Categories? Where we’re going, we don’t need categories.
Some people just prefer good old-fashioned points leagues where pitchers and hitters are rewarded more for their volume and discipline than the flashy stats and ratios. Well, obviously, they go hand-in-hand… but we’re digging for the players that roto leagues left behind. On the hitting side, points leagues tend to reward contact skills and plate discipline, giving points for walks and total bases while penalizing strikeouts (in most formats). Meanwhile, pitchers tend to accumulate points for innings pitched, strikeouts, quality starts, and wins. Fantasy managers are beginning to grow tired of poor hitting performances, and waiver wires are piling up with great bats off to cold starts.
It was a tough week for recommended hitters as Busch and Keaschall struggled while Jeffers hit the IL. At least the recommended pitchers looked good as Landen Roupp posted a quality start and Bryan Baker earned a pair of saves. Not every name in this column is going to hit every week, but at least an informed approach can keep fantasy managers in contention. Process over results, especially this early in the season.
So strap in as we accelerate to 88 mph (and beyond), highlighting players that have been overlooked and under-rostered in most points leagues formats. Scoop up these guys to make your league mates think you got your hands on Biff’s Almanac.
NOTE: Every points league has slightly different scoring settings, so bear that in mind as you read through the suggestions.
Gabriel Moreno, C, ARZ
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (C): 15th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (C): 21st
30.0% rostered (ESPN)
Moreno has taken over every day catching duties for Arizona after an early-season stint on the IL. With a career-high zone contact rate and a career-low HR/FB rate, Moreno is in line for some positive regression for his power stats. And he’s already stolen as many bases in 30 games this season as he did in nearly 100 games two seasons ago. If he can keep the strikeout rate down near 20%, where it’s been so far this season, he could prove to be a solid streaming catcher or second catcher in deep leagues.
Jake Burger, 1B, TEX
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 27th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking: 26th
10.5% rostered (ESPN)
Get the fixings ready, because Burger is heating up. A streaky hitter as evidenced from his brief stint in AAA last season, Burger can get ridiculously hot for days at a time and blast home runs like they’re layups. On the flip side, he can go on a 60 plate appearance hitless streak. Currently he’s in the middle of the former and is highly available in most formats. He might be worth the scoop on a streaming basis, at least until he cools off again.
Zach Neto, SS, LAA
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (SS): 8th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (SS): 7th
63.1% rostered (ESPN)
Neto has quietly been one of the better shortstops in baseball over the past two seasons despite a relatively slow start this year. The batting average has suffered so far this year, but the power and speed numbers are still there. It’s pretty surprising that he’s available in nearly 40% of ESPN leagues, and feels like a guy that most managers would scoop if they saw him on the wire. Neto has swung and missed too much this season, hovering around 30%, but his runs scored, power stats and position near the top of the Angels lineup are too favorable to ignore in points leagues.
Carson Benge, OF, NYM
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (OF): N/A
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (OF): 44th
17.0% rostered (ESPN)
Benge has worked his way up to the top of the Mets lineup on a fairly regular basis and deserves consideration in points leagues because of it. The extra at-bats created when you roster a lead-off batter is significant. A leadoff hitter could grab four to five more at-bats a week than a batter in the second half of the order. It’s a massive advantage and something to consider in points formats. It helps that Benge is batting .321 since May 1 with 16 runs scored and 11 RBI. He’s a guy that I’m looking at scooping in nearly every points league scoring format.
Mitch Keller, SP, PIT
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 50th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking: 23rd
46.1% rostered (ESPN)
Chronically underrated, especially in points leagues, Keller started the season on fire and has since come back to earth. He’s allowed 12 earned runs in his last three starts, but has still managed to grind to nearly six innings pitched in each start. You may not always be able to count on Keller for an outstanding outing, but you can count on him as an innings-eater. For a young Pirates pitching staff – and for points league fantasy managers – that role can be extremely valuable. Keller projects to face the Twins in his next start, a lineup that fantasy managers should not fear at this point.
Paul Sewald, RP, ARZ
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (RP): 70th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (RP): 14th
29.9% rostered (ESPN)
Sewald has had his ups and downs as the Arizona closer this season, but at least for the moment, he’s ‘up.’ Sewald has recorded four-straight clean outings for three saves and a pitching win. He’s still prone to blow-ups, but if you can catch him on a week where he avoids one, he ought to cash in at least a couple of solid late-inning efforts, providing valuable fantasy points out of the RP slot. Managers will need Sewald to continue leaning on a sweeper that has generated a 37.3% CSW that Sewald isn’t afraid to throw to lefties just as much as righties. It’s been his bread and butter, and he’ll need to continue to utilize it at a 41% clip if he intends to sustain his success.
