X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Determining Draft Strategy in Fantasy Baseball Rotisserie vs. Points Leagues Using "Teams in a Vacuum" Concept

Aaron Judge - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Does the difference in scoring systems for rotisserie vs. points leagues in fantasy baseball mean you should draft players in a different order? Glenn breaks it down using the "Teams in a Vacuum" (TIAV) concept.

What do the experts know? When it comes to rotisserie vs. points leagues, all the fantasy baseball podcasters discuss “drafting Player A in roto but Player B in points.”

Are rotisserie and points leagues really that different? Should you draft players in a different order depending on the scoring type?

To answer these questions, calculations are performed on a player basis for “players in a vacuum” analysis.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Rotisserie vs. Points Leagues Settings for Fantasy Baseball

The standard settings in rotisserie leagues keep track of 10 categories:

  • Batting -- runs, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, batting average
  • Pitching -- strikeouts, wins, saves, earned run average, (walks + hits)/number of innings pitched

Each team is awarded points depending on how their players finish in each category.  In a 12-team league, the best in each category is awarded 12 points, second place gets 11 points, etc.

The most common settings in points leagues award different points based on the category:

  • Batting
    • Single = 1 point
    • Walk = 1 point
    • Double = 2 points
    • Triple = 3 points
    • Home Run = 4 points
    • Run = 1 point
    • Run batted in = 1 point
    • Stolen base = 1 point
  • Pitching
    • Inning pitched = 1 point
    • Strikeout = 1 point
    • Win = 10 points
    • Save = 7 points

The categories are totaled for each team and multiplied by the corresponding category points.

 

Table 1 – 2023 Top-13 Drafted Players and Their Final Ranks

Rotisserie Leagues
Average Draft Position Name Position Rank Final Rank
1 Aaron Judge OF16 42
2 Trea Turner SS3 16
3 Jose Ramirez 3B4 28
4 Ronald Acuna Jr. OF1 1
5 Kyle Tucker OF4 4
6 Juan Soto OF6 10
7 Mookie Betts OF2 2
8 Julio Rodriguez OF3 3
9 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B7 40
10 Yordan Alvarez OF32 98
11 Corbin Burnes SP8 112
12 Freddie Freeman 1B2 7
13 Gerrit Cole SP1 72
Points Leagues
Average Draft Position Name Position Rank Final Rank
1 Aaron Judge OF27 62
2 Trea Turner SS3 18
3 Jose Ramirez 3B2 15
4 Ronald Acuna Jr. OF1 1
5 Kyle Tucker OF4 8
6 Juan Soto OF3 6
7 Mookie Betts OF2 4
8 Julio Rodriguez OF5 10
9 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B8 42
10 Yordan Alvarez OF24 57
11 Corbin Burnes SP19 207
12 Freddie Freeman 1B2 3
13 Gerrit Cole SP5 172

There are several observations from last year’s top players.

  • Using last year’s first-round average draft picks, you had a 50% chance of drafting a player worthy of the first round
  • Pitchers don’t finish near the top in either format
  • Outfielders dominated last year’s top players

To compare how players finished in the two leagues, what if you calculated player totals on a league basis rather than a team basis?  For rotisserie scoring, you take the top-100 batters and the top-100 pitchers (which represents the same number as the non-bench players in a 12-team league) and award category points based on how each player finished in each category.  For points scoring, you take each player's season statistics and calculate their totals.

 

Table 2 – Comparison of First-Round Finishers

Rotisserie Scoring Points Scoring Same First Round Players
Year Best Player Points Best Player Points
2017 Paul Goldschmidt 458 Giancarlo Stanton 1933 75%
2018 Jose Ramirez 464 Jose Ramirez 1875 100%
2019 Cody Bellinger 455 Cody Bellinger 1889 75%
2020 Fernando Tatis Jr. 466 Freddie Freeman 775 75%
2021 Jose Ramirez 459 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2708 75%
2022 Aaron Judge 470 Aaron Judge 2108 75%
2023 Ronald Acuna Jr. 472 Ronald Acuna Jr. 2202 75%
79% Average

Table 2 shows there are similarities between the two scoring systems, but they are not the same. Batting average is not a consideration in points leagues. Other than home runs, multi-base hits are not considered in roto leagues. This can make a big difference in a player’s rank.

