Roster Construction Principles

Optimal Position Balance

Strategic roster construction requires understanding positional value and scarcity.

Standard Roster Configuration

Typical League Settings:

• 1 QB
• 2 RB
• 2-3 WR
• 1 TE
• 1-2 Flex (RB/WR/TE)
• 1 D/ST
• 1 K
• 5-7 Bench spots

Recommended Draft Allocation

By Round:

• Rounds 1-6: 4 RB, 4 WR, 1 TE (flexible order)
• Rounds 7-10: Fill remaining starters, add depth
• Rounds 11-14: Upside bench players, QB, D/ST, K

Final Roster Composition:

• RB: 4-5 total (2 starters + depth)
• WR: 5-6 total (2-3 starters + depth)
• TE: 1-2 total (stream if needed)
• QB: 1-2 total (1 unless elite QB)
• D/ST: 1 (stream weekly)
• K: 1 (stream weekly)

Position Priority Framework

Tier 1 Priority (Must Fill Early):

• RB: Most scarce, injury-prone
• WR: Deep position but elite matters

Tier 2 Priority (Middle Rounds):

• TE: If elite available, otherwise wait
• QB: Unless elite, wait until round 8+

Tier 3 Priority (Late Rounds):

• D/ST: Streamable position
• K: Minimal impact, last pick

Bench Management Philosophy

Your bench should provide depth, upside, and weekly flexibility.

Bench Composition Strategy

Depth Starters (40%): Bye week fill-ins and injury replacements Upside Plays (40%): High-ceiling players who could break out Handcuffs (10%): Backup RBs behind your starters Streaming Spots (10%): Flexible slots for matchup plays

Bench RB Strategy

Target: 2-3 bench RBs

Profiles to Target:

• Handcuffs to elite RBs (yours or league-mates')
• Young RBs in committees with breakout potential
• Injury replacements with clear paths to volume
• Pass-catching RBs in PPR formats

Avoid: Veteran backups with limited upside, touchdown-dependent plodders

Bench WR Strategy

Target: 3-4 bench WRs

Profiles to Target:

• High-target players on bad teams (garbage time value)
• Talented rookies with expanding roles
• Players returning from injury
• Deep threats with boom/bust potential

Avoid: Low-target veterans, blocked players without clear path

Bench TE Strategy

If You Have Elite TE: No backup needed, use spot for RB/WR If You Have Mid-Tier TE: Consider streaming, no backup needed If You're Streaming: Carry 1-2 TEs with favorable upcoming matchups

QB Bench Strategy

Elite QB (Top 5): No backup needed Mid-Tier QB (QB6-15): No backup needed, stream if necessary Streaming QBs: Carry 2 QBs with complementary schedules

Stacking Strategies (QB-WR, etc.)

Stacking correlates players' performances to maximize upside.

QB-WR Stacking

Concept: Draft QB and his top WR to capture passing TDs twice

Advantages:

• Correlated ceiling games
• Maximizes big weeks
• Valuable in best ball and tournaments

Disadvantages:

• Correlated floor (bad QB games hurt both)
• Bye week issues
• Limits roster flexibility

When to Stack:

• Best ball formats
• Tournament DFS
• When you have elite QB-WR combo available

Examples:

• Patrick Mahomes + Travis Kelce
• Josh Allen + Stefon Diggs
• Jalen Hurts + A.J. Brown

Game Stacking

Concept: Draft multiple players from same game (QB + opposing WR)

Advantages:

• Captures high-scoring games
• Hedge against QB stack risk
• Maximizes shootout potential

Example: Patrick Mahomes + Justin Jefferson (if Chiefs play Vikings)

Team Stacking

Concept: Draft multiple players from same team

Advantages:

• Simplified research
• Captures team success
• Bye week efficiency

Disadvantages:

• Concentrated risk
• Bye week disaster
• Team-wide slumps hurt roster

Recommendation: Limit to 2-3 players per team maximum

Balancing Floor and Ceiling Players

Roster construction requires mixing consistency with upside.

