Whether it’s early in the season, the middle of July, or late in the year, it’s always good to know where you stand in your Roto league.
Of course, perusing your league’s standings accomplishes that fairly quickly. However, numbers can often be misleading. Is your team producing at the level it should be as a league leader compared to the vast majority of other Roto leagues?
Are there underperforming players on your team, or available via waivers each week that could help you significantly in specific, or multiple, categories moving forward? This column aims to, and will, answer all those questions on a weekly basis, regardless of league size.
Essentially, it’s an almanac for Roto leagues and NFBC or TGFBI leagues, showing you not only the watermarks your team should be hitting category-wise to be truly elite but also the specific players that will help you get there. What’s more, it’ll also cover the top performers in each category, as well as some under-the-radar options for each metric as well.
Notes
A couple of quick notes before we begin. For metrics like ERA, WHIP, batting average, and on-base percentage, only qualified or close to qualified pitchers and hitters (respectively) were considered, especially at this time of year with smaller sample sizes running rampant.
Additionally, all rostered rate numbers are via FantasyPros as of Monday. Furthermore, in part due to NFBC leagues, all stats (as well as the rostered data) are via the previous week’s Sunday.
All the data in terms of Roto league production is from last year’s numbers.
Rest of Season Note
With so little turnover among the elite players in terms of the league leaders, we’re switching to just the rostered in 50% or fewer of leagues leaderboards from here through the rest of the season, focusing on helping you find the waiver wire options who could help win your fantasy league.
Where You Should Be Producing In Each Category
Below is data for both 15-team and 12-team Roto leagues from last season and the average statistical totals that each placed team finished with. This is for the entirety of a season. Basically, if you want to do well in these two formats, these are the season-long watermarks to shoot for.
There’s also SGP data for both 15-team and 12-team formats.
Before we get any further, a massive thank you to Pitcher List Director of Data Analytics and Research Kyle Bland for getting a hold of the data.
And now, without further ado, the 15-team data, which comes from 2023 TGFBI leagues:
15-Team Leagues
(Quick reminder, the far left-hand column is where the team finished in the standings.)
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And here’s the 15-team, SGP data:
12-Team Leagues
And now for the 12-team, SGP data:
Category Power Rankings
Batting Average (AVG)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Randal Grichuk.
An impact waiver wire option for fantasy managers in deep leagues, Grichuk has been excellent so far in a part-time role for the Diamondbacks this season, hitting .288 with a .344 on-base percentage, 10 home runs, a .220 ISO and just a 16.6% strikeout rate in his first 259 plate appearances for the National League West club.
And while the outfielder has largely played against left-handed pitching this season, it shouldn’t diminish the fantasy impact he’s made so far or the potential impact he could have for fantasy managers moving forward.
The outfielder (and the rest of the Diamondbacks) will finish the week in Milwaukee from Thursday through Sunday against a largely right-handed Brewers rotation (though whether Grichuk would start against left-hander DL Hall is something to potentially watch).
American Family Field in Milwaukee, it should be noted, has the joint fifth-highest home run park factor among all Major League stadiums in the last three years, per Statcast.
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Spencer Horwitz.
Horwitz posted strong walk and strikeout rate numbers all throughout his time in the minors, including a 17.0% walk rate and a 15.8% strikeout rate in 259 plate appearances with Triple-A this season.
Now 332 Major League plate appearances into the season, the infielder is still compiling quality walk (11.1%) and strikeout metrics (17.2%) in the Majors.
Except this time he’s doing it with significantly more power. Horwitz has logged a 9.1% barrel rate on 232 batted ball events while collecting 12 home runs so far. The 12 home runs, it should be noted, are already the most he’s hit both at any previous minor league stop or in a full season for his professional career.
With eligibility at both first base and second base, the 26-year-old offers plenty of versatility to fantasy managers to go along with the quality production.
Overall, he’s hitting .274 with a .364 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, 44 runs scored, and 36 RBI in 332 plate appearances this season. He’s also added a 136 wRC+ and a .351 xwOBA.
Home Runs (HR)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Mark Vientos.
Vientos was mentioned in this column as an underrated fantasy infielder with far too low of a rostered rate.
And while his bat has cooled off some in September, due in part to a 37.3% strikeout rate in his first 51 plate appearances this month, the infielder is still sporting a 110 wRC+, three home runs, and a 10.7% barrel rate during that span—not to mention a 46.4% hard-hit rate.
Going back further, since he made his first appearance for the Mets in 2024 on April 27 just 14 qualified batters have a higher barrel rate than the 24-year-old’s 14.6% number.
Among the many who don’t include: Yordan Alvarez, Bobby Witt Jr., Pete Alonso, Rafael Devers, Riley Greene, Ketel Marte, and Salvador Perez.
Runs Scored (R)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Michael Busch.
Michael Busch’s wRC+ numbers by month represent a pretty up-and-down sort of deal. He logged a 130 wRC+ in March and April before that number dropped to 104 in May. It was 144 and 120, respectively, in June and July before falling to 96 in August.
Fortunately for fantasy managers, the number is up to 166 in his first 46 plate appearances in September with four home runs, a .293 average, a .348 on-base percentage, a .341 ISO, and just a 17.4% strikeout this month.
He makes for an ideal streaming option the rest of the way, especially early next week at Citizens Bank Park, which per Statcast, ranks in the top 10 in the league in both overall park factor and home run park factor in the last three years.
