing team’s pitching staff. A player who is facing a weak pitcher is more likely to have a good game than a player who is facing a top-notch pitcher. Finally, take into account where the game is being played. A hitter who performs well at home might not fare as well on the road, and vice versa.

What are some general tips for drafting?

1. Know your scoring system
2. Understand player values
3. Study player trends
4. Develop a strategy
5. Execute your plan

Conclusion

That should give you a fairly clear idea of how to approach different types of Fantasy baseball drafts. In general, the shallower the league, the more important it is to focus on getting top-tier talent early on – while in deeper leagues, it may make more sense to focus on building a well-rounded team with good depth. Either way, doing your homework before the draft and knowing which strategy makes the most sense for your league will go a long way towards helping you build a winning team.