Strategy in Larger Lineups

Photo: Brad Rempel, USA Today Sports

Roster limitations and starting spots are important components of a fantasy football strategy. Deeper starting lineup provide good fantasy GMs the opportunity to exploit their advantages.

The Advantage Of Deeper Lineups

When you get the opportunity to play in leagues with deeper lineups, it is a great advantage. Your preparation, knowledge of players, and strategy are only amplified when you are making more draft picks and more lineup decisions.

Smaller rosters and smaller lineups lead to more variance. One player getting injured on the first drive of a game and producing zero points or putting up a bad game is difficult to overcome. It is tougher to overcome when the lineup is eight players than when the lineup includes ten players. In the smaller league, you only have seven other players to make up for the bad week instead of the nine players you have in the larger starter lineup.

This reduces the amount of luck and gives an advantage to more informed fantasy GMs. When you are making decisions and you think you have an advantage on your opponents, the more decisions about lineups and roster spots you make, the more you can maximize your advantage.

Lineup Construction

In leagues with expanded starting lineups, a critical consideration is how they are expanded. A traditional league might start nine players, including one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, a flex position, a kicker, and a defense. This requires a degree of balance in positions you draft and roster in a given week.