(The nine-inning Playbook included the complete playbook. It was first published in spring 2020. It has been updated to 2022, where appropriate.
While some may consider it silly, I will tell you the truth: Fantasy baseball is addictive.
There is a simple reason for this: It’s awesome.
It’s easy and fun to play. You can be an obsessed fan that misses every pitch, or you are a casual fan who just enjoys the occasional game. AnyoneFantasy baseball is a great way to fall in love. You’ll change the way that you watch the game.
Opening Day is when you will scream with joy as your ace starter strikes out the three batters he faces. This will propel your team up the league’s live score page. You’ll be groaning in pain on a Sunday in June when your opponent’s top slugger hits an RBI-walk-off double. These RBIs will give you the crucial edge in your weekly head to head matchup. As the final game of the regular season enters the ninth inning your heart will beat faster as you wait for your closer’s save to win your league’s championship.
This will allow you to gain a better appreciation for the game. Some people are devoted to the game. Cincinnati RedsA fan who has enough knowledge to be able name the eight pitchers who appeared for them in the 1990 World Series. You might even be a casual. San Diego PadresA.J. is hated by a fan Preller’s decision not to trade for more starting pitching depth during July, forcing the team out of starts. Jake Arrieta, Reiss Knehr Vince VelasquezOver a disappointing last month, she knows very little about the rest the division and the league. In any case, fantasy baseball management can help you learn. AllThe game offers many facets that will increase your enthusiasm.
Most importantly, fantasy baseball offers the opportunity to create camaraderie. How better to share your passion for the game than challenging family, friends, or co-workers with a fantasy league.
Here’s how you can get started
Fantasy baseball can be played by anyone, just as daily games. However, most often fantasy baseball is played in a league or against other players. You can sign up to a league via ESPN go hereOr, you can go to the ESPN Fantasy baseball tab.
The first decision you make is whether you want to take part in this fantasy baseball adventure by yourself or with a group.
You don’t You can find it hereYou don’t need to know more than seven people, nine, or 11, to fill your league. If you’re interested but don’t know enough people to fill the league, or you prefer not to spend the time gathering people together, ESPN can connect you with other people by using the “JOIN a PUBLIC LEAGUE” option at the bottom of the link.
If you are interested in DoYou will need to select a group you are interested in and click on the “CREATE A LEGUE” link at the top of the page. There’s one catch. You will need to nominate someone in that group to be your league’s commissioner. This role includes operating and creating the league, as well as making important league decisions. After your commissioner has been chosen, they will be the ones who create the league. Once that is done, they will then be able to use the “Invite Owners” button to send individual invitations to other league members through ESPN.
There are several menu choices, including scoring. You should carefully consider which scoring system you want to play.
What exactly? These arePlayers scored
We need a way to score players’ performances in order to determine a league champion. ESPN has five scoring systems. roto, points head-to head, head-to head each category, head-to-head The majority of categories sEarn eason Points.
How can you determine which type of league is best for you? I’ll get into each more in a future column. But for now, let’s just give you a quick overview.
Roto, or traditional baseball rotisserie:However, it is not necessary. TheThe original fantasy baseball format — there’s evidence that this game was played back in the 1950s. However, it made its way to the mainstream and published the first set of rules. Rotisserie baseball scoring is named after La Rotisserie Francaise (a New York City restaurant), and compares teams’ seasons to each other in a selected group of statistical categories. The category’s best performing team earns a total of points equal to the number in the league. Points are awarded in descending order, until the lowest-performing team gets a single point. In a 10-team league for example, the best performing team earns 10 points and the second-best nine. From there, each team receives one point. Ties in a category split the points, so if the second- and third-best-performing teams in home runs in a 10-team league have the same number, then these teams both score 8.5 points (the average of eight and nine points, for second and third place).
All points are combined to form an overall standing. The league champion is the team that has the most points. Each day, new statistics are added and the standings are rerun every day until the season ends.
Eight categories were used in the original rotisserie league. Four categories were for pitchers and hitters (or rotisserie 4-4). These categories included batting average, home runs and RBIs for hitters. Winnings include wins, saves, ERA, and WHIP for pitchers. However, most rotisserie leagues now use 10 categories or rotisserie 5-x5, which adds runs for hitters to pitchers’ innings. These are the only categories used by ESPN’s standard leagues. A rotisserie team can however use any of these categories. AnyYou can choose any number of categories, but if you are creating a league with your own players, I suggest that you have equal numbers of categories for hitters as well as pitchers. If possible, you should also include “ratio” categories. These categories are either averages of ratios such as ERA or WHIP. (Ignore the inequalities in the ratio categories in the original. This is something I have long disagreed with.
