Tag: Fantasy

Don’t underestimate the value of streaming in fantasy. Streaming quarterbacks, kickers and defenses each week allows you to take advantage of the best available options. And if you missed out on a high-caliber tight end in drafts, you can even stream that position with some success. Each week I highlight the best streaming options at…

Week 4 was highlighted by dominant performances from Chris Godwin (12/172/2), who was a game-time decision, and Christian McCaffrey, who was equally dangerous as a runner and receiver (179 total yards). Week 5 sets up as a show-me week for a number of guys. So, which players should you be buying and selling? Let’s dive…

Before I get into the targets and sell-highs, I thought that with a quarter of the season in the books, it is a good time to start tracking the performance of the buy-lows and sell-highs in this space thus far. First, the bad news: Selling Nick Chubb high in Week 4 could have probably waited,…

Welcome to my weekly Fantasy Sims series, where I’ll detail every player’s odds of posting a top fantasy finish at his position. The concept is simple: I simulated every Week 5 game 10,000 times to calculate odds for every fantasy-relevant player. This includes their chances of finishing as a QB1, RB1, WR1, etc — so…

With nearly one-quarter of the NFL season complete, there are fewer options available on the waiver wire, so some of this week’s suggestions are long-term stashes. But there are still some helpful acquisitions that could provide quality fantasy production both in the short and long term. With the Dolphins and Lions on bye, let’s take…

Football is a team sport comprised of individual matchups, the most important of which might be those between wide receivers and cornerbacks. In this piece, I leverage snap data from Pro Football Focus to project NFL Week 5 WR/CB matchups. For more, see the FantasyLabs Matchups page, where we provide all sorts of basic and…

Don’t underestimate the value of streaming in fantasy. Streaming quarterbacks, kickers and defenses each week allows you to take advantage of the best available options. And if you missed out on a high-caliber tight end in drafts, you can even stream that position with some success. Each week I highlight the best streaming options at…

Week 4 of the NFL season featured some outstanding performances from some surprising faces. By now you’ve probably heard about Giants quarterback Daniel Jones’ four touchdowns in a comeback win. Raiders wide receiver Darren Waller put the league on notice with a 13-134-0 line. And Dalvin Cook is inching closer to elite RB status with…

Whether you’re 3-0 in your league and looking to keep it going, 0-3 and searching in vain for the ‘restart’ button, or somewhere in between, the good news is, you’re still in the game!  Here are three buy lows and two sell-high targets that should put you in the best position possible ahead of Week…

In-season management can be the difference between a fantasy championship and … not. So who are the top waiver wire pickups heading into Week 4, with the first set of teams (Jets and 49ers) on bye? Let’s take a closer look at three running backs, five wide receivers and three tight ends worth consideration as well…

Week 2 was full of breakout fantasy performances. Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson was the top scorer in PPR formats. 49ers RB Raheem Mostert posted 151 total yards. And TE Mark Andrews made yet another case to be considered among the elite players at his position with a 8/112/1 line. Which players should you be buying…

Don’t underestimate the value of streaming in fantasy. Streaming quarterbacks, kickers and defenses each week allows you to take advantage of the best available options. And if you missed out on a high-caliber tight end in drafts, you can even stream that position with some success. Each week I highlight the best streaming options at…

Two road games? No problem for the 49ers. San Francisco’s big 41-17 win at Cincinnati moves them to 2-0 on the season behind several big fantasy performances. The 49ers gashed the Bengals on the ground for 259 rushing yards at 6.2 yards per carry. Running backs Matt Breida (121 rushing yards, 10.1 yards per carry)…

The great fantasy football player Warren Buffett once said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” Actually, he said that about investing and probably has never played fantasy in his life, but whatever; it’s applicable here and I needed an intro. Here are five buy-lows and two sell-highs ahead of…

Welcome to Overreaction SZN! I put this out on Twitter over the weekend in an attempt to quell any panic that might be setting in after just one week of football: Here is where certain players ranked this time last year: Tyrod Taylor QB4 Matt Ryan QB25 Isaiah Crowell RB4 Derrick Henry RB57 Kenny Stills…

If you ended up streaming Matthew Stafford last week, it’s going to be incredibly tough to drop him after he dropped 385 yards and three touchdowns on the Cardinals. It was more than just taking advantage of the poor Arizona defense — he has arguably the best set of weapons he’s had at his disposal…

My fantasy quarterback draft strategy was essentially: Wait until Rounds 10-14 to take Jameis Winston, Dak Prescott or Lamar Jackson. I’ve been flooded with questions about Jameis since his abysmal season debut — 20-for-36 passing for 194 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions — so I’d like to explain why Winston was (and still is)…

A few weeks ago on The Action Network on Sirius XM, I got a chance to interview former Mets general manager Steve Phillips — an avid fantasy player — and asked him what skill from being a real-life GM translated to fantasy the most. His answer: Knowing what value other teams place on your players…

Marquise Brown sure lived up to his nickname in his regular-season NFL debut. Hollywood’s first two career catches went for 47- and 83-yard touchdowns in the Ravens’ 59-10 blowout of the Dolphins on Sunday, establishing himself as an early waiver wire target. But who else should be on your radar coming out of Week 1?…

