Postponed games in fantasy usually result in players involved scoring zero points for that gameweek unless the game is rescheduled within the same gameweek or fantasy platform provides a specific workaround.
Have you ever felt the sting of a postponed match ruining your carefully crafted fantasy team? It’s a scenario that can throw even the most seasoned fantasy managers into a state of panic. So, what happens in fantasy if a game is postponed, and what can you expect from your selected players? These disruptions can impact leagues greatly.
Fantasy platforms have different ways of dealing with these schedule changes. Some might award average scores to affected players, while others simply give them zero points until the game is played. Understanding your specific league’s rules is really key.
What Happens in Fantasy if a Game is Postponed?
Okay, so you’ve carefully picked your fantasy team, checked all the stats, and you’re ready to cheer them on. Then, bam! The game gets postponed. It can feel like a total buzzkill, right? But don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Let’s dive into what exactly occurs in the fantasy world when real-life games get delayed.
The Initial Shock: Understanding Postponements
First, let’s talk about why games get postponed in the first place. It’s not just some random decision. Often, it’s because of things like:
- Bad Weather: Think heavy rain, snowstorms, or even really strong winds. These can make playing unsafe or just plain impossible.
- Player Health: Sometimes, a lot of players on a team might get sick, like with the flu or a virus. This can make it hard to have a fair game.
- Unforeseen Events: Sadly, things like emergencies or other unexpected situations can cause postponements.
When a game is postponed, your first thought might be, “What about my fantasy points?!” It’s a totally valid question, and thankfully, fantasy leagues have rules to handle these situations.
Fantasy League Rules: How They Handle Postponements
Most fantasy leagues have a set of rules regarding postponed games. These rules are usually in place before the season even starts, so it’s worth taking a look at the rulebook to see how your league handles postponements. The key is understanding the policy of your particular league. Below, I’ve explained the most common scenarios. They revolve around several main concepts:
Common Scenarios: Points and Lineups
Here’s a breakdown of what usually happens with your fantasy points and lineups:
- Game Rescheduled Within the Same Week: If the game is moved to another day within the same fantasy week, it’s generally treated like a normal game. The player’s stats still count towards your total points for the week. This is ideal and usually the easiest situation to deal with.
- Game Rescheduled for a Future Week: This can get a bit trickier. If a game gets moved to a future week of the fantasy season, the points your players earn during that rescheduled game, might be counted in that new week and not the week it was originally supposed to play. Imagine you had a player with a great postponed game but that game is then played the next week – those points don’t come to your total for the week you wanted them. The most important thing to note is whether your league follows the “Game-Week” or “Real-Week” model. If it’s the latter then the game is added to the week it is actually played in.
- Game Rescheduled Outside the Fantasy Season: In the case that the game moves to a date after your fantasy season has ended, points usually do not count. The game itself will still take place but it would have no bearing on your fantasy league standings.
- Game Canceled Entirely: Sometimes a game will be cancelled and not rescheduled due to logistical or scheduling reasons. If this happens, generally no points for that game will be added. This, of course, depends on your league rules.
Using the Bench Effectively
This is where having a good bench depth helps. Let’s say you have a starter whose game was postponed. The first rule to check is to see if your league permits moving your players from the starting lineup to the bench and vice-versa, even after the games have started. Some leagues do not let you do this. If your league does, and the game will take place in a different week, you will most probably want to swap the player out and bring someone from the bench into your starting lineup, otherwise you will have a player in your starting lineup with no points for that week. If you cannot do that then you have to rely on your luck for the rest of the week. If a postponement occurs later in the week, after your other players have finished their games, you might be stuck. If the game is postponed early on, you may still be able to benefit from any bench depth you may have.
Specific League Rules Matter
Remember, these are just general guidelines. Your specific league rules are the ultimate authority. For example, some leagues might have different ways of calculating points for postponed games and you could even have a league where points are awarded regardless of whether the game is played or not (these are very rare!). Some common variations could include:
- Using the Average Score: Some leagues might assign players a point value based on their average performance if a game is postponed. This is fairly uncommon though.
- Partial Points: In a league where point differential is important, you might get partial points for a partially completed game if a game is called off mid-match. This helps mitigate a situation where one player benefits more than another for a game that got called off.