Head-to-head points:Fantasy football’s most popular scoring format, which has helped to increase its popularity over the years, is weekly head-tohead matchups. The winner of each matchup will be the team that scores the highest total points. The standings include ties for ties. The season is usually divided into 25 scoring periods, each lasting approximately one week. But in Week 1 it takes 11 days. This starts on Thursday’s Opening Day and ends around the All Star break. It then takes another 11 days. After the All Star break, it takes an additional 11 days. The regular season consists of the first 21 games and two playoff matches. The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament in which the league champion will be determined.
These matchups award points based on the player’s performance in a specific group of statistical categories. A hitter may earn one point for each total base and one RBI. Thus, a home run without a baserunner would earn the hitter five points. Many points leagues will also charge negative points for collecting bad statistics, such as strikeouts for hitters or walks, walks, or earned runs for pitchers.
The following point system is used by ESPN’s standard leagues:
Total Bases (TB), 1 Runs Batted In(RBI) : 1, Runs Scored (1R) : 1, Stolen Bases (2SB) : 1, Walks (3BB) : 1, Strikeouts (4K) : minus-1
Innings Pitched, IP: 3, Losses (L) (minus-5), Saves (SV: 5), Earned Runs, ER: minus-2. Hits allowed, H) (minus-1. Strikeouts, K) are 1, Walks granted (BB) is minus-1.
Compare each category head-toheadThis mix of both formats uses the categories of rotisserie leagues, but uses the head-to–head matchups format. Matchups are not decided by who has the most points. Instead, the teams earn “wins” by having better numbers in a few statistical categories. In ESPN standard leagues these 10 categories are used in rotisserie 5×5 scoring. Thus, the team that hits more home runs would earn a points, while the team with a lower ERA would get a point. This is for each weekly matchup. A team can go 6-3-1 in a matchup if it has a categorical tie. Playoff teams are determined using the same format in Head-to–Head Points as league champions.
The majority of categories can be compared head to head:Instead of scoring each statistic individually, this format gives a single win to the team who wins the most categories in a matchup. If a team has six wins to four in a given category, such as home runs, RBIs or runs scored, they will still be able to win the matchup. However, if the opponent has six wins in batting average, stolen bases and saves, the team would have one win. The standings also record ties as ties. Both league champions as well as playoff teams are determined the same way as other head-tohead formats.
Season pointsThe same points system is used for statistical achievements as Head-to–Head Points. However, there are no head-to–head matchups. Season Points is the award given to the team with the highest total points. SeasonIs declared league champion.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch to the commish
As we mentioned, if you are part of a group that is creating a new league you will need to elect a commissioner. This person will be responsible for setting up all the settings. The commissioner is the only person in the league who can change the settings. In times of conflict, they will also be the one to which everyone will turn to for important decisions or rulings. Make wise choicesAlthough the job of commissioner can be tedious, it is also one that deserves great respect.
If you are selected to be a commissioner, my advice is simple: Be fair and firm. The best commissioners put the interests of the league above their own, are detail-oriented and transparent.
Most importantly, review the settings of your league — at least twice if necessary!
Fantasy baseball has many different types of play. These include the roster, player pool, selection method, and how transactions are handled throughout the year. Let’s take an in-depth look at each option to assist commissioners with structuring their leagues.
Define your roster
The roster is a list of players that make up your team. It can come in many sizes and shapes. The traditional rotisserie guidebook allowed for a 23-man roster, 14 of those hitters — broken down as two catchers, one apiece at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, corner infielder and middle infielder, five outfielders and one utilityman/designated hitter — and the other nine pitchers of any type. These are the players who can be classified as corner infielders or third basemen. The middle infielders may be either at shortstop or at second base.
You can choose any number of positions you want.
ESPN’s standard leagues have one catcher and a 22 man active lineup. There are three additional “bench” spots. These are players who are part of your team, but don’t receive statistics. Some leagues have a minimum number of each. They divide pitchers into starting and relief pitchers. While some leagues have six-player benches, others do not distinguish between different infield positions.
A larger bench number has two benefits. It gives you more options for your active lineup. The drawback is that there is less talent on your league’s roster. I believe six is the ideal number of bench spots, regardless of league. However, you are free to experiment with your league’s number.
You also have the option of the injured list (IL). This allows you to put players on the MLB official 7- or 10-day injured lists. ESPN has a standard of three IL spots. However, some leagues would prefer to have one. Others, however, can still have unlimited IL slots (something that is not offered by ESPN; eight is the maximum).
If you wish, you can also limit the number players allowed to play at a particular position.
It’s best to stick with the standard roster size for beginners. I prefer the 23-man arrangement, which has two catchers, rather than one, and six reserve rounds. It is a manageable size that won’t drain your player pool.
These ‘only’ leagues: What is it?
