The tendency when evaluating players is to do so broadly, without getting into the particulars of specific scoring formats, and as a general rule, that's fine. A good player is a good player regardless of the format.
But there are certain players whose statistical makeup merits special distinction in certain formats -- specialists, you might call them. There are others who lose value in particular formats. Wouldn't it be nice to know before your draft which players are most format-dependent?
Of course it would, which is why I'm about to tell you by way of an All-Head-to-Head team and an All-Rotisserie team.
Please notethat these aren't meant to represent the best possible lineups you could construct for these formats, which is why Fernando Tatis is in neither. They're merely the most representativelineups for each format, comprised of the players you might go out of your way to draft specifically because of the format.
Please note also that by "Head-to-Head," I mean points-based, Fantasy Football-style scoring rather than category-based 5x5 scoring. In Head-to-Head categories leagues, players are valued about like they are in Rotisserie, which would make the distinction between Head-to-Head and Rotisserie unnecessary.
Let's get to it.
All-H2H team
Based on standard CBS Sports scoring:
| Head-to-Head point values | ||||||||
| For hitters | | For pitchers | | |||||
Single | 1 | Walk | -1 | |||||
Double | 2 | Earned run | -1 | |||||
Triple | 3 | Hit | -1 | |||||
Walk | 1 | Hit batter | -1 | |||||
Caught stealing | -1 | Inning | 3 | |||||
Hit by pitch | 1 | Strikeout | 0.5 | |||||
Home run | 4 | Win | 7 | |||||
Strikeout | -0.5 | Loss | -5 | |||||
Run | 1 | Save | 7 | |||||
RBI | 1 | QS | 3 | |||||
Stolen base | 2 | | | |||||
This format is the more straightforward one. There's no need to balance categories. Virtually everything a player produces is of benefit to you, and the benefit isn't relative to what you already have. What makes it complicated is that you have to consider the full scope of a player's contributions and not just the handful that would matter to a Rotisserie league. It allows you to win in the margins by targeting players who excel in more subtle ways, like hitting doubles, drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts and, for pitchers, accumulating innings. In fact, pure accumulation is a big part of the equation since percentage stats like batting average, ERA and WHIP have no direct value.
Catcher
Keibert Ruiz
WAS • C • #20
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Given how often the average catcher sits, it's usually a playing-time advantage that determines the points league standout. What sets Keibert Ruiz apart, though, is his freakish ability to put the bat on the ball. If his strikeout rate is anywhere in the neighborhood of 10 percent -- and it was even better than that in his 29 games last year -- it almost doesn't matter what he does at the plate. He'll be must-start just by virtue of avoiding negatives. I suppose he could hit so poorly he loses his job, in which case the distinction between his Head-to-Head and Rotisserie value is moot, but while his Rotisserie relevance relies on him sustaining his power gains from the minors last year, his Head-to-Head relevance does not.
Honorable mention:Yasmani Grandal, CHW
First base
Rhys Hoskins
MIL • 1B • #12
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Carlos Santana's collapse has created an opening here, with no shortage of candidates to fill it. Rhys Hoskins seems like a suitable heir, his superlative walk rate making up for a poor batting average profile -- a distinction that traditional 5x5 scoring doesn't account for. He's still useful in Rotisserie leagues because of his power but can be downright studly in Head-to-Head, where he averaged more points per game (3.21) than Pete Alonso (3.16) last year.
Honorable mentions:Yuli Gurriel, HOU
Second base
Max Muncy
LAD • 1B • #13
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Max Muncy has a similar high-walk, low-batting average profile to Hoskins. Just like walks aren't directly rewarded in Rotisserie leagues, batting average isn't directly rewarded in Head-to-Head, so the distinction between the two formats is twofold. Of course, Muncy this year has the added complication of ligament damage in his elbow, which may or may not impact his availability for the start of the season, but the reward is more worth the risk in this format.
Honorable mention:Jonathan India, CIN
Third base
Alex Bregman
HOU • 3B • #2
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WhileAlex Bregman's power profile may be in question with the introduction of the deadened ball last year, the man clearly still knows how to manage the strike zone, having walked more than he's struck out over the past four seasons. Between that and the expectation he'll continue to pile up doubles with or without the home runs, a stud outcome remains likely in Head-to-Head points leagues even if he's decidedly second-tier in Rotisserie.
