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Two questions decide almost everything about a fantasy baseball league: how do you score, and how long do you keep your players. Answer both and you have picked a format. Here is what each answer means.
By the FanRanked staff. Updated 2026-09-26.
The first question is scoring. Some leagues add up category totals over the whole season and rank every team in every category. Some pair teams off each week and hand out wins and losses. Some turn every stat into points and add them up. The scoring format decides what a good player is, how much a single week matters, and how much you will be tinkering.
The second question is roster life. In a redraft league every player goes back in the pool each spring. In a keeper league you protect a few. In a dynasty league you keep almost everyone, forever, and draft rookies to fill the gaps. The roster format decides how far ahead you think and how much a trade for a 19-year-old prospect is worth.
Any scoring format works with any roster format. A dynasty league can be rotisserie or head-to-head. A keeper league can be points. Pick one answer from each list.
| Format | How it scores | Feels like | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotisserie | Season-long totals in each category, ranked against every team. Ten teams, ten categories, up to 100 standings points. | A marathon. No single week matters much. | Groups who like balance and a long, even race. |
| Head-to-head, each category | A weekly matchup. Win a category, get a win. A ten-category week ends 7-3 or 4-5-1. | Football-style with a playoff bracket. | Groups who want a reason to check every Monday. |
| Head-to-head, one win | A weekly matchup, but the team that takes the most categories gets one win for the week. | The simplest standings in the game. | Casual groups and big leagues. |
| Head-to-head points | Every stat is worth points. The higher weekly total wins the matchup. | Fantasy football with a bat. | Groups coming over from football. |
| Season points | Every stat is worth points, added up all year. No matchups. | A leaderboard. | Very large leagues and low-maintenance groups. |
Each format has its own guide below with the details, the common house rules, and how to win.
| Format | What you keep | Time horizon | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redraft | Nothing. A fresh draft every spring. | This season only. | New groups, work leagues, anyone who wants a clean slate. |
| Keeper | A few players, usually three to eight, often at a cost tied to where you drafted them. | This season plus a little planning. | Groups who want some continuity without a lifelong commitment. |
| Dynasty | Almost everyone. Minor leaguers, future draft picks and rookie drafts every year. | Years. A 2029 pick has a price today. | Friends who will still be in the league in five years. |
After the two big questions come the settings that shape the daily experience. None of them is wrong, but your group should decide them on purpose.
For a first league with friends, head-to-head categories in a ten or twelve team redraft or light keeper league is the safest choice. It has a weekly rhythm, a playoff, and standings anyone can read.
For a group that has played together for years, dynasty is the format that keeps a league alive through the offseason. Trades happen in December. The rookie draft is an event. Nobody quits, because everybody has a plan.
For a group that cannot agree, rotisserie is the format that has decided arguments since 1980. It rewards the best roster over six months and nothing else.
Ready to run one? Hosting a full-season league on FanRanked is free, and friends join with one link.
Head-to-head categories with a ten or twelve team redraft or keeper league. Rotisserie is the original format and still common in serious leagues.
Yes. Roster format and scoring format are separate choices. Dynasty leagues run rotisserie, head-to-head categories and head-to-head points.
Ten or twelve for a mixed league. Deeper leagues make the waiver wire thin, which some groups like and some hate. Ask before you invite the fifteenth manager.
On FanRanked, full-season leagues are free to host and free to play. The October games need a Pro host.