When you talk about fantasy baseball you will find a vast array of different strategies to try to win owners respective leagues. There are many that utilize position scarcity as their main weapon, while others will take advantage of ADP, and still others will employ different approaches. What everyone has in common in their success is to win categories week in and week out.
Fantasy analysis all over the country will tell you how to corner the market for a single category like saves and steals. Most owners jump to K's and home runs, but no matter who you talk to there will always be a neglect in the fantasy community for one category ... runs scored.
Runs scored is it's own category. It holds just as much weight as home runs and RBIs and can be just as fickle as saves or steals, yet many owners hope that the category just takes care of itself. I am here to argue that you can corner the market and steal this all important category, and what's even better your league mates won't see it coming.
Last season only 12 players scored more than 100 runs for the season and only 12 more scored 90 or more runs. That's less than 25 players who scored 90+ runs in the season, that's all. For comparison there were 32 players who stole 25 or more bases. Some of the names in the runs scored category are names that are obvious multi-category studs like Ohtani and Judge, but digging deeper we can find some gems.
Last year Marcus Semien scored over 100. Matt Chapman ended with 98, Jurickson Profar had 94 and even Willy Adames and Anthony Volpe went for 90+. This season there is still time to give yourself a bump in runs scored.
Sure, the Ohtani's and Judge types are back atop the mountain, but like last year there are a few guys flying under the radar. There are only four players in the league with 70 or more runs, but players like Brice Turang sit with 60 runs scored. Other attainable names to give you a runs scored boost is TJ Friedl with 58, Masyn Winn with with 57 and Dansby Swanson with 57.
When you look at the landscape and se what these players will cost you it's minimal to what they can boost to your team. Get ahead of the late season push for runs scored now and try to grab some under the radar one category studs.