Honorable mentions:Anthony Rendon, LAA; Jeimer Candelario, DET
Shortstop
Wander Franco
TB • SS • #5
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Wander Franco's rookie season was stunning by any measure ... except traditional Rotisserie scoring, where it was kind of ordinary. His approach is what stood out the most. He struck out just three times in September and had more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) over the final two months, which is unheard of for someone his age. But other than what it says for his batting average potential, it doesn't amount to much in Rotisserie, where we're counting on him to take a step forward power-wise. He's already a stud in Head-to-Head points, averaging as many points per game as Corey Seager.
Honorable mention:Xander Bogaerts, BOS
Outfield
Juan Soto
NYY • RF • #22
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Jesse Winker
WAS • LF • #6
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Bryan Reynolds
PIT • CF • #10
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A lot of the same factors are at play for this trio. No one in the game today walks more than Juan Soto, who reached base at a .525 clip in the second half last year. It makes him the consensus No. 1 choice in Head-to-Head points leagues while he might go as late as fifth in Rotisserie. Jesse Winker's 3.70 points per game last year, better than Kyle Tucker and Luis Robert, shows how well-suited he is for the format and puts less pressure on him to deliver the sort of power that's needed in Rotisserie. Bryan Reynolds, meanwhile, delivers bunches of extra-base hits apart from home runs and actually gets credit for it in this format.
Honorable mentions:Alex Verdugo, BOS; Michael Brantley, HOU
Starting pitcher
Sandy Alcantara
MIA • SP • #22
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Jose Berrios
TOR • SP • #17
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Framber Valdez
HOU • SP • #59
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Adam Wainwright
STL • SP • #50
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Marcus Stroman
NYY • SP
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Strikeouts make up 25 percent of a pitcher's production in Rotisserie, but they're a much smaller portion of the pie in Head-to-Head, allowing ground-ball specialists and control artists just as much opportunity to shine. Sandy Alcantara, Jose Berrios and Adam Wainwright are all proven workhorses who consistently pitch deep into games and are likely to approach 200 innings over a full season. While a big workload has the effect of bolstering other stats in Rotisserie, innings count for something in and of themselves in Head-to-Head. Framber Valdez and Marcus Stroman, who also show workhorse tendencies, excel at putting the ball on their ground, which helps with ERA but not so much WHIP. Fortunately, WHIP has no direct value in this format.
Honorable mentions:Kyle Hendricks, CHC; Zack Greinke, free agent
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Relief pitcher
Ranger Suarez
PHI • RP • #55
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Cal Quantrill
COL • SP • #47
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Normally, I'd take this opportunity to highlight a closer who's in a line for an abundance of saves but without the stellar ratios that would set him apart in Rotisserie. The lockout has made the closer scene foggier than ever, though, which allows me to highlight the relief pitchers who actually stand out most in points leagues: SPARPs (starting pitchers as relief pitchers). An RP-eligible SP can outscore a closer through the simple accumulation of innings. Saves are essential in Rotisserie, but in this format, it doesn't matter where the points come from. Ranger Suarez is the SPARP du jour this year, but he's also valuable in Rotisserie just as a starting pitcher. Cal Quantrill's success last year doesn't look as sustainable, but you're more likely to roll the dice on him in this format.
Honorable mention:Luis Severino, NYY
All-Roto team
Based on standard 5x5 categories (BA, HR, RBI, R, SB for hitters and W, ERA, K, WHIP, SV for pitchers)
Rotisserie leagues aren't simply an exercise in collecting the best, most productive players. You have to weigh what each one contributes across several categories and strike the right balance across your entire roster. It's a quirk that leads to artificial scarcities, elevating a stat like stolen bases beyond its real-life utility. Thus, one-category specialists might have considerable value here when they'd be just an afterthought in Head-to-Head leagues.
Efficiency is of greater concern, particularly on the pitching side, where 40 percent of the focus is on ERA and WHIP. Volume can actually be a detriment, then, if it negatively impacts those ratios.
Catcher
Daulton Varsho
TOR • C • #25
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Normally, the catchers with added distinction in this format are all-or-nothing types who can put a dent in the home run category with no collateral damage from their strikeouts. But how often do you find a catcher who can actually steal bases? That's not the only unique quality Daulton Varsho brings to the table, but it's the one that elevates him in Rotisserie, where base-stealers are more coveted than ever.
