Power is by far the most important attribute for a hitter in one day fantasy baseball leagues. A single will give you 1 point in most settings, but a homerun gives you 4. Even if your player just hits a double, that is still worth 2 points, and is thus twice as valuable as a single.
Of course, this creates a problem in many cases. For the most part, power hitters are not renowned for their consistency. There’s a reason why there has only been one Triple Crown winner in the last 30 years. And with one day leagues, you are penalized for your batter striking out–again, something that power hitters are notorious for. Luckily, there are ways to get around this. You do not have to sacrifice power for consistency, which means you can still get good power numbers without increasing the number of strikeouts you are risking.
Look at Mike Trout, as an example. He is one of the hottest players in the American League, but he has 91 strikeouts so far this year, easily placing him in the top 10 in the league in this dubious category. He’s a great player, but you are assuming a little extra risk when you draft him for your outfield. Instead, go to a player like Nelson Cruz. He’s also an outfielder, but he has about a 25 percent chance less of striking out, has more homeruns for the year, and only a 6 percent less chance of getting a hit. You are making a slight trade here, but you are gaining quite a bit more. You stand to lose fewer points, and are putting yourself in a position that has the potential to earn much more. Mike Trout gets the press, but right now, for one day leagues, Cruz is the superior choice for your outfield.
It’s easier to select pitchers since there are fewer considerations. Basically, you want to capitalize on strikeouts and avoid earned runs with your pitchers. The pitchers that will do this are usually the same–if they are striking people out, it’s tougher to get on base. In this sense, selecting a good pitcher is far easier than selecting the right batter, so make sure you are focusing your primary energy on your batters–the rest takes care of itself.
