Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Floor is irrelevant in Rotisserie leagues so draft these higher-ceiling guys instead

Heath Cummings says your approach in Rotisserie leagues should be far different than in head-to-head points. Here's how.

By Heath Cummings

Feb 21, 2018 at 1:39 pm ET • 1 min read

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Draft Prep Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP
Heath's Sleepers | Breakouts | Busts | Hitter regression candidates
Scott's Top 100 prospects | Sleepers | Breakouts | Busts

There are many strategy differences between head-to-head leagues and season-long Rotisserie Fantasy Baseball. But one of them doesn't get near enough coverage. As Ricky Bobby once said, in the world of Roto, "If you ain't first, you're last."

Now pardon the cliche movie quote for a moment and really think about this: In Fantasy Football (or head-to-head Fantasy Baseball) you are playing the regular season to make the playoffs. Whether you finish those 20 weeks in first place or in sixth, your season starts over when the playoffs start. Considering the fact that a third of your league is probably going to get decimated by injuries (or just isn't very good), you probably only have to finish in the top two thirds of your league to have a shot at the title. There is an inherent value in a player's floor.

In Rotisserie? It's irrelevant.

In Rotisserie, if you're in sixth place after 20 weeks of the season, your season is almost certainly over. Your goal is not to hang around for four months and then win three coin flips in the last month of the season. Your goal is to finish first. Period.

You will not finish first with a roster of "safe" players. You will not finish first with a pitching staff full of innings eaters. You will not finish first chasing the myth of consistency.

Here's a player at every position* who won't find his way on to my Rotisserie rosters largely because his ADP is enhanced by his floor and not his ceiling.

*OK, it's not every position. There's not a shortstop I'm avoiding based on this particular idea.

Fade the floor

C	J.T. Realmuto Miami Marlins C
Instead draft: Wilson Ramos six rounds later
1B	Eric Hosmer San Diego Padres 1B
Instead draft: Miguel Cabrera in the same round
2B	Jonathan Schoop Baltimore Orioles 2B
Instead draft: Ian Happ five rounds later
3B	Nicholas Castellanos Detroit Tigers 3B
Instead draft: Joey Gallo one round later
OF	Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles CF
Instead draft: Bradley Zimmer six rounds later
SP	Kyle Hendricks Chicago Cubs SP
Instead draft: Lance McCullers one round later
RP	Felipe Rivero Pittsburgh Pirates RP
Instead draft: Raisel Iglesias one round later