# Fantasy football questions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [September 7, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781 "2014-09-07T17:27:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781/1 "2014-09-07T17:27:23Z")

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In fantasy football, how deep do rosters go? Does it depend on how many teams are in your league? Does the draft exhaust all available players?

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**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781/2 "2014-09-07T17:39:58Z")

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A typical league is 12 teams, each with something close to the following: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF, and 6 or 7 bench spots. There’s plenty of variation, but anything that strays _too_ far from those numbers is considered non-standard.

So, no, you don’t come close to exhausting all available players, though you might have to dip into the backups for WRs and (especially) RBs.

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781/3 "2014-09-07T17:42:45Z")

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Thanks Varloz. A league that exhausts the whole league would be HUGE! Assume bench players are whatever position the “owner” wants? Also, assume 1 “flex” guy per roster?

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**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781/4 "2014-09-07T17:46:18Z")

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It depends, the commissioner can custimize the league to allow any number of roster spots. There’s even a few leagues which use individual defensive players, although they’re rare. No league will exhaust all players, even the 20 team sdmb bug league. In general most leagues will be 10-12 teams ,using the top 150-200 players in the league , including kicker and a team defense. Many casual players, such as work leagues or a friendly league with friends, simply don’t have the interest to research 5th string wide receivers for teams they don’t follow.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-football-questions/697781/5 "2014-09-08T00:02:28Z")

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> [@etv78](#):
>
> Also, assume 1 “flex” guy per roster?

No, a flex refers to a starting roster position, not a player. It uses a combination of possible positions - typically RB and WR, sometimes RB/WR/TE, and very rarely will mix a QB in there. You don’t have to designate any of your players to be your flex - you can use anyone on your roster that qualifies.