What Is Your Favorite Size League and Why? Opine Away.

[TomBrooklyn]

What do you think is the best size (or your favorite size) league (number of teams) and why?

Give the advantages and disadvantages for that size. Be objective, subjective, reflective, speculative, empirical, conceptual or theoretical. Include any assumptions, presumptions, or suppositions employed. Qualify, justify, magnify, rectify, or deify your choice.

More than one answer is OK. Compare, contrast different sizes.

How does the size of the roster and/or bench factor into your choice?

[34=Sweetness]

12-14 has just the right amount of depth in it. I think anything more than that makes the league too dependent on injury luck. Since no one can really get any quality 3rd RB or 2nd QB, if one of your starters go down you are pretty much hosed unless you strike oil on a Ryan Grant or Earnest Graham and such.

[Dan Lambskin]

i think 12 is ideal, 10 is OK too but alot harder to make trades since everyone is fairly deep and even the WW has some decent players

i've never played 14 and 16 only years ago but it was pretty watered down. 8 pretty much sucks IMO

[footballsimp]

a dozen is perfect.

[moochman]

I also am a fan of 12. It seems to provide a challenge on draft day while leaving enough players on the wire to make plug-in players a possibility when band-aides are needed.
You can have bigger league sizes, however, if you have liberal scoring. For instance, return yards at 20 per pt and PPR, having a third WR and/or Flex can help to increase the value of players who otherwise wouldn't be rosterable.

[Retet]

I like 10 teams. I've played in both 12 and 8 team leagues. But I like 10 the best. The waiver wire has a few quality options, but not too many (as in an 8 team league). And you can start a quality player at each position (more or less). Twelve-team leagues, I've found, rely a little too much on fliers and lucky days from mediocre players. Again, nothing bad. I've had a lot of fun in 12-team leagues, I just prefer 10.

[MrTwo94]

12 team is almost mandatory. Anything less is bush league. Another key factor is bench spots. 6+ is important. If you play a 10 team league w/5 bench spots, it doesn't matter how you drafted. Quality players will be all over the free agent market. I'm in a 12 team league w/only 5 bench spots. Absolutely no point in drafting a defense. Each team can only carry one so you just play matchups. You can't afford to handcuff, either. Silly.

[aaawall91]

I prefer leagues of 12 with 25+ roster spots

[TomBrooklyn]

I prefer leagues of 12 with 25+ roster spots

That's a lot of spots. How do you like them allocated?

[TomBrooklyn]

12 team is almost mandatory. Anything less is bush league.

Would it follow that for a league designed for beginners, less than 12 teams might be a good thing?

Another key factor is bench spots. 6+ is important. If you play a 10 team league w/5 bench spots, it doesn't matter how you drafted. Quality players will be all over the free agent market...

Again, would you say a small bench might be a good setup for a league designed for beginners/those not too familiar with NFL players.

I'm in a 12 team league w/only 5 bench spots. Absolutely no point in drafting a defense. Each team can only carry one so you just play matchups.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Motivated owners who study matchups will be rewarded compared to those that aren't as ambitious and just sit with one D/ST.

I'm in a 12 team league w/only 5 bench spots...You can't afford to handcuff, either. Silly.

I don't understand how the bench size affects this.

Also, how many offensive roster starting positions are you figuring on each team? Are you assuming ESPN Standard league?...QB, RB, RB, RB/WR, WR, WR, TE. If you threw in WR/TE and OP (offensive player, any), would you say a 10 team league becomes like the 12 team league you were discussing?

Some teams might use QB, RB, RB, WE, TE