Major League Baseball’s two divisions — the American league and National league — were distinct when rotisserie baseball first appeared. Each league had its own president. The honorary president of the NL is Bill Giles. There was no interleague play. The original game was intended for player pools, defined as “Player Universes” by ESPN. They were to be split between AL- and NL-only leagues instead of the entire majors. It is a tradition that many leagues continue to use this format today.
You can choose to seperate the players you draw from ESPN into the AL and NL leagues. The “only” league allows managers to tap into more player talent while reducing the free-agent pool. This effectively increases the challenge.
The annual League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR) Tout WarsThese contests are populated entirely with industry analysts and host pairs of AL/NL-only leagues. These leagues have been in existence since 1994 and 1998.
Mixed leagues are made up of all players and can be selected using the “MLB” option in the league settings.
It’s now time to pick your players
Perhaps TheThe best part about fantasy baseball is the excitement of the draft. These meetings are held at a time that is convenient for all league members. They allow you to choose players for your team and serve as the beginning point of your season.
If you have never participated in a draft before, I recommend it. It’s the most fun way to make friends and is much like having a real general manager select his/her players. You’ll need to choose the players if you plan to do this. OfflineEnter the results of your live draft by hand in the Draft Settings section. You can delete it if it’s a snake draft. canYou can set up your league online to hold the draft. People can enter their picks online while they meet in person. This takes some patience.
You have three options when drafting online: a snake, an autopick or a salary cap draft. These must all be chosen in advance. The commissioner will need the information to indicate a draft date and time as well as the time required for each team to select.
Snake:A snake draft is conducted in the following order in odd-numbered rounds. It reverses in even-numbered round. In a 10-team league for example, picks in Round 1 would be 1-10. But in Round 2, they would go from 10-1. The team that picks first would then receive the 20th overall pick. This is done to ensure equity across all draft positions. However, certain positions have their advantages and drawbacks, despite the attempt to balance them.
Autopick:Autopick drafts are for leagues that can’t find a time to meet or don’t have the time to draft live. Our computers will assign players to your rosters automatically. This option allows individual managers to have control over which players are selected to their teams. ESPN offers each team the chance to rank players ahead of time and the option to select how many players to select for each position.
Salary capThe salary-cap system is a great way to have fun and be strategic in your player selections. Each team receives a budget of $260 using traditional fantasy baseball rules. This budget allows them to fill their roster with all the players they need. The team that bids the most money wins the player’s services. Although I will discuss salary-cap formats strategies in more detail in a future column. However, it is important to note that salary-cap drafts require greater skill, focus, and patience and are better suited for advanced or intermediate players than for beginners. These drafts can take up to six to seven hours to complete, compared to snake drafts. Live salary-cap drafts have a designated master of ceremonies who keeps the process moving smoothly. You should plan accordingly.
No matter what format you prefer, it’s important to remember this: It is best to agree on a time. AllManagers may be available. The ESPN computer manager can take over and select players for teams that are absent or when a timer has expired. This will reduce the overall experience of those who are present.
What in-season moves should I make after I have drafted my players?
Oh, plenty. Smart in-season management has won many a championship.
However, before we can get there, you need to establish the parameters of how teams can improve themselves via lineup changes, free agency, or trades.
Fantasy baseball leagues often allow fantasy teams to use their own equipment. lineup changesYou can move players between your bench and active roster spots on a daily or weekly basis to maximize on the real-life schedules of their teams or individual matchups. You can give managers maximum flexibility in exploiting these matchups. This will improve the competitive experience. However, it can come at the cost of teams making large transactions, particularly free agents that are added to rosters. Or trying to accumulate “counting numbers”, such as runs scored and wins. The schedule can be difficult for daily leagues. Baseball is a marathon that lasts 180 days.
A weekly-transactions league will enhance the strategy of managers that must consider the entire one-week schedule of a real team and matchups. But, it can also expose teams to injury early in the week that could leave them without a player for several weeks.
Another thing to consider is whether you prefer fantasy lineups for the day and week lock with that first pitch thrown that day, in that given week, of whether managers have the ability to change players at will, so long as their teams aren’t yet started on that day, or the week.
There is no single, Correct arrangement. The only thing you have to do is choose the best setup for your league.
When it comes to adding free agents, fantasy baseball leagues are generally allowed to take on new players during the season. They can either replace or add to the injured list. There are two ways to fair award free agents, as some will be attractive to multiple leagues. WaiversThis determines which team will sign the player first, usually by the order in which the league standings are reversed. Free Agent BudgetThe budget is set up at the beginning of each season so that teams can place bids. While the former is simpler, the latter allows for more strategy and better representation of an open market for players.
The waiver order can be modified to reset the week’s standings or to never reset. Teams making claims are always moved to the back.
A team can limit the number of player acquisitions it can make in a matchup or the whole season. Transaction limits are something I do not recommend. In these times of an increased injury list usage in real-life games, I believe that limits penalize those who are unlucky in terms of the health department. However, I can see the logic behind limiting acquisitions to eight per matchup and 200 to the season to curb teams trying to accumulate counting stats. This is often called “streaming” when adding starting pitchers to increase wins and strikeouts in weekly matches.
