The first part of any successful fantasy football season is the draft. You’re looking at your roster thinking, “This is a championship-caliber team.”
Not even close. The fun has only just begun.
You may love the results of your draft, but how you navigate the rest of the season to strengthen your roster is just as important. Let’s go over some tips and tricks you’ll want to keep in mind so that you have bragging rights entering your fantasy playoffs.
Keep Up On The Latest News
I cannot stress this enough. We live in a day and age where information comes at us in a hurry. You want to beat everyone to the waiver wire in the event of breaking news. The best way to get to the waiver wire first is to turn on social media alerts for the top NFL insiders and beat writers. Your first instinct when you get the alert should be to check if you can better your team in some way.
I am a big advocate of stashing as many running backs as possible, but roster limitations make it impossible for all NFL running backs to be on a team in your league. Use that to your advantage. Did a star running back get hurt in practice? Traded to another team? Losing touches to his backup? Get suspended for some off-the-field issue? Grab his backup. If he’s already taken, grab the No. 3 back, especially in deeper leagues. Some names that were drafted late or went undrafted last season are Isiah Pacheco, Zonovan Knight and Jaylen Warren, all of whom contributed in the second half of the year.
Be Patient … But Not Too Patient
It’s easy to get upset when a starting receiver begins the season with four receptions for 60 yards and zero touchdowns in Week 1. Week 2 comes and goes, and it’s another measly output with three catches for 55 yards and no scores.
Look deeper at the numbers. Was the receiver targeted 10 times each game? Did he have three or four red-zone targets? His opportunity to shine is coming. Same goes for running backs who start slow out the gate. If your back is getting all the goal-line carries but just hasn’t found the end zone yet, be confident that it will balance itself out during the course of the season.
At the same time, don’t be too loyal if a player is underperforming. It’s easy to get caught up in the past, but once you see a trend of a lack of targets, carries or pass attempts, don’t be afraid to move on. Kadarius Toney is a recent example of a player who generates preseason hype but just hasn’t lived up to those expectations. He hasn’t been worth the headache despite everyone thinking he’s a great weapon.
Keep Tabs On Other Teams In Your League
It’s important to not only know what’s going on with your team but what is going on around the league as well. If you know someone is a fan of a particular NFL team, use that to your benefit in negotiations. They likely have a bias for players who play for that team.
Is there a team in your league with an abundance of high-quality receivers but lacking at the running back position? Did another team lose its star running back and you’re holding on to the handcuff? Maybe you decided to draft two quarterbacks and are struggling to decide because both are fantasy starters, while someone else is working the waiver wire every week. Gauge their interest in a potential trade. A counterproposal is likely, but active conversation goes a long way in getting a deal done.
Plan Ahead For Bye Weeks
You should have plenty of backs and receivers for the bye weeks, but if you have just one quarterback and one tight end on the roster, look at the matchups for that particular week and have a game plan. Target quarterbacks who have matchups against weaker opponents and pick them up a week earlier. The field of tight ends gets murky after the first 10-12 players, so don’t be afraid to pick up Gerald Everett, Irv Smith Jr. or Hayden Hurst a week early if you like their upcoming matchup.
Having said that, don’t feel the need to pick up a defense or kicker in advance. Those spots should be filled on your bye week. Defense is such a crapshoot because even a great performance on the field can amount to few fantasy points if there weren’t any defensive touchdowns scored. Never stay loyal to any kickers unless it’s Justin Tucker. Playing conditions should be your deciding factor when addressing a kicker.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 282: August/September 2023
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