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. Some leagues don’t even penalize for walks and hits allowed, moving high-WHIP, high-volume guys like Dylan Cease into S-tier territory. 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.
Edgar Quero, C, CHW
2025 Positional Ranking: 24th
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 30th
1.4% rostered (ESPN)
With Kyle Teel scheduled to miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in March, Quero has become the de facto starting catcher on the South side. Virtually undrafted across single-catcher leagues, Quero should get the lion’s share of playing time to begin the season and could be a sneaky add in points leagues. In 2025, Quero finished with a .268 batting average, bolstered by a strong 17.6% strikeout rate and 83.8% zone contact rate. Though he finished with just five home runs, Quero made hard contact at a 34.0% rate but his 6.8 degree launch angle made it hard to leave the park. With more regular playing time and in a re-tooled White Sox lineup, Quero is in line to produce value over the first month of the season.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, LAA
2025 Positional Ranking: 23rd
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 27th
7.2% rostered (ESPN)
It feels kind of gross having a first baseman that doesn’t hit for the kind of traditional power that you look for at the position, but Schanuel could still pull his weight in points leagues with his disciplined plate approach and contact profile. Schanuel finished ranked 310th across all of MLB in hard contact (21.7%) but ranked 22nd among MLB hitters with a super-low 12.4% strikeout rate. He’s not going to whiff much, but his contact metrics aren’t awesome. But a .354 OBP will do enough to warrant more than 7.2% rostership in points leagues that award walks and penalize strikeouts – he gets on base and in some points leagues, that’s good, honest work.
At least his max exit velocity has improved in each of his three MLB seasons, topping out at 109.8 last year. So maybe there’s some pop in that bat? Either way, he’s not flashy by any means, but he serves as a reasonable fill-in for deep points leagues.
Brendan Donovan, 2B, SEA
2025 Positional Ranking: 17th
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 17th
65.2% rostered (ESPN)
In points leagues, a lot of value is drawn from volume. After being acquired by the Mariners, it appears extremely likely that Donovan will be thrust into the everyday leadoff spot in the batting order, hitting in front of the murderer’s row of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor. The context of the lineup spot is outstanding compared to the hitters around him, but it’s also massive for him to hit leadoff in a points league. It likely means an extra 6-8 plate appearances each week compared to guys batting in the bottom third of their order. The volume difference should translate into more points on a consistent basis, making him a potential top-12 second baseman in fantasy this season.
Caleb Durbin, 3B, BOS
2025 Positional Ranking: 12th
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 12th
61.0% rostered (ESPN)
Durbin looks as if he’ll get everyday at-bats in a volatile Red Sox lineup, and with his penchant for contact (9.9% K-rate last season), he is a tool best used in points league formats. A 92.5% zone contact rate a year ago should continue with the hope that he improves his meager 20.9% hard contact rate in Boston. Durbin has speed enough to steal bases and could pop some deep fly balls over the Green Monster. And with the third base landscape looking relatively shallow, Durbin should be more than 60% rostered, especially in points formats.
JJ Wetherholt, SS, STL
2025 Positional Ranking: N/A
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 28th
42.2% rostered (ESPN)
After Wetherholt officially made the MLB roster, the ownership number moved significantly but he still may be available in some points league formats. Batting leadoff for the Cardinals, Wetherholt has already shown five-tool potential with a home run and a stolen base in his first two games in MLB. The Cardinals offense looks as if it’s going to be pesky, with decent contact numbers throughout most of the lineup and guys who aren’t afraid to run on the base paths. With a walk rate nearly the same as his strikeout rate throughout the minors, Wetherholt has the potential to be outstanding in points league formats that reward OBP and penalize strikeouts.
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, PIT
2025 Positional Ranking (OF): 49th
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (OF): 40th
35.9% rostered (ESPN)
An All-Star a season ago, O’Hearn leveraged great plate discipline and solid contact metrics to bat .281 across a career-high 544 plate appearances between the Orioles and Padres in 2025. He posted a career-high .803 OPS, including 17 home runs and 21 doubles. O’Hearn will likely bat in the middle of a much-improved Pirates lineup and though he will play his home games in a more pitcher-friendly environment, O’Hearn ought to be able to replicate his pace from a season ago. Having first base and outfield positional flexibility makes him extra appealing for managers looking for injury replacements over the next couple of weeks.
Zack Littell, SP, WSH
2025 Positional Ranking: 27th
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 117th
3.1% rostered (ESPN)
There’s no way a top-30 pitcher from a season ago should be ranked outside of the top 100 entering 2026, so it must be that the projections haven’t been updated since Littell signed with the Nationals. Though he jumped aboard late in Spring Training and may be a bit behind building up for the season, he is scheduled for two starts in the second full week of the season. After posting a career-best 1.10 WHIP a season ago, due in large part to a minuscule 4.2% walk rate, Littell will look to repeat his success in Washington. Littell’s appeal in points leagues comes from his ability to pitch deep into games, twirling 17 quality starts in 32 outings a season ago. Though the win potential may not be as high in Washington, the veteran is a steal off the wire in nearly every league at the moment.
Eric Lauer, RP, TOR
2025 Positional Ranking (RP): 5th*
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (RP): 45th*
1.1% rostered (ESPN)
Is it considered cheating to list a SPARP in this column? Nearly every points leagues place larger values on innings pitched than on ERA and WHIP, with every out recorded registering anywhere from a half-point to a point. So that makes starting pitchers at relief pitcher (SPARPs) extremely valuable in most scoring formats. With the recent injury to Blue Jays up-and-coming arm Trey Yesavage, Lauer was moved from long relief into the starting rotation for the beginning of the season and should match up with the swing-happy White Sox in his second start of the year. Lauer held down a rotation spot for most of the second half a year ago and posted nine pitching victories in just over 100 IP. With a respectable 23.9% K-rate, Lauer greatly reduced his HR/9 from the previous two seasons with a Blake Snell Blueprint (BSB) approach of high fastballs and low off-speed. He’s an arm I’m interested in in deep leagues and one that should be on the radar for streaming pitching starts in all formats, especially with his RP eligibility on most platforms.
Daniel Palencia, RP, CHC
2025 Positional Ranking: 33rd
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 21st
66.5% rostered (ESPN)
Is Palencia’s lack of rostership due more to lack of faith in the player or in the team? The Cubs didn’t necessarily improve over the offseason, but that shouldn’t scare people off of Palencia. His role as Cubs closer feels very safe, especially after his outstanding performance in the World Baseball Classic. He ought to be in the second tier of closers, just behind guys like Aroldis Chapman and Devin Williams. On a team that ought to contend for the NL Central, Palencia has less competition for saves than the dual-threat closers in Milwaukee and is less-rostered than both Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe. It just doesn’t make sense. He’s a perfectly serviceable RP2 with the potential to emerge as a top-five reliever by the end of the season.
