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Points Leagues vs Category Leagues: How Your Draft Strategy Changes

Two ways to keep score

Fantasy basketball leagues score players in two broad ways. In a points league every statistic is worth a set number of points, and the team with the most points wins. In a category league you compete in a fixed set of statistics, usually nine, and win the matchup by winning more of them than your opponent. A third format, rotisserie, ranks every team in each category over the whole season and adds up the rankings.

How points leagues work

Weights differ by platform and by league, so check yours. For reference, a common ESPN head-to-head points setup awards one point per point scored, one per rebound and per three-pointer made, two per assist and four per steal and block, and subtracts two per turnover, with additional credit and penalties for field goals and free throws made and attempted. Yahoo's traditional scoring pays 1 per point, 1.2 per rebound, 1.5 per assist and 3 per steal and block, and subtracts 1 per turnover.

Because everything converts into one number, volume matters most. A player's value is essentially his fantasy points per game multiplied by how often he plays, and there is no reason to balance categories or punt anything.

What that means for a points draft

  • Steals and blocks are heavily rewarded, so defensive playmakers are worth more than they are in many category leagues.
  • High-usage stars are valuable even when they turn the ball over, because the penalty is usually smaller than the production around it.
  • Games played is critical. A player who misses a quarter of the season costs you a quarter of his points.
  • Efficiency matters through made and missed shots in leagues that score them, but it never becomes a separate category you have to win.

How category leagues work

In a category league no statistic is worth more than another, and winning a category counts the same however large the margin. That creates the balance problem: a huge advantage in points counts as exactly one category, no more than a tiny edge in steals. Percentages add a wrinkle, because field goal and free throw percentage depend on both accuracy and volume, so a high-volume poor shooter can hurt your whole team.

What that means for a category draft

  • Balance matters more than raw production. You want players who help where your team needs help.
  • Turnovers are a category you want to be low in, so careful players gain value.
  • Punting becomes a real option, which changes who is valuable to you. Our guide to punt strategies explains how it works.

Which formats Fantasy Blacksmith supports

Fantasy Blacksmith supports points, 9-category and rotisserie formats, plus Yahoo's high-score format, using ESPN or Yahoo scoring. In points formats there is only one number to maximise, so the Draft Companion simply ranks players by how many fantasy points they are worth above the typical player in your draftable pool, with a light position check so your roster does not stack one position. In category formats it adds the strategy panel, which ranks available players by how well they fit a punt build.

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