Making choices in fantasy football can be tough. There's the constant struggle of choosing between your gut instinct and the predictions that the talking-heads make for what a player will do in any given week. And then there is always the challenge of looking ahead, managing your roster, and trying your best to set your team up for success in the future.
It is no simple task.
Do you keep running with "The Shew" at QB, or do you take your chances with Goff? Should you spend $13 to grab Saquon Barkley off of waivers and place him on your Injured Reserve knowing that he's going to cost you $68 to keep him next season? How much longer should you keep CeeDee Lamb on your bench when he's produced almost twice as many fantasy points as DJ Chark Jr this season? Should you go grab that backup kicker off of waivers?
Actually, strike that last question. We all know kickers are disposable. I imagine most of you don't even remember who your kicker is in a given week.
With so many tough decisions to be made, the effects of the pandemic only add to the confusion and frustration felt by so many owners. This is why, as a league, I'm asking for your help in deciding the best solution to address the impact of the pandemic in the fairest way possible.
In all of my research, there seems to be 3 viable options for us. One of the more popular solutions I've heard around other fantasy leagues is the idea that owners should have the opportunity to declare reserves in the event their player's game is cancelled or postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Another option is to setup a system where replacement players are automatically determined based upon predetermined criteria that everyone agrees to (e.g. average weekly score, position rank, weekly player ranking, etc). And, lastly, another option for us to consider is to make no changes to the rules and let the chips fall where they may.
I've provided a little deeper explanation of each option below, and I've offered some arguments for and against each option based on my research and conversations.
Submit a Replacement List to the Commish
Pros: If an owner is aware that a game may be in jeopardy (e.g. Bills vs. Titans), that owner can circumvent uncertainty by nominating backup players to be used if the game is not played. Regular injuries occur to individual players, and owners are accustomed to making adjustments. However, when an entire game hangs in limbo, several players, from both teams, are now at risk of not scoring any points for their teams. In the example above, it is not Devin Singletary's fault that the Titans can't seem to get their act together and prevent a team-wide COVID-19 breakout. This proposal removes the risk associated with leaving players in your lineup when you're not sure if their game will be played.
Cons: This solution only works if, and when, there is enough advance notice that a game is in jeopardy. This past week, we saw the Broncos-Patriots game impacted early on Sunday morning giving owners very little, if any, time to respond. Hypothetically, if we had this rule in place this week, the owner who declares their reserves for the Bills-Titans game has an advantage over an owner that didn't get the news in time about the Broncos-Patriots game. This could happen at any time to any team. Maybe that owner didn't get the news about the Broncos-Patriots game until after the morning games kicked off and those players locked. In that scenario, their opportunity to select reserves has been reduced, if they even have options left at all in the afternoon or Monday Night game(s). Moreover, what if there is a Sunday night or Monday night game that is unexpectedly cancelled? Owners with starting players in those games would have no chance at all to declare reserves because all of the Sunday games have already been played. In any given week and at any time, games are, technically speaking, always in jeopardy of being impacted. All it takes is one positive test result.
Auto-Select Replacements
Pros: This solution is very similar to the one listed above, however, it would not create any extra work for owners. As a league, we would need to agree on the criteria used to determine reserve players. For example, reserve players could be selected based upon their average weekly score. The player with the highest weekly average score is the automatic reserve. Or, they could be selected based upon their ESPN position rank. Or, they could be selected based on their ESPN projected score for the week. The player with the highest projected score is the reserve. If we chose to allow reserves to be used because a game is cancelled or postponed, this is the simplest option.
Cons: This solution provides no input for the owner to decide who they would select as a reserve player, short of managing your roster and bench to make sure you have a reserve option that meets the criteria in the way you want. For example, you would need to make sure the bench player with the highest average score, PRK, or projected score is the player you would want to use. This could put you in a situation where you might need to drop another player you want to keep just to meet the criteria the way you want to. Additionally, in the event of a last-minute cancellation (e.g. Broncos-Patriots), if you did not have a bench player available at that position, you would not have a reserve. Defenses and kickers would likely be the biggest problem areas since most owners do not have these positions on their bench.
No Replacements, Plan Accordingly
Pros: This solution is as simple as it gets. While it sucks when you have to make the decision to take a risk or not, that is what this game is all about: assessing the risk & reward for each player and putting together a lineup that you think gives you the best opportunity to win. Plus, this solution doesn't require us to rewrite the rules in the middle of the season.
Cons: This solution reduces or limits an owners opportunity to counter problems with COVID-19, especially when it is a late announcement (e.g. Broncos-Patriots). The problems the pandemic presents are unique to this season and require unique solutions to address and help keep owners enjoying the season. It is extremely frustrating when you have no idea if a game will be played or not, and the NFL doesn't provide enough detail in a timely fashion that allows owners to make the best choices possible. How are owners supposed to make time-sensitive lineup decisions when games are already underway and the NFL still hasn't announced a decision on whether a game will take place or not, or whether the game is in jeopardy of being postponed?
Again, these are just a few of the solutions I've seen and some arguments for and against each. Maybe I missed something. Maybe you have other points to add or another option we should consider. If so, I want to hear them. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with me or with the league.
And, now that you've reached this point of the article, please take a minute to complete my survey and help us decide what to do. The survey is mandatory for all league members, and once I have everyone's responses, I will share the results.
Good luck in week 6!
-- Commish
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