How to Protect Your Fantasy Football Team From Injuries

Injuries can wreck a promising start to a fantasy football season. You can't predict the future, but following these instructions can prepare your fantasy football team to withstand injuries and keep on winning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Access to NFL news and schedules

1. Play in leagues with large rosters. That's the surest way to keep an injury or two from having a major impact.
2. Know a player's injury history before you draft him. All other things being equal, it makes sense to choose a player who has a history of playing every game over a player who keeps getting hurt.
3. "Handcuff" your star players. This means drafting a player's backup in case the starter gets hurt. Most fantasy football rosters have a very limited bench, so only use handcuffs with the very best players and backups.
4. Choose some predictable players with low potential and some unpredictable players with high potential when you fill out your reserves. If you end up choosing the right breakout player, you'll have a great replacement. However, if none of those players turns out so hot, you'll still have a steady if unspectacular backup who can keep you from having a gaping hole at a position.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid backups of defenses and kickers. The differences between the best and the rest are not nearly as big in these categories as they are in others. You will always be able to find a decent free agent in these two areas. Use those roster spots on depth and potential at the important positions.
• Keep up with the latest injury reports. It would be a shame to end up starting a player on your fantasy team who is injured in real life. You'll get a big fat zero from that player.