NFL teams have a 53-man roster, and still run into trouble when they lose a key player. And when it's a quarterback, their entire season could be over.
Note that I said "could be." Some teams are able to tap into their depth and keep their season afloat. What looked like a devastating injury could simply be a speed bump on the way to a successful season.
And if a real football team can do it, you have no excuses for your fantasy team.
When Drew Brees got hurt in week 2, the Saints had to throw in Teddy Bridgewater, and the team lost. Would the season be over by the time Brees got back? Well, four weeks later they're not just in the hunt for a playoff spot. They're in the hunt for a first-round bye, or possibly home-field advantage. Bridgewater has won each of his four actual starts, and the Saints lead the NFC South by one game.
It would probably be a bigger margin for New Orleans, but Carolina has found success with Kyle Allen behind center and are right behind the Saints. Allen took over for the injured Can Newton, and has also won four straight starts. No Brees, no Newton, no problem. Even Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges have kept the Steelers within a couple games of the division lead. Their season isn't over, at least.
In fantasy football, Saquon Barkley was the top pick in many leagues and those teams have been dealing with his absence for a while now. If they're not faring well, it would be easy to blame the injury. But really, it's the owner's drafting strategy that's at fault. You have a bench for a reason, and one player shouldn't make or break your lineup. Other factors come into play, of course. The league schedule might be unfavorable, or you might be running into the league's best stars and breakout performances on a regular basis. And even a great replacement can't necessarily overcome Aaron Jones in week 5 or Stefon Diggs in week 6. These things happen.
But you know what else happens? Bye weeks. Over the next month, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are just some of the players taking a week off. Is that automatically a loss on the schedule? If you have multiple starters off in the same week, are you going to look like a junior varsity team? Hopefully not.
I understand that in competitive leagues you can't have a roster full of stars. But you need to have viable depth if (more like when) your starters aren't available. Filling those gaps in the lineup could earn you an extra win or two, and that can be the difference between the participating in the playoffs and participating in early 2020 mock drafts.
If you're not sure what kind of depth you have, the next few weeks should give you a good idea. But you shouldn't wait until you have just a few days to fill a spot. Ideally, you've been watching the waiver wire every week. And it might get a little more active if teams have to drop players to fill bye week deficits. But the time to bolster your depth is before you need it. Successful teams are always looking to improve, even if they don't plan to use those guys. Because they know that plans change with the twist of an ankle, or a shot to the head, or any number of football (and non-football) activities. Then the new plan includes players they never thought they'd use. The guys you don't plan to start might win you a title. Or they might cost you one. But odds are pretty decent that you'll have to use them at some point.
Thanks to good roster management, the Saints and Panthers have earned a spot among the playoff contenders. Upcoming bye weeks and injures will determine whether you get to join them. Good luck this week.
How are you weathering injuries and bye weeks so far? How do you feel about your depth for the rest of the season? Share your thoughts below.