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Points leagues are becoming more and more popular in fantasy baseball. They have long been my favorite format because they are great both for the newcomer and the seasoned vet. The thing about points leagues is that while the scoring can vary based on platform, they tend to reward more outcomes than traditional Roto leagues, which reward just five hitter categories.
In points leagues, players are typically awarded points for drawing walks, hitting doubles and sometimes can lose points for striking out. Think about it - if your hitter draws a walk but does not steal a base or score a run, in a Roto league that is a wasted plate appearance that you get nothing out of. But in a points league, you would get rewarded because your hitter did his job of getting on base.
But points leagues are also the perfect place to start if you are a new fantasy baseball player. First, it is the closest scoring system to fantasy football. Just like in football you receive points for what your players do on the field. In a Roto league, you have to be passionate when you get into the dog days of July and August as you are competing against your entire league and looking at standings that slowly change can get tedious. But when you have an opponent each week, not only is every at-bat and start for pitchers more valuable, it adds to the fun of the game. If points leagues sound fun to you, the next thing to do is find some players to target in the format. That is exactly what I will go over here - hitters that you should be targeting in points leagues!
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Hitters to Target in Fantasy Baseball Drafts
You can also read Michael Florio's pitchers to target in points leagues.
Juan Soto may seem like an obvious one, but in points leagues he should be the first overall pick. The reason he is not in Roto leagues is because he doesn’t provide speed - but here is a tip about points leagues: stolen bases are the most overrated stat. There is not a stat that gets watered down more when going from Roto to points leagues.
Think of it like this - in points leagues a stolen base is usually worth half or a third of a home run, yet in Roto they are an equal category both worth 20 percent of a batter's yearly output. So throw steals out the window and Soto is the best player for the format. He walked 22.2 percent of the time in 2021, the second best rate in the league, while striking out just 14.2 percent. That means he had a 1.56 BB/K ratio - by far the highest in the MLB. He also hit 29 homers, with 20 doubles, drove in 95 RBI and scored 111 runs. Arguably the best pure hitter in baseball, he is the best player in points leagues and you may get him in the middle of the first round, as Roto leagues tend to impact ADP a ton - even in points leagues. Take the discount and run if so!
Jose Ramirez is another one that may seem obvious, but after Soto you can make the case that Ramirez should be the second overall pick in points leagues. Last season Ramirez walked 11.3 percent of the time and his 0.83 K/BB ratio was the 10th-best in baseball. Ramirez also thrives not only in the five Roto categories, but in the forgotten ones that still get you points in this format. For the Roto categories he hit .266 with 36 homers, 27 steals, 111 runs and 103 RBI - yeah, the guy was a beast. But do not overlook the fact that he also hit 32 doubles, which gets you points in these leagues. Ramirez consistently thrives in this format and should be the second pick, but you may get a little discount on him thanks to some Roto influence on the top picks.
Matt Olson was simply amazing regardless of format last year, but especially in points leagues. He hit .271 with 39 homers, 111 RBI and 101 runs - those numbers will play regardless of format. What hurts him a bit in Roto is that he only stole four bases. But again, in points leagues, you do not care if a player doesn’t steal bases, as long as they make it up in other categories. Olson does that in the main four categories alone, but add in that he had a 13.1 walk rate and his 0.78 BB/K ratio was the 15th best in baseball and you can understand why he is even more useful in points leagues. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that he hit 35 doubles. Oh, and he received both a lineup and ballpark upgrade when he was traded to the Braves. Olson is going to be a stud who could go as early as the first two rounds in points league drafts next year. Get him while you can!
Alex Bregman is coming off a down year, but he is still a strong points league hitter. For years, Bregman joined Ramirez and another player later on the list as the face of my points league strategy. They were the hitters I would aggressively try to draft in the early rounds. Bregman hasn’t been his usual self since pre-Covid (I mean, who really has been?) but there is still plenty to like for those in points leagues. He had a 11 percent walk rate and just a 13.3 percent strikeout rate - and his 0.83 BB/K ratio was tied with Ramirez for the ninth best in baseball last year. He hit just 12 homers in 400 plate appearances, but added 17 doubles which helps his point league output. He is much cheaper than he once was, but he is healthy and remains in a strong lineup. There is a chance he can return to his old self, which would be a first round player in this format, but even if he doesn’t he will live up to his current price of a borderline sixth/seventh round pick in 12-team leagues.
