2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Format specialists for Head-to-Head points and 5x5 Rotisserie leagues
These players gain or lose the most value according to scoring format

In years past, I'd highlight the differences between Head-to-Head and Rotisserie values by singling out each format's most representative player at each position. The All-H2H and All-Roto teams, I called them.
But why use such a gimmick? You don't just want representative players. You want all the players who gain or lose value based on your format of choice, and it should be simple enough to list them.
I agree. So that's what I've done this time around.
There are limitations, of course. I've only listed the players whose values change so significantly based on the format that my approach to them does as well. I also haven't delved into the deepest depths of each position, instead cutting off the list at about the point when the typical Rotisserie draft would end. You may argue, then, that these lists are too short, but if you highlight too much of something, the highlighting loses its meaning. I wanted to highlight only the distinctions that actually move the needle.
So what's the basis of these distinctions? Well, by Head-to-Head, I specifically mean Head-to-Head points, a Fantasy Football-style scoring system in which all player contributions feed into the same point total. One advantage of this scoring format is that more contributions can be recognized. For hitters, this usually means walks, strikeouts, doubles, and triples, among other things, but the walks and strikeouts are usually the biggest differentiators. Players with good plate discipline gain value in Head-to-Head points while the players with poor plate discipline lose value.
Rotisserie leagues, traditionally speaking, only reward five contributions for hitters: batting average, home runs, RBI, runs and stolen bases, with the aim being to balance them in a way that secures the highest finish in each. Because those are the only stats that matter, the players who excel in them generally count for more in this format. That's especially true for batting average and stolen bases, though the stolen base distinction can be overstated when you consider that each one is worth two points in CBS Head-to-Head scoring. Batting average isn't accounted for at all by points leagues, which necessarily can only measure totals, not percentages. Every hit matters in a Head-to-Head points league, but the ratio of hits to at-bats doesn't matter in the slightest.
That totals vs. percentages distinction is the biggest differentiator on the pitching side of the ledger because two of the five pitching categories in Rotisserie are percentages: ERA and WHIP, to go along with wins, strikeouts and saves. How dominant a pitcher is, which is reflected mostly by ERA, WHIP and strikeouts, is rewarded more in that format. How durable a pitcher is, which is reflected mostly by innings and the general accumulation of numbers, is rewarded more in Head-to-Head points -- particularly the CBS version, where innings are worth three points apiece, and strikeouts are worth only 0.5.
So to summarize, patient hitters stand out more in Head-to-Head while athletic ones stand out more in Roto, and on the pitching side, innings eaters stand out more in Head-to-Head while ratio darlings stand out more in Roto. With those distinctions in mind, here are the players at each position who gain the most in a particular format (and, incidentally, lose a little something in the other).
Catcher
Better in H2H
William Contreras, MIL
Will Smith, LAD
Adley Rutschman, BAL
Gabriel Moreno, ARI
Alejandro Kirk, TOR
Better in Roto
Hunter Goodman, COL
Salvador Perez, KC
Yainer Diaz, HOU
Dillon Dingler, DET
Logan O'Hoppe, DET
First base
Better in H2H
Freddie Freeman, LAD
Vinnie Pasquantino, KC
Yandy Diaz, TB
Better in Roto
Alec Burleson, STL
Munetaka Murakami, CHW
Second base
Better in H2H
Ketel Marte, ARI
Jose Altuve, HOU
Gleyber Torres, DET
Brendan Donovan, SEA
Better in Roto
Jazz Chisholm, NYY
Ozzie Albies, ATL
Brandon Lowe, PIT
Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS
Bryson Stott, PHI
Jose Caballero, NYY
Luis Garcia, WAS
Third base
Better in H2H
Alex Bregman, CHC
Isaac Paredes, HOU
Max Muncy, LAD
Alec Bohm, PHI
Better in Roto
Junior Caminero, TB
Jazz Chisholm, NYY
Austin Riley, ATL
Eugenio Suarez, ARI
Jordan Westburg, BAL
José Caballero, NYY
Shortstop
Better in H2H
Mookie Betts, LAD
Geraldo Perdomo, ARI
Corey Seager, TEX
Jacob Wilson, ATH
Xander Bogaerts, SD
JJ Wetherholt, STL
Kevin McGonigle, DET
J.P. Crawford, SEA
Better in Roto
Bobby Witt, KC
Elly De La Cruz, CIN
Trea Turner, PHI
Zachary Neto, LAA
C.J. Abrams, WAS
Trevor Story, BOS
Colson Montgomery, CHW
José Caballero, NYY
Ezequiel Tovar, COL
Outfield
Better in H2H
Juan Soto, NYM
Roman Anthony, BOS
Cody Bellinger, NYY
George Springer, TOR
José Altuve, HOU
Jakob Marsee, MIA
Brandon Nimmo, TEX
Ian Happ, CHC
Steven Kwan, CLE
Sal Frelick, MIL
Better in Roto
Julio Rodriguez, SEA
Jackson Chourio, MIL
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC
Jackson Merrill, SD
Riley Greene, DET
Randy Arozarena, TB
Michael Harris, ATL
Jo Adell, LAA
Teoscar Hernandez, LAD
Andy Pages, LAD
Chandler Simpson, TB
Alec Burleson, STL
Brenton Doyle, COL
José Caballero, NYY
Designated hitter
Better in H2H
Kyle Schwarber, PHI
Christian Yelich, MIL
Moises Ballesteros, CHC
Better in Roto
Bryce Eldridge, SF
Starting pitcher
Better in H2H
Logan Webb, SF
Framber Valdez, DET
Sandy Alcantara, MIA
Ranger Suarez, BOS
Aaron Nola, PHI
Zac Gallen, ARI
Better in Roto
Jacob deGrom, TEX
Chase Burns, CIN
Tyler Glasnow, LAD
Jacob Misiorowski, MIL
Emmet Sheehan, LAD
Blake Snell, LAD
Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
Drew Rasmussen, TB
Shota Imanaga, CHC
Relief pitcher
Better in H2H
Every starting pitcher with relief pitcher eligibility
Ryan Helsley, BAL
Carlos Estevez, K
Better in Roto
Every stud closer
Abner Uribe, MIL
Griffin Jax, TB
Bryan Abreu, HOU
















