How to Choose Your Fantasy Football Starting Lineup: A Start/Sit Walkthrough
Most weeks, a few of your starters are easy to pick. Then there's the receiver on your bench who just had a big game, and suddenly you're wondering whether to change a lineup you felt good about yesterday.
I'd work through that decision one pair at a time. Check the scoring settings, see how close the projections are, and look at what might have changed for each player. Below, I'll walk through an example in ffwrapped, then show you how to check the rest of your Sleeper or ESPN roster.
Already have two names in mind? Compare those players here. It's free, and you don't need an account or league import. If you'd rather start with your whole team, open the weekly lineup analyzer.
1. Match the Comparison to Your League
Start with the slot you're trying to fill. A running back and a wide receiver might both fit your flex spot, but that running back can't take a WR-only slot. It's an easy detail to miss when you're focused on the two names.
In Player comparison, choose two quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, or tight ends. Then select Standard, Half PPR, or PPR, and four- or six-point passing touchdowns. Those settings apply to both the projections and recent fantasy scores.
I'd check the scoring dropdown before reading the recommendation. Reception scoring can flip a close call. The Half-PPR vs Full-PPR guide has an example where the same two receiving lines produce different choices.
One limitation to keep in mind: Player comparison doesn't support every custom bonus or scoring rule. If your league has unusual settings, you'll need to account for those yourself. It also lets you pick players freely, so it's up to you to check that both can fill the slot. Start/Sit uses your imported roster to look at eligible swaps.
2. Read the Projected Edge Before Making the Swap
Let's use the example from ffwrapped's lineup-analyzer page. These are demo values, not projections or advice for the current week.
| Player | Roster position | Projected points | Recent scoring average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake London | Bench, WR | 13.61 | 19.26 |
| Nico Collins | Starting WR | 13.12 | 11.60 |
London has a 0.49-point projected edge: 13.61 − 13.12 = 0.49. Both players fit the WR slot, so I'd take a look at the swap. But less than half a point isn't much separation. This is still a close call, even though London's recent average looks much better.
The averages are worth looking at, but don't add their difference to the projected edge. The projection is an estimate for the upcoming game. The average tells you what happened in earlier games. In this sample, games marked DNP are left out of that average.
The standalone Player comparison recommendation follows Sleeper's weekly projected fantasy points in the selected scoring format. Close projections are labeled a toss-up or slight edge. Recent game stats provide context; they do not independently change that projected recommendation.
3. Check What Could Change the Decision
This is where I'd spend a little more time. Did one huge game pull up that recent average? Has the player's usage changed? Is there injury news that could affect how much he plays? Those are useful questions when the projections are almost even.
Player comparison shows available stats from up to five recent games per player. In Week 1, it uses the previous season and labels it. Check that label before assuming you're looking at this year's role, especially for someone who changed teams. A dash means a stat is unavailable. A missing projection doesn't mean the player is expected to score zero.
Before locking anything in, check official team updates and your league app for availability. I'd be especially careful with a questionable player in a late game if all the possible replacements play earlier. ffwrapped can help you compare the options, but you still need a player you can actually put in the slot.
4. Check Your Whole Sleeper or ESPN Lineup
If you're working through several decisions, it's easier to connect your league and open Start/Sit. You'll see your actual starters and bench together instead of searching for each pair separately.
- Import your league. For Sleeper, enter your username or league ID and choose the season. For ESPN, enter the league ID and season. Private ESPN leagues also need access credentials; follow the instructions in the import form.
- Choose your manager. The link above opens Start/Sit after import. Select your team in the Manager dropdown and check the week shown above the roster.
- Review Player Comparisons. Look at the suggested eligible starter-versus-bench swaps and their projected edges. Review the roster's recent results for context.
- Set your final lineup in Sleeper or ESPN. ffwrapped does not submit lineup changes. Check eligibility, availability, and lineup locks in the platform where your league is managed.
The weekly projections and comparisons are free. Premium adds league-adjusted player values and positional ranks, but you don't need it to work through the weekly calls.
Here's the London and Collins example in the demo, with the edge rounded to +0.5. The player values and positional ranks show the optional Premium context. The week, opponents, and scores are sample data, not current-week advice. Open the full-size screenshot.
If there aren't any suggested swaps, you might already have the stronger projected options starting. There might also be too little data to make a comparison. I'd still scan the roster for missing projections and check the week before calling it done.
5. Save the Close Call and Recheck Before Kickoff
Still torn? Copy the comparison link or download an image and send it to your league chat. Include the week and scoring format so everyone is looking at the same decision. If you reopen that link next week, check the selected week before using it again.
After the games, lineup efficiency can show how many points a different legal lineup would have scored. I'd use that to revisit a close call, but I wouldn't judge the decision only by the result. Sometimes the bench player has the better day even when your original reasoning made sense.
Start/Sit Questions
Can I compare players without importing my league?
Yes. Free Player comparison lets you choose any two supported players without an account or league import. Use the lineup analyzer when you want to review your imported starters and bench together.
Is this the same as rating my fantasy team?
No. Rate My Team compares your overall roster with the rest of your league. Start/Sit focuses on the upcoming lineup decisions supported by the available weekly data.
Should I always start the player with the higher projection?
Use the projection as a starting point, especially when the difference is small. Check the scoring settings, eligibility, availability, and recent context before making the final call. The higher-projected player is not guaranteed to score more.
Can I use ffwrapped to change my ESPN or Sleeper lineup?
ffwrapped shows the analysis. You make the actual lineup changes in ESPN or Sleeper.
Check your weekly lineup → Start with the one decision you're least sure about. If you've already got the two names, compare them without importing your league.