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Ranking the 10 fantasy baseball categories by order of abundance

Jamie Sabau / Getty Images Sport / Getty

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A standard fantasy baseball league consists of five statistical categories for hitters - batting average, runs, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases - and five for pitchers - ERA, wins, WHIP, strikeouts, and saves. Not all categories are considered equal, with each one having more or less importance on draft day based on league-wide abundance.

Based on statistics from the 2016 MLB season, here's a look at the importance of each of the 10 standard stats. Know which ones you'll need to pursue early, and which will be available later on. We'll start with the most readily available:

10. Wins

It's not that wins are overly abundant, but their unpredictability is what makes them a fool's errand to chase in the draft. Only three starting pitchers recorded at least 20 victories last season, with Boston Red Sox SP Rick Porcello leading the way with 22. Fifty-four starters picked up at least 10 victories, while 31 relievers had at least five wins as well. Wins are better sought out during the season based on matchups.

9. Runs

Runs are widely abundant and much easier to target than pitcher wins. Four hitters had at least 120 runs scored last season, with 21 topping 100 and 68 tallying at least 80. Target hitters from the top third of the lineup as they'll be guaranteed more plate appearances. Look for players with high on-base percentages and some speed. When in doubt, look at the overall quality of a team's offense.

8. RBI

RBIs were similarly abundant as runs in 2016, with hitters from the middle of lineups being the top targets. Six players topped 110 RBIs, while 73 recorded at least 80. Each of the top 12 in the category had at least 30 home runs, though only two had at least 100 runs scored. The three categories mesh perfectly together and can all be resolved with the same picks.

7. Home Runs

Home runs were plentiful in 2016. Eight players went deep at least 40 times, 36 had at least 30 homers, and 92 reached 20. Home run totals are fairly stable year-to-year, with prospective drafters able to look at home run to fly ball ratios as a measure for negative or positive regression. A ratio of 10 percent is considered the league norm, with deviations from career norms being a strong indicator for bounce back performances.

6. WHIP

While the most elite WHIPs were rare in 2016 -- only two starters finished the season with a WHIP below 1.00 -- 59 finished the season below 1.40. There were 13 pitchers with a WHIP below 1.10 last season, allowing each owner in a 12-team league to have at least one marquee starter, while the league-wide depth allows for a quality team average. Look for pitchers with low walk rates and those with a low career opponent BABIP.

5. ERA

Chicago Cubs SP Kyle Hendricks broke out in 2016 to lead all of baseball with a 2.13 ERA across 30 starts. Seven other starters finished with an ERA below 3.00, with a total of 40 starters finishing below 4.00. Relievers can greatly influence the overall ERA of a fantasy team, as 100 RPs finished below 4.00 and 11 finished below 2.00. Once again there's an emphasis on the top starters, but it's not overly difficult to compile a solid team rate.

4. AVG

League-wide batting average continues to fall as power numbers rise. Two hitters topped a .340 average last season, and just 25 finished the year above .300. Fifty-seven finished above .280, while 98 had an average of at least .260. It's a good strategy to land a couple of high-average hitters early on, allowing you to focus on the more-abundant power later in drafts.

3. Strikeouts

Max Scherzer led the majors with 284 strikeouts in 228 1/3 innings last year, with three other starters recording at least 250 strikeouts. There was a steep dropoff, with former Chicago White Sox SP Chris Sale ranking fifth in the stat with 233 Ks. A total of 12 SPs finished above 200, with only 45 recording at least 150. Relievers can provide a slight boost, but limited usage serves as a handicap. Eight RPs recorded at least 100 Ks.

2. Saves

Targeting saves on draft day is a very risky move. There is a lot of volatility and turnover at the position, with different relievers being handed the closer role at various points of the season. These players need to be claimed off waivers immediately. On draft day, it's important to target those who've been effective in the role for several seasons, or those who took control of the job the previous season. Six players had 40-plus saves last season, while 36 had at least 10.

1. Stolen Bases

No stat puts as much of a premium on the elite producers with the stolen base totals decreasing drastically near the top of the leaderboard. Milwaukee Brewers SS Jonathan Villar led the league in 2016 with 62 steals. Seven players had at least 30, with four of those players also topping 100 runs scored. Only 10 others had at least 20 successful steals and only 48 stole at least 10 bags.

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