What's the strategy for such a small bench? (1 Viewer)

[Rick James]

My money league has a 14 round draft: 9 starters + 5 bench. I've campaigned for years to have an 18 round draft, but nobody wants to change.

So what's the proper strategy?

QBx1, RBx2, WRx3, TEx1, K, DEF

-I feel like I need to draft an elite-to-very-good TE [Gates -> Finley], just so I don't waste a bench spot on a 2nd one

-4 out of the 5 bench spots should be RB/WR, I think

- that last bench spot, I really want to draft 2 defenses and play matchups, but I'd like to have a backup QB too

I feel handcuffed here, I can't take the homerun swings that I could in an 18 round draft.

 

[gethugefast1]

My money league has a 14 round draft: 9 starters + 5 bench. I've campaigned for years to have an 18 round draft, but nobody wants to change.So what's the proper strategy? QBx1, RBx2, WRx3, TEx1, K, DEF-I feel like I need to draft an elite-to-very-good TE [Gates -> Finley], just so I don't waste a bench spot on a 2nd one-4 out of the 5 bench spots should be RB/WR, I think- that last bench spot, I really want to draft 2 defenses and play matchups, but I'd like to have a backup QB tooI feel handcuffed here, I can't take the homerun swings that I could in an 18 round draft.

My main local league: QBx1, RBx2, WRx2, FLEX(RB/WRTE)x1, K, DSTSince only a 6 player bench, it consists of all RBs & WRs. Though last year someone dropped Dallas Clark week 3 and used him as a Flex in certain matchups.I switched out(waivers) my DST as per matchups & picked up a hot K during my drafted K bye week & again just before playoffs(if needed).Has worked out well during last 4 years(made playoffs all 4 & won it all twice)

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

As far as the strategy goes, it's pretty similar, you want to Dominate your draft. You want to take guys that can produce now. You probably can't take as many handcuffs or guys that would produce if someone went down.

In a league where there's only 14 rounds, there will obviously be a lot of talent in the waiver pools so staying on top of that all season long is key. You will not win your league unless you have a good season on the waiver wire, I promise you that.

Just because it's 14 rounds, that doesn't mean you take a QB earlier than normal or TE, just draft as you normally would and be on top of the waiver wire and you'll be in it at the end.

 

[JHuber77]

Make sure if you want to load up on RB's and WR's that none of your other positions have the same bye weeks. QB, TE, K, DST That way if you need to, you only have to waste one bench spot for 4 weeks

 

[howo5]

It's tough, sometimes it's worth it to draft a QB like Manning early since he doesn't get injured and won't need a backup QB wasting roster space. Also it makes TEBC, Defense BC and QBBC strategies harder to employ. Also makes taking guys like Sidney Rice tough too. But sometimes it's more fun this way as waivers is more exciting and there's more management skill once the season gets underway as opposed to stashing a lot of players and just starting the ones you like. Takes away a lot of the advantage us sharks get from drafting well in the 15th and 16th rounds.

 

[TWP]

I'm in a new league this year that start QB, RB, WR, 2 RB/WR, TE, K, DEF and has only 5 bench spots. Only 10 teams, too. I figure I can forget about any committees and forget about any backups and just take solid starters and then my favorite guys who I think might blow up to top 5/top 10 ranking. I can always find a top 15 guy on the wire as a bye week replacement in any given week.

 

[domvin]

My money league has a 14 round draft: 9 starters + 5 bench. I've campaigned for years to have an 18 round draft, but nobody wants to change.

So what's the proper strategy?

QBx1, RBx2, WRx3, TEx1, K, DEF

-I feel like I need to draft an elite-to-very-good TE [Gates -> Finley], just so I don't waste a bench spot on a 2nd one

-4 out of the 5 bench spots should be RB/WR, I think

- that last bench spot, I really want to draft 2 defenses and play matchups, but I'd like to have a backup QB too

I feel handcuffed here, I can't take the homerun swings that I could in an 18 round draft.

With only 14 rounds, and ten teams, there will be a lot on the waiver wire.

I'd strongly consider moving a few mid round picks for earlier picks in the 2nd/3rd round. your late 2nd, early 3rd, for his early second and 4th/5th, as an example. As long as you get stud players, I would not be too concerned with overpaying pick wise........ Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge. Good Luck bro

 

[Rick James]

My money league has a 14 round draft: 9 starters + 5 bench. I've campaigned for years to have an 18 round draft, but nobody wants to change.

