Navigating a fantasy baseball season requires learning a second language. Before diving into the fantasy baseball draft kit, this guide will break down 60 essential terms, with each explanation designed to give you a clear, competitive edge.
I. Scoring Mechanics & Formats
Rotisserie (Roto): A scoring style where teams are ranked in specific statistical categories. Points are awarded based on rank and the team with the highest cumulative total at year-end wins.
Head-to-Head (H2H): A weekly matchup format where you compete against one specific opponent. You either win categories or total points to earn a weekly win-loss record for the standings.
Points League: A format where every statistical action (single, home run, strikeout) is assigned a fixed point value (like standard fantasy football leagues). The team with the highest total points at the end of the week wins.
5x5 Standard: Common scoring setup. It uses five hitting categories (AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB) and five pitching categories (W, K, ERA, WHIP, SV) to determine winners.
Counting Stats: Statistics that accumulate every time a player performs an action, such as Home Runs or Strikeouts. In most leagues, the more of these you have, the better your score.
Ratio Stats: Statistics based on averages rather than totals, like ERA, WHIP or Batting Average. These are high-stakes because one bad game can "tank" your team's average for a long time.
Punting: A strategy where a manager intentionally ignores one specific category (like Stolen Bases) during the draft to become overwhelmingly strong in
Navigating a fantasy baseball season requires learning a second language. Before diving into the fantasy baseball draft kit, this guide will break down 60 essential terms, with each explanation designed to give you a clear, competitive edge.
I. Scoring Mechanics & Formats
Rotisserie (Roto): A scoring style where teams are ranked in specific statistical categories. Points are awarded based on rank and the team with the highest cumulative total at year-end wins.
Head-to-Head (H2H): A weekly matchup format where you compete against one specific opponent. You either win categories or total points to earn a weekly win-loss record for the standings.
Points League: A format where every statistical action (single, home run, strikeout) is assigned a fixed point value (like standard fantasy football leagues). The team with the highest total points at the end of the week wins.
5x5 Standard: Common scoring setup. It uses five hitting categories (AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB) and five pitching categories (W, K, ERA, WHIP, SV) to determine winners.
Counting Stats: Statistics that accumulate every time a player performs an action, such as Home Runs or Strikeouts. In most leagues, the more of these you have, the better your score.
Ratio Stats: Statistics based on averages rather than totals, like ERA, WHIP or Batting Average. These are high-stakes because one bad game can "tank" your team's average for a long time.
Punting: A strategy where a manager intentionally ignores one specific category (like Stolen Bases) during the draft to become overwhelmingly strong in the other remaining categories to ensure wins. This is a more common strategy in head-to-head compared to Rotisserie leagues where everything is weighted evenly.
Weighted Points: Used in points leagues where specific stats are worth more than others (e.g., a Home Run is 4 points). Your total score is the sum of these values.
Negative Points: A feature in points leagues where poor performance (like a hitter striking out or a pitcher allowing an earned run) subtracts points from your team's total score for that day.
Stat Correction: A late adjustment made by the official MLB scorer (e.g., changing an "Error" to a "Hit"). These can sometimes flip a fantasy matchup's outcome days after it ended.
II. League & Draft Basics
ADP (Average Draft Position): A metric showing where a player is typically selected across thousands of drafts. All managers should consider fantasy baseball ADP to identify value picks and determine if they are reaching too early on draft targets.
Auction Draft: A format where managers start with a fixed budget (usually $200) and bid on players. It allows every manager an equal opportunity to acquire any player on the board. Researching fantasy baseball auction values ensures you aren't overpaying for certain players.
Snake Draft: The most common draft format where the order of the picks reverse each round. If you pick first in Round 1, you pick last in Round 2 to ensure fairness.
Keeper League: A format where managers retain a specific number of players from their previous year's roster. This adds a multi-year layer of strategy regarding player age and long-term potential and means managers should consider fantasy baseball dynasty rankings when planning for their draft.
