By: Jared Leonard
The Super Bowl is here, and we all know what that means. Another ring for the GOAT, Tom Brady! Well there’s that, but we also know it means it’s time to get ready for Fantasy Baseball season. There are different formats in fantasy baseball, the two most popular formats are “head to head” and “rotisserie”. I want to provide you with strategies for both and how to develop a winning approach. In this article, we are going to focus on what you need to know and do to win in head to head leagues.
Most head to head leagues are point based, just like fantasy football with one on one weekly matchups. As always, make sure you know your league rules, scoring system, and the number of teams in your league. So, here is what you need to know for success in head to head leagues.
• Get big strikeout arms and at least 2 starting pitchers with win potential. Pitching is a huge piece in head to head leagues.
• You don’t need power at every position. However, you do need to build around 2 or 3 big power bats. But players that get on base, steal bags, and score a ton of runs are just as valuable.
• Don’t worry about catchers, find value later in the draft.
• Wait on closers. It is the most volatile position in baseball and you can always find value later in drafts or on the waiver wire during the season.
• Don’t over draft rookies or unproven players. Consistency is the key in head to head leagues.
• Don’t draft too many position players with huge strikeout numbers.
• Be patient and don’t get discouraged early, fantasy baseball is a marathon. Some players start slow, just look at Corey Kluber’s stats in April.
• Make sure you check your waiver wire consistently, become familiar with all MLB teams, player movement, and injuries.