How do you choose your starters? (1 Viewer)

[Rounders]

Probably the most difficult aspect of fantasy football for myself is picking the correct players to start week in and week out. I have been playing fantasy football for 10+ years and this is an area I have always struggled with. I figure if I can minimize the bench points then I'm maximizing my chances of winning each week, right! That's obvisious but it's not that easy. Part of the reason that I struggle is because I accumulate depth, which I try to trade away but not always successfully. So I wanted to throw the question out to the shark pool:

How do you determine you starters on a weekly basis?

I'm not talking about your Studs or guys you start regardless of past weeks performance. I'm referring to those tough calls. Maybe your RB2 or WR3 or your Flex spot. Maybe even your QBBC.

Do you leave it up to your gut?

Do you do extensive research? If so what do you look at? Matchups? SOS? Expert Rankings?

Do you chase points hoping to catch a hot streak?

Do you not chase points because lightening doesn't strike twice?

Other

I would be very curious to see what others say. I have flip-flopped many times on how to set my lineup. Sometimes I play the matchup and get burned. Sometimes I play the better play (at least from my view) and get burned. Sometimes I play the higher draft pick (there was a reason he went earlier) and get burned. Sometimes I do these methods and get it right, but I just want to improve on my hit ratio.

What you got?

 

[numberSE7EN]

I use a combination of what you listed:

-Last week I had to decide between Eric Moulds and Wes Welker for my #3 WR spot. I looked at who they were playing, read all the news I could about both players and their teams, looked at my opponets starters (maybe he was starting Brady or Young), looked over my chances of winning the matchup (do i need to take a risk or do i need the safe points), then after all that if I have not made a decision I go with my gut.

-last week I had Moulds in the lineup until Saturday night. Came down to my thinking that Brady was going to throw a lot more than Young in week 1, I liked Welkers chances of scoring a TD more than Moulds' chance.

Hope that helps

 

[Rounders]

Thanks SE7EN. But of all the research you do, is there something that you read that carries more weight than others?

 

[blueandsilver]

I look at fantasy 'points allowed - by position' by teams to break ties in coin-flip starters. Sometimes I also use the Vegas over/under lines to pick the players that are playing games that are expected to score more points.

For example, the Colts allowed many points to RB's last year, but they allowed among the lowest points to WR's last year. Out league is on MFL.com and they have a section titled 'Points Allowed - By Position'. This didn't help me however when I sat Chris Brown this week against a good (last year at least) run defense by the Jags.

 

[FavreCo]

Probably the most difficult aspect of fantasy football for myself is picking the correct players to start week in and week out. I have been playing fantasy football for 10+ years and this is an area I have always struggled with. I figure if I can minimize the bench points then I'm maximizing my chances of winning each week, right! That's obvisious but it's not that easy. Part of the reason that I struggle is because I accumulate depth, which I try to trade away but not always successfully. So I wanted to throw the question out to the shark pool:

How do you determine you starters on a weekly basis?

I'm not talking about your Studs or guys you start regardless of past weeks performance. I'm referring to those tough calls. Maybe your RB2 or WR3 or your Flex spot. Maybe even your QBBC.

Do you leave it up to your gut?

Do you do extensive research? If so what do you look at? Matchups? SOS? Expert Rankings?

Do you chase points hoping to catch a hot streak?

Do you not chase points because lightening doesn't strike twice?

Other

I would be very curious to see what others say. I have flip-flopped many times on how to set my lineup. Sometimes I play the matchup and get burned. Sometimes I play the better play (at least from my view) and get burned. Sometimes I play the higher draft pick (there was a reason he went earlier) and get burned. Sometimes I do these methods and get it right, but I just want to improve on my hit ratio.

What you got?

The bold part and 14 years of experience, even then sometimes it blows up in my face. For a kicker...weather.

 

[Jon_Moore]

Start your studs!

Seriously though, look for historical data if it's available.

For example, I asked a friend of mine what he'd do in a situation, and he told me to bench Houshmanzadeh, because the Ravens defense is the best.

But, if you look at his game logs, going into monday night, in Five of his last 6 games againt them, he ate Raven for dinner.

Then, I look at matchups, which defense is better against those players' position, and consider how the offense as a whole should do. In the end, it's impossible to be 100% on your decisions.

Honestly, Saturday night, I decideed on a whim to play Romo over Bulger in 1 league, obviously that worked out.

I hate to say it, but go with your gut =legit

 

[redman]

I don't choose my starters. They choose me. I line all of them up and I say in a stern voice ( ), "All right, who's going to perform this week!"

If they look away or shake their heads or look down, any of those non-verbal things, then I know they won't be in my lineup that week. Sometimes I'll even go short a player just to make sure that he doesn't poison the rest of my lineup.

Anyway, that's how I've become a boss FF player.

Note- you need to have a bobblehead doll of each guy on all of your rosters.

 

[Beaumont]

Use teh force Luke ...



Seriously, I go by past performance, matchups and my gut feeling ...

I look at other people's weekly ranking for contrarian opinions just to see how wacked I am ...

 

[Todem]

The only match-ups that I like to play are RB's and pick up defense's

So I will use a matchup play for my Flex starter.

Other than that I have my studs and every week guy's who I drafted for that purpose unless they start to fall behind a sleeper or up and comer.

I only play in dynasty leagues so the rosters are deep.

If your trying to play matchups with QB's.....you have a QB problem IMO.

 

[Rounders]

Use teh force Luke ...



Seriously, I go by past performance, matchups and my gut feeling ...

I look at other people's weekly ranking for contrarian opinions just to see how wacked I am ...

Beaumont, do you ever feel like you are chasing points? Or do you mean that you look at prior season performances?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

If your trying to play matchups with QB's.....you have a QB problem IMO.

Really? What about QBBC folks?

 

[BroadwayG]

I look at the Vegas O/U line.

 

[FavreCo]

I don't choose my starters. They choose me. I line all of them up and I say in a stern voice ( ), "All right, who's going to perform this week!" If they look away or shake their heads or look down, any of those non-verbal things, then I know they won't be in my lineup that week. Sometimes I'll even go short a player just to make sure that he doesn't poison the rest of my lineup. Anyway, that's how I've become a boss FF player. Note- you need to have a bobblehead doll of each guy on all of your rosters.

What he said!