Before poring over this season’s projections, use the Benchmark Calculator I’ve created to figure out what is considered above average and what is considered below average in each category. Even if your league size has not changed in years, it’s worth using to figure out how the league’s recent playstyle changes have impacted what is considered average. The shifts are not always small or obvious. For example, last season, among fantasy-relevant players, there was a notable dip in 3PM that lowered the threshold for winning the category consistently.
If you are playing in a league with more or fewer teams than usual this year, then you will definitely want to take some time to reprogram your brain to what is above average and what is below average. If you are going off what was considered average in your old league, you are going to make some mistakes.
The Benchmark Calculator includes a breakdown by position. By knowing each position’s average in each category, it will be easier to identify which players provide useful out-of-position numbers and which players are major drags on a category.
To use the calculator, simply input the number of teams and the number of roster spots in your league. The data used in the tool is from the 2025-2026 season.