Dynasty League: A format where you keep your entire roster year-over-year. These leagues mirror real MLB GM experiences, focusing heavily on prospect development and future value for the long term. Managers will need to keep a close eye on MLB prospect rankings for potential stars that can help in future years.
Active Roster: The group of players currently in your starting lineup. Only players in these slots earn points or stats for your team during that specific day or scoring period.
Sleeper: A player perceived as undervalued. These are late-round picks who have the potential to perform like early-round stars, providing a significant return on your investment. Your fantasy baseball draft assistant can help identify these players on draft day to allow you to maximize value on your selections.
Bust: A high-draft-pick player who fails to meet expectations due to injury or poor performance, often sinking a fantasy team's championship hopes because of the resources used on them.
Tiering: A draft strategy where managers group players of similar value together. This helps identify when a talent drop-off is coming, signaling it is time to draft a specific position or category such as starting pitching or stolen bases.
Handicapping: The process of evaluating players based on their specific situation, such as their home ballpark, their spot in the batting order or the strength of their division's opposing pitchers.
III. Hitting Stats & Sabermetrics
AVG (Batting Average): The traditional measure of hitting success calculated by hits divided by at-bats. While common, it is increasingly being replaced by OBP in many modern "analytics-heavy" fantasy leagues.
OBP (On-Base Percentage): Measures how often a hitter reaches base via hits, walks or hit-by-pitches. It is considered a better metric for offensive value because it rewards plate discipline. Nearly all top batters in any fantasy baseball rankings will be positive contributors in this category.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging): A cumulative stat that adds OBP and Slugging Percentage. It provides a quick snapshot of a player's total offensive contributions, combining both on-base skills and raw power.
xwOBA (Expected Weighted On-Base Average): A stat that uses exit velocity and launch angle to determine what a player's production should have been, regardless of the actual outcome of the play. xwOBA can be an indicator of a player hitting the ball well and just experiencing a streak of "bad luck," presenting buy-low options or sell-high options if a batter is getting lucky.
BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play): Measures a player's average on balls hit into the field. High BABIPs often suggest "luck" that will regress, while low BABIPs suggest a breakout is coming.
Hard-Hit Rate: The percentage of batted balls hit with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph. This is a primary indicator of a player's raw power and hitting consistency over time and is one of the most important under-the-radar MLB player stats to indicate success.
Launch Angle: The vertical angle at which a ball leaves a player's bat. Optimal launch angles lead to more home runs and doubles, while poor angles result in groundouts or pop-ups.
K-Rate (Strikeout Rate): The frequency at which a batter strikes out. High strikeout rates can be a "red flag" for batting average volatility, even if the player has significant home run power.
BB-Rate (Walk Rate): The frequency at which a batter draws a walk. High walk rates indicate elite plate discipline and are particularly valuable in OBP leagues for maintaining a high statistical floor. In OBP leagues, this is less detrimental (though still important to consider).
ISO (Isolated Power): Calculated by subtracting Batting Average from Slugging Percentage. It measures a player's raw power by showing how many extra bases they average per at-bat, ignoring all singles.
Barrel: A batted ball with a perfect combination of exit velocity and launch angle. Barrels have a very high likelihood of becoming extra-base hits, specifically home runs, for the hitter.
SB (Stolen Bases): A highly coveted category because of its scarcity. Players who can steal 30+ bases are often drafted in the first two rounds because they are extremely difficult to replace.
Replacement Level: The quality of a player who is easily available on the waiver wire. Knowing replacement level helps managers determine if a struggling player is worth keeping or simply dropping.
Platoon: A strategy where two players share a position based on the handedness of the opposing pitcher. Left-handed hitters often "platoon" to avoid facing tough left-handed pitchers.
Exit Velocity: The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat. Higher exit velocities generally lead to more hits and home runs, making it a key stat for power hitters.
