Fantasy strategy, Part II: Management of team

by Roger Rotter

Updated: July 24, 2008, 1:13 PM EST 29 comments

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Rankings:

• Rotter: Fantasy Fifty | Top 500
• Rotter: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST
• Harmon: Roundup
  
• Harmon: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST

Analysis:

• Player previews (Rotter):
        QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST
• Strategy tips (Rotter):
        Draft | Managing | Diligence
• Sleepers (Harmon):
        QB | RB | WR
• Flops (Harmon):
        QB | RB | WR | TE-K-D/ST
• NFL Draft (Rotter): Round 1 | 2 | 3-7
• Team previews (Juhasz):
        AFC: East | North | South | West
        NFC: East | North | South | West
• Free agency: Movers | RB | WR | TE

Working the waiver wire and making lineup decisions on whom to start and bench comprise the major responsibilities of managing your team during the regular season.

The following are five top ways to manage the roster.

1. Identify early rising players to claim.

These include players, especially youngsters, who receive a chance to be featured at quarterback, running back, wide receiver or tight end and play well in the season's beginning.

Here are some examples of where fantasy free agents emerged as stars. Owners who spotted them the quickest were one step closer to winning a title.

After Trent Green's season ended in the 1999 preseason, Kurt Warner starred in his first NFL start by throwing for 316 yards and three scores in the opener. He had great skill players like Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce surrounding him. He threw for an amazing 14 passing scores in his first four starts and finished with 41 passing scores. ... After replacing Charlie Frye in last year's opener, Derek Anderson threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns in Week 2 and served notice that he would be a valuable fantasy quarterback. ... Overlooked in drafts, Anquan Boldin made a superb debut by catching 10 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the opener en route to a great rookie 2003 season. ... Marques Colston scored in the first two games of his rookie 2006 season before compiling 869 yards and seven touchdowns in the season's first nine contests. ... Antonio Gates caught eight passes for 123 yards in the 2004 opener before finishing with 964 yards and 13 touchdowns in only his second season.

2. Top kickers and defenses can be found early on the waiver wire.

The following are recent prime examples of discovering free-agent kickers and defenses that placed among the fantasy best at their position.

Undrafted in most leagues, Neil Rackers had kicked six field goals in the first two games in 2005 before being plucked from the waiver wire. He also had 16 field goals after the first four games before finishing with an NFL record 40-of-42 field goals. ... Though he didn't play in the first three games, Robbie Gould was fantasy's No. 1 kicker in 2005 by converting the most field goals (32-of-36) and third-most extra points (47). ... Undrafted defenses like Carolina in 2004, Chicago in 2005, Green Bay in 2006 and Detroit in 2007 finished in the top 10 fantasy defenses.

Make sure to start the superstars like Peyton Manning is one of five tips to successfully manage fantasy rosters. (Nick Laham / Getty Images)

3. Start the superstars.

Even against the most formidable defenses, owners must start their best fantasy players.

For instance, Minnesota's No. 1 ranked run defense allowed only one touchdown to a running back in the first six games last season. But Brian Westbrook totaled 92 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings in Week 8 and LaDainian Tomlinson still posted a respectable fantasy outing by totaling 77 yards and a touchdown in the following Week 9.

Weekly starts:

Quarterback: New England's Tom Brady, Indianapolis' Peyton Manning, Dallas' Tony Romo, New Orleans' Drew Brees, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, Cincinnati's Carson Palmer, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, Cleveland's Derek Anderson

Running back: San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Indianapolis' Joseph Addai, St. Louis' Steven Jackson, Washington's Clinton Portis, Green Bay's Ryan Grant, Kansas City's Larry Johnson, Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch, Pittsburgh's Willie Parker, Cleveland's Jamal Lewis, Baltimore's Willis McGahee, San Francisco's Frank Gore, Miami's Ronnie Brown, Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew

Wide receivers: New England's Randy Moss, Dallas' Terrell Owens, Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne, Cleveland's Braylon Edwards, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, New England's Wes Welker, Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Houston's Andre Johnson, Carolina's Steve Smith, Denver's Brandon Marshall, New York Giants' Plaxico Burress, New Orleans' Marques Colston

Tight ends: Dallas' Jason Witten, San Diego's Antonio Gates, Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, Cleveland's Kellen Winslow

Kickers: Tennessee's Rob Bironas, Dallas' Nick Folk, Chicago's Robbie Gould

Defenses: San Diego, Chicago, New England, Minnesota

4. Start quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and defenses with favorable matchups.

Find out which defenses allow the most rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, passing yards and passing scores. Better yet, find out which defenses allow the most fantasy points to quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends (which is a tool available on the fantasy site of FOXSports.com). Outside of already starting the superstars, start players who have the most favorable matchups.

For instance, Oakland was one of the worst run defenses, allowing the league's second-most rushing yards and most rushing touchdowns last year. Chicago had one of the league's worst rushing offenses and its starting back Cedric Benson reached 90 total yards just once and scored only one touchdown in the first eight games. But Benson totaled 93 yards and one score against Oakland to produce a solid fantasy day.

Be sure to play fantasy defenses against struggling offenses that allow many sacks and turnovers. Some can even be claimed on the waiver-wire on a weekly basis.

Offenses that allowed many sacks and turnovers last year included San Francisco, Detroit, Oakland, New York Jets, Kansas City, St. Louis, Atlanta and Miami.

Owners who claimed possible free-agent fantasy defenses, such as Detroit, Seattle, Tennessee and Arizona, against a sack-heavy, turnover-prone offense benefited greatly last year.

5. Start the backup to an injured star running back.

Talented backup running backs can flourish in a proficient run offense featuring an excellent offensive line.

When Joseph Addai was out with an injury in Week 4 last year, his backup Kenton Keith totaled 158 yards and two touchdowns.

When Travis Henry was out with injuries last year, his rookie backup Selvin Young performed admirably in his place. The rookie totaled 120 yards in Week 8 and combined for 129 yards and one touchdown in Week 10.

Part III is next ...