It is that time of the week to jump into the FantasyPros Discord server to answer some of this week’s burning questions. This week, we have a nice mix of inquiries, including waiver wire claims and trade proposals. We even have a start/sit question from the future. Here are my answers to the burning questions on the minds of fantasy football managers.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Advice & Help
Trade Advice
Do you think Alec Pierce is a good pickup from the waiver wire, and should I drop one of my players? I have Drake London, Courtland Sutton (soon to be Rome Odunze, hopefully), Garrett Wilson, Michael Pittman and Rashee Rice as my wide receivers.
Alec Pierce is definitely worth adding in all leagues. He has quickly gone from being the WR3 or WR4 in Indianapolis to being a significant part of their passing game. The volume may not be elite all the time, but the results have been. Pierce leads the NFL in yards per catch and is a big play waiting to happen.
Keep in mind that the Colts are on bye this week. In your case, that should not be a deterrent because two of your wide receivers (Garrett Wilson and Michael Pittman) are also not playing in Week 11. Sadly, Wilson is probably your drop. He is out 3-4 weeks due to his knee injury. The Jets have no reason to push him, so it would not shock me if he were out even longer than that.
Should I do James Cook/Jameson William for Marvin Harrison Jr./Bucky Irving? I have Rachaad White on my bench.
I’m gonna be honest with you. A month ago, I would have 100% done this trade. I picked up Bucky Irving three or four weeks ago in my guillotine league. At the time, I thought it was a shrewd move because I expected him back in Week 10.
Not only did Irving not suit up last week, but Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has already stated that he does not expect Irving to play in Week 11. That is a major red flag for me.
I know James Cook has had a couple of mediocre games in a row. But he is still the overall RB7 for the season. Even though Jameson Williams is inconsistent, I’d rather have him and a healthy Cook than Marvin Harrison Jr. plus whatever version of Irving you would be getting in return.
12-team Non-PPR: Give Justin Jefferson and Kimani Vidal; Get Bijan Robinson and Brian Thomas Jr.
Even in non-PPR, I lean heavily towards the Bijan Robinson and Brian Thomas Jr. side. I know Thomas has not lived up to expectations, but he has some decent matchups on the horizon, provided he can return to full health in the next week or two. Meanwhile, Kimani Vidal’s fantasy value is likely to plummet after this week. The Los Angeles Chargers have a bye in Week 12.
After that, Omarion Hampton should be back in the fold. You are only looking at one or two more games where you can confidently start Vidal. And while Justin Jefferson is obviously a stud, so is Robinson. I would rather have Robinson over Jefferson and Thomas over Vidal, so this is a smash accept for me.
Waiver Wire & Lineup Advice
Would you drop Jayden Daniels to pick up Joe Burrow, who just had his practice window opened? Also have Jaxson Dart. (Six points per passing touchdown)
Perspective is a funny thing in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-6, while the Washington Commanders are 3-7. Not much difference on the surface. But it feels like Cincinnati is just trying to stem the tide until Joe Burrow returns. As badly as things have gone, they are only two games out of a playoff spot. I am not saying they will put him out on the field before he is ready. However, it would not shock me to see him play sometime in November.
On the other side, you have Jayden Daniels, who Washington will re-evaluate in two weeks. Washington is currently three games out of a playoff spot. Even if they defeat Miami this week, they are unlikely to improve their playoff odds before their Week 12 bye. Because of that, I do not see Jayden Daniels retaking the field anytime soon. Assuming you have a bench/injured reserve (IR) spot to stash Burrow and that Jaxson Dart does not play this week, I would make this move.
Baker Mayfield or Justin Herbert for the rest of the season?
Here’s the thing with rest-of-season questions, and it’s the same for me this time of year, with many trade proposals: If the two sides are mostly even, but one player has already had their bye and the other hasn’t, I always take the player who has already had their bye. That is the case here. Tampa Bay has had its bye, while the Los Angeles Chargers have not.
By default, Baker Mayfield is going to score more fantasy points from now on than Justin Herbert. Give me the player I can start every week as opposed to the player I have to bench in Week 12. The fantasy football playoffs are only a few short weeks away. If I am scrambling for a playoff berth, I am taking Mayfield because I know I can play him that week.
Having said that, if the question is who do I like more for Weeks 14 through 17 (depending on your playoff format), the answer may be different. In this case, let’s look at the matchups. Tampa Bay will face three bottom-10 pass defenses during that stretch. Los Angeles only gets one such matchup when they face the Dallas Cowboys. Herbert obviously has the better current supporting cast, given the current state of Tampa Bay’s skill players from a health perspective.
I lean toward Herbert, especially if you are strictly talking about the fantasy playoffs. However, you need to get there first. And Mayfield is more likely to help you in the short term.
Trey McBride vs. Bengals or Brock Bowers vs. Giants in Week 17?
I must say that I love this question, and now all I can think of is that someone should create a league where you set weekly lineups before the season starts and roll with the results. It would be like a funnier version of best ball.
As for the actual question, is there a “both“ option? Either Trey McBride or Brock Bowers would be worthy of a Flex spot. If not, the answer as things currently stand is McBride. He has balled out all year and shows no signs of slowing down.
Also, Cincinnati has a laughingly bad defense when it comes to defending tight ends. They have given up 12 touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season. No other NFL team has allowed more than seven.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
