Staying alive: How to be the last one standing in ...

Knockout is a new fantasy football league style you can play this season on ESPN. Instead of head-to-head matchups, every week the team who scores the fewest points is knocked out and their players are up for grabs by all the remaining teams. Last team standing, wins. The first time I played in a Knockout-style fantasy football league, I drafted Andrew Luck as my starting quarterback. He'd abruptly retire a week later. To make matters worse, my backup quarterback, Drew Brees, tore a ligament in his thumb two weeks into the season. He'd miss the next five games. Similar bad luck has befallen us all at some point, but unlike in a traditional head-to-head league, where that kind of bad break might inescapably bury your team before the season even starts, my tale had a happier ending. My team hovered near the bottom of the weekly standings into October, never the week's worst but often second-worst. But not being last was enough to keep me alive. I'd replenish my roster and steer this squad into a second-place finish. The lesson: Assure you don't finish last in any week -- as I only did, unfortunately, in championship week -- and you'll emerge the league champion. Here are 10 strategies to help you do just that. 1. Draft for balance. Eighteen teams -- this allows for 17 weekly eliminations -- dramatically impacts the draft, swiftly draining the running back pool. Cute strategies like "Zero RB" have no place in knockout leagues, even considering that eliminated teams will send quality running backs into free agency. Remember, if you get eliminated, you can't capitalize upon that free agency help! 2. Get reliable pass-catchers. This includes running backs, where Chase Brown-types provide weekly scoring safety. Slot receivers like Chris Olave and Wan'Dale Robinson provide higher weekly floors. Aim for seven targets, as 78% of the players who saw at least that many in a given week last season scored double-digit fantasy points. 3. Don't punt tight end or quarterback. A wait-and-see strategy amplifies the danger of a weak lineup spot. Elite tight ends offer floor as well as ceiling, but embracing a streaming approach puts you at risk. See rule No. 1! This is the format where you do want to use a high draft pick on Trey McBride and not settle on Gunnar Helm. 4. Consistency counts! Shooting for the moon with high-variance players to try to get the highest possible score might be the right approach in other leagues, but in Knockout, the wrong move ends your season, while being the highest-scoring team gets you ... nothing. Safe and boring is the play, especially in the early weeks. This is the format in which you should most rely upon our Consistency Ratings, updated weekly in-season. 5. Aim for late bye weeks. An inactive player can't keep you in the game. The player pool is at its thinnest in the early weeks; In Week 5, 196 players will be rostered, but in Week 14, only 70 will. That's a huge disparity in the quality of the free-agent pool, and it's why in this format, Jonathan Taylor, whose bye is in Week 13, is an advantageous selection over De'Von Achane, whose bye arrives in Week 6. 6. Don't draft injured players. There's no need to stash when the free agent pool is replenished every week, so fade players at risk of missed time. They put you at the most risk of elimination, and they'll often be found as free agents early in the year. 7. Prioritize September schedules. Pick players with especially soft September matchups, particularly in the late rounds, as they'll have the highest floors. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, who begin with games against the lesser defenses of the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, or Los Angeles Chargers, who begin with the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders, can prove advantageous. The New York Giants also draw the Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Commanders in Weeks 3-5, and warrant greater consideration. 8. Pace yourself on free agency. Spend conservatively early and aggressively late. Aim not to spend more than 25% of your budget (FAB) on one player before mid-October, except when addressing a weak lineup spot. The team with the most FAB come December garners a huge advantage. 9. Reassess your roster, weekly. Examine your past week's score and your upcoming week's projected score, and steer your FAB bids towards roster needs over luxury items. New, high-quality players frequently become available, so keep your options open. 10. Floor early, ceiling late. In Week 1, you want the highest-floor team. By Week 17, you want the highest-ceiling team. Thinned-out rosters put teams at risk of going bust early; fewer competitors and richer rosters mean boom weeks win late. Save that highest score of the season for the final week and you'll be in good position to win your championship!