Honorable mentions:Mike Zunino, TB; Eric Haase, DET
First base
Jose Abreu
HOU • 1B • #79
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Jose Abreu is the sort of slugger who's uniquely suited for Rotisserie leagues, having a strange knack for collecting RBI while generally delivering a quality batting average. His plate discipline falls short of other high-end first basem*n, though, and that's of course a differentiator in Head-to-Head points leagues. He's still a quality option in that format, but I generally have him a tier higher in this one.
Honorable mention:Jared Walsh, LAA
Second base
Javier Baez
DET • 2B • #28
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Abreu's plate discipline may be suspect, but Javier Baez's is horrendous, and it rendered him, with 31 home runs and 18 stolen bases, just a middle-of-the-road starter in Head-to-Head points leagues last year. That combination of power and speed is obviously worth more in Rotisserie, ranking him alongside some of the studs at the position, and so far, he's managed to keep the batting average respectable as well.
Honorable mentions:Jazz Chisholm, MIA; Tommy Edman, STL
Third base
Adalberto Mondesi
BOS • 3B • #43
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There may be no player whose value diverges more between the two scoring formats than Adalberto Mondesi. In Rotisserie, he's the Chosen One capable of doubling the rest of the field in stolen bases, the most coveted of all categories. Or at least he would be if he could stay healthy. His pitiful on-base skills make him not nearly as deserving of the gamble in Head-to-Head points leagues, where he's liable to go 10 rounds later.
Honorable mentions:Ke'Bryan Hayes, PIT
Shortstop
Tim Anderson
MIA • SS • #7
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Hey look, another player who doesn't walk at all. You're picking up on that, right? The distinction between formats goes double for Tim Anderson, who might also be the single most impactful source of batting average in the game right now. It's built on a high BABIP, which he's managed to sustain now three straight years, and it's actually bolstered by his lack of walks. After all, more of his plate appearances count as official at-bats and, thus, toward the batting average category.
Honorable mention:Nicky Lopez, KC
Outfielder
Randy Arozarena
TB • LF • #56
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Myles Straw
CLE • CF • #7
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Akil Baddoo
DET • CF • #60
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Each of this trio has the capacity to steal bases, and that's all that's needed for Rotisserie relevance. In Myles Straw's case, stealing bases is basically all he does, which makes him a handy player in Rotisserie, but his complete lack of power won't move the needle in points leagues. Randy Arozarena has power in addition to speed, actually going 20/20 last year, but those steals don't have the same impact in points leagues, especially with him striking out as much as he does. Akil Baddoo, who managed to hold his own as a Rule 5 pick last year, may have similar upside to Arozarena but also suffers from the same shortcomings.
Honorable mentions:Adolis Garcia, TEX
Starting pitcher
Corbin Burnes
BAL • SP • #39
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Freddy Peralta
MIL • SP • #51
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Dylan Cease
SD • SP • #84
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Shane McClanahan
TB • SP • #18
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Blake Snell
SF • SP • #7
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While "workload" was the operative word for the Head-to-Head SP standouts, this quintet thrives on doing a lot with a little. Their strikeouts, which are indeed more valuable in this format, should well outpace their innings, and we've seen from Corbin Burnesand Freddy Peralta what that kind of bat-missing ability can mean ERA and WHIP. Dylan Cease and Shane McClanahan aren't as proven, and Blake Snell not as steady, but if things click for them, the overall ceiling is higher than for the five in the other format. Of course, they aren't built up to throw as many innings -- not even Burnes and Peralta -- but that's of less consequence in the format where innings aren't worth anything in and of themselves.
Honorable mention:Shane Baz, TB
Relief pitcher
Josh Hader
HOU • RP • #71
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Paul Sewald
ARI • RP • #38
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At least compared to Head-to-Head points leagues, Rotisserie (or any format that uses 5x5 scoring, really) is where it sort of makes sense to spend for the top closers. Their stellar ratios actually have a tangible impact in this format, however minimal, and it's also the format where you can least go without saves, making job security of greater importance. Of course, I still don't think it's worth drafting Josh Hader (not to mention Liam Hendriks) at his going rate, but it's more defensible at least. Rotisserie is also the format where a non-closer like Paul Sewald can have some modest appeal for his ratios. In Head-to-Head points leagues, any reliever who doesn't get saves is basically worthless.
