For most of the year our “bench warmers” have been quality players who could fill in for bye weeks. If they were not meant to be fill-ins, they were injured players we stashed in case they came back. With just three weeks left, for most of us, until the playoffs begin, it is time to self-evaluate.

This is the time we need to face some hard truths. If you are 4-7 you could get a miracle break and sneak in depending on your league scoring and structure. Most likely you are out of contention though. Teams that are 5-6 or 6-5 are most likely tied and battling for the last two or three playoff spots. If you happen to have a record better than those you are probably feeling pretty safe to make the playoffs.

We need to face the real truth that our team is not prepared for a deep playoff run. How do we prepare you might ask? That is what I am here for. I am going to go over some strategies that can help you prepare for a playoff run.

Two Is Better Than One

At this point, you are most likely locked in with your main starters at running back and wide receiver. I will not ignore those positions in this article, but other positions can be exploited. We are going to explore where we can take advantage of our bench warmers. Positions such as defense and tight end are often overlooked not just in the playoffs, but all year long. These are the two most popular streaming positions in fantasy football. So how can we exploit that to our advantage? We prepare in advance and take the “two is better than one” approach.

For most of the season, we carry one defense and one tight end. Since we should be set with our starters we can start thinking more strategically about who our bench warmers are. Your standings and your schedule are going to dictate a lot of how we attack these strategies though.

Scouting The Competition

If my team is in playoff contention and my schedule is easier, then I am preparing for the playoffs. If I need to battle out each week, then I am starting the playoffs in my head this week. What I mean by that is that bye week fill-ins are not just guys who can get me by. I am looking for high ceiling bench warmers in favorable matchups specifically for that bye week.

For instance, you have Davante Adams with a bye week coming up in Week 13. We do not want to just fill that slot with any receiver who might get us 10-15 points. What we need is boom potential from someone available on waivers or via trade that we can get cheap. Rashod Bateman, who is rostered in 50% of leagues on ESPN, is someone who is starting to pop and has a matchup in Week 13 against the 23rd ranked Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense. Bateman is not on Adams’ level, but his opportunity on an explosive offense is exactly what we are looking for. His matchup that week is also favorable.

Bench Size Is Everything

Darnell Mooney is another example, who is owned in 53% of ESPN leagues and who has been explosive at times. After this weekend he is going to be a popular waiver add. I am using him as an example of what we need to think about though. Matchups are key from here one out between our players.

My league has a short 5 player bench. When preparing for the playoffs I have two defenses, two tight ends, and three or four receivers and running backs. Bye weeks, matchups, and boom potential are the factors I look for when building my bench.

I want to give you examples of places you could look to get a good matchup balance for the next six weeks.

Davante Adams (BYE Week 13) and Rashod Bateman

I mentioned these two above, but I think it is a perfect example. In Week 13 Bateman gets Pittsburgh. He has seen no less than six targets since he got his first start in Week 6. Bateman is a risk because he has not shown his boom capability, but I think it is coming. He has no touchdowns, but in PPR he is averaging 4.2 receptions on 6.8 targets and averaging 54 yards. The potential of a boom with a touchdown is there.

Tyreek Hill (BYE Week 12) and Laviska Shenault

Tyreek Hill is on bye this week and this week could separate a lot of log jams in many leagues. If you are one of the teams tied up in those log jams, you cannot afford to lose. If you do not already have someone like Brandon Aiyuk, Hunter Renfrow, or DeVonta Smith on your bench, who all have favorable matchups this week as a fill-in, then I would look at Laviska Shenault. This summarizes a risky play for sure.

If you are in a win-or-go-home scenario, he could be a sneaky play. He is available in 45% of ESPN leagues. Shenault has averaged 6.1 targets this season, albeit with no touchdowns. With Jamal Agnew now out, Shenault should play a larger role in the coming weeks. He has a favorable matchup against Atlanta in Jacksonville and could pop for over 15 points if he can find the endzone in PPR leagues. This play is not for the weak-hearted though and is a high-risk play.

Michael Pittman (BYE Week 14) and Elijah Moore

How Elijah Moore is only rostered in 40% of ESPN leagues is unbelievable to me. Since the Jets’ Week 6 bye he has averaged 5 receptions on 7.4 targets for 19.14 points in PPR leagues. Not to mention, that has been with three different quarterbacks. In Week 14 Moore gets the 25th ranked Saints in New York. This will be the week that Moore gets picked up everywhere after scoring 31 PPR points this past week. He is the perfect rising rookie at the end of the year that could win you a championship. He would be a perfect replacement for Michael Pittman on bye if you need to win to get in.

Rotating Tight Ends and Defenses

For the tight end position, most owners have been streaming bench warmer. That means there could be gems waiting for you on waivers that match up perfectly for the starter you have now. Let’s look at some pairings that could be beneficial to rotate starting in week 15 in you make the playoffs.

Noah Fant and Pat Freiermuth are a pairing to make sure you have a favorable matchup each week. Fant was most likely your weekly starter all year. Freiermuth is available in 58% of ESPN leagues and now has a great opportunity with Eric Ebron out. In week 15 when Freiermuth has a tough matchup against the 5th ranked Titans, Fant has a better matchup against the 15th ranked Bengals. Both guys have favorable matchups in Weeks 16 and 17. Fant gets both the 30th and 31st ranked team against tight ends. You will be able to play whoever has been hotter going in to those weeks. That would be better position than having to start whatever streamer you can find amongst the other bench warmers.

Go Get It

As long as you have one tight end or defense with a favorable matchup each week in the playoffs, your odds are a lot better of winning. Your odds are a lot better at achieving that goal if you have two of each of those positions. This strategy can be used for all of the positions on your team.

I urge you that if you feel uncomfortable with your quarterback, running back, or receiver for an upcoming playoff week, try to find the player who has the chance to pop in that tough week. With that said, some guys you are starting no matter what as long as they are playing. Don’t get too cute with it. This strategy is mostly going to apply to tight ends, defenses, and second running backs, and wide receivers. If you are in a two-quarterback or superflex league, I would also suggest looking ahead at the matchups for your quarterbacks. Just remember when it comes to bench warmers, two is better than one.

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