So what's the proper strategy?

QBx1, RBx2, WRx3, TEx1, K, DEF

-I feel like I need to draft an elite-to-very-good TE [Gates -> Finley], just so I don't waste a bench spot on a 2nd one

-4 out of the 5 bench spots should be RB/WR, I think

- that last bench spot, I really want to draft 2 defenses and play matchups, but I'd like to have a backup QB too

I feel handcuffed here, I can't take the homerun swings that I could in an 18 round draft.

With only 14 rounds, and ten teams, there will be a lot on the waiver wire.

I'd strongly consider moving a few mid round picks for earlier picks in the 2nd/3rd round. your late 2nd, early 3rd, for his early second and 4th/5th, as an example. As long as you get stud players, I would not be too concerned with overpaying pick wise........ Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge. Good Luck bro

I should have clarified; 12-team league, no trading picks. I agree though that the waiver wire will be ripe for the plucking.

 

[Warrior]

Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge.

How exactly do you pounce on the waiver when your team is so supremely talented that you have no scrubs to drop?Thats the main problem with leagues like this.

 

[TWP]

Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge.

How exactly do you pounce on the waiver when your team is so supremely talented that you have no scrubs to drop?Thats the main problem with leagues like this.

That's the reason why there is always a Top 15 guy on the wire. Everyone has the same problem. That's why it's only worth rostering a guy if you think they might end up in the Top 10, pretty much.

 

[Sweet Love]

A lot of good advice here. Personally, I am in a league like this and while I do well in total points, I often get smoked in H2H because the competition has better players than normal (advantage: guppies). I have a couple of takeaways in a league like this: (1) Forget your sleepers...they will just weigh you down. (2) You HAVE to be able to cut bait quickly. For example, if you own Ronnie Brown and he is just doing OK, but a guy like Donald Brown is starting to play and play well, you HAVE to make the move to cut Ronnie Brown quickly. Lesser players do not understand tough schedules, how a guy may traditionally be slow to start, etc. and you have to take advantage sooner rather than later. This is where I fail in that particular league. I walk away with an all-star squad and miss out on guys like Miles Austin and Mike Sims-Walker because I just don't want to drop a guy like Dwayne Bowe (think early last year) for an upstart...soemtimes you ahve to make a move like that.

 

[shredhead]

Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge.

How exactly do you pounce on the waiver when your team is so supremely talented that you have no scrubs to drop?Thats the main problem with leagues like this.

Agreed!I play in a league like this, and the wire isn't as juicy as you might think. Everyone loads up on backup and sleeper WR's and RB's just like regular leagues. Where you see more waiver wire players is in the backup TE, K, and D catergories. Big whoop. I load up on WR and RB, and then play musical kickers (and musical TE and defense sometimes too) throughout the season. My main advice for a league like this is to make sure you draft your TE,K, and D with different bye weeks.

 

[patrickmcgroin]

A lot of good advice here. Personally, I am in a league like this and while I do well in total points, I often get smoked in H2H because the competition has better players than normal (advantage: guppies). I have a couple of takeaways in a league like this: (1) Forget your sleepers...they will just weigh you down. (2) You HAVE to be able to cut bait quickly. For example, if you own Ronnie Brown and he is just doing OK, but a guy like Donald Brown is starting to play and play well, you HAVE to make the move to cut Ronnie Brown quickly. Lesser players do not understand tough schedules, how a guy may traditionally be slow to start, etc. and you have to take advantage sooner rather than later. This is where I fail in that particular league. I walk away with an all-star squad and miss out on guys like Miles Austin and Mike Sims-Walker because I just don't want to drop a guy like Dwayne Bowe (think early last year) for an upstart...soemtimes you ahve to make a move like that.

Yeah I held on to Dwayne Bowe too long last year too..... never draft him again.

 

[Dr. No]

A lot of good advice here. Personally, I am in a league like this and while I do well in total points, I often get smoked in H2H because the competition has better players than normal (advantage: guppies). I have a couple of takeaways in a league like this: (1) Forget your sleepers...they will just weigh you down. (2) You HAVE to be able to cut bait quickly. For example, if you own Ronnie Brown and he is just doing OK, but a guy like Donald Brown is starting to play and play well, you HAVE to make the move to cut Ronnie Brown quickly. Lesser players do not understand tough schedules, how a guy may traditionally be slow to start, etc. and you have to take advantage sooner rather than later. This is where I fail in that particular league. I walk away with an all-star squad and miss out on guys like Miles Austin and Mike Sims-Walker because I just don't want to drop a guy like Dwayne Bowe (think early last year) for an upstart...soemtimes you ahve to make a move like that.

I dropped Vernon Davis after week 2 last year due to picking up Celek.Now, Celek wasn't bad, but i'm sure you can all imagine how that ended for me.I have one league where we start 8 and roster 18, another where we start 8 and roster 16.The 18 is too big because there's often little on the wire.the 16 is right.if i started 9 i'd want to be able to roster 18.

 

[Tau837]

I am in a 16 team league with 14 man rosters and 9 starters (QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 D/ST). I believe you have to adapt to your draft, but here are some general guidelines I use in this league:

- Do not draft more than 1 K or 1 D/ST.

- With 16 teams, you can't count on being able to pick up a decent backup QB off the waiver wire. Try to draft a quality backup if at all possible, even if you have a top starter.

- No PPR, so the best lineups are those that can start 3 quality RBs. Must end up with 5 RBs if at all possible.

- No handcuffing, unless you can get a pair like Williams and Stewart, who can both start.

- Try to get a top 8-10 TE and don't draft a backup.

- That leaves room for 4 WRs.

- If roster is constructed this way - 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 4 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST - you have room for at most one "sleeper" at RB and none elsewhere. Don't draft more than that, as you will need production from everyone else.

I think most of this was already posted earlier in the thread. With my league being 16 teams, it's tougher to find value on the waiver wire, and it's also tougher to work out trades, since teams rarely have a lot of depth.

Incidentally, I draft out of the 14 spot in this league Saturday night. Suggestions are welcome.

ETA: to fix my remedial math problem.

 

[Tigerbot Hesh]

I am in a 16 team league with 14 man rosters and 9 starters (QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 D/ST). I believe you have to adapt to your draft, but here are some general guidelines I use in this league:- Do not draft more than 1 K or 1 D/ST.- With 16 teams, you can't count on being able to pick up a decent backup QB off the waiver wire. Try to draft a quality backup if at all possible, even if you have a top starter.- No PPR, so the best lineups are those that can start 3 quality RBs. Must end up with 5 RBs if at all possible.- No handcuffing, unless you can get a pair like Williams and Stewart, who can both start.- Try to get a top 8-10 TE and don't draft a backup.- That leaves room for 5 WRs.- If roster is constructed this way - 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST - you have room for at most one "sleeper" at RB and one "sleeper" at WR. Don't draft more than that, as you will need production from everyone else.I think most of this was already posted earlier in the thread. With my league being 16 teams, it's tougher to find value on the waiver wire, and it's also tougher to work out trades, since teams rarely have a lot of depth.Incidentally, I draft out of the 14 spot in this league Saturday night. Suggestions are welcome.

I've got a 16-team, 16-round draft (with 6 bench spots) coming up on Tuesday, and I'm stealing this post for my draft day notes. Good luck at your draft, JWB!

 

[domvin]

Load up on the supreme talent, and be ready to pounce on the waiver when players start to emerge.

How exactly do you pounce on the waiver when your team is so supremely talented that you have no scrubs to drop?Thats the main problem with leagues like this.

My whole thought was for him to snag stud players(very early), with the trades he made, and his depth would be somewhat weak postdraft. When waiver players start to emerge, cut bait on underperforming depth, and hope those players stay hot.....

His whole team is not going to be supremely talented, however, it's a moot point once he clarified that there are no predraft trades for picks

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

it may not be a popular strategy with some, but in the league I'm in with a very short bench, I try to get my QB1, TE, and PK all with the same bye week. my intention is to just punt that week, and be stronger than everyone else all the other weeks.

to take it a little further, I will try to get a QB1, TE, and PK that all have a bye on a week where I am playing an owner in a different division, because I obviously want to win all my division matchups.

 

[shredhead]

I am in a 16 team league with 14 man rosters and 9 starters (QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 D/ST). I believe you have to adapt to your draft, but here are some general guidelines I use in this league:

- Do not draft more than 1 K or 1 D/ST.

- With 16 teams, you can't count on being able to pick up a decent backup QB off the waiver wire. Try to draft a quality backup if at all possible, even if you have a top starter.

- No PPR, so the best lineups are those that can start 3 quality RBs. Must end up with 5 RBs if at all possible.

- No handcuffing, unless you can get a pair like Williams and Stewart, who can both start.

- Try to get a top 8-10 TE and don't draft a backup.

