The NFL season ain’t slowing down. Getting into Week 6 might feel like we’ve been at this a while already, but remember, there are still 11 more regular-season games to go. It’s time for all first-time managers to step up. Luckily, those who’ve kept up with this weekly series at Fantasy Points are already prepared for the grind ahead — shoutout to y’all.
But if this is your first visit, here’s the lowdown: Each week, we’ll talk through the five most important things to be aware of for the NFL week ahead and how it matters for fantasy football in a straightforward, teachable way. My goal is for you to elevate from beginner status to being a top-notch team manager who can win a championship.
We’ve covered all sorts of concepts to date, ranging from streaming off the waiver wire to how to approach trades, and the party’s just getting started. Ready to learn more about this game and kick the playoff chase into high gear? Let’s ride:
Thing #1: It’s Time To Cut Dead Roster Weight
There’s never a bad time for a status check of the ol’ roster. Hopefully, doing so has become part of the daily fantasy football routine you’ve set for yourself already. But now it’s mid-October, managers need to start letting go of certain bench players. Start kicking duds to the curb.
Are you rostering wide receivers who are only getting a handful of targets a game and not scoring? Has that “sleeper” running back you picked in the 12th round even gotten on the field yet? Move on — these guys aren’t helping you win. Holding onto preseason expectations or a trendy player you added after Week 1 or 2 that’s gone dormant is pointless.
These assets occupy valuable space that could be used for more proactive purposes. Why keep a weekly zero when you can stash a bye week fill-in quarterback, or grab a D/ST with a great Week 7 matchup early? Think smarter about what your bench really is and what it’s used for.
Thing #2: Establish A Bench Hierarchy
Once you’ve shed the waste, one practice that managers can implement to make future add/drop decisions easier is a “power rankings” of bench players. Ask yourself, who am I holding onto and why? Identifying the difference between depth and cloggers is vital.
Set your non-negotiables. An example from my home league team is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. I’m fortunate to have two excellent starters and a running back who sits in my flex position most weeks, but getting rid of Waddle as my WR3 would put my team at significant risk if one of my lineup regulars gets hurt. Consider these types “safe” from being cut.
Other players who can be marked safe are direct handcuffs to your starting running backs, or a quality third quarterback if you’re playing in a superflex format. The next group can be thought of as a sort of “short-term stash” tier, like players who are earning more playing time of late that you think may break out soon. Wait it out, see if it happens, then cut bait after a couple of weeks if nothing comes of them. There’s nothing wrong with setting a roster “time limit.”
Any other assets you can’t come up with a reason for keeping? Pull the plug, friendo.
Thing #3: Churn The End Of Your Bench
Now, this next tip assumes your league allows for deep benches. If the roster settings only let managers keep, say, five extras at a time, it will be challenging to execute this approach. But anyone with room at the end of their roster should be turning over one or two spots regularly.
The concept of a “time limit” from our last section is crucial. Did the player you thought would go off bust? Cut bait; go for the next upside play. Is the random backup who only had one week of value as an injury replacement no longer starting? Get ‘em outta there. Always be looking for future opportunities for players to catch fire. Eventually, you might hit on a name that sticks.
It’s possible the other managers in the league will see all these roster moves and wonder what the fuss is about, but don’t worry about them. What you’re doing is keeping the roster fresh and creating chances to be ahead of the curve with future waiver darlings. Competitors won’t be able to snag breakouts who are already on your bench.
Thing #4: Understanding Path To Relevance
Determining which players have potential to see increased value is a complex process that takes a multitude of factors into account; stuff like snap share, route participation, and opportunity share are just the tip of the iceberg. We won’t delve into all of that today, but we can start exploring the more basic concept of the path to relevance.
Most NFL teams aren’t very secretive about who their backups are. We see who finds the field any time starters get hurt in-game and need to stay on the sidelines. Players used in these cases typically have a rather immediate chance to be usable in fantasy if a starter’s injury turns out to be a long-term one — that’s considered a quick path to relevance.
Conversely, a smaller speciality pass-catcher who rarely sees carries between the tackles likely won’t become the workhorse if the bigger guy who totes the rock 15 times per game on the ground is out for a while. Any athlete who requires a specific set of circumstances to be effective in lineups has a longer path to relevance and doesn’t need too much attention.
Some situations will come with ambiguity, and not everything is as cut-and-dry as we described here, but generally speaking, spotting guys who are one injury/suspension/trade away isn’t that tricky. This is how we end up with known handcuffs. Keep this knowledge in your back pocket.
Thing #5: What ‘Game Script’ Means
A term you might’ve come across at some point on a broadcast or in an article is game script. It’s totally cool if you don’t know what that means, but it’s a feather in the cap that’ll be very useful going forward. Here’s a very basic crash course for everyone.
Essentially, what’s happening throughout a specific contest will dictate how teams choose to play on offense. A team crushing its opponent ends up in what’s considered a positive game script and will usually opt to lean on the running game to drain the clock and speed up a potential victory. The squad on the other side, needing to catch up in a major way, finds itself in a negative game script. Typically, in this circumstance, teams will rely upon throwing the ball frequently in an effort to save game clock and gain significant yardage quickly. Fairly simple!
Of course, there is a middle ground here called neutral game script, and how coaches choose to run their offense in close affairs is the biggest indicator of what a team’s true tendencies are. We often hear a lot about “run-heavy” or “pass-heavy” offenses, and identifying which direction teams lean is as simple as observing what happens in tight battles or during a time of the game that doesn’t call for a particular approach, like the final few minutes before halftime.
There’s plenty of nuance involved, as is the case with much of what we cover in this series, but being aware of what might happen in a particular game can help managers decide which players should be in lineups. Do you want to start your plodding ground-and-pound running back in a tough matchup where his team’s offense is likely going to be playing from behind? Maybe not, and these are some of the more “intermediate” level things you must start learning.
Conclusion
Look, we’re not playing with training wheels anymore. Fantasy Points understands that this is a learning process, but the basics aren’t going to be enough as we get deeper into the season. Be ready to tackle more challenging information in the coming editions of this series. We’ll hold up our end of the bargain as being teachable if you’re prepared to get into the weeds a little bit.
Fantasy football is a challenging game, but it feels great when you win. Our #1 priority is to make sure that happens. Good luck in Week 6, and we’ll talk again next Thursday.
