Strategy question: Playing without a K or DST? (1 Viewer)

[Romofan]

You're sitting near the top of your league standings and don't want to drop anyone. Do you or have you played without a TE K or D??? I did this once last year and won without a TE playing in order to keep my whole team intact. I'm currently in a 10 team league (I'm more used to playing in 12 teamers) and there are guys I still want to pick up ....let alone drop for a bye week kicker or D. Has anyone been in this position and willing to play without one or 2 players in your starting lineup in order to keep your whole team intact for the stretch??

 

[MCguidance]

Guy in my league did it this week and lost by 3 points. It's not like he had top kickers or DST, either. Definitely cost him the game.

 

[Romofan]

I sitting here with Prater and Chicago on bye...and I'm in love with the rest of my team so I am debating taking a loss this week. Admittedly I grow attached to my players ....even my kicker!!!

 

[Kuz]

You're sitting near the top of your league standings and don't want to drop anyone. Do you or have you played without a TE K or D??? I did this once last year and won without a TE playing in order to keep my whole team intact. I'm currently in a 10 team league (I'm more used to playing in 12 teamers) and there are guys I still want to pick up ....let alone drop for a bye week kicker or D. Has anyone been in this position and willing to play without one or 2 players in your starting lineup in order to keep your whole team intact for the stretch??

depending on your scoring system. I can't see how you would want to keep a kicker when you can get some one of the WW that would be almost as good.. If you have wacky scoring systems for Defenses then I can see a case for that. Not for kickers though..

 

[Texican]

You're sitting near the top of your league standings and don't want to drop anyone. Do you or have you played without a TE K or D??? I did this once last year and won without a TE playing in order to keep my whole team intact. I'm currently in a 10 team league (I'm more used to playing in 12 teamers) and there are guys I still want to pick up ....let alone drop for a bye week kicker or D. Has anyone been in this position and willing to play without one or 2 players in your starting lineup in order to keep your whole team intact for the stretch??

depending on your scoring system. I can't see how you would want to keep a kicker when you can get some one of the WW that would be almost as good.. If you have wacky scoring systems for Defenses then I can see a case for that. Not for kickers though..

Agreed

 

[MOAT]

I understand keeping the Bears D over their bye and would consider that.

I don't understand how you could be in a 10 team league and not have a reasonable second option at K. To me, kickers are interchangeable. If you are that sold on your kicker and can afford the loss then let them ride. If you need the win or points to make the playoffs I would at least replace your kicker. If your league values kickers highly then maybe you can trade your K to upgrade another position and get a reasonable option back.

 

[MOAT]

I sitting here with Prater and Chicago on bye...and I'm in love with the rest of my team so I am debating taking a loss this week. Admittedly I grow attached to my players ....even my kicker!!!

I would drop Prater and pick up another kicker. Given the DEN display last night, Prater will likely be available to reaquire after the bye.

 

[Crusaderfan]

I've done it with a defense but not with a kicker. I'd just drop my kicker and pickup another one. Who's a good kicker from week to week anyway? I lost this week by 2 pts and I have one of the top kickers, Prater, that scored 1 big point for me. Can't get attached to a kicker.

 

[shredhead]

I've done it with a defense but not with a kicker. I'd just drop my kicker and pickup another one. Who's a good kicker from week to week anyway? I lost this week by 2 pts and I have one of the top kickers, Prater, that scored 1 big point for me. Can't get attached to a kicker.

I agree with everyone else, drop Prater and pick up one of the 5 equal kickers on the wire. you can probably get Prater back after this weeks games. If not then oh well, you will still have a good kicker. I just got Akers and Rackers in two of my leagues because of Crosby's bye. I would like to get crosby back, but will not sweat it if I have to go with Akers and Rackers the rest of the way. As far as defense goes, don't drop Chicago. Look hard at your WR4/5 or RB 4/5, guys you aren't going to start except for byes or injuries. Are there any guys on the wire that are close to equal to any on your roster? I would think you could drop a WR4/5 for a defense filler and then next week get another WR 4/5. It's almost gotta be possible in a 10 team league.

