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We always preach “know your scoring and lineups”, but roster size is another league parameter that is an underrated factor in the determination of your late-round “end game” strategy. Picks that are excellent in a long bench league where you can devote a roster spot or three to players that you “stash” and wait for delayed gratification can be roster cholesterol that clogs the arteries of a healthy roster that churns through waiver wire wonders and one-week rentals to cover byes and injuries. The difference between 16 and 20 roster spots should totally change your short list of players to target late in your draft. This article should act as a guide to your “end game” (10th round or later) in short bench leagues (16 or fewer roster spots, or 18 roster spots in leagues with 12 starter slots).
Short Bench QBs
The key here is QB1 upside. That’s what can give you trade bait, or even better, the freedom to trade your established QB1 for premium help elsewhere. At the very least, QB1 upside will give you a possible upgrade on your #1 if they struggle. A bye/injury/emergency option will always be available in abundance on the waiver wire when teams only have a few bench spots to play with because they’ll most likely devote them to RB/WR/TE depth.
Good
Josh Freeman
Jay Cutler
Alex Smith
Better
Ben Roethlisberger
Sam Bradford
Ryan Tannehill
Best
Michael Vick
Eli Manning
Andy Dalton
EJ Manuel
Short Bench RBs
The best quality in a short bench running back is a quick resolution to their fantasy value. You want a back who will either clearly be in a position to outperform ADP early, or be an easy early cut without remorse for the waiver wire flavor of the week. Sitting on a handcuff all season has a major opportunity cost, and in the meantime, you will miss on players that could provide immediate help in exchange for insurance against a calamity that may or may not happen. Unfortunately, there aren’t many running back situations that are up in the air, so the best short bench running backs are players that could show the talent early to horn into more than a mere backup role, which would justify keeping them while we wait for a starter injury that could really cause their value to explode
Good
Jacquizz Rodgers
Dion Lewis
Chris Polk
Better
DuJuan Harris
Roy Helu
Isaiah Pead
Zac Stacy
Best
Bilal Powell
Vick Ballard
Jonathan Stewart
Joique Bell
Michael Bush
Short Bench WRs
With wide receivers, you want a combination of the two factors discussed above: upside and a quick resolution to fantasy value. Players like Rueben Randle, Justin Blackmon, Percy Harvin, and Julian Edelman, who could pay off with patience, aren’t as good in leagues where an extra spot could be the difference between landing the waiver wire wonder of the year and seeing that player on one of your opponent’s rosters.
Good
Jeremy Kerley
Rod Streater
Ryan Broyles
Dexter McCluster
Better
Cordarrelle Patterson
Kenbrell Thompkins
Brian Hartline
Emmanuel Sanders
Aaron Dobson
Best
Chris Givens
Sidney Rice
Golden Tate
Vincent Brown
Michael Floyd
Greg Little
DeAndre Hopkins
Alshon Jeffery
Short Bench TEs
Your bench tight end picks should be all about upside. If you do go with a tight end by committee approach, let the waiver wire provide your “high floor” firewall pick. The reality is that you want to draft and hold a player that has a chance to be your TE1 all year, like Jared Cook, Jermichael Finley, or Coby Fleener. If you draft and hold an Owen Daniels or Antonio Gates, while cycling through upside options to see how they pan out, you’re likely to miss out on that “answer” by giving up in a down week. You should be able to baseline production from the waiver wire in any given week if you are down on your TE1 and want to bench them. Dwayne Allen would have been prominent on this list before suffering a toe injury that delay his 2013 debut and cost you roster flexibility early in the season
Better
Julius Thomas
Dustin Keller
David Ausberry
Best
Coby Fleener
Fred Davis
Jordan Cameron
Zach Sudfeld
Tyler Eifert