everything is targeted towards less htlcs flying around.

No automated rebalances means less HTLCS flying around by your own node.

Raising cltv delta means you raise the timeout you give for the htlc, so your peer has more time to come back online to prevent a force closure.

Setting higher fee rates again means you forward less payments and probably you'll forward real payments and not just somebody else's rebalances.

Raising min htlc means you'll forward only larger size payments and not small ones like zaps. Imagine getting force closed in this mempool for a 10 sat zap payment.