 

[GregR_2]

You're sitting near the top of your league standings and don't want to drop anyone. Do you or have you played without a TE K or D??? I did this once last year and won without a TE playing in order to keep my whole team intact. I'm currently in a 10 team league (I'm more used to playing in 12 teamers) and there are guys I still want to pick up ....let alone drop for a bye week kicker or D. Has anyone been in this position and willing to play without one or 2 players in your starting lineup in order to keep your whole team intact for the stretch??

I seldom would do this, but I've given it some thought for this week. We start 4 WR, 2 TE, and a flex WR/TE with 1 pt PPR TE and .5 WR... so that's 24 starting TE and a possibility of some teams starting 3, for around 27 TEs who start each week.I had to cut my 3rd TE earlier in the season for bye week fillers elsewhere, and there just is nothing out there at TE that I have any confidence will score me more than 3 points this week, in a league where 160-170 is an average score. I'm just not sure giving up another player for a TE is worth it. Especially as I'm weakened at WR right now due to a trade and would like to keep some guys I am taking fliers on breaking out the last half of the year.So I think it's a valid strategy so long as your rules allow it and so long as you are doing it because you think the guy you'd have to give up is ultimately more valuable to your team than is one game of the backup (as opposed to doing it to try to lose and better draft position next year).However, at a position like PK, it would have to be an unusual situation for me to not just drop my kicker and pick up another. My kicker would have to be having a phenomenal season and far ahead of the 2nd place kicker, for me to feel that my kicker would necessarily outscore whoever else I could get over the rest of the season.

 

[mistersmith]

I've done it with a defense but not with a kicker. I'd just drop my kicker and pickup another one. Who's a good kicker from week to week anyway? I lost this week by 2 pts and I have one of the top kickers, Prater, that scored 1 big point for me. Can't get attached to a kicker.

I agree with everyone else, drop Prater and pick up one of the 5 equal kickers on the wire. you can probably get Prater back after this weeks games. If not then oh well, you will still have a good kicker. I just got Akers and Rackers in two of my leagues because of Crosby's bye. I would like to get crosby back, but will not sweat it if I have to go with Akers and Rackers the rest of the way. As far as defense goes, don't drop Chicago. Look hard at your WR4/5 or RB 4/5, guys you aren't going to start except for byes or injuries. Are there any guys on the wire that are close to equal to any on your roster? I would think you could drop a WR4/5 for a defense filler and then next week get another WR 4/5. It's almost gotta be possible in a 10 team league.

Don't mean to turn this into a kicker thread, but a kicker that might be sitting on the waiver wire and outscoring Prater right now is Jason Elam since he just came off a bye. He's got a nice easy schedule the rest of the way besides playing Philly this week. He then plays oak, new orleans, den, car, SD chargers. yeah his playoff schedule isn't that great (nor, tam, min) but it's just a kicker.

 

[Angry Beavers]

Did it this past week - played without a D;

14 team league, no "good" teams on the wire and no one I wanted to drop for one week.

It helps that I am in first, and playing an opponent I did not think I needed a D to beat. Turns out I was right.........

 

[Limp Ditka]

I can't stand it when people do this. We've had a recent wave of it in one of my leagues and it's gotten to the point that we're going to have to institute fines for people that do it next year.

 

[TommyGilmore]

If you're in a league where you MUST start 1 player at every position, then you'd be nuts to keep a kicker through his BYE week.

I used to play in a league that didn't require you to start a player at every position. I never started a kicker and only started a defense when I saw an attractive D/ST on the waiver wire. It probably cost me a game or two, but it was well worth it to be able to stock my lineup with an extra RB or two. I won the league (and the next year everyone else voted that we had to start 1 player at every position).