Fantasy football is growing at a tremendous speed across the globe. Thanks to the NFL's steady international expansion.
Fans love the sport of fantasy football. It allows them to experience the role of being a manager and manage the team, build a roster that’s capable of winning, strategizing, planning and so much more.
Football fans get to draft their favorite player to their fantasy teams and play amongst their friends and family and even strangers on the internet.
Although fantasy football has been there for over 60 years, the developments and upgradation and the reach to millions is still new, which explains the number of newcomers to the sport.
If you’re a newbie to fantasy football, you must have come across the term BN. If you’re confused with what to do with it and how it works, don't worry, we are here to explain.
Also Read: What are Dynasty Leagues and Keeper Leagues in Fantasy Football?
What is BN in fantasy football?
In fantasy football, BN means Bench. The feature of Bench works just like that of many real life sports. In fantasy football, bench players are those who are not in the starting lineup.
Bench players give the fantasy manager flexibility to adjust the roster depending on the matchups, injuries and more. They are a crucial element in a fantasy football team’s plans and strategy going forward in the season.
One of the most important things to understand with bench players is that they cannot score fantasy points during the game. Although these bench players might be performing well in the NFL, they cannot score points in fantasy football if the fantasy manager has not moved them to the starting lineup.
This also affects waiver wire talents depending on the format of fantasy football. In redraft leagues, since the bench spot is usually less in a team, there are more talented players available in waiver wire. But on the flip side, in dynasty leagues, where the bench depth is deep, the talents to pick up during the waiver wire are usually low.
Also Read: What is Flex and Superflex in Fantasy Football?
Why do Bench players matter?
The first and more important reason why bench players matter is they act as an insurance to the investment that you’ve made on the starting player. This is the handcuffing. It’s a safety blanket for the health of the player.
Fantasy managers, experienced ones, have the ability to spot breakout players. These players might not be performing extremely well at the moment in the NFL. They will be excellent waiver wire pickups. These players have a huge upside and could well become starting players. Managers usually target the rookies or the players in their sophomore year, who’ll be on the bench until they start performing.
Another factor to consider is the depth in the roster. Having bench players helps in having depth for potential injuries for the players. The NFL is a violent sport. Bench players also give you depth for the bye weeks and key matchups where the manager can alter the roster to have the winning combination
With the 2024 fantasy football season on the horizon, be sure to check out our free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer to lock down your squad for the year.
FAQs
A. BN is the acronym for Bench. The players who are not in the starting lineup are usually the bench players.
A. Bench players cannot score points. While they may perform in the NFL but since they are not in the starting lineup, they cannot score points.
A. The NFL is still a very physical sport. Bench players give the fantasy manager a safety blanket in cases of injuries, suspension and bye weeks.
A. The number of bench players depends on the leagues. In redraft leagues where there are 16-man rosters, there are seven bench players and nine starters.
A. Bench player can be traded so that the fantasy managers avail more flexibility to their rosters.
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