An example of a fantasy baseball roster will look similar to the
following: 4 starting pitchers, 5 relief pitchers, 5 outfielders, 1 first
baseman, 1 third baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 second baseman, 1 first or third
baseman, 1 middle infielder (ss or 2b), 2 catchers and 2 utility
players or designated hitters. Most rosters will consist of about 24 players
total.
Setting the Weekly Lineup
Once all players have been drafted, it’s time to develop the lineup.
Some leagues like to use the stats of all players on the roster for
scoring while others only use the stats of players who have been “activated”
for that particular week.
In the case of the latter, it will be
necessary to decide what players will start during the next playing period.
Again, the amount of players activated will be dependant on league rules,
but generally at least one player at each fielding position and all
starting and relieving pitchers are activated. This is why it is vitally
important to check injury reports and prior statistics in order to avoid
leaving a void at a particular position.
What's the Score?
Prior to the start of the season, each league will publish the
statistical categories that will be used for the purpose of scoring. There is a
wide range of scoring options being used in fantasy leagues, but the
basic concept is rather straightforward and easy to understand. Pitching
statistics generally include wins, losses, saves, and strikeouts.
Hitting statistics commonly consist of hits, homeruns, runs batted in
(RBI’s), and strikeouts.
As you can see, it is possible to add any number of
statistical categories into the scoring process. A predetermined amount
of scoring points correlate directly to each statistic. For example,
the league rules state that each hit is worth 3 points and strikeouts
count for -2 points. Your second baseman manages two hits and a strikeout
in his game, so he accounts for a total of 4 points towards your
fantasy team’s total. Scoring statistics are normally compiled on a weekly
basis.