Read Fantasy Football Changes Needed; NFL Fantasy Format Updates by Michael Luchies here
Injuries, upsets, unpredictable games, suspensions, and fines all add to the excitement and unpredictability of fantasy football. It seems like fantasy football is getting more and more complicated every year. Many teams have had drastic changes to their starting lineups throughout the season. Among the players who have come out of nowhere this season include; Tim Hightower, Cedric Benson, the five running backs for the Broncos, Tyler Thigpen, Kolby Smith, Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick etc. There is no possible way to predict some of these changes but there are other problems that fantasy football should address. Here are several issues with fantasy football and solutions to make the game more enjoyable;
Increased Running Back Positions Due to the 2+Back System; Over the last 10 years the emergence of the two back system has spread throughout the league. The Giants, Vikings, Lions, Raiders, Cardinals, Jets, Saints, Panthers, Jaguars, Falcons, Buccaneers, and several other teams all use multiple back systems. This is a trend that will not go away. NFL running backs have very short life spans in the NFL and teams are wising up to this fact. Splitting time between backs not only throws the defense off but also keeps both running backs fresh. Soon nearly all teams will have a viable 2nd string back that will get carries every game. This was not the case in the 90’s. Emmit Smith, Barry Sanders, and other all star backs never had a change of pace back that you could mention (besides decent fullbacks). There needs to be an extra running back spot to accommodate this new trend.
Short Term DL Spot:Many fantasy football owners are forced to drop an all-star player who is injured just so they can have a full team of starters for a week. Fantasy football needs a short term disabled list spot where when a player is “doubtful” or “out”, the player can be placed on the DL and another player can be picked up in their place for that week. The change would solve this problem and make many fantasy owners happier players.
