Welcome to the latest installment of the fantasy football therapy and complaint desk. In this article, I will address inquiries from the AMA channel (general-AMA) in our Discord server. We are quickly approaching the fantasy football playoffs, so there are plenty of angles to explore. This week, we have some questions covering several hot topics, so let’s get to it,
Here are a few of this week’s submissions, along with my responses.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Advice & Help
Waiver Wire & Lineup Advice
Can I trust Lamar Jackson or Zay Flowers going forward?
Lamar Jackson is a perennial MVP candidate and one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. But he has certainly not looked like himself in recent weeks. It’s hard to say for sure, but it does not seem like he is 100% physically. Since returning after missing a month with a knee injury, he has also been dealing with ankle and toe ailments. Jackson has only rushed for 98 total yards in five games since his return. Before this year, he had averaged at least 50 yards per game in every season since becoming the team’s full-time starter in 2019. He also seems to be lacking the mobility that often allows him to extend plays and create significant gains in the passing game. Jackson has gone three straight games without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career.
As far as whether you can trust Jackson and/or Zay Flowers, it is all about managing expectations. Can you trust Jackson as a top-three fantasy starter as we have for the past several years? Probably not. However, I am not knocking him out of my top-10 rankings anytime soon. Therefore, I would continue to start him unless you have a prominent top-five player. We have to accept what Flowers is from a fantasy perspective. He’s a possession receiver with a high floor and a low ceiling. Basically, he’s Wan’Dale Robinson. Flowers can have a spike week when he scores, but that hardly ever happens. He has 11 touchdowns in 45 NFL games, including one (yes, one) in his last 18 games. Treat him as a WR3 instead of a WR2, and you’ll be much less disappointed.
Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard ROS standard?
I still prefer Rico Dowdle to Chuba Hubbard as we advance. Hubbard had a great Week 13, totaling 124 yards and a touchdown on 19 touches. However, it is not as if Dowdle was watching from the sidelines. He earned 20 touches and has now had at least 18 touches in seven of his last nine games. Dowdle’s volume is much more consistent than Hubbard’s. The latter’s involvement in Carolina’s upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams feels like a direct product of the game script. This game was close throughout, allowing the Panthers to keep both Dowdle and Hubbard heavily involved. Carolina had played exclusively from behind in the second halves of their prior three games. In those three games, Hubbard had a total of 86 scoreless yards on 16 touches.
Following a Week 14 bye, Carolina faces New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Seattle. The game against the Saints should be one in which both Panther running backs can thrive. If I had to rank them right now for that game, Dowdle would be an RB2, with Hubbard as a potential Flex. But I am not confident that Hubbard would retain that value versus the Buccaneers and Seahawks. I still think Dowdle is the better bet in the future.
Should I drop anyone for Blake Corum, Chuba Hubbard or anyone else? And who do I drop when Omarion Hampton‘s back?
(An attached screenshot showed a five-person bench and one injured reserve (IR) spot. Bench: Brock Purdