Expanding from 12 to 14 teams, should we do 4 bench + 1 IR or 5 bench + 1 IR?
We’re expanding from 12 teams to 14 teams this year, and I’m trying to decide between 4 bench + 1 IR or 5 bench + 1 IR.
Last year we were 12 teams with 6 bench spots, and a decent number of people already felt like the waiver wire was a bit barren.
Here’s the math on total bench spots league-wide:
- 12 teams x 6 bench = 72 bench players rostered
- 14 teams x 5 bench = 70 bench players rostered
- 14 teams x 4 bench = 56 bench players rostered
So 5 bench in a 14-team league is basically the same stash pressure as last year, while 4 bench would open up waivers quite a bit more.
My hesitation with 4 bench is that I don’t want to completely screw over teams during heavy bye weeks or when injuries hit. At the same time, part of me feels like that actually adds to the fun and makes roster decisions matter more.
I’m also curious what people think from a skill perspective: is managing a thinner bench more skillful, or does it just create more randomness?
For context, our league likes working the wire. We use $200 FAAB with $0 minimum bids, so people are active with pickups and churn. We’re also a trading league, on average we get about one trade done per week, so there are usually ways to maneuver besides just sitting on a deep bench.
Given that setup, what do you think plays better in a 14-team league, 4 bench + 1 IR or 5 bench + 1 IR?