You lost week 1 and the sky is falling, right? Wrong. Yet you clearly see a
need to change up your current roster. It's possible you have some spots
needing an upgrade. But take a breath before making the transaction, particularly
if the player is on "Waivers".
What exactly is waivers?
Ever wonder what the difference is between the "W" next to a player's
name as opposed to "FA"? FA means the player is a free agent. Unless
you are in a league that charges money for transactions, add these players as
you will. The W means the player is on waivers and must clear waivers prior to
being added to a team.
Leagues will post a date next to the player's name that tells you when that
player will clear waivers. The player with the highest waiver priority (You can
typically find this priority either on your team page or in your league
standings) that puts in a claim for the player will get him after the posted
date.
The waiver wire is a small aspect of fantasy football that comes with strategy
as well. You want to manage your teams' waiver priority to max the benefit for
you.
Standard leagues typically have a set waiver priority at the onset of the
season. When a team acquires a player off waivers, they immediately go to the
bottom of the waiver priority. You want to ensure the player you are claiming
off waivers is truly a roster changer or you may have wasted your spot in line,
so to speak.
Clearly, there will is a sense of urgency to adjust your roster but before you
pick up a reserve WR or RB ask yourself if that guy will be available after he
clears waivers. If the answer is yes, wait until the player clears waivers. You
want to save that waiver claim when it will matter most. Let the others in your
league spend their higher priority waiver claims on players so that your
priority rises to the top. This will give you a better shot at getting a prized
available
player that surfaces later in the season. There are always a few that
do.
Same goes for those in FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) leagues. FAAB
leagues not only have a waiver request required for free agents but a monetary
bid to secure a player. In these league types, it’s important not to break the
bank on depth early. Key players come up every week. You will want to save that
FAAB cash to land that real gem of a free agent. There is one that pops up
every season. Here’s another FAAB tip.
If you are targeting depth, sometimes it pays to apply $0 as the FAAB
amount on your waiver claim. Just because you are interested in a player
doesn’t mean everyone in the league is targeting the same player. It is a
gamble but then again so is fantasy football!
Bottom line. Don't panic. It's a marathon, not a
sprint. Have some faith in those stars you drafted. And know for certain if
that waiver wire player is a real difference maker.
Get live feedback to your fantasy questions all season long! Follow me on Twitter @AsktheFFC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FantasyFootballCommish
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