- “No points”: Some leagues adopt a rule that there is no exception. If the game did not take place in your fantasy week, then no points are awarded for the game. This is the most straightforward system of all and it makes it clear what players should be rostered.
Strategies for Dealing with Postponed Games
Okay, so postponements are inevitable. How can you navigate them like a pro? Here are some tips:
Plan Ahead
The first thing to do is to stay informed. Follow the news about any potential weather events, player illness or other happenings. Check sports news sites and team twitter accounts to get the information early and make the changes to your lineup if necessary. Most fantasy sports leagues allow you to make changes to your roster right up until game time, so if a postponement is declared, you could then substitute in a player who isn’t in a postponed game.
Depth is Key
Don’t just focus on your star players. Having a solid bench of players can really help if a game gets postponed. If your starter is in a postponed game, you want to have someone else on the bench to take their place without sacrificing all your fantasy points. Good bench depth is especially important when there’s inclement weather in the forecast.
Stay Flexible
Sometimes you just have to adjust your plan. Don’t get too attached to specific lineups or strategy. If a game is postponed, see it as an opportunity to review your lineup and make changes. This is part of what makes fantasy leagues so exciting and different every week. Your success will depend on how you adapt to these changes.
Utilize Your League’s Communication
Make sure you utilize your league’s official chat or messaging system. If you are having questions about a postponement, and the relevant rule, this is a good place to ask your league mates or even the administrator. If your league mates are aware of a postponement that you missed, they can help to alert you as well.
Double-Check the Rules
Before you get too far into the season, go back and reread the specific rules in your fantasy league. It’s so important to know exactly how your league handles postponements. Don’t wait until a game is actually postponed to try and figure it out. It’s much easier to understand what to expect beforehand.
Real-World Example: A Tale of Two Teams
Let’s look at a hypothetical situation:
Imagine you have two teams in your fantasy league. Team A has a star quarterback whose game gets moved from Sunday to Tuesday due to a snowstorm. Team B’s quarterback is playing on Sunday as scheduled.
- If Your League Uses a “Game Week”: Your Team A player will get points in his scheduled week, the Tuesday game will be moved into the following week in that case.
- If Your League Uses a “Real Week”: Your Team A player will have his points counted on Tuesday, and will be reflected in the current fantasy week that includes Tuesday. Team B’s player’s points would have already been counted from his Sunday game.
As you can see it’s important to know whether you have a game-week system, or a real-week one.
The Impact on Trades and Waivers
Postponed games can also affect other aspects of your fantasy league, like trading and waiver wire activity.
Trading
If a player on your team has a game postponed, you might be tempted to trade him away. Be careful though. Check to see if the game is being played in the same or the next fantasy week. If he is, he will still get points for you. If the game is being moved to the end of your fantasy season, that will impact the value of the player to you and to others. It may be that you can get better players in a trade for a player with a postponed game than one where the game isn’t impacted.
Waiver Wire
The waiver wire is where you go to pick up new players who are not on a team. If a game postponement is well known, you will most likely see a lot of activity on the waiver wire as others go out and seek replacements to take the place of their postponed players. This might not mean the best players are available, but you will have to look carefully to try and find a useful player. Knowing this is important as it makes it much easier to strategize. If there are lots of postponed games then you will need to get a replacement or two from the waiver wire to ensure you are competitive.
Postponed games might seem like a disaster, but they are just another part of the fantasy experience. By knowing the rules and planning, you’ll be ready for any kind of challenge.
Postponed games are simply a part of the game. Understanding how your league handles these situations, and having some backup plans, will help you succeed in your fantasy league and even more importantly, enjoy the game. Don’t let a postponement throw you off your game. Instead, embrace the challenge and get ready to make those smart roster moves!
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Final Thoughts
If a game is postponed, fantasy leagues typically have several options. Most leagues might either award points based on a set average or simply void the game’s results for fantasy purposes. This must be decided by the league rules.
Some leagues allow for a make-up game if rescheduled within the fantasy week. What happens in fantasy if a game is postponed, therefore, depends on the specific rules your league has put in place. The commissioner must make a clear decision for smooth functioning.
