Most fantasy owners are pretty patient when a star player gets hurt. The season is a long one, so it makes sense to try and get by while you wait for a difference-maker to heal up. After a few weeks of juggling the roster, the player comes back and helps you win games again.
Unless he doesn't. Then you've lost multiple games, a valuable bench spot and the opportunity to pick up other waiver wire talent. As the season comes to a close, it's good to recognize mistakes. And for many owners, this mistake can be a costly one.
This wouldn't apply to someone like Patrick Mahomes, of course. When he missed some time, nobody considered dropping him and some leagues wouldn't allow it. But for every easy decision, there are others that can be challenging, and it becomes easy to make the wrong move.
Take A.J. Green. Many owners did in July and August. They stashed him away, and waited for the opportunity to unleash him on their poor opponents. And headed into week 14, they're still waiting. Most teams probably ditched him long ago, but some are still hanging on. And however long they kept him was a waste of a roster spot. What players did they miss in the interim that could have been helping their team for weeks?
(As I'm writing this column, Green is still "day to day").
There are other examples, of course. Did anyone hang on to Nick Foles in your league? He came back, of course. Now he's been benched, and he may or may not see the field again in 2019. And I'm still not completely sure what happened with David Johnson, but I sure am glad I didn't have to use a bench spot on him this season.
Not that I'd have the space, anyway. I'm still hanging on to Austin Hooper, Marlon Mack and Adam Thielen. The last time I had a full game out of all three at the same time was week 5, and they're still taking up spots on my bench. Even if they were all ready to play in week 14 (they won't be), the earliest I could realistically trust them would be week 15. And if that's delayed a week, I'd have to reach the title game without them just to possibly get one more start for old time's sake.
And if we factor in one more delay, they're useless no matter how far I make it. So why am I hanging on? Do I think they could still contribute? Have I already committed to keeping them this long, so it makes sense to just let things play out? Am I worried another owner will grab them and deploy them against me, making me an accomplice in my own defeat?
It's probably a combination of all three. And who wants to give up on a guy who panned out on draft day just because he's out a few weeks? Why forfeit a competitive advantage? Just get better at managing roster spots and weather the storm, right?
Well, I think that philosophy makes sense in week 3. But when Mack broke his hand, I should have taken more time to weigh the opportunity cost of keeping him. If the Colts fall out of the playoff race, what's the incentive to rush him back? And on the other side, couldn't the Vikings rest Thielen for a playoff run if they're able to clinch a spot without him?
I can probably talk myself in or out of anything when the answer isn't clear. But I also want to learn from my experiences each year. And in the future, I'm going to try and be less forgiving when it comes to roster spots. If the timetable doesn't add up for them to be a solid contributor, it's better to look for a decent replacement on the waiver wire. You can't worry about what happens to a player once you let them go. They might be someone else's savior, or their headache. And yes, they might be the reason you lose down the road.
But they could be the reason you win. My opponent started Terry McLaurin on Sunday, a few weeks after I dropped him. I appreciated his zero much more on their team than on mine. You never know, so please protect your bench spots going forward. Good luck this week.
Do you hang on too long to injured players, hoping for a return? When is the right time to cut your losses? Are you hanging on to any players right now, hoping for some playoff magic? Share your thoughts below.