2014 Fantasy Football: 5 Pieces of Last-Minute Advice

Every fantasy player has been guilty of this at one point or another. You start a player from your favorite team over the guy with the better matchup. Or on the other side, you don’t start a certain player because you don’t want him to torch your favorite team. Either way, it’s important to put personal biases aside when considering your lineup.

Just because you like a player and want to see him do well, doesn’t mean he will. Now, I’m not suggesting you cut ties with your potential sleeper after two or even three weeks of no production. But if you’re holding onto a guy for half the season, grasping for hope like a fish out of water, and he’s not rewarding you, it’s time to let him go.

This is one of the most common fantasy football questions. Do I bench my stud player who is playing against my starting defense, or vice versa? It depends. If that player is a quarterback, you may consider benching one or the other because chances are, only one can have a great game. A skill player, on the other hand, can put up 100+ yards and a touchdown and have a solid game without completely destroying that defense.

This is essential on draft day. It’s important to do your homework and understand what positions are heavy and which ones are light. Remember, 2014 is quarterback and wide receiver heavy, while running backs and tight ends are somewhat lacking. So before picking Peyton Manning with the seventh pick, ask yourself, would you rather have Manning and Kyle Rudolph, or Jimmy Graham and Russell Wilson? I’d go with the latter.

Benching a top pick is not easy to do, but sometimes it’s necessary. For example, those who picked Eddie Lacy in the first round are facing quite the dilemma. The Seattle Seahawks' defense is stout, but Lacy is your go-to guy for the year. The key word is ‘year.’ Put your pride aside on this one, and let your bench do the work. Lacy will be there for the rest of the season. This goes for every player – pay attention to matchups.