TradesThe commissioner of a fantasy league must decide how many trades they will allow. What limit should there be on how many trades a team can make in a single season? When is the league’s deadline for trades? Should the commissioner decide the fairness of all trades? Or should the entire league vote?
These settings can all be changed in the league settings. You’ll hear a range of opinions about the best setup. I do not want to restrict teams’ ability to make trades. I prefer that they have a trade deadline no later than four weeks, but not more than eight weeks. (In a head-tohead league this would be two weeks before the playoffs). And I trust my commissioner to handle all trades. Each league is unique, so you have the freedom to choose the settings that are most comfortable for you.
These other factors are important to keep in mind
You should also consider a few additional league settings, such as whether you want to follow ESPN’s. undroppable players list. Our staff will identify players that are too valuable to be released into the free agent pool. This is done to stop collusion and tanking within fantasy leagues. You can opt out or leave this setting depending on how trust you have in the league membership. However, I recommend it.
Keeper leaguesSome leagues allow you to roll over certain numbers of players from season-to-season. This number can be set in the league settings if you wish to convert your league into a keeper format. These leagues are often more fun than those that redraft annually. They mirror the real game where general managers build teams over many seasons.
Would you be interested in limiting the number of games that a team can play within a particular head-to-head matchup. You could limit the number of starts a team can have in a head-to-head matchup to 14 (or two per day over seven consecutive days), or another number. Remember that you cannot stop a team from collecting statistics if it exceeds its cap, beginning with a new competition day. This means that a team can have three starts (and possibly more) Saturday before it is restricted from receiving points from more starters Sunday. Although I don’t usually like caps in games, this restriction is reasonable for mixed leagues where there is plenty of starting pitching on the free-agent roster.
Head-to-head leagues can choose to divide their teams into divisions. This allows you to draw the highest playoff seeds for your league from the winners in their respective divisions. This is not recommended. Setting up teams and divisionsWithin your league settings
You don’t have to choose between the head-tohead format for scoring your league’s points. You can find it hereTo follow the ESPN regular-season and playoff schedules. Regular-season matchups can be extended for multiple weeks. You can also make playoff matchups one-week long. Additionally, you have the option to shorten or lengthen the regular season. It makes sense to have a shorter regular season given the fact that major league teams often close down star players towards the end, either to give them time to recover or to terminate their years earlier if they are eliminated from contention.
These can all be changed under Regular season setup Establishment of playoff bracketsWithin your league settings
You can also visit this site for any other topics I haven’t covered. ESPN’s Fan Support portal, which has an informative Q&A and provides a search for your question.
Take the time to be thorough
No better piece of advice can I give a commissioner who is just starting his or her journey than to be detailedNot to fantasy managers in their leagues, but to you. Know the rules of your league!
In addition to the ESPN settings, many leagues also create their own printable constitutions. To help resolve any disputes that may arise throughout the season, the document contains all details about the league. Any amendments to the constitution, including any potential rules, may be made at any time. The league also has the option to trust its commissioner to make any necessary decisions. No matter what route your league chooses, it is imperative that you pick the right commissioner.
Tipp to the Commissioner: Never, EverydayIf necessary, the league will not allow you to change a rule regarding the league until the championship season process is over. (Even then I would ask why the topic wasn’t raised earlier. It is better to make rules changes between seasons to allow everyone to follow the same guidelines when approaching a new season. It’s important to make clear the changes or, if there is a league vote (a preferred method of amending rules), when they take effect.
Fantasy managers need to be aware of the rules for their league. You have the responsibility to review every setting in your league or to read your league constitution before each season. Each league setting has its own little benefits, which I will detail in future columns.
However, and this is something I cannot stress enough: be an ethical manager
While the Golden Rule is certainly applicable to this wonderful game, I’ll change it to read: Treat other people with the same respect as you would want them to treat yourself.
Do not be “that person” that doesn’t understand the rules or who challenges and/or seeks loopholes in every detail of the constitution.
Do not be that person who only offers bogus trades, harasses people at all hours of night about trades or ignores trade offers.
Be a “that person” who doesn’t see the team to Game 162. The best leagues are full of players who have committed to the season.
There are many other options, but they all boil down to one thing: If you don’t like what someone else did, there is an easy way to fix it.
Don’t!
Now let’s go!
You have completed the first inning of my multipart Playbook series. Congratulations! You are now confident enough to play in your own league. However, don’t worry! I have many more tips and tricks to help you master your league.
These eight “innings” will examine how to win an ESPN league and what tips you can use to succeed.
It’s a great ride. Relax, take a deep breath and enjoy the ride! You’ll never again look at baseball in the same way.