How many bench spots should we have in fantasy football? That’s a real head-scratcher, ain’t it? I heard folks talkin’, and they got all sorts of ideas. Some say this, some say that, it’s enough to make your head spin faster than a top!

How Many Bench Spots?
Well, let me tell ya, I been listenin’ in on what them young folks are sayin’ about this fantasy football thing. Sounds like a whole lot of fuss over somethin’ I don’t rightly understand. But they sure do get worked up about it! Now, they talk about these “bench spots,” like it’s the most important thing in the world. From what I gather, it’s about how many players you can have waitin’ on the sidelines.
Some folks say a good number is like havin’ 16 spots all together. That’s nine players playin’ and seven sittin’ on the bench. That’s a lot of folks to keep track of, if you ask me. 15 or 20 total is also fine.
Different Leagues, Different Rules
Then they start talkin’ about different kinds of leagues. One of ’em is called “Best Ball.” Sounds kinda fancy, don’t it? In this one, they say you got 17 players. Eight of ’em are startin’, and nine are on the bench. Just like that other one, but with one more player. They got all sorts of names for these players too: Quarterback, and all that. Sounds mighty complicated!
- 16 roster spots: 9 starters, 7 bench
- 15-20 total roster spots is a good range
- Best Ball leagues: 17 total, 8 starters, 9 bench
- 10-12 teams is a good number
What the Folks Are Sayin’
I heard one fella sayin’ that 10-12 is the right number for a league. What’s a league? Sounds like a group play together. But he also said somethin’ about “dynasty IDP” and that 16 is okay. What does that even mean? I reckon it’s somethin’ for them young folks to worry about, not me.
Another one was talkin’ about a 10-team league with 8 bench spots. And they even keep some players year after year! They call it “keeper rules.” They added a bench spot when they started keepin’ players. Sounds like they’re tryin’ to make things more complicated if you ask me. But they do this to make young players more valuable.
And get this, another one said they got 6 bench spots in a 12-team league. That means they got two backup runnin’ backs, two backup wideouts, and one backup “flex.” I don’t know what a flex is, but it sounds like somethin’ you’d do at the gym!

There’s another fella who said they got 25 spots all together in a 12-team league, with 9 startin’ and 16 on the bench. 16! That’s a whole heap of players to keep track of. They must have a lot of time on their hands to manage all of that, I reckon. They start qb, 2rb, 3wr, te, k each time.
Too Many Choices?
Some other folks say that in most leagues, they start with nine players. Nine! Then they got all these other ones on the bench. They say it’s usually between 6 and 8 bench spots in a 12-team league. One of ’em said they have 8, and another said they have 7. And they’re always talkin’ about somethin’ called a “flex” position. They have like two of them. It’s all too much for this old brain to handle!
My Two Cents
Now, I don’t know much about this fantasy football, but it seems to me like they’re makin’ it way too complicated. Why not just pick some players and have some fun? All this talk about bench spots and different leagues and keeper rules, it just makes my head hurt. But hey, if it makes them happy, who am I to judge? Just seems like a lot of bother over a game, if you ask me. But I guess that’s the way things are these days. Everything’s gotta be so complicated. Back in my day, we didn’t have all these fancy games. We just played outside and had a good time. But I suppose times change. Even still, I think they’re overthinkin’ it. Just pick your players and enjoy the game! That’s what I say. But what do I know? I’m just an old lady watchin’ from the sidelines.