Saturday, January 9, 2010

Fantasy Football Tip #211: Have a backup plan

Fantasy Football Tips #211: Have a backup plan

What do I mean by a back up plan?

When you make your start/sit decisions you need to factor in health concerns among other things. From this knowledge, if you think a player has any chance of not playing have a plan in case that player comes up lame (not playing). So if a player is questionable or doubtful what will you do if they do not play? The key is to take the games start time into account. For example, Steven Jackson has been questionable for the past few weeks. He misses practice every day, but miraculously plays on Sunday. Well, you still need to have a plan in case he does not play.

What do you do? First, think of who you can start from your bench.
Things to consider
1) Is he the right position? If Steven Jackson is in your RB slot then only a RB can replace him. But if S Jax is a flex player then any flex position can replace him. So I always place a player who I have questions about at the flex position, so that I have more options if I need to bench him and start someone else. In this case I can start another RB, WR or TE.
2) What time is the kickoff for my questionable players’ game? And more importantly what time does any possible replacement play? If Steven Jackson plays in the 4:15 EST game, then all players in the 1 PM game do me no good since they will already be eliminated by virtue of their early start. On the other hand, if the questionable player ( S Jax) plays in the early game (1 PM start) his status should be known at least 30 minutes before game time. The worst case scenario is when the player in question plays on Monday night. In this instance, the only players eligible to replace him will be those also playing on Monday Night.
3) What are the chances he plays? Is there another player later who can replace him?
4) A back up plan is only as good as the execution of it.




Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($9.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669



Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95 on sale for $17.95) http://www.amazon.com/1602640203



Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners ($10.95, Release date 1 June 2010)

No comments: