Sandilands played 21 games last season including two finals but he missed three crucial games late in the year with the foot injury plantar fasciitis and was restricted by a knee complaint in the club's semi-final loss to Geelong.
The 28-year-old is now injury-free and impressing on the track after a slow start to pre-season, and he said having a week off in rounds six and 16 would help him stay fit this year.
"I think the two byes have been positioned pretty well for us," Sandilands said from Fremantle Oval on Tuesday.
"Having those extra breaks in there's going to help us big time."
Sandilands said a long rest in the off-season had helped completely heal the foot complaint that derailed Fremantle's top-four charge last season.
However, he will have to take preventative measures and maintain his ideal playing weight of just under 120kg to stop it from re-emerging.
"It's a little bit of watching where my weight's at and also getting lots of physio and massage and those sorts of things so it doesn't tighten up too much," Sandilands said.
"We've got three full-time physios [and] three full-time fitness staff, so they keep a close eye on where your body's at.
"I've got a pretty good relationship with them and telling them how my body's going. I know my body pretty well now and when I start getting sore they rest me up."
Sandilands has spoken this pre-season about the prospect of spending more time forward under the AFL's new substitute rule, and it’s a strategy that he said could also keep him injury-free.
Fremantle recruited Adelaide ruckman Jon Griffin in the off-season, and Michael Johnson and Kepler Bradley have proven to be handy back-up big men.
With third-year ruckman Zac Clarke also adding weight and impressing on the track this summer, Sandilands said the club would have options if it chose to ease his load in the ruck.
"I think it all depends on how the new interchange rule goes. That's one of the ways around it, having the resting ruckman spending more time forward," he said.
"I prefer being out on the ground than being on the bench, but if it comes to being able to play a full season, having a few more minutes on the bench won't hurt."
Fremantle launches its NAB Cup campaign against West Coast and Hawthorn on February 13, and Sandilands shapes as a likely starter in the pre-season clash at Patersons Stadium.
"Pre-season's coming close to being finished and I'm looking forward to playing games," he said.
"It's always good to get a couple of games in over the NAB Cup to get a bit of match fitness before round one."
