Lineups - What Is Best For Your League?
Posted 8/12 by Colin Dowling - Exclusive to Footballguys.com
There are a number of ways to handle staring lineups in your fantasy football league. The two most common scenarios involve having starting lineups selected by the team's owner ("submitted lineups") or having a lineup that is made up of the highest scoring players at each position determined after all players have played their games ("best ball" wherein the top scores count automatically).
In the first scenario, submitted lineups, individuals choose which players at which positions will have their scores counted for that week's games prior to kickoff. This scenario is best for leagues with active owners who can be counted on to notice bye-weeks and injuries. Each week, every owner has the chance to review cheatsheets, rankings, and matchups to determine which of their players they think will perform the best that week.
The upshot of this system is that it reduces the chances of a freak-performance by a bench-player on the other team undoing your season-long dominance; owners generally start their "best" players when given the choice and leave bench players on the bench. Similarly, owners who sacrifice depth for quality through trades can be rewarded for their risk-taking. And to a point, owners that take the time to research their players, study matchups, and review information as the season progresses will have a definite advantage against many of their leaguemates.
The downside is that some owners will undoubtedly be paying attention to newswires and looking in on strategy guides with more diligence then some of the other owners. In a league with a few fanatical participants and a few guys that don't have as much time or inclination to follow every news story, fielding your own lineup can create a competitive imbalance fairly quick. (Granted, that may be what you're after) And in the event you have a player on your bench that scores three touchdowns the same week your first round pick does nothing, the heartbreak over an unlucky decision can be significant. Similarly, if owners are granted the responsibility to submit a lineup, what guarantees that their lineup will actually be their "best" as opposed to an attempt to sandbag for better playoff seeding or draft position?
In the second scenario wherein the "top scores count", owners are free to assemble a deep team of talent and let the chips fall where they may, knowing that the best performers each week will show up on the scoreboard. Truthfully, despite the fact that many folks feel that picking your own lineups is the best way to show one's football expertise, most of the leagues I play in now are ones where the best player's scores count.
The reasons are simple: with very rare exceptions, your league will have the most interest from ALL of its owners at the same time on draft day. Everyone is excited about the upcoming season and draft day is usually a great time of hanging out with friends and talking football. Most of the leagues I'm in are made up of guys I've known for 15 years but only see or talk to once a year on draft day; we use fantasy football as our way of staying acquainted. In some leagues, owners won't have the time or the ability to submit their best lineups every week. For example, one of my 12-team leagues includes 3 small business owners and 3 surgeons, none of whom have the time to commit a few hours each week to studying matchups and rankings. I won the league for three straight years, at which point I suggested the "top scores count" method of submitting lineups. I haven't won since, but the league has never been more fun.
And while it is easy to say, "well you should replace owners that don't participate as much" the truth is that many leagues, like that one, exist for the benefit of friendships. Lessening someone else's enjoyment of fantasy football because they aren't as hardcore as you are seems counter to that aim. The flipside is that anomalies wherein a 3rd quarterback has the best game of his life or a 5th wide receiver scores two touchdowns to sink your squad will indeed happen.
There really is no right or wrong answer when choosing how to handle your league's lineups. If you have a group of very competitive and engaged owners, then selecting your own lineups probably makes the most sense. It gives participants more "action" during the season and as long as you feel that each owner will try and keep up with the league, submitting your own lineups can enhance everyone's enjoyment for the duration of the season. And if your league is full of old friends, some of whom are competitive and some of whom simply enjoy the once a year get-together of draft day, then perhaps letting the "best scores count" is a better choice for you. Owners can look in on Tuesday morning for a score final and have the same enjoyment of folks that follow their teams 7 days a week.
In the end, the best way to decide comes down to the best interests of the league and the people that participate in it. At some point, the involvement of money (league dues most often used as a payout to the league winner) means that owners are responsible for their interest level, which would seem to make the case for submitted lineups. At the same time, some owners may pay the dues just for the chance to stay in touch with friends, not caring about winning or losing. Either scenario can lead to fun, competitive, engaging fantasy leagues as long as you determine beforehand what the purpose of your league is and what your owners are hoping to gain from participating.