You may be interested in playing fantasy baseball, but the whole thing seems a little overwhelming. So how does the game work? Here are some information on how fantasy baseball is played, and what the game’s all about.
Statistics are based on what players do on the field
Things like wins, strikeouts, home runs, stolen bases, and other statistics are what are reflected in your fantasy baseball numbers. However, things like intangibles are not included; just pure numbers.
Fantasy baseball is about players, not MLB teams
When you root for a baseball team in real life, you might have some individual players that you particularly like, but you root for the team to do well. But you may have to put your team’s rooting interests aside when it comes to fantasy baseball. Instead of being a Mets fan or Red Sox fan, you are really a “fan” of your individual team. Sure, you can draft some of your favorites, but if you want to win at fantasy baseball, you may need to put your pom-poms down and pick players that will help you win your fantasy league, even though they may not be players you would root for in real life.
There are several types of fantasy baseball drafts
The two basic types of drafts are snake drafts and salary cap drafts. With a snake draft, you have a draft order. If you pick first in the draft, you will pick first in the first round, last in the second round, and so on. The draft undulates like a snake, moving up and down. Thus, it is called a snake draft. As for salary cap drafts, you get a budget, and have to pick the best team you can within that budget. Each player has a dollar value, and you assemble your team within those values.
Some players matter nothing in fantasy baseball
Forget about setup men in fantasy baseball. In most leagues, they have no value. You pick starting pitchers, and closers, and that’s it for baseball. As for hitters, you need to make sure that your picks play regularly. Part-time players won’t cut it in fantasy baseball.
There are a variety of fantasy leagues by length
You can be in a season-long fantasy baseball league, or be in a league that is only for a week, or even for as short as a day. It’s up to you as to which league you want to join.
There are free and pay fantasy leagues
You can play fantasy baseball for fun, or to win cash and prizes. There are many such sites on the internet these days.
Lisa Swan writes for a variety of fantasy sports sites, including DraftStreet.com.