Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues

Breaking Down a Fantasy Baseball Points League
by Ray of RotoPicks.com

The more points you get, the better you do. Sure, it seems pretty obvious and for anyone with common sense, this is not an earth shattering revelation. But it is a very important fact to keep in mind when playing in a points league.

It does not matter how you compile those points. Just as a strikeout counts the same whether the batter swung and missed or looked at the pitch hit the black, all fantasy points have the same value. Granted a triple is worth more points than a double which is worth more than a single, but there are many ways to pick up the points.

When playing in a Points league, that is the most important factor to be aware of. Your sole intention is to have the most points in your league. How you accomplish this task is up to you. That is where the strategy comes in. Of course you must evaluate the players, but that is simply not enough. Your plan of attack starting from draft preparation all the way through the final day of the season will determine whether or not you are a winner. Let's take a look at some things you should keep in mind. There is some overlap here with strategy for Rotisserie formats but a Points league will have you looking at things a little differently.

• Look at position scarcity differently. Instead of trying to build the most well balanced team, here you are just trying to have the most points. Tailor your rankings to accommodate that effort. If there are 20 outfielders that you have projected to score within 15 points of each other for the season, you then can wait before selecting one of those outfielders. Sure there are probably some out of that group you like more than others, and you have to account for a margin of error in your projections, but those 20 players are pretty close to each other and the value they return will be similar and there is not a rush to take one of them. I would instead focus my attention where more value can be gained. Unless you are confident that out of that group there are a few players that have the potential to perform head and shoulders above the rest, you are not giving yourself an advantage here.
• For a simple example let's say those 20 outfielders are projected to score between 285 and 300 points. You obviously have them ranked accordingly. A look further down at your rankings shows your next highest catcher projected at 265 points which could be 30 spots below those outfielders. After that, the next highest catcher is projected for 220 points. Normally the advice would be not to reach for a catcher. You can easily make up that production elsewhere and the rest of your team will then be stronger for it, is how the logic goes. But in a Points league, I would say to reach and take the catcher. One of those 20 outfielders will still be available when it is your turn to pick again, and you now have at minimum a 45 point advantage on every team that has not drafted a catcher yet. That could be the difference in a Top 3 finish.
• Ignore specific statistical categories. Balance amongst the statistical categories does not mean anything. You need to look at what will score you the most points. Quite honestly a 25 HR 80 RBI player is more valuable than a player that steals 40 bases but only hits 7 HR and drives in 40 runs. It does not matter if you do not have one stolen base on your roster. You need to draft based on what will score you the most points. Obviously that is an extreme statement, but it is something to keep in mind. Simply draft by maximizing the most possible points at each position to give you an advantage on your competition.
• This will force you to look at pitchers a little differently. Instead of trying to maintain strong ratios with your pitchers, you just need to compile the points. The better pitchers still are more valuable and will put up a higher point total, but your success will also be based on quantity. Streaming pitchers is a very useful strategy here as the risk is minimized as long as they don't put up negative points. By following this strategy you can focus more on building the highest quality starting offensive lineup possible. I would recommend drafting a few higher end starting pitchers you can count on for consistently high point totals, and then utilize a quantity discount for the rest.
• Know the rules. Not only is knowing the point values imperative, but knowing the add/drop and waiver rules are also necessary. Depending on how serious the negative point values are, will determine the level of pitcher streaming you can do. Some leagues have restrictions on the timing of transactions, how many transactions you can do each week, or on innings over the course of the season. If one or more of these limits are in place, then you have to put more of an emphasis on building your pitching staff.

Points leagues can be an interesting change of pace from standard Rotisserie leagues. But if you are playing in such a league, you do need to alter your thinking somewhat. The most important thing to know is the rules. Knowing those rules and then using them to shape your strategy will lead to victory.

Did you know that you can now get in online fantasy baseball leagues where you draft a fresh team each day and get paid after the final games are over? This flashy new way of playing is called daily fantasy baseball and can be found at Fanduel.

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