Jose Altuve may not be what he once was, but he still remains a very useful piece in this format. Last season, Altuve hit .278 with 31 homers, 83 RBI and 117 runs, while stealing five bases. The lack of speed tends to lead to a decreased ADP, but who cares in points leagues. Those other numbers will surely play, as will the fact that he hit 32 doubles with a 0.73 BB/K rate, which was still inside the Top-25 of all hitters last season. You have to take Altuve in the fifth round if you want to land him, which isn’t bad for a player who was top-five at his position in points leagues last year.
Yuli Gurriel continues the Astros run for us! Last year, Gurriel hit .319 with 15 homers, 81 RBI and 83 runs scored. He gives literally no speed, but he did swat 31 doubles and has elite plate discipline. His 0.87 BB/K ratio was the sixth best in baseball last season. Gurriel was a Top-12 first baseman in points leagues in 2021, yet you can often get him outside the first 200 picks in a draft. He is pure profit in points leagues.
Justin Turner is one of my favorite fall back options at third base regardless of format, but he gets an extra boost in points leagues. Last year he hit .278 with 27 homers, 87 runs and 87 RBI, while also hitting 22 doubles and sporting a 10 percent walk rate. He brings a solid 0.62 BB/K rate as well. Turner is one of those players who does not excel in any category but does everything (besides steal) well. In Roto, those players can tend to get overlooked a bit, which explains why he currently is going as pick 150 overall on average. Yet, he finished as the sixth best third baseman in certain points leagues last year. And the fact that he is hitting likely in the middle of the greatest lineup ever assembled doesn’t hurt his chances of improving his counting stats.
Jesse Winkerhit .305, 24 homers, 71 RBI and 77 runs scored for the Reds last season. He did that despite totaling just 485 plate appearances. Winker can get on base as he posted a 11 percent walk rate and just a 15.5 percent strike out rate - his 0.71 BB/K ratio was inside the Top 30 in the MLB. Winker also possess the ability to draw walks at a much higher clip - as his walk rate sat around 15 percent in two of his last four seasons - only once has his strikeout rate been higher than 16 percent. He takes a hit due to a park downgrade going from Cincy to Seattle, but he should also should see more consistent playing time, while hitting in the middle of the lineup. Winker goes off the board just outside the Top-100 picks, so he is not super cheap, but he should outlive his ADP in points leagues.
Carlos Santana is a super cheap player who excels in points leagues! No lie, for years I have dubbed Santana my “points league bae.” Santana is coming off a down year where he hit just .214 with 19 homers, 66 runs and 69 RBI - and that has caused his ADP to plummet to outside the top 550 players taken. That’s right, he is a complete afterthought who will likely go undrafted in many home leagues. But in this format, he is worth taking a late round flier on. Last season, he posted a career worst 13.1 percent walk rate and he still managed to put up a 0.84 BB/K rate - the eighth best in baseball. It is worth putting Santana on your bench to see if he can bounce back - because if he can have slight upgrades with his usual plate discipline, he could become a big value in this format. He may never be a Top-10 first baseman like he was in his prime yearly in this format, but he can become a useful corner infield or utility hitter.
DJ LeMahieu hit .268 with 10 homers, 57 RBI, 84 runs and four stolen bases last season. That was the same number of homers as he hit in the Covid shortened 2020 season. Those numbers do not scream sexy pick at all, especially for someone who was an MVP candidate a couple years ago. But LeMahieu did slap 24 doubles last season with a 10.8 percent walk rate and just a 13.8 percent strikeout rate. His 0.78 BB/K rate was just outside the Top-15 in baseball. The only concern for LeMahieu is playing time as the Yankees infield is suddenly crowded and DJLM is best for providing volume. But he does bring multi-position eligibility and despite the down season last year was still a Top-15 third baseman in points league. His ADP has been decreasing as of late as well, so you can get an even larger discount on him by the time you draft.
Brandon Nimmo does not stand out in any category in Roto leagues besides average as he hit .292 with eight homers, 28 RBI, 51 runs and five steals in 386 plate appearances in 2021. But, he does what we want in points leagues. He gets on base - his OBP has been over .375 every year since he became a regular and over .400 the past two seasons - and he hits doubles (17 last year). Nimmo is an OBP specialist which plays right into the hands of points leagues, as it is what really matters, not batting average. But due to a heavy Roto influence, his ADP is outside the top 320 players currently. Nimmo missed time due to injury last year, but was the OF35 in 2020. He has that capability once again if he stays healthy, due to his OBP and the fact that he hits atop the Mets lineup. Nimmo is an absolute steal in points leagues.
Other Hitters to Target: Joey Votto, Anthony Rizzo, Adam Frazier, Bryan Reynolds, Yandy Diaz, Yasmani Grandal, Luis Arraez
Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio
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