Yards Per Fantasy University: Adjusting For League Size
It might not seem like a particularly significant issue but it matters whether you’re playing in an 8 team league, a 16 team league or something in between.
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12 Team Leagues
We’ll start with 12 team leagues for two reasons. Firstly, they’re one of the most common and secondly, they’re often used as a default by analysts throughout the fantasy football industry. When you hear analysts talk about a player being a ‘wide receiver one’ or an ‘RB3’ they’re basing it around the rule of 12. A ‘wide receiver one’ is a wide receiver in the top 12, an ‘RB3’ is a running back ranked between 25 and 36 (the 3rd lot of 12). So this is our baseline.
Remember some fundamental concepts with league size and rosters. If you only start one Quarterback then there are 12 starting Quarterbacks every week. That means there are (more or less) 20 starting NFL Quarterbacks who aren’t in someone’s starting lineup. Some may be on the benches of teams in the league and the rest will be on the waiver wire. If you’re in a 2QB or Superflex league then there’s at least 24 starting Quarterbacks being played most weeks and with a few bench stashes, that’s the entirety of the NFL starting Quarterbacks list off the table.
It’s the same for Tight Ends, at least 12 would be rostered in a normal league and then each position multiplies by that magic 12 number. If you have to start two running backs, that’s 24 in starting lineups, if you have to start three wide receivers, that’s 36 in starting lineups.
14+ Team Leagues
Now we have our baseline, what’s the difference playing in a league with 14 teams or more? Lets look at those multiples again.
In a one Quarterback league that’s now 14 of the best starting Quarterbacks off the board and there’s less available on the waiver wire. In a 2QB or Superflex, you’re at 28 Quarterbacks in a 14 team league. If you somehow find yourself in a 16 team Superflex league you’ve hit the limit of starting NFL Quarterbacks and if teams start snagging players for their bench before you draft your two, you’re going to be left swinging in the breeze.
It’s the same for other positions. In a league where you start three wide receivers, that’s 42 starting wide receivers before you even get in to your flex spots or your bench. Bearing in mind that some teams will have more than three before every team can get their third, you’re in to Zach Pascal & Greg Ward range before you know it.
So what do we do differently? You get your depth. There isn’t going to be much of a waiver wire to pick up players if you have an injury or a player that’s underperforming so you need to get your depth during the draft, and keep depth throughout the season. If you sell two or three good players for a great one then be prepared that the replacement level players who come in to backfill are not going to be anywhere close to the same level.
10 Team Leagues
This is where things start to swing the other way, you can start to think more about the elite players at each position and less about the depth.
Lets start with those multiples again. In a 10 team league, that’s 10 starting Quarterbacks in a one Quarterback league. A few teams will still take a backup but you’re likely left with more than half of the NFL’s starting Quarterbacks on the waiver wire. In 2QB or Superflex leagues, this means 20 starters and while most teams will take another for their bench, there’s still a chance that a starting NFL Quarterback is on the waiver wire if you need them.
If it’s a three wide receiver league then that’s 30 starting wide receivers and, even with assuming some bench depth, the waiver wire looks a lot deeper.
So what do we differently? We focus much less on that depth. If your Quarterback goes down injured or underperforms you’re likely to be able to find a serviceable replacement on the waiver wire, so you probably don’t need to hold a backup on your bench. Instead you use those spots for potential upside players and you focus on getting the elite players at each position.
In a 10 team league, you could come out of the first three rounds of your draft with a running back, a wide receiver and a tight end, and still have plenty of time to take your next running backs and wide receivers. If you did that in a 14 team league, the available players at your fourth pick would not be looking so good.
It’s the same principle throughout the season. While you want some depth and stability on your bench, there’s less benefit from holding a low-ceiling player on your bench when they aren’t going to sniff your starting line-up and when there’s replacement players available on waivers. Instead, hold those players that have the potential to hit big and if they don’t, you can drop them.
8 Team League
This is where it steps up another level from the 10 team league. In an 8 team league, it’s ALL about getting those elite players.
There’s no point holding on to mid/lower level players in these leagues, consolidate and trade up for elite talents where you can. Draft the top players at each position and worry about depth later, there’ll be plenty available.
In a one Quarterback format, there’s probably Quarterbacks available on the waiver wire that are almost as good as the team who has the 8th best starter so you really don’t need to panic. Even in two Quarterback or Superflex formats, there’ll still be plenty available.
This available depth means its easy for every team to have a really high floor and that means you need those elite players to separate yourself. And before you start to think about those elite players being gone by the second and third picks of your draft, remember that there are fewer teams drafting which means your pick comes around quicker. If you have the first pick then in a 12-team league your second pick is at pick 24. In an 8-team league that’s pick 16 and your 3rd pick is pick 17. In a 12 team league, the draft isn’t half way through round two by pick 17 and you already have three players in an 8-team league.
A final note on league size. Don’t shame people for playing in an 8-team league if you think it’s more competitive to play in a 16-team league. Not everyone can get that many players to commit to it for the season and it’s better to have a smaller league with everyone paying attention than to have a big league with half of the managers not caring after three weeks. If you do end up in an 8-team league, try adding roster spots. Make it a Superflex league with three wide receivers and multiple flex spots. That will add depth and make it harder to find players on the waiver wire.
There’s plenty of options out there for you to find.
And of course, you can always ask the Yards Per Fantasy team for help and advice any time with our Ask The Expert feature.
Professor: Follow @MattFFBall
