Sport: MLB
Fantasy baseball is not an easy game. It certainly is fun, though. The challenge is one of the biggest, among many, things that draw us in. So why not make things harder? Drafting in an NL- or AL-Only league is certainly a step in that direction.
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Let’s play the same game, but just cut the player pool in half. While the statistical targets will naturally adjust themselves, we still need to put out a full starting lineup. That means NL- and AL-Only drafts require a different strategy. By no means is this meant to scare you away. In fact, the complete opposite is true, as these are some of the more interesting leagues.
However, you do need to prepare differently. As you get ready for the season, let’s take a look at some NL/AL-only draft strategy.
NL- and AL-Only Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy
Reduce Your Targets
This applies to all 10 categories, but each one needs to be treated differently. On a macro level, though, it’s important to remember that we are dealing with very distinct player pools.
When you get to an NL-/AL-only league, players that wouldn’t be rostered in mixed leagues are now in your starting lineup. Just by the nature of things, they are going to average less production across all of the counting categories. For better or worse, that happens naturally throughout the draft process. However, when it comes to wins and saves, we need to think of things a little differently.
Chopping the player pool in half means we are dealing with half of the available saves and wins. Instead of 30 closers, and we know that’s not really the case anymore, we are down to 15, at best. Assuming that all 15 teams have a clear closer, at most, three teams can have multiple closers. So from a draft perspective, get yourself one legitimate closer and then play on the fringes.
A similar thought process applies to wins. There just aren’t as many out there you have to think about pitching accordingly. It can’t be just about chasing wins.
Maximize Playing Time
At the end of the day, we need all of the at-bats we can get. Yes, quality is very important, but so is quantity. There’s a real balancing act in play, and it requires us to be a little more cautious.
Again, we can’t speak in absolutes, but there are multiple ways in which we can attack this. In summation, we need to minimize risk as the replacement value simply isn’t there.
Here are some factors that I’m keeping in consideration:
Remove Injury Risk – I should add, to the extent that this is even possible. While we can never truly predict injuries, there are some situations that are riskier than others. Sometimes, there’s still value in moving forward and embracing the risk, but NL- or AL-only leagues aren’t the place for it. When the waiver wire has nothing, or close to it, in current production, it’s not something we can rely on.
Target At-Bats – We have to live in the here and now. That means we need players who are going to play. Yes, we want to target skills, but when you can’t go to the waiver wire for at-bats, it’s something you need to roster. The batting average might suffer, but you have no chance at the other four hitting categories without at-bats.
Minimize Platoons – Depth is always going to be an issue in NL/AL only leagues, so that means you can’t play the matchup game and take advantage of matchups. You aren’t going to avoid platoons, but you also don’t want to end up with too many players that are in them. It comes down to being a balance between at-bats and skills.
Focus on Batting Average
When you are chasing counting stats, it means looking everywhere for at-bats. The problem, though, is that it sometimes comes at the detriment of your batting average. That’s why it’s even more important that, when you have the ability to, you need to make batting average your priority.
Ratios are Important
Just as we are targeting batting average, your ERA and WHIP deserve just as much attention. Chasing wins and saves is never going to be easy, and the barrier to success is that much lower in monoleagues. Of course, that doesn’t mean we should ignore either category, but you really need to be careful when it comes to ERA and WHIP. Once you lose ground there, it’s going to be that much harder to reverse that damage.
Versatility Matters
Forget about the waiver wire and the bench; your starting lineup is probably going to be a paper thing. And that’s on draft day, forget about after injuries sink their ugly teeth into your roster. To make your path that much easier, give yourself as many options as possible. That means prioritizing those players who are eligible at multiple positions.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
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