Fantasy baseball can be bewildering. Unfortunately, the many different ways to play the game only make it more confusing. Two of the most common fantasy baseball formats are points and category leagues. Understanding the intricacies between these two methods can (ideally) set up your team for greatness in the upcoming season.
2024 Fantasy Baseball Categories vs. Points Leagues Draft Primer
Categories
A category league tracks the statistical performance of players. Traditionally, the following stats are tracked: batting average, runs, RBIs, home runs, stolen bases, wins, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts and saves. Sometimes a league may include other categories such as holds, walks or OBP, but the previously-mentioned 10 stats are prominent in a usual 5×5 format. A manager must win the majority of the categories for victory in a category league.
It is important to note that there are both counting stats and ratio stats in a category league. Wins, runs, RBIs, home runs, stolen bases, wins, strikeouts and saves are counting stats that add over time, while the ratios include batting average, ERA and WHIP.
Points
A points format may look very familiar to the average fantasy football manager. Similar to a category league, this format also tracks statistics, but each stat is worth points instead of contributing to a category. Although the specific numbers that a stat is worth varies from league to league, good players will earn more points. Ultimately, the team with the most points will win.
The Strategy of “Punting”
Punting is a philosophy in categories where a team will ignore a stat, such as saves or stolen bases. Ignoring one stat can theoretically boost the other categories, and a manager can win many categories at the cost of one. Punting can be effective but is a non-factor in a points league. In points, it does not really matter where the points come from. In both formats, it is beneficial to have a balanced team, but punting is not necessary in a points league.
Saves and Steals
While punting may not be relevant in a points league, some stats are much less significant to a points format than categories. Two prime examples of this are saves and stolen bases. In a categories league, stolen bases and saves can make up two out of the 10 categories. Meanwhile, they simply are a couple more points in a points league. They are surely nice to have, but saves and stolen bases mean a lot more in a category league than points. Consequently, strategy for a category league could mean drafting a worse overall player to gather a particular stat. In a points league it is crucial to take the best overall player instead of worrying about specific categories.
Volume
Volume is everything in a points league; the more chances for points, the better. Teams need their batters to collect at-bats and their pitchers to toss innings. Batters who hit at the top of the order and workhorse pitchers are usually more valuable in point formats. Often, this can mean quantity over quality. In stark contrast, category teams can be hurt by these players since although counting stats matter, there are also ratios to maintain such as ERA and batting average. For example, in points leagues, a manager may add a pitcher from the bottom of free agency to contribute a few points, but in categories, this could catastrophically balloon a team ERA.
The Wrap-up
Good luck this season, and be sure to continue using FantasyPros to win your league!
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