Back when I first started playing fantasy football (cue 1920s old-timey music) we didn't have IR spots. If a guy got hurt, you had to decide if he was worth a roster spot until he healed up. He took up a spot or he was thrown to the waiver wire. Simple as that. No cushy designations with the ability to pick up another player. It was tough and we liked it that way.
But I've come to love the IR spot, and I use it whenever it's available in a league. So why do so many fantasy managers ignore it?
Maybe there's some confusion as to who qualifies for the spot, and who doesn't. It's different from league to league. In one of my leagues, anybody declared "out" qualifies. So a last-minute inactive can be put on IR, allowing you to pick up another player. But in another league I'm in, it's a literal interpretation. The player has to be on his team's IR to be on yours. So while Kyren Williams is eligible for the designation in any league that has it, Tank Dell was eligible in some, but not others. And, for some reason, many teams just don't bother.
If I had De'Von Achane, he'd be on IR the day the Dolphins put him there. But in one fantasy league, he's simply sitting on the team's bench. Same with Kyren Williams. Why? Obviously, the teams are paying attention, otherwise they'd be in lineups taking zeroes and ruining the competitive balance of the league. But that's not happening, so it has to be something else. And I think I know what it is.
As I look at the rosters of different opponents, I see fragments of ancient strategies. Weeks and weeks ago, some players looked like good gambles, but they didn't pay off. They should be on the waiver wire, with the other low-scoring scrubs. But they're still on rosters, like a souvenir of September's ambitions that never came to pass. In other words, these teams simply don't bother to manage their bench spots. If they actually have to dip that far down the roster, they'll go to the waiver wire. But for now, their starters are doing fine and that's all that matters.
That philosophy is a recipe for disaster. Your bench guys are yours. They can't score for anybody else, and you don't have to wonder if you'll get them when waivers run. Why wouldn't you make sure those guys are as talented as possible, and as useful as possible? If you have a chance to stash a guy on IR and take a chance on another player, thereby expanding your roster, why wouldn't you do it? Ignorance? Laziness? There is no acceptable excuse.
Let me use this opportunity to encourage you to use the IR spots to the best of your ability, assuming your league has them. And if it doesn't, make a note to bring it up in the offseason. Most websites have a setting for them, so it should be easy to implement. And it makes roster management easier if (when) you have to deal with an untimely injury.
It can really help your team, as long as you're aware of the rules in each league. You know how I preach about the importance of knowing the idiosyncrasies of each of your leagues? Well, guess who didn't take his own advice? I thought anybody declared "out" could be put on IR, and that's not how it works. Turns out that's not how it's ever worked, and I found out the hard way.
So I had that old-school dilemma of deciding whether to keep someone on my roster or not. It was not a nostalgic feeling. Please get comfortable with your league's IR rules, and use them accordingly. And if you don't have it, try to get it adopted for next year. One look at each week's injury news should alert you that IR spots can and should work to your advantage. Good luck this week.
Does your league have IR spots, and how diligent are you about using them? How much attention do you pay to the end of your roster? Why do you think some managers don't bother? Share your thoughts below.
