Choosing & Building the Right Fantasy Baseball Leagues in 2024

There is an infinite number of ways to play fantasy baseball, so what factors should you consider when joining or creating a league?
Eno and DVR discuss some of the basic elements of building or finding a league to play in, as well as a few 2024-specific strategy considerations to keep in mind in the face of MLB's 2023 rule changes and the resulting impact on the run environment.
Rundown
1:40 How Do You Want to Play? - and - Key Questions to Consider
14:17 Where Do You Want to Play? - and - League Formats/Entry Fee Options
23:05 Yes, Free Leagues Still Exist!
39:03 Why We Like the FanGraphs Auction Calculator (www.fangraphs.com/fantasy-too...)
46:43 What Are You Adjusting for 2024?
Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
e-mail: [e-mail]
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Spencer Strider Thumbnail Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

[@inthedougout301]

this is foundational and outstanding. entry point is everything. great job on this.

[@pyrel]

As a math/stats guy just getting into fantasy the past year or so, these kinds of talks are super helpful. I have a lot of unrefined ideas, so it's great to see what what other people generally do, and how they may have taken advantage of an existing weakness previously. I've been trying to make my own tool for drafting, and it's a surprising amount of work to just get the damn sheet to work properly! Wish it would automatically enter players being drafted--I find myself typing names too long if picks are fast.

[@RatesBarrels]

I use the RotoWire Draft Software (included with their subscriptions), and one thing I've gotten better at over time is minimizing that time spent on the second screen. It takes some practice, and building it from scratch can be rewarding if you end up getting it right. - DVR

[@hannigansean]

It seems that one of the things holding fantasy baseball back is the variation. Which I like, but games are easier to uptake if there's an established sameness and a certain level of elegant simplicity. I wonder if there's not some future where there's a version of fantasy baseball that gets almost as easy/fun to play as fantasy football. If you were to invent the most successful version of fantasy baseball the world has ever seen, what would be the essential attributes?

[@RatesBarrels]

I've wondered about this, and my optimistic side says that we still haven't developed or widely played the most popular long-term format of fantasy baseball. - DVR

[@dustins9464]

Thank you, gentlemen, for the video. I am setting up a little NL only strat-o-matic league from 2013 while listening to you both. It is Jose Fernandez's 1st year in the league, and his card is dynamite. Cheers!

[@IdliAmin_TheLastKingofSambar]

Also, a really fun draft-and-hold format is Worstball, where you’re looking for guys who aren’t very good but will get playing time. I played in a Pitcher List league. My team name was Worst Correa, and Patrick Corbin was my first-round pick last year lol (the whole Colorado rotation was gone before my pick). 30+ starts of a 5ish ERA? **chef’s kiss**

[@RatesBarrels]

Worst ball is a pretty fun concept. I've never actually played one out. - DVR

[@LukasMyers27]

I love the idea of fantasy baseball and love the podcast but it’s been hard to find a league because all of my friends aren’t as invested in baseball and especially fantasy baseball and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a league or need a person

[@RatesBarrels]

More to come on that...aside from the public facing places like Fantrax, NFBC, ottoneu where you can sign up as an individual. Yahoo also offers public prize leagues where you can go in on your own. Once you start looking into the options that are out there, it's finding the sweet spot of price point and league settings that you really like. - DVR

[@markheidecker6957]

Can you clarify whether Draft and Hold and Best Ball are the same thing? I'm getting back into fantasy baseball after apx 12-13 years away and had never heard the term best ball until recently. When I did I got the impression they were not the same thing as I thought draft and hold was similar in that there's no free agency but you still managed your team and every other way throughout the season rather than just drafting and then nothing else other than watch things play out.

[@RatesBarrels]

You've got it right. D&H requires you to make your weekly lineup changes, best ball does not. - DVR

[@jwbrez]

What would be your ideal 6x6 setup for H2H each category?

[@RatesBarrels]

I think my preference for 6x6 would be: IP, W, K, ERA, WHIP, SV | AVG or OBP (no both), R, RBI, HR, SB and K as a negative category. My only concern would be pushing too much weight toward starters and making it pretty easy to ignore relievers. If you wanted to correct that, you could drop wins and replace it with holds since having saves and holds as separate categories pushes folks to value relievers more as a group. - DVR

[@jwbrez]

@@RatesBarrels thanks. What about 7x7 if that is the max setup?

[@notsosilentmajority1]

@@RatesBarrels Spot on!! I have had guys try to pressure me to remove Hitting KO's (negative) but I don't think I will ever remove KO's for batters. So many leagues see everyone load up on the big home run hitters because they give you 3 categories and can give you more but most of those guys KO a lot, that keeps their value a little bit more even. Sure, there are 5 category players but they are few and far between. The HR guys also come in much greater numbers than the amount of 5 category guys. I was never a "Holds" guy but over time I've come to believe it is an extra Pitching category that doesn't rely or add on the importance of a SP, instead it adds importance to a Closer or solid RP. It's definitely a good category for pitching.

[@DanG802]

I'm in a ten team salary cap keeper league, keeping 15 of 29 roster spots plus six minor league spots that don't count against the team salary.

[@RatesBarrels]

Very unique, but a great way to stretch the player pool for a league that has a smaller number of teams. I imagine you really like it? - DVR

[@DanG802]

@@RatesBarrels yes it's a great local league! Been around for more than 30 years. I've been in for 5. We also use the two utility slots as either batters or pitchers, just not two of each pitcher type. Adds a lot of flexibility. No IL spots keeps the waivers fresh and encourages farm call ups and trading. Love your podcast! Thanks DVR and Eno!