Types of Fantasy Baseball Leagues

Player Selection Pool

* Mixed Leagues — Players from the National and American Leagues are available.  This is the
most common format, but usually results in teams made up of essentially all-star teams since
leagues rarely have more than 10 teams in them.

* National League Only — By limiting picks to only National League players, it makes for a
more challenging league in that managers will need to have knowledge of non-stars and reserve
players.  In most leagues, if one of your players is traded to the American League during the
season, you are simply out of luck.  On the other hand, a team that is deep in the standings can
benefit from when a player gets traded from an American League team to the Senior Circuit. 
Often, a pitcher sent from the DH-heavy AL to the NL performs better when moved to a NL
club.

* American League Only — Since the AL has only 14 teams, compared to the NL’s 16, an
American League only format can be even more challenging for managers.  You also have the
added element of the Designated Hitter being added to the roster. Draft Format

Snake Draft — A snake draft is still the most common way to hold a fantasy baseball draft.  In a
snake draft, teams are awarded a drafting position from one to last.  When the first round ends,
the final team gets the first pick of the second round and so on throughout the draft.  Such a draft
format often doesn’t allow for a lot of creativity from managers since the online systems give
suggested picks at each position.  Inactive managers may even leave the draft and allow the
computer to make its remaining picks.

Auction — Auction drafts are gaining increasing popularity among advanced fantasy baseball
players.  In an auction draft, managers are given $260 to spend on 23 players.  I’ll bet many
MLB owners wish that this was the budget for acquiring players.  Auction drafts require
increased attention and strategy and many auction managers say that no two auction drafts are
ever alike.

Scoring Format

4 x 4 — Four by four is the original rotisserie baseball format that was the basis for the game.  It
is a format, however, that is dying out and is only still played by old school leagues.  It’s easy to
see why.  When rotisserie baseball was invented, computers were as big as a room and statistics
needed to be compiled by hand.  Plus, Al Gore hadn’t invented the internet yet.  Today, however,
with internet sites offering so many different statistical categories, it’s easy to see why the 4 x 4
has been replaced with more sophisticated and varied statistical categories.

The scoring format for 4 x 4 is average, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases for hitters plus wins,
ERA, WHIP, and saves for pitchers.  As such, stolen bases and saves take on far more
importance than they do in traditional baseball.
* 5 x 5 — Five by five is the most popular scoring system in fantasy baseball today.  It maintains
the original 4 x 4 categories, plus adds pitcher’s strikeouts and hitter’s runs scored to the format

* 6 x 6 — If 5 x 5 isn’t enough, try a 6 x 6 league.  6 x 6 probably best resembles a player’s true
value in real baseball.  In a 6 x 6 league, a hitter’s on base percentage and pitcher’s holds count. 
If you believe a walk is as good as a hit, then 6 x 6 is for you, as feared sluggers and patient lead
off men have increased value.  Moreover, since starting pitchers rarely go longer than 6 or 7
innings any more, the 6 x 6 format brings value to the all-important set up man since holds are
now a factor.

* Points Scoring System — Sophisticated internet sites today allow for maximum flexibility in
your scoring system.  With points, a league can assign points based on MLB statistics.  For
instance, is a single as good as a triple?  No way, but in a 4 x 4 system, it contributes to only one
category — batting average.  In a points system, you could award 3 points for a triple and 1 for a
single.

A common scoring system gives points for hits based on total bases and this of course, also
credits walks.  RBI and runs scored add one and a stolen base can be worth either one or two. 
On the pitching side, an inning pitched is 1 point, a win is 10 and a loss is -0.5.  Add 1 for
strikeout and 5 for a save and an earned run allowed is -1.

* Head to Head — Part of the attraction of fantasy football is that it is ideal for a head to head
format.  Many fans of fantasy football like the fact that there is a winner and a loser every week
in the head to head format.  Baseball can offer the same option.

Each week, teams face off against each other and get a win or loss.  A H2H league is good,
because it keeps team managers interested as they don’t fall way behind with no chance of
catching up.  Two start pitchers become even more important in a Head to Head League and
opponent match-ups become critical.  Hitter-friendly ballparks also take on new meaning and can
affect both your hitters and your pitchers on your club.

Other Options

* Keeper Leagues — When you win your fantasy baseball league, you become enamored with
the players on your championship team.  But, in most fantasy baseball leagues, when the season
is over, you lose those studs and start all over next season.  Not in a keeper league.  Rules vary
from league to league, but the most common rule is that a manager can carry over two players
from one season to the next.  Keeper leagues add value to younger players and make drafting a
player like Stephen Strasburg make more sense.

* On Base Percentage — Your Little League coach probably told you that a walk was as good as
a hit, and he was right.  Hence, a lot of leagues are wisely removing the batting average statistic
and replacing it with on base percentage.