RBI
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Luis Garcia Jr.
Garcia has enjoyed a breakout season at the plate, hitting .282 with a .320 on-base percentage, 16 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a 112 wRC+, sporting a .283 xBA and just a 16.3% strikeout rate in the process.
And while that stat line alone makes Garcia worth a look for fantasy managers, the fact that he now gets to regularly hit behind some combination of CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Dylan Crews (Garcia has mostly hit either third, fourth, or fifth in the last few weeks) only raises his fantasy ceiling even more so.
Fun fact, since James Wood made his Major League debut on July 1 through the beginning of play this week, Garcia Jr. has the third-most RBI (29) among players with second base as their primary position, behind just Colt Keith (32) and Spencer Horwitz (30).
Stolen Bases (SB)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Zach Neto.
Stolen bases and power production, that’s what fantasy managers can expect with Neto. Well, both and (as of late) a quality on-base percentage.
For the season, the 23-year-old is batting .252 with a .323 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, and 29 stolen bases in 561 plate appearances. He’s driven in 71 runs while scoring 66.
The infielder has been particularly impactful as of late, hitting .256 with a .347 on-base percentage, a 126 wRC+, 10 home runs, and 19 stolen bases since the start of July.
During that span, just eight batters have more stolen bases than the Angels’ infielder. Of those eight, only Shohei Ohtani (21), José Ramírez (12), and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (12) have more home runs.
Within the same parameters, only Ohtani (150) and Victor Robles (160) have a higher wRC+.
Robles (.403) and Xavier Edwards (.397) are the only two of the eight with a better on-base percentage than Neto’s .347 number.
Pitchers
Strikeouts (K)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Luis Severino.
Severino has allowed more than three earned runs in a start just once in his last five outings, registering at least eight strikeouts in three of those outings.
Assuming the Mets’ rotation continues as his, he should have a chance to finish the season with another strong strikeout outing against an Atlanta team that is sporting the joint seventh-highest strikeout rate (24.9%) in the Majors since July 1.
ERA
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Brant Hurter.
One of the many Tigers finding plenty of success in the season’s second half, Hurter has limited batters to just a .232 xwOBA and a .292 xwOBA con while inducing grounders at a 57.5% rate.
Elsewhere, his stat line features just a 5.7% barrel rate and a 3.4% walk rate against. And oh yeah, he’s sporting a 2.56 ERA and a 2.65 FIP in 38.2 Major League innings this season.
Hurter has worked behind an opener so far and should continue to if he’s the bulk pitcher for the Tigers.
After a series in Baltimore, Detroit finishes the year with six straight against two of the lowest-scoring teams in the Majors: the Miami Marlins and the Chicago White Sox.
He makes for a quality addition, regardless of league size.
Wins (W)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: JP Sears.
Sears rattled off six wins in seven starts in a 43.1-inning stretch from July 4 through August 11.
However, since then he has just one win in six starts, a time period in which he’s sporting a 4.63 FIP in 36.1 innings of work—not to mention just 6.44 strikeouts per nine frames.
And while taking on the Yankees (at home) and the Mariners (on the road) in his next two starts in pitcher-friendly ballparks might look fantasy-friendly on paper, the two teams rank eighth and second respectively in runs scored this month.
Fantasy managers in leagues with 12 or fewer teams are probably best off looking elsewhere for streaming reinforcements.
Quality Starts (QS)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Jameson Taillon.
Taillon entered play this week having allowed two runs or fewer in each of his past three starts, which included a stretch in Colorado and one at home against the vaunted Yankees lineup.
Sporting a 3.54 ERA and a 3.97 FIP in 152.1 innings this season, Taillon looks poised to finish the regular season strong. Assuming the Cubs’ rotation continues as is without any interruptions, he’ll finish the year with starts against the Nationals and Reds, with both coming at home.
The Nationals and Reds both entered play this week as two of 11 Major League teams with a wRC+ of 92 or lower on the road this season. Taillon, meanwhile, has a 2.55 ERA and a 3.60 FIP, a 21.0% strikeout rate, and a 5.1% walk rate in 77.2 home innings this season.
Saves (SV)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Michael Kopech.
A potential league winner down the stretch, Kopech could make a considerable impact for fantasy managers in the season’s final games, particularly those in formats where saves and holds are part of the scoring.
The right-hander has either a win (three), save (four), or hold (three) in 10 of his last 12 appearances for the Dodgers entering play this week.
And while he’s split time in the ninth inning with Daniel Hudson and Evan Phillips at times, even pitching a ninth-inning timeshare would set Kopech up to be an impact fantasy option.
WHIP
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Landon Knack.
Landon Knack has provided the Dodgers and fantasy managers alike with some quality innings as of late. He’s given up more than two earned runs in all but three of his first 10 outings this year, pitching to a 3.70 ERA.
Though regardless of those metrics, or a slightly more concerning 4.99 FIP in 56 innings during that span, fantasy managers outside of deeper leagues are probably better off looking elsewhere for streaming options for the season’s final. Assuming the Dodgers’ rotation continues as is without any interruptions, Knack will see starts on Tuesday against the Padres in Los Angeles and then at Colorado against the Rockies.
The Padres have the league’s fourth-highest road wRC+ (110) this season and Coors Field is well, Coors Field. Proceed with caution here.