Tiers season doesn’t end in the run-up to drafts. You’ll find my first set of my weekly fantasy tiers below, which I’ll release throughout the regular season. They’re a more nuanced take on my fantasy rankings and strategy at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, kicker and defense. You can use these tiers to…

Week 1 is here! Are you ready? So many fantasy football leagues are won in-season. Luckily, our experts are here to guide you through the most important management decisions each week. Sean Koerner, Matthew Freedman Chris Raybon and Mike Randle outline their favorite waiver wire pickups for Week 1, featuring two running backs with league-winning…

It’s this time of year when we start to think we have the running back position all figured out. Wrong. The game of football is incredibly violent, and RBs typically endure the most hits week-to-week. It’s also a very tough position to play through when at less than 100%. That’s not to mention it’s very…

Tiers are very important when it comes to analyzing fantasy football rankings. People often use rankings too literally without accounting for drop-offs within each position. That’s why it’s important to rank players into tiers: They help us visualize positional rankings in buckets and understand the optimal time to draft players. You’ll find recaps of my…

Chris Raybon, Matthew Freedman and Sean Koerner reveal their 12 favorite breakout candidates heading into the final stretch of draft season. See the two quarterbacks, three runnings backs, six wide receivers (including a trio of potential Year 2 breakouts), and tight end they like to emerge as top-tier players at each position. >> Build custom…

Which players are people still sleeping on in drafts? Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon and Matthew Freedman reveal their eight favorite fantasy sleepers heading into the final stretch of draft season by position. You’ll also find their consensus ranking for each player. Note: Average draft position (ADP) data is for PPR drafts and via FantasyPros. That…

Who’s at risk of busting in 2019? Matthew Freedman, Sean Koerner and Chris Raybon identify six potential fantasy busts heading into the final week of drafts. >> Build custom cheat sheets featuring our experts’ latest fantasy football rankings with our Draft Kit. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers Since Jordy Nelson burst on the scene with 15…

Week 1 of the NFL season is finally here! Our fantasy experts — Matthew Freedman and Chris Raybon — are hosting a live show at 5 p.m. ET today. Here’s a preview of topics: Ezekiel Elliott/Cowboys situation Week 1 waiver wire picks Week 1 fantasy projections/rankings User questions! (Ask below in the chat) Click here…

As we approach peak fantasy football draft season, I wanted to compare players’ average draft positions (ADPs) to my rankings to identify which players are currently being overvalued or undervalued by the market. But my Fantasy Value Ratings aren’t just a raw comparison of my rankings and ADP data. Like I explained in my positional…

Patrick Mahomes was the QB15 in average draft position heading into 2018, then finished the season as the far-and-away QB1 after tossing 50 touchdowns — tied with Tom Brady for the second-most in a single season behind only Peyton Manning. Now his draft price is way up as the QB1 and the 28th overall pick…

Have your fantasy football draft coming up soon and need some questions answered? Perfect timing. Our fantasy experts — Matthew Freedman and Chris Raybon — are hosting a live show at 5 p.m. ET today. Here’s a preview of topics: Ezekiel Elliott/Cowboys situation Carlos Hyde/Texans fantasy fallout LeSean McCoy/Chiefs/Bills fantasy fallout Josh Gordon/Patriots news Current…

Fantasy football is a game of prediction, but we still can’t know exactly what’s going to happen before it does. You can, however, give yourself an edge by exploiting league settings. Settings can directly impact the value of players, so it’s critical to understand how. I’ve outlined how all the different settings can increase or…

Should you be targeting a running back or a wide receiver in the first round of 2019 drafts? We asked five of our experts for their opinions, and it turns out, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer — but there are different strategies. Let’s run through each of their answers and how they’re attacking the first rounds…

Preparation for the 2019 fantasy football season is in full swing and our experts Sean Koerner, Matthew Freedman and Chris Raybon are keeping their rankings up to date so you can draft confidently. You’ll find their consensus top 200 players for standard scoring formats below. You can also use our Fantasy Football Draft Kit to…

Preparation for the 2019 fantasy football season is in full swing and our experts Sean Koerner, Matthew Freedman and Chris Raybon are keeping their rankings up to date so you can draft confidently. You’ll find their consensus top 200 players for PPR (point per reception) below. You can also use our Fantasy Football Draft Kit…

Preparation for the 2019 fantasy football season is in full swing and our experts Sean Koerner, Matthew Freedman and Chris Raybon are keeping their half-point PPR rankings up to date so you can draft confidently. You’ll find their consensus top 200 players for half PPR formats below. You can also use our Fantasy Football Draft…

Want to have even more fun playing fantasy football? Switch to a 2 QB or superflex format. These league types increase the demand on quarterbacks, making for more interesting strategic decisions and more interesting fantasy-relevant players. If you’re prepared to breathe a sigh of relief because Joe Flacco fell to you in the 14th round,…

