It has been a wild year for fantasy football. Whether you’re in the hunt for a championship or at the bottom of the standings, there is still a plan moving forward. Let’s dive into how to approach the rest of the NFL season.
Exploit favorable matchups.
You are likely set at certain positions if you made the playoffs. If you made it this far, you have solid running back and receiver groups. But there are still a handful of lineup decisions that need to be made as you enter the fantasy playoffs.
I’ll dive into more about tight ends in a bit, but if you’re one of the many who has been streaming tight ends and quarterbacks, hopefully you planned ahead. Geno Smith plays the Titans’ and Steelers’ suspect pass defenses in the fantasy playoffs, providing an option at quarterback. Tyler Conklin draws the Commanders and Browns, both of whom struggle against tight ends.
This applies to defenses and kickers as well. Two of my favorite defenses during that stretch are the Falcons and Rams, and both units are likely available. Target kickers who play in ideal conditions (indoors or warm-weather stadiums). Now, with all that said …
Don’t overthink lineup decisions.
You’ve made it to the playoffs, and for most leagues, it’s win or go home. You have one chance to get it right (and if you’re lucky, two). The pressure will start to kick in. You’ll be second-guessing your lineup all week long. One player has been a fantasy darling all season long but faces a tough defense this week. Another player, who you haven’t started much of the season, has a really juicy matchup. You’ll tinker with your lineup all week long until the weekend comes.
Don’t try to get cute. The Ravens and 49ers play in Week 16, and both feature elite defenses. Don’t even consider benching Lamar Jackson or Deebo Samuel. You want them over someone like Christian Watson, who plays the Panthers’ atrocious defense that week. That goes for every position. Don’t start Geno Smith if you roster Tua Tagovailoa because you don’t like the Dolphins’ Week 16 matchup against the Cowboys. Play the guys who got you there with confidence.
Keep the action going.
Just because the regular season is coming to an end doesn’t mean fantasy football is over. I will still provide weekly rankings and daily fantasy (DFS) lineups on PressBoxOnline.com throughout the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl.
Mobile sports betting also serves as a fun way to stay engaged. Have Patrick Mahomes and A.J. Brown on your team and want to continue to cheer them on in the playoffs? Download one of the sports betting apps and throw a few bucks on some prop bets.
Look ahead to next season.
I emphasized last year how important Travis Kelce was in fantasy football because he was a huge outlier at the tight end position. He is still the top-scoring tight end, but the gap between Kelce and the group that rounds out the top 10 isn’t nearly as wide as years past. He’s still elite, but it’s good to see 10 solid options you can feel comfortable with starting weekly.
Injuries are always a factor in football, but it was particularly crushing to the quarterback position this year. Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Anthony Richardson, Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson all suffered season-ending injuries. Justin Fields, Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford and other fantasy-relevant quarterbacks have missed action as well. Typically, I’ve been against keeping more than one quarterback on my fantasy roster, but that might change heading into next year.
It wasn’t particularly planned, but I went with the Zero RB strategy for the first time and was thrilled with the results. I struck out miserably on a couple of dead-zone backs — Cam Akers and Miles Sanders — but having A.J. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown in one league and A.J. Brown, Keenan Allen and Garrett Wilson in another essentially guaranteed I won my WR and FLEX spots each week.
I struck gold with Kyren Williams and Zack Moss at running back. I mixed in D’Onta Foreman, Devin Singletary and Keaton Mitchell at various times. It’s much easier to find another running back than it is another receiver. I was formerly an advocate for drafting as many running backs as possible, but the Zero RB approach might be my strategy moving forward.
Fantasy sports are all about adapting, and before you know it, my 2024 rankings will be available for us to debate.
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