Wondering how you’re going to fill the fantasy sports void until football is back? Are your fantasy hoops and hockey teams leaving much to be desired? Well, one option you might be overlooking is joining a fantasy baseball league.
TL;DR benefits of joining a fantasy baseball league
Now that you’re ready to play
While baseball can seem daunting — mainly because of its 162-game schedule over six-plus months compared to just 17 weeks for football — there are ways to replicate what brings you joy from the gridiron onto the baseball field.
We’ve rounded up some tips to lighten the load if you’re considering joining a baseball league for the first time or coming back after taking last season off.
You’ll get fantasy action every day — not just Sunday
For those who love fantasy football, that same passion from Sundays can come on a daily basis — all because of baseball’s calendar. Feel the rush of Shohei Ohtani digging in against Chris Sale because either (or both) are on your fantasy team. Enjoy the show when Juan Soto shuffles into the batter’s box against Aaron Nola. No matter the outcome, get instantaneous updates on your Yahoo Fantasy app — available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play — showing where you are in the standings or your head-to-head matchup.
No need to wait a week to get those competitive juices flowing. Just pick it up again with the next day’s games.
There are several baseball formats to consider, but to keep things simple, Head-to-Head Points leagues — the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball default setting — are the most like football. Head-to-Head Points is available in both Private and Public Leagues, making it easy to quickly join a league and get a similar experience to football!
What’s especially fun about these leagues is that fantasy managers get that same weekly outcome of a win or a loss. While you’re managing your lineup throughout the week, the result could come down to a home run in the final game on Sunday night, a streaming starting pitcher who strikes out 10 hitters and gets the win or even a reliever who picks up a save to tip the matchup.
It’s easy to get in the game, too. You just need to make a few decisions and you’re off and running.
First up, pick your format — again, head-to-head points leagues are the most like football.
Next, do you have a group that’s ready to play? If not, that’s no problem. There are free public leagues as well as public prize leagues — in the latter, you pay an entry fee and play for cash prizes awarded at the end of the season. In either case, you never have to worry about finding people to play or a day and time that works for the whole group to draft. You get to pick what works for you.
You can also Draft Now With Friends! Ever had a few friends who wanted to play but not enough to fill a fantasy baseball league? Well, now you can instantly invite up to three people to join you in a free public league. All you have to do is enter a free public draft room and tap the “Add Friends Pre-Draft” button to invite people to join your draft! (This feature is currently only for public leagues.)
Both free public leagues, as well as public prize leagues, will be filled with Yahoo players until 12 teams join.
If you want to play with something on the line beyond pride, Public Prize leagues are a great option, but you won’t be able to join with anyone you know, just to keep things fair.
Now, if you do want to have some skin in the game against your friends, family or acquaintances, we suggest creating or joining a Private Prize league and inviting whoever you want.
Then, you just get ready for draft day, where you can even pick from your phone. Some leagues draft immediately, while others wait for a later date. Your call.
Ways to streamline fantasy baseball
One of the benefits of a private league is there are many options to customize the roster and scoring settings to your desires. Commissioners have the ability to set limited positional requirements or fewer bench spaces, which means you won’t have to sweat as many roster decisions day to day or week to week. It will also make the waiver wire more fun and active since there will be more available options.
If your leaguemates really like offense, you could consider hitter-only (that means no pitchers) leagues. If you do want to keep pitchers in the game, you could opt to limit the number of active spots, or set it up for all pitchers without starter or reliever designations. It’s your league’s call.
If trading isn’t your thing — and you want to limit those conflicts — leagues can skip them altogether.
[Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]
If daily management feels like a lot, you have the option of going to weekly lineups to mirror football and make the roster decisions a lighter lift. The free Start Active Players feature makes filling out your lineup with players who have games each day a breeze with just a touch of a button. You can also consider limiting the number of weekly moves each manager can make, so there’s less pressure to grind on the waiver wire every day.
There is also the option of ending a private league’s season earlier. Head-to-Head leagues can start a four-team playoff that ends the season as early as Aug. 10. So, those fantasy football players who don’t want crossover between sports can be accommodated.
You can get started very easily with Yahoo Fantasy. Enjoy that fun and excitement that will make the season fly by and bring football back before you know it.
Join or create a fantasy baseball league today and get ready to play ball!
