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IMPORTANCE OF LINEUP EVALUATION
Every Fantasy Football owner has had it happen at some point. They have lost their game when someone on their bench could have made the winning difference. It is always easy to second guess yourself after a loss. Being efficient at lineup evaluation can usually make a difference in a few games a year and can make a difference in the success or failure of your team in making the playoffs and winning the championship. There are several key elements to achieving 100% efficiency:
WEEKLY LINEUP DEADLINES
It seems like you shouldn't have to be told this but the most critical element of the Starter/Bench puzzle is dealing with lineup deadlines. Regardless, there are a few considerations that need to be addressed besides from setting your lineup prior to the deadline. The "Thursday game" used to be a once a year experience and now the league has expanded to offering off-day games during several regular season weeks. In fact, the NFL is occasionally offering Saturday games as well, that you need to watch out for. This affects your lineup in regards to planning. You have to remember that for certain players you have you'll need to make decisions on their starting status a little earlier than usual. Also, when planning for bye weeks and free agency, off-day games can throw you a curve ball. You have to plan for your roster moves a little earlier than you normally would. Some leagues will lock the rosters once the games begin and if you get caught in this situation, you could really hurt your team's chances.
PLAYER MATCHUPS
Player matchups are the key element to Starter/Bench determination. You may have a good quality player but if he is going against a particularly tough opponent that week you may want to think about leaving him on the bench and starting a player with a favorable matchup. For example, if you have Fred Taylor playing against the Buffalo Bills defense in one week, you may want to leave him on the bench as this matchup is not favorable to Fred scoring big fantasy numbers. This is not the case with all players as you would theoretically never want to bench a player like LaDanian Tomlinson. If you pay attention to the matchups and try to exploit matchup problems, you can find fantasy gold.
KNOW YOUR INJURIES
Every week guys get injured. Usually, they are nagging injuries that make them have a questionable or probable status for the upcoming game. You have to pay special attention to this as a player that is questionable and then doesn't play that week will score you NO POINTS. That is a quick way to kill your team's chances of winning. I suggest subscribing to our mailing list along with other mailing lists and receiving updated information on key injuries. You must plan for a player to not be able to play in that week's games and be able to have someone ready to take his spot at a moment's notice. Watch the injuries closely and know the playing status of you guys. Also, don't ever trust anything that Mike Shannahan says. He will deceive you and ruin your Sundays. A good way to get to the truth is to check out credible sources and if you have doubt, go with the sure thing. Having a zero will kill your chances.
STUDY PLAYER TRENDS
Most players have tendencies. Some are better on grass, some are better on turf, some are better in warm weather, some are better in cold weather. The point is to look at a players trends in certain situations and also to examine how a player has been performing in the past few games. You'll find that there are some numbers that correspond to a good performance or a bad performance. The more astute you are scutinizing these numbers, the better you will be at determining your lineup and at winning games.
WATCH FIELD CONDITIONS
One of the things that makes Football a different kind of game is that the game is played, rain or shine. As most players have tendencies weather is significant in late season games, particularly during playoff time. A rainy day, snow, wind, or other weather condition can cause a team to adopt a certain style of play during a contest. This can affect the outcome of a fantasy matchup and your team's success. For example, if Tampa Bay is playing a game in Green Bay in late December and it 14 degrees outside, Tampa Bay is probably going to struggle. Not to mention that Green Bay rarely does bad in cold weather conditions at home. Also, players get accustomed to weather conditions and get out of sorts when taken out of their element. Another example of this is when Northern teams like Cleveland come to Jacksonville. the humidity and heat presents a different set of circumstances for the players and you must think about these things when setting your lineup.
THE INTANGIBLES
Some other things to think about when setting your lineup are going with the hot hand when a player is playing well, competition at the position and the impact is has on the player's opportunity to touch the ball (this can also be affected by injuries), starting the player that scores the most points per game when using a flex position, and when comparing two comperable players for a starting position going with the safest bet. Allow these elements to go into your decision making process each week and you will find yoruself maximizing your team's points and therefore maximizing your team's success. |
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