How to Play Head to Head Fantasy Baseball

In head-to-head fantasy baseball, you compete against other baseball fans, each of whom drafts a team of major league players. The teams face each other in weekly games, with the winner determined by the number of categories won or points accumulated. At the completion of the schedule, the teams with the best records advance to the playoffs to determine a league champion.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer with Internet access
  • Valid e-mail address
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Instructions

  1. Getting Started

    • 1
      Joining a league is as simple as hitting the enter key.

      Join a league. Sports websites such as espn.com, cbssports.com and foxsports.com offer free fantasy baseball to their users. To join a league, you will need to register with the site using a valid e-mail address .

      Leagues come in varieties to suit every taste. Here are a few to choose from:

      Public/Private: Public leagues are open to everyone. Private leagues require a password to join.

      Live/Auto Draft: In live draft leagues, team owners take turns choosing players in an online draft room. In auto draft leagues, a computer automatically conducts the draft according to each owner's player rankings.

    • 2
      Know which players qualify for each position.

      Familiarize yourself with roster requirements and position eligibility. Your league rules will specify the required number of players and positions per team.

      A typical roster includes the following positions: catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman (1); outfielder (3); starting pitcher (4); and relief pitcher (3). These positions comprise your starting lineup. Your roster may also include several bench spots.

      While many players only qualify at one position, some may be eligible at multiple positions. Check your league rules regarding position eligibility.

    • 3
      The scoring system helps you value players and set your weekly lineup.

      Learn your league's scoring system. Head-to-head leagues tally each team's weekly total in a set of statistical categories, both hitting and pitching. In some leagues, a team earns wins by accumulating more of a category than its opponent.

      Other leagues assign a point value each category, then multiply each team's category total by the value to calculate points. The team with the most total points wins the week.

    • 4

    Preparing for the Season

    • 5
      Rank players so that your favorites stand out.

      Rank the available players. In February and March, magazine stands are filled with publications advising you how to rank your players. Draft kits and cheat sheets can be found on the major sports websites as well.

      You will probably want to come up with your own draft rankings. The greatest pleasure of fantasy baseball is building a team of "your guys." Customize your rankings to ensure that you get your favorite players.

    • 6
      On Draft Day, you finally get to open your presents.

      Draft your players. Draft Day is like Christmas, when you finally get to unwrap your gifts and see what's inside.

      If your league uses an auto draft, all the unwrapping is done for you: Just log in and look at your team. If you participate in a live draft, you will choose your players in turn with your fellow league members, all the while keeping up with the available players as the clock ticks down to your next pick.

    • 7
      Remove any "bad eggs" from your lineup before each week begins.

      Set your lineup. Each week you must select the players who will be active for your team. Replace injured players and consider starting pitchers who are scheduled to make two starts in the coming week. More playing time means more counting stats, which in turn means more fantasy points for your team.