Benching an afternoon game Defense

[YourFriendGannon]

Questions about benching a defense that plays a night game are common. I have never seen a question like the one I'm about to ask.

Let's say that because of your league size or your roster construction it doesn't make sense for you to stream a defense. You own a defense whose outlook you like for the rest of the season. On this particular week they play a great offense and are missing some key players on top of that. Because most (or even all) of your other players have early games and most of your opponent's lineup does as well, you will have a sense of what components will decide your matchup by the time afternoon rolls around.

Would you ever decide whether to bench your defense based on how these things are going? Has anyone ever been in such a situation? When I first thought about this, I thought if I have >80% chance of winning or >80% chance of losing I'd go ahead and leave my defense in, and in closer affairs I'd be more loath to leave it in. Then I immediately doubted my logic.

Thoughts?

 

[TKOSpikes]

1) leaving an empty spot is not something I prescribe to.
2) sounds like it would backfire more often than not.
3) what limitations force you to have this steategy? (short bench? limited transactions?)
4) outside the Rams, there really isn't a DST I wouldn't drop due to matchup...maybe a couple more.

 

[leftypower]

DST scoring is key to this question. If you can get negative points then it may be worth considering - - but in most leagues leaving any required starting position blank in your lineup will get you an 'illegal lineup' and zero points for the week. ... it will also be somewhat unethical regardless.

 

[TREFF]

gee, sounds like someone has the Chargers vs the Rams.

You never intentionally leave a hole in your lineup, ever. First and foremost its undebatably Busch league, this is the path you chose, now walk it.
Secondly, one strip sack fumble returned to the house, a pick six, a punt return, whatever, gets you into the positive regardless of how many points they allow. Even a +1 is better than a zero

 

[YourFriendGannon]

3) what limitations force you to have this steategy? (short bench? limited transactions?)
4) outside the Rams, there really isn't a DST I wouldn't drop due to matchup...maybe a couple more.

I'm talking about a 20 team league.

 

[YourFriendGannon]

gee, sounds like someone has the Chargers vs the Rams.

You never intentionally leave a hole in your lineup, ever. First and foremost its undebatably Busch league, this is the path you chose, now walk it.

See...this is why I was gonna wait a few weeks to ask this... The correct spelling is bush league, and people ask all this kind of thing all the time. If a league makes a rule requiring a set lineup, that's that, and it seems pretty simple anything else is fair game.

 

[TKOSpikes]

I'm talking about a 20 team league.

Okay...that makes sense.

Still, I think benching your D, will end up 99% of the time backfiring or being moot.

If your opponent is completely done after the first round of games, then I suppose...but if they have even a kicker left, I'm rolling out a full lineup.

 

[broncosmitty]

Take the zero.

 

[SmokingMonkey]

can you tell us who the team DST you have is?
obviously that won't matter much, since there likely is ZERO available options to plug in outside of what you got on your squad in a 20 teamer

but......if you mean the afternoon games as 'night' games, and not actual SNF or MNF, that makes it trickier, imo.

please clarify what you mean by night game - I don't consider the 4pm EST kickoff as night game, but if you do, then no, I'd leave my DST in the game

if it is truly a night game, and you will already know whether you have it in the bag, lost terribly, or are neck and neck with your opponent - that should determine your decision

 

[SmokingMonkey]

ok never mind - i didn't understand the OP

alright - you gotta make your decision at like 330 EST

again, I think you in-game score will determine your actions here

and i agree with you, if the rules don't dictate that you MUST start a full roster, do whatever it takes to win

W's mean more than anything in any competition, and far outweigh the effort you put into a game that you still lose

 

[eaglesnut]

I have a league where defensive scoring is very heavy. I got -14 from the Chargers. A Defense can pop off for 30.

This week I'm starting no defense. Not gonna start an away defense on a Thursday. Not gonna start a defense @Rams. Not gonna spend capital on a Miami defense that I don't trust to stay above 0.

Easy call this week.

 

[TREFF]

See...this is why I was gonna wait a few weeks to ask this... The correct spelling is bush league, and people ask all this kind of thing all the time. If a league makes a rule requiring a set lineup, that's that, and it seems pretty simple anything else is fair game.

actually, Busch league is/was the NASCAR B league, so either is acceptable. Semantics aside, nothing changes

 

[SmokingMonkey]

 

[averagejoe]

Tough call if you aren't required to fill the DST spot.
I'd still roll with it. As Treff mentioned, while it may be rare, blocked kicks, special teams returns do happen. And Rams have a new kicker.
Plus, if the afternoon game is a national audience, both teams generally show up to play.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I have seen it with Defense & kicker when they played on Mon.
All players played on the opposing side & the guy with a kicker or Def. has a real slim lead with just them to play. I have seen them pull that spot as to not get a negative score.

 

[averagejoe]

Not sure what your scoring format is, but in some ESPN league's, only the Chiefs and Saints have had negative points. In other scoring formats on ESPN, it doesn't look like any DST have had negative points (yet).

 

[averagejoe]

Not sure what your scoring format is, but in some ESPN league's, only the Chiefs and Saints have had negative points. In other scoring formats on ESPN, it doesn't look like any DST have had negative points (yet).

Also want to point out the matchup we sometimes fear the most aren't the ones the mess up our fantasy teams.
KC had negative points vs PIT.
And the Saints had their negative points vs TB of all teams.

 

[Thruthefog]

LOL

 

[SmokingMonkey]

Not sure what your scoring format is, but in some ESPN league's, only the Chiefs and Saints have had negative points. In other scoring formats on ESPN, it doesn't look like any DST have had negative points (yet).

ravens vs bengals wasn't negative?
nor was Chargers vs cheifs?

both of those were in my non-MBBRL leagues

 

[averagejoe]

ravens vs bengals wasn't negative?
nor was Chargers vs cheifs?

both of those were in my non-MBBRL leagues

Was looking it up from my phone.

​

I think it depends on the scoring.
In 4 different ESPN leagues, all the DST scoring produced different results.
I can verify when I get home.