Usually lenses have adjustable apertures and you can set the depth of field where you want it and format choice should not stop you from making creative decisions like that. Of course there can be limitations (aberrations at wide apertures and availability issues with lenses) but your statement makes it seem like there is no choice. Or am I missing some humor?
No, not humor. It's part of a discussion on dynamic range and format size where many contend that a larger format will give more DR than a smaller one because the larger format collects more total light where all else remains constant. This theory may be true or it may not because it's based on DXOMark's, "lies, damned lies and statistics."
I posted a group of links to graphs of various popular Nikon FX camera where the graphs show the same camera in DX format mode gives less DR than it does in FX mode. I think these are a page back.
If all else remains the same, shutter speed, f/stop, distance, angle of view but the format changes from larger to smaller one will gain DoF. It's a gift of the smaller format.
Dave