Fantasy Baseball Draft & Hold League Primer (2026)

We’re in the midst of fantasy baseball draft season, especially in draft & hold leagues. These are much deeper formats consisting of more rounds than usual. You draft a massive roster because there are no waiver wire pickups in these leagues. The most popular draft & hold league offering is the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) Draft Champions format.

This is one of my favorite formats because there’s a different strategy involved. You need to make sure that you have every position covered, with backups that can come in if you deal with injuries. You also have to mix in floor with upside to help combat the attrition your roster will go through over the course of a 162-game season.

On this page, we’ll go through some key draft & hold league strategies. There’s a learning curve with this format, since it’s probably unlike any you’ve ever played, so having a detailed plan is essential. With that in mind, let’s dive in.

Fantasy Baseball Draft & Hold League Strategies

The strategies outlined in this article will help you build your roster. We’re focusing on how many players at each position you should take, when to target saves and much more. Without further ado, here are my draft & hold league strategies for the 2026 fantasy baseball season.

1. Get an Anchor Closer in the Early Rounds

One thing you’ll notice with draft & hold leagues is that closers are pushed up the board. This is because everyone is paying a premium for security. Since you’re not able to make in-season pickups, it’s a lot harder to find saves. My advice is to just hold your nose and draft a closer earlier than you would in other formats. The hit rate of nailing a reliever who becomes a closer is quite low.

Focus on a closer who can provide elite ratios and a strong strikeout rate, such as Mason Miller or Edwin Diaz. Target potential bounce-backs with strong track records, like Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley. Avoid overachievers from last year, including Carlos Estevez and Emilio Pagan. You don’t have to pay a premium on two of these closers, but get at least one.

2. Prioritize Saves Specs in the Later Rounds

While save specs, that is, relievers who can take over the closer job, have low hit rates, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Draft at least 5-7 relievers, with at least two closers. Take a few shots on relievers with strong strikeout rates and ratios in situations where the opportunity is there for the taking.

One of my favorite save specs right now is Drey Jameson. He has some prospect pedigree and has high velocity. When you look at the backend of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, you can see that it’s quite weak, with no established closer, especially with A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez injured. Jameson has a chance to take over the role.

3. Players Eligible at Multiple Positions Are Valuable

Players eligible at two or more positions are more important in draft & hold leagues because they provide coverage on multiple positions. That means you won’t have to take as many backups for a given position. I like to target players who are eligible at corner infield (first basemen/third basemen) and middle infield (second basemen/shortstop) because then you’re good for each of those spots on your roster.

Two of my favorite targets are Jonathan India and Josh Smith, two players who can be deployed at any infield position, entrenched in their respective spots in the lineup. These are the types of backups you want on your draft & hold roster.

4. Don’t Go Overboard With Prospects

Prospects are so enticing. Just look at what Nick Kurtz was able to do last year. You definitely want to take a few of them to try to raise the ceiling of your draft & hold team. However, make sure you don’t go overboard because there’s risk involved.

Just look at Bubba Chandler last year. He was priced up as the consensus top pitching prospect. Most expected him to be with the Pirates by May, but it took much longer than that. Simply put, it’s not always clear when they’ll get called up. To that end, prospects with a cheaper average draft position (ADP) are better targets.

5. Focus on Playing Time

This relates to tip No. 4 on this list. When you’re building depth, you need to mix in some players with entrenched roles to go along with your prospects. Just because a player may not be that exciting doesn’t mean they can’t be useful for your team.

For example, Yoan Moncada is the everyday third baseman for the Angels. There’s a chance he hits clean-up for them. He’s available past pick 500 in draft & hold leagues. Nothing is exciting about Moncada, but he can provide coverage when you’re in a pinch. Make sure to mix in these types of players.