To give a contrasting example, Kyle Schwarber had an outstanding year in 2023, scoring 108 runs, 47 home runs, 104 RBI, and 126 walks, which resulted in a 12th-place finish in points leagues. Because walks are not considered in rotisserie and he had no stolen bases, Schwarber’s stellar performance only got a 64th-place finish in roto leagues.

The last column in Table 2 summarizes the differences between the scoring systems concerning batters since they dominate the first round. If you throw out 2018 where the top-12 average draft positions finished in the top 12, roto and points leagues are 75% the same.

The website Statistica estimates that 12.5 million people play fantasy baseball. A quick calculation of the hundreds of public leagues over several fantasy baseball websites showed that leagues are split 70% roto/30% points.

The reason rotisserie is the dominant scoring system is due to the difficulty of tuning the parameters to make pitchers equal to batters in the points scoring system. Similar to defenses and kickers in fantasy football, awarding points for pitching statistics doesn’t translate as well as offensive statistics.

 

Table 3 – Top Pitcher Ranks

Rotisserie Scoring
Year Final Rank First Starting Pitcher Points Best Player Points
2017 64 Corey Kluber 371 Paul Goldschmidt 458
2018 27 Trevor Bauer 410 Jose Ramirez 464
2019 63 Justin Verlander 369 Cody Bellinger 455
2020 84 Shane Bieber 371 Fernando Tatis Jr. 466
2021 61 Max Scherzer 370 Jose Ramirez 459
2022 65 Justin Verlander 363 Aaron Judge 470
2023 72 Gerrit Cole 358 Ronald Acuna Jr. 472
Average 21st pick Second round in 12-team league
Points Scoring
Year Final Rank First Starting Pitcher Points Best Player Points
2017 105 Chris Sale 1094 Giancarlo Stanton 1933
2018 99 Max Scherzer 1080 Jose Ramirez 1875
2019 87 Gerrit Cole 1178 Cody Bellinger 1889
2020 77 Shane Bieber 446 Freddie Freeman 775
2021 207 Gerrit Cole 889 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2708
2022 123 Gerrit Cole 901 Aaron Judge 2108
2023 115 Spencer Strider 1043 Ronald Acuna Jr. 2202
Average 116th pick 10th round in 12-team league

If Table 2 showed batters finish within the same round of each other 75% of the time, Table 3 shows the top pitchers do not match between the leagues 100% of the time. In my previous article, I stated that you should not consider drafting a starting pitcher before the third round.

In a points league, you wouldn’t dream of it. If you are drafting in a points league, grab the best nine or 10 batters before considering a pitcher.

The top drafting tip in fantasy football is know your league settings referring to standard scoring versus point-per-reception. This directive is even more important in fantasy baseball.

Rotisserie and points scoring produce different results. The rotisserie scoring system attempts to have a level playing field with an equal number of categories between batters and pitchers. The points-scoring system makes no such concession; pitchers are treated like second-class citizens. Because rotisserie scoring is dominant, do not trust the draft tool’s player rankings when in a points league draft. If pitchers pop up before the 10th round, ignore them.

Are rotisserie and points leagues really that different? Between the two scoring systems, batters finish in the same round 75% of the time; pitchers finish rounds apart 100% of the time. Grab those batters first!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS


Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday

Bears Draft Luther Burden In Round 2
Buffalo Bills

Bills Move Up To 41st Pick In Trade With Bears

Patriots Add TreVeyon Henderson To The Backfield At Pick No. 38
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Acquire 37th Pick From Raiders, Draft Jonah Savaiinaea

Browns Add Quinshon Judkins To Backfield With 36th Pick
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Acquire 35th Pick From Titans, Select Nick Emmanwori

Texans Select Jayden Higgins 34th Overall
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3

Tyler Shough Could Come Off The Board Before Shedeur Sanders
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Isaiah Spiller

Raiders Waive Isaiah Spiller
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
NFL

Several Teams Trying To Trade Up Early In Round 2

Bhayshul Tuten Could Be A Third-Round Pick
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Cleveland Browns

Browns Fielding Calls For First Pick In Round 2
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
George Pickens

Steelers Receiving Calls About George Pickens
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Ryan Weathers

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Sunday
Colby Thomas

Heating Up At Triple-A
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Don't Feel Forced To Draft A Running Back
Emmanuel Rodriguez

Has Quiet Start To 2025
Jeff McNeil

Hitting Eighth In Season Debut
Brandon Sproat

Coughs Up Six Earned Runs In Latest Start
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez To Start Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF