I previously shared my thoughts regarding several stash candidates for what I consider to be a “deep” sized league of more than 12 managers. Hopefully, you found my recommendations insightful and will give them a chance this season.
We now shift the focus to strategy ideas when participating in deep leagues — how to separate yourself from the competition by dominating the draft, being aggressive on the waiver wire to improve your roster, utilizing bench slots in the best way possible and exploiting your league’s format by prioritizing certain positions.
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Deep-League Strategy Tips
I prefer to play in larger leagues. Being an analyst for over a decade has provided me with the opportunity to represent several sites in “expert” leagues. I find them incredibly enjoyable to participate in.
Larger leagues are inherently more challenging to succeed in — one faces more competition, waiver wire pickups are generally more expensive (if one uses the FAAB format) and each squad’s weaknesses are exposed to a much higher degree because of thinner player pools. Bye weeks are brutal. Injuries will decimate you. Yet, nothing compares to the feeling of victory and sense of accomplishment that one has when holding the trophy and wearing the crown.
Given the increased difficulty compared to smaller, more casual formats that field an abundance of All-Pro talent across the board, it takes cunning skill to navigate through these treacherous waters.
That is where I come in. Here are my top five strategy tips to help you dominate deeper leagues.
Be Aggressive on the Waiver Wire
The most impactful additions to your squad are typically found early in the season. Finding a hidden gem in the first few weeks will make a tremendous difference. And you won’t be the only person looking to add an upside play that turns into a weekly “locked-and-loaded” starter.
An early injury to a star player, particularly at running back, will create a feeding frenzy on the wire. Don’t hesitate. It’s better to be overly aggressive and wrong about a player than miss out on adding them entirely. Leagues that utilize the FAAB (free agent acquisition budget) system can get particularly spicy.
Suppose a manager who punted a particular position (let’s continue with that running back example) during the draft can shore up a hole on their team via the waiver wire early on. In that case, it will make a monumental shift in the league dynamics.
Take last season, for example.
Christian McCaffrey‘s absence for most of the season led to a flurry of bidding activity for Jordan Mason (and then, Isaac Guerendo). Adding Mason’s nearly 800 rushing yards and several touchdowns as a Flex option could have propelled someone into the fantasy playoffs. And vice versa, with losing out on his services and just missing the final cut.
I was told early in my fantasy football career that, similar to an auction draft, you don’t get to pocket FAAB money that is just left sitting there accumulating dust. Spend it. If James Cook succumbs to a knee injury in Week 3, aggressively bid on Ray Davis. Should James Conner revert to being a pumpkin and pick up a hamstring pull, make a serious bid for Trey Benson. The same scenario applies to all top-tier (or even mid) handcuff running back options.
Fantasy football is a marathon, not a sprint. Matthew Berry has used that phrase more than anyone else over the last 15 years. And it’s sage advice. Don’t go overboard spending and retain FAAB funds (or a high waiver claim) for later on, but don’t be hesitant or shy to spend when necessary, especially for pickups that provide depth where you are potentially lacking.
Utilize Bench Spots Wisely
In a shallower format, managers can get “bailed out” much easier, given the increased level of talent generally found on the waiver wire. Your tight end just picked up an injury designation? No worries, grab another one. Have a wide receiver who is being nagged by a lingering hamstring? Drop him for someone else.
In a deeper league, managers don’t have that luxury. The ability for players to find relevance (especially every week) is much more difficult. Not just one, but several variables may need to occur for someone to vault into the top 25 of weekly fantasy football rankings. Speculative adds (especially at running back) are more common. This makes your bench spots especially valuable — which players are you willing to hold onto, in case things break just the right way?
I’d never advocate holding more than one kicker or defense in any league format, especially in a league where bench spots are so precious. To a lesser extent, holding onto a backup quarterback is also low on the list of priorities. Load up your bench with wide receivers and running backs that play on teams with potent offenses. It goes without saying, but the fewer obstacles that stand in the way of someone inheriting a greater snap share or workload, the better.
In larger formats, I also recommend attempting to play one week ahead of time, if at all possible. Take a look at advantageous matchups one week before they occur. That way, you won’t be locked into a bidding war to use precious FAAB or a high waiver priority. This is especially true if you’re streaming any given position, such as tight end.
Understand Your League’s Rules
This tip applies to all leagues. Not just those with 12 or more managers. Look at your league’s custom settings ahead of time. Though the majority of leagues play with the “standard” or “default” settings, occasionally league managers will tinker with them, adding in customized rules.
Awarding bonus points for big plays is one of the most common changes (such as touchdowns of 20 yards out or longer). Tight end-premium scoring systems have also seen an increase in popularity, propelling players like Brock Bowers or Trey McBride up boards. Participating in a PPR league versus a traditional format will have an impact on wide receivers and pass-catching specialist running backs. Perhaps your league adopted last year’s Scott Fish Bowl settings, where return yards generated points. The list goes on. Make sure you check your league rules and scoring settings.
Know Which Positions to Prioritize
I hinted at this one earlier, but it never hurts to reinforce my point. The backbone of any fantasy football team is at wide receiver and running back. Running backs typically suffer the most injuries, but have the biggest “boom or bust” potential to carry managers to victory each week.
Wide receivers, especially those who see double-digit targets each week, create a crucial floor of points each week to build your projections on. The tight end position is deeper than in prior seasons, but unless you come away with one of the “big 3” (Bowers, McBride or George Kittle), it becomes touchdown-dependent rather quickly. If you happen to wait to let the first tier (or two) of tight ends pass, double-dip at the position in the mid-rounds on upside plays.
Handcuffing Running Backs
Handcuffing is a topic that has sparked a great deal of debate amongst fantasy analysts since the game was created.
Some are for the idea, as securing the immediate backup to your Anchor RB (or two) will provide a safety valve in the scenario when (not if) they suffer an injury during the season.
Others will point out the idea that selecting two players at the same position on the same team both caps your upside (since you’d need to use roster slots on a player that you know you wouldn’t normally start) and it is more advantageous to spread out the risk associated with any one team.
Perhaps the Detroit Lions take a significant step backwards in offensive production without the aid of former coordinator Ben Johnson. If you happened to have both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery on your team, the impact would be felt twice as hard. And so on.
In deeper leagues, I believe that it is more critical to handcuff than not. With the waiver wire already bare-bones thin, securing and protecting yourself at running back is vital. While it may be comforting to have another manager’s backup on your squad, it still opens you up to the inherent (and significant) risk that your RB1 or RB2 goes down, and you’ll need to spend a large portion of your FAAB on a player that could have been there in the first place.
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