Floor Players (Safe, Consistent)

Characteristics:

• Established roles
• High weekly usage
• Low variance
• Proven track record

Examples:

• PPR pass-catching RBs (Austin Ekeler types)
• High-target slot WRs
• Elite TEs with consistent targets

Roster Allocation: 60-70% of starters should be floor players

Ceiling Players (Boom/Bust)

Characteristics:

• Touchdown-dependent
• Big-play ability
• Inconsistent usage
• High upside, low floor

Examples:

• Deep-threat WRs
• Goal-line specialist RBs
• Rookies with explosive potential

Roster Allocation: 30-40% of roster should be ceiling players

Strategic Balance

Regular Season: Prioritize floor (consistency wins weeks) Playoffs: Increase ceiling (need big weeks to win championships)

Roster Construction:

• Starters: High-floor players
• Flex Spots: Matchup-dependent ceiling players
• Bench: Primarily ceiling players with breakout potential

Bye Week Management Approaches

Proper bye week planning prevents forced roster decisions.

Pre-Draft Bye Week Strategy

Research: Know bye weeks for all target players Avoid Clustering: Don't stack 3+ starters with same bye Plan Ahead: Ensure bench can cover each bye week

Bye Week Tiers (2024 Example)

Early Byes (Weeks 5-7): Easier to manage, more waiver options Mid Byes (Weeks 8-10): Most common, plan carefully Late Byes (Weeks 11-14): Playoff implications, avoid if possible

Bye Week Roster Management

Week Before Bye: Add streaming options if needed During Bye: Start best available, accept one-week downgrade After Bye: Drop temporary adds, reclaim bench upside

Bye Week Stacking Strategy

Approach: Intentionally stack byes to take one "punt" week

Advantages:

• Maximizes roster strength other weeks
• Simplifies management
• Enables aggressive waiver adds

Disadvantages:

• Guarantees one likely loss
• Risky in competitive leagues
• Requires strong record

When to Use: Dynasty leagues, best ball formats

Building for Regular Season vs. Playoffs

Different roster construction for different season phases.

Regular Season Focus (Weeks 1-14)

Goal: Accumulate wins to secure playoff berth

Strategy:

• Prioritize consistency over upside
• Maintain deep roster
• Active waiver wire management
• Trade for win-now players

Roster Composition:

• High-floor starters
• Depth at RB/WR
• Streaming D/ST and K

Playoff Preparation (Weeks 12-14)

Goal: Optimize roster for playoff weeks (typically 15-17)

Strategy:

• Analyze playoff schedules
• Target players with favorable matchups
• Trade depth for elite starters
• Consolidate roster talent

Playoff Roster Construction

Starters: Elite players regardless of matchup Flex Options: Players with elite playoff matchups Bench: Handcuffs and injury insurance only

Playoff Schedule Analysis

Key Factors:

• Opponent defensive rankings
• Home vs. road games
• Weather considerations (outdoor stadiums in December)
• Playoff implications for NFL teams

Trade Targets: Players with soft playoff schedules Trade Away: Players with brutal playoff matchups

Championship Week Optimization

Week 17 Considerations:

• NFL teams resting starters (if playoff-bound)
• Meaningless games for eliminated teams
• Weather in northern outdoor stadiums

Strategy:

• Avoid players on locked playoff teams
• Target players on teams fighting for playoffs
• Consider dome players for weather safety

The Playoff Pivot

Timing: Weeks 10-12 (before trade deadlines)

Actions:

1. Identify playoff-bound teams
2. Analyze weeks 15-17 schedules
3. Trade 2-for-1 to upgrade starters
4. Drop depth for playoff-specific adds
5. Stream D/ST with favorable playoff schedules

Example Trades:

• Trade two RB2s for one RB1
• Trade WR depth for elite TE
• Package QB + WR for elite QB with soft playoff schedule