IV. Pitching Stats & Terms
ERA (Earned Run Average): The average number of earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. It is the gold standard for measuring a pitcher's efficiency and run-prevention ability in fantasy.
WHIP (Walks + Hits per Innings Pitched): Measures how many baserunners a pitcher allows per inning. A lower WHIP is better, as it indicates a pitcher is dominant and less prone to "blow-up" innings.
K/9 (Strikeouts per Nine): The average number of strikeouts a pitcher records over nine innings. High K/9 pitchers provide a high floor in fantasy because strikeouts are independent of team defense.
QS (Quality Start): A stat where a starter completes at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs. Some leagues use QS instead of Wins to reward pitcher skill.
SV (Save): Awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under specific lead conditions. It is the primary stat for measuring a closer's fantasy value.
HLD (Hold): Awarded to a relief pitcher (usually a setup man) who enters a game in a potential save situation and maintains the lead, but does not finish the game. Common in "Saves + Holds" leagues.
FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching): A stat that estimates a pitcher's ERA by focusing only on things they can control: strikeouts, walks and home runs. It filters out the influence of fielding luck.
LOB% (Left On Base Percentage): The percentage of baserunners a pitcher "strands." If this number is unusually high or low compared to league average, statistical regression is likely in the future.
Streamer: A pitcher picked up from the waiver wire specifically for one favorable matchup. Managers "stream" to chase wins or strikeouts in a short period without committing to the player long-term. Checking out daily MLB projections can help identify which players will help in the categories you need most.
Bullpen Committee: When a team does not have one designated closer, instead using multiple pitchers for saves. This is a nightmare for fantasy managers who need consistent and predictable save production.
Opener: A relief pitcher who starts the game and pitches only one or two innings before a "bulk" reliever takes over. This can complicate how Wins and Quality Starts are awarded.
Two-Start Pitcher: A starting pitcher scheduled to pitch twice within a single fantasy week. These players are highly valuable in H2H leagues for maximizing counting stats like strikeouts and wins.
K/BB Ratio: The ratio of strikeouts to walks. This is one of the best indicators of a pitcher's command and overall dominance, as it rewards both "stuff" and control.
Velocity: The speed of a pitcher's fastball. While not a fantasy stat itself, declining velocity is often the first sign of a lurking injury or a significant performance regression for a pitcher.
Vulture Win: When a relief pitcher enters a tied game, the team takes the lead, and the reliever is credited with a "Win" despite only pitching briefly.
V. Roster Management & Transactions
Waiver Wire: The pool of unowned players in a league. Managers use the waiver wire to replace injured players or to find "hot" hitters who weren't selected during the initial draft.
FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget): A system where managers have a seasonal budget to bid on free agents. It replaces "waiver priority" and adds a layer of financial strategy to transactions.
IL (Injured List): A roster designation for players who are hurt and unable to play. Most leagues offer "IL slots" so managers can hold on to injured players without using a bench spot or having to release a player.
Stashing: The act of keeping a player on your bench who isn't currently producing, such as a top prospect or an injured star, hoping for a major payoff later in the season.
Drop: The act of releasing a player from your roster to the waiver wire. This is usually done to make room for a new acquisition, a returning injured player or to get rid of a bust.
Trade Block: A feature in most platforms where a manager lists players they are willing to trade. It signals to the rest of the league that you are open for business.
Sell High: Trading a player while their value is at its peak, often because you suspect their current high level of performance is unsustainable due to luck or underlying metrics.
Buy Low: Attempting to trade for a talented player who is currently struggling. The goal is to acquire them for a fraction of their true value before they inevitably bounce back.
Bench (BN): The section of your roster for players who are not currently in your starting lineup. Stats accumulated by players on your bench do not count toward your team total.
Utility (UTIL): A flexible roster spot that can be filled by any offensive player regardless of their position. It allows managers to play their best available hitters every single day.