- That leaves room for 5 WRs.

- If roster is constructed this way - 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST - you have room for at most one "sleeper" at RB and one "sleeper" at WR. Don't draft more than that, as you will need production from everyone else.

I think most of this was already posted earlier in the thread. With my league being 16 teams, it's tougher to find value on the waiver wire, and it's also tougher to work out trades, since teams rarely have a lot of depth.

Incidentally, I draft out of the 14 spot in this league Saturday night. Suggestions are welcome.

Remedial math class!

 

[Fodasme69]

I am in a 16 team league with 14 man rosters and 9 starters (QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 D/ST). I believe you have to adapt to your draft, but here are some general guidelines I use in this league:

- Do not draft more than 1 K or 1 D/ST.

- With 16 teams, you can't count on being able to pick up a decent backup QB off the waiver wire. Try to draft a quality backup if at all possible, even if you have a top starter.

- No PPR, so the best lineups are those that can start 3 quality RBs. Must end up with 5 RBs if at all possible.

- No handcuffing, unless you can get a pair like Williams and Stewart, who can both start.

- Try to get a top 8-10 TE and don't draft a backup.

- That leaves room for 5 WRs.

- If roster is constructed this way - 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST - you have room for at most one "sleeper" at RB and one "sleeper" at WR. Don't draft more than that, as you will need production from everyone else.

I think most of this was already posted earlier in the thread. With my league being 16 teams, it's tougher to find value on the waiver wire, and it's also tougher to work out trades, since teams rarely have a lot of depth.

Incidentally, I draft out of the 14 spot in this league Saturday night. :X Suggestions are welcome.

Remedial math class!

 

[eaglezzz]

I am in a 12 team league that drafts 12 players. Start 1 qb, 2 rb, 2 wr, 1 te, 1 flex, 1 k, 1 def.

I really like the strategy of grabbing a stud TE, and whatever his bye week is taking both the kicker and defense with the same bye. That way I don't have to grab 2 at each position and can focus on my other 9 picks. Whenever that bye week is I know it will be my tough week and I can either adjust or depending on my record at the time just start all 3 on bye weeks and play with a handicap for one week. My league also makes you draft 2 qb's so that is never a problem with bye weeks. But we are not required to roster more then 1 TE, Kicker, Defense.

Say it is week 10 and I have the 3 guys on bye week. If I am already 6-3, 7-2, or 8-1 or even 9-0 I just start the guys on bye week and hope for the best. If I am 5-4 it might be tough but anthing less well time to sell the farm anyway to try to get to the FF playoffs. Also you have the chance in weeks 4-9 to pick up a better available defense/kicker if yours don't perform up to standard. But pick someone that has already had their bye week.

I love to take Kickers and Defenses that also have a week 10 bye so that way I don't have to worry about them until late in the season. Say you take NO Defense (or SD/GB/Oak) and Oak Kicker (best kicker with bye week 10) rounds 11 and 12. That way you don't have the Jets Defense on a week 7 bye and have to use a roster spot to try to find a replacement. I am going to Target NO def and Oak Kicker just like that. I am also going to try to grab Gates who has a bye in week 10 (Finley or Z. Miller also have the same bye)as well.

Not sure if it is the best strategy

 

[Tau837]

I am in a 16 team league with 14 man rosters and 9 starters (QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 D/ST). I believe you have to adapt to your draft, but here are some general guidelines I use in this league:

- Do not draft more than 1 K or 1 D/ST.

- With 16 teams, you can't count on being able to pick up a decent backup QB off the waiver wire. Try to draft a quality backup if at all possible, even if you have a top starter.

- No PPR, so the best lineups are those that can start 3 quality RBs. Must end up with 5 RBs if at all possible.

- No handcuffing, unless you can get a pair like Williams and Stewart, who can both start.

- Try to get a top 8-10 TE and don't draft a backup.

- That leaves room for 5 WRs.

- If roster is constructed this way - 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST - you have room for at most one "sleeper" at RB and one "sleeper" at WR. Don't draft more than that, as you will need production from everyone else.

I think most of this was already posted earlier in the thread. With my league being 16 teams, it's tougher to find value on the waiver wire, and it's also tougher to work out trades, since teams rarely have a lot of depth.

Incidentally, I draft out of the 14 spot in this league Saturday night. :X Suggestions are welcome.

Remedial math class!

I thought something seemed off... make that room for 4 WRs and no sleeper WRs.