Friday, Nov. 26, 1999

Making your move

Top things to look for when deciding on your late-season lineup

By Trent Modglin, Associate editor

Below are a few important steps to take when assembling your starting team. Remember, though, that no lineup is invincible. There will always be those times when you may say, "Oh sure, Torry Holt finally decides to score when I don’t play him." But taking the time to analyze your players for a few minutes can make all the difference in the world.

• Make sure you know who’s injured — This is a tough task, no doubt about it. Teams can activate a player late in the week after you’ve already turned in your lineup. And oftentimes the term "doubtful" can mean he’ll be able to catch three touchdowns, while "probable" can mean he’ll tweak that injured ankle in warmups and not see any action whatsoever. However, if you can keep track of a player’s status via the Internet or TV, it would greatly increase your chances of scoring vital points this late in the season. Warriors such as Brett Favre and Emmitt Smith can usually be counted on to play through pain that would have most in a sweat suit on the sideline, so it’s not always easy to determine, but at least make an educated guess on the information collected.

• Check out the opposing defense — Knowing not to play a running back vs. the Buccaneers or a quarterback at Buffalo or Kansas City is usually crucial to fantasy success. Sure, there are always surprises, but it’s a good idea to play the percentages. Take a few minutes and check to see what an opposing defense has done vs. the run or the pass in the past few weeks. The whole "What have you done for me lately" idea works well here with defenses, because when they’re hot, it can usually carry over to the next game.

• Know the player’s role and whether or not he’s on the same page as the rest of the offense — This is critical. For instance, now would not be a good time to play WRs Jerry Rice or Terance Mathis. The 49ers’ QB situation is a joke, and Rice hasn’t been able to shake out of the funk he’s been in for weeks. Mathis is on an Atlanta team that couldn’t run the ball against some Miami high school teams. Opposing defenses are sitting back and making QB Chris Chandler beat them, while throwing in an occasional blitz to disrupt the pocket — two things that don’t bode well for a receiver.

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1999 - 2000 Season