I was planning on writing this column in week 6 or 7, when it's more likely that important players will be listed as doubtful, out or on IR. I didn't expect to write it after week 2, but here we are. It’s not worth going over all the injuries we’ve seen after just a couple of games, and in some cases it would sting me a little to do it. You know who they are.
Fortunately, many leagues have IR spots, with various rules and limitations. But if you're in multiple leagues you might not know exactly what the rules are for each one, and that lack of knowledge can hurt you when it really counts. And unfortunately, it counts right now.
Some leagues have no IR spots at all, so that's the easiest to understand, and also the toughest to manage: Tough luck, chump. If you want to use a roster spot on an injured player, feel free. But it costs you a precious spot to keep him. You’ll have to decide when it’s worth keeping someone (it probably is this early in the season) and when it’s time to let them go. But at least there’s no confusion regarding how it works.
If you do have designated IR spots in your league, you have to know what qualifies as “IR.” Is it when a team officially puts them there, or is there leeway? In some leagues, if a guy is labeled out, they qualify for IR. Sometimes getting the doubtful tag counts. Do you know how it works in all your leagues? If you can throw a guy who’s out for just that week on IR, you can do it and using that extra spot on a flier. You can always make room for the guy on IR later in the week. Why not take advantage of a free spot?
Knowing how it works can make a big difference. You can put Puka Nacua on IR, sure. But what about Tee Higgins? In one league I have Higgins in the IR spot. He can only be there if he’s at least doubtful, and without an official designation early in the week, they just label him as questionable. So he has to come out, right?
Kinda, but not really. See, in this league the “penalty” is that you can’t make any moves until you take him out of that spot. But that doesn’t happen until after waivers have run, and you can set lineups weeks in advance. If I was pretty sure Higgins was going to be out again (like I did last week) I could just keep him there and wait until he was labeled doubtful again. That’s what I did, and that’s what happened.
It's easier for me, because I’m only in a couple of leagues. One is strict about IR, and the other isn’t. But if you’re in 10 leagues or more, you might have to dig into the rules for each and every league. It takes a little time but it can really pay off, especially when other league members aren’t even sure how it works. In the IR-lenient league, some managers leave the guys who are out on their bench. Maybe they aren’t sure how it works, or it isn’t worth the trouble to keep shuffling the players around. But I advise you to take advantage of the rules. You aren’t looking for a shady loophole or being unethical in any way. If that’s how IR works in that league, go for it. If you can put A.J. Brown in the IR spot even if he isn't on it in real life, why wouldn’t you?
At the very least, if you have a valuable player on IR and your league has IR spots, put him there. You can always cut him later. But free up that roster spot and use it for anything you want. And if other guys can qualify for IR, use it to your advantage. Expanding your bench, even for a few weeks or just a few days, can give you an advantage over an opponent. And please, don’t assume you know how the IR spots work in every league. You might be surprised at how lenient the qualifications are. When you’re already digging deep into your bench for week 3, you need every advantage you can get. Maybe you can find one here. Good luck this week.
How are you managing the early-season injuries? Does your league have IR spots, and how do you use them? Share your thoughts below.
