Sport: MLB<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
What?! Your fantasy baseball league wasn\u2019t hosted on Fantrax last season? Preposterous! Check out what the Fantrax MLB Commissioner<\/a> has to offer and we think you\u2019ll be singing a different tune for the 2026 MLB season.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n However, you do need to prepare differently. As you get ready for the season, let\u2019s take a look at some NL\/AL-only draft strategy.<\/p>\n NL- and AL-Only Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy This applies to all 10 categories, but each one needs to be treated differently. On a macro level, though, it\u2019s important to remember that we are dealing with very distinct player pools.<\/p>\n When you get to an NL-\/AL-only league, players that wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n A similar thought process applies to wins. There just aren\u2019t as many out there you have to think about pitching accordingly. It can\u2019t be just about chasing wins.<\/p>\n Maximize Playing Time<\/p>\n 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\u2019s a real balancing act in play, and it requires us to be a little more cautious.<\/p>\n Again, we can\u2019t 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\u2019t there.<\/p>\n Here are some factors that I\u2019m keeping in consideration:<\/p>\n Remove Injury Risk \u2013 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\u2019s still value in moving forward and embracing the risk, but NL- or AL-only leagues aren\u2019t the place for it. When the waiver wire has nothing, or close to it, in current production, it\u2019s not something we can rely on. Focus on Batting Average<\/p>\n 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\u2019s why it\u2019s even more important that, when you have the ability to, you need to make batting average your priority.<\/p>\n Ratios are Important<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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\u2019s going to be that much harder to reverse that damage.<\/p>\n Versatility Matters<\/p>\n Forget about the waiver wire and the bench; your starting lineup is probably going to be a paper thing. And that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you\u2019ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit<\/a>! We\u2019re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.<\/p>\n Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we\u2019re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn\u2019t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sport: MLB Fantasy baseball is not an easy game. It certainly is fun, though. 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\nReduce Your Targets<\/p>\n
\nTarget At-Bats \u2013 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\u2019t go to the waiver wire for at-bats, it\u2019s something you need to roster. The batting average might suffer, but you have no chance at the other four hitting categories without at-bats.
\nMinimize Platoons \u2013 Depth is always going to be an issue in NL\/AL only leagues, so that means you can\u2019t play the matchup game and take advantage of matchups. You aren\u2019t going to avoid platoons, but you also don\u2019t want to end up with too many players that are in them. It comes down to being a balance between at-bats and skills.<\/p>\n