Ask me for one fantasy football tip, and I might say, “Why not ask for two? Live a little.” But my one tip would be: Wait on a quarterback. The Late-Round Quarterback strategy, popularized by JJ Zachariason, is not just a QB strategy — it’s the predominant fantasy football strategy. In normal fantasy leagues that…

Editor’s note: Ezekiel Elliott is still holding out. For our experts’ latest rankings, check out our Draft Kit. The debate over who should be the top pick in 2019 fantasy football drafts is split. Saquon Barkley? Ezekiel Elliott? Christian McCaffrey? Should Alvin Kamara be in the mix, too? What about David Johnson? Five of our experts…

Much like last season, there’s a steep drop-off at tight end after the top three players. However, the remaining TE1 Tier features more talent than 2018. Let’s run through my strategy then break down how I’ve ranked the top 21 TEs into tiers.

Best ball drafts are a great way to get some fantasy football equity in well before the season starts. It’s important to note that the strategy is a bit different than with re-draft leagues, so I’ll highlight how to approach each position. Let’s start with quarterbacks. For this (and all) positions, we want to target…

The quarterback position is the deepest we’ve seen in fantasy football. And that depth makes the late-round QB strategy even more viable. So which signal-callers should be on your radar heading into drafts? Our panel of seven experts highlight the late-round QB targets they like the most in 2019. Be sure to also check out…

To be a profitable offseason best ball player, you’ll need to have a few league-winners — like Patrick Mahomes and George Kittle in 2018 — among your highest-exposure targets. But at many points in your draft, you’ll be choosing between players of similar value and simply need to hold serve by avoiding potential busts. Even…

The best way to spend your high draft capital this season is at wide receiver. Sure, the position is deep and there are tons of players outside the top 80 who can offer solid production — but solid production for a WR means they’ll likely only offer WR3 (maybe WR2) value. So to help you…

My strategy of not drafting a defense (if your league allows it) prompted questions about whether I was suggesting to not use one at all. Let’s clarify what I mean, then dig into my preseason defense tiers.

Who are the players who could catapult themselves into the top tiers of their positions this season? Which Year 2 wide receivers are primed for big years? Our panel of seven analysts highlight the potential fantasy football breakouts for 2019. Be sure to also check out our experts’ latest rankings in our Draft Kit.

Running back is, without a doubt, the most important position in fantasy football — anyone who has been playing it long enough knows that. But what’s the best draft strategy at RB? Well, it depends on your league’s draft order, but I’ll get to that later. It’s important to first acknowledge the position’s importance and…

There are six league sizes available on DRAFT, but small leagues are most different from traditional fantasy leagues. Depth is easier to come by at the FLEX positions, which has an equalizing effect between positions and increases the importance of studs at every position. Below is a position-by-position strategy breakdown for three- and four-team best…

It’s no surprise that Kyler Murray is a favorite rookie among our experts. Three of our seven panelists highlighted the Arizona Cardinals quarterback, but our roundtable likes four other Year 1 players. See which rookies they think have the highest fantasy football ceilings in 2019. Be sure to also check out our experts’ latest rankings…

I have a love-hate relationship with Zero RB. If you’re not familiar, Zero RB is a strategy that Sean Siegele first brilliantly laid out in 2013. It essentially calls for bypassing RBs though the first few rounds in order to get studs in all of your other starting slots, particularly at the pass-catching positions of WR…

Tight end is the weakest position by far, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore it. It’s arguably the most critical position to use tiers for as they’re absolutely necessary to plan your attack for the draft. Let’s jump right in. Note: For scoring and ADP purposes, I will be referencing DRAFT. More Best Ball…

There are six league sizes available on DRAFT, but strategy for the 10- and 12-team best ball leagues is most similar to traditional re-draft leagues: Running back is the most important position to attack early and you can wait on quarterback. Below is a position-by-position strategy breakdown for 10- and 12-team best ball leagues, as…

It’s a virtual two-man race between DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams for who should be the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in fantasy football, but they’re not the only candidates our experts like to be the first WR off draft boards. Five of our analysts — Sean Koerner, Matthew Freedman, Peter Jennings, Ian Hartitz and Justin…

The wide receiver position is much more straightforward and easier to plan for than quarterback and running back. The week-to-week production can be quite volatile, but ultimately, it’s a very predictable position. That’s why it’s key to have seven or eight WRs. The extra depth is also good considering it’s the only position that requires three…

Strategy for mid-size best ball leagues (six to eight teams) can vary from one season to the next more than any other league sizes. This is because small variations among how many players are ranked within each positional tier in a given season can create drastic shifts in strategy. Mid-sized leagues are similar to large…

Every season there are players who fall short of expectations. So which guys should you approach with caution this year? Our panel of seven experts identify seven potential fantasy football busts for 2019. Be sure to also check out our experts’ latest rankings in our Draft Kit. Note: Average Draft Position (ADP) data for PPR…

We’re in the thick of the NFL offseason and it’s officially time to start fantasy football prep. I’ll be answering the biggest questions heading into the 2019 season; this is part of that series. The tight end position has been on the rise in terms of usage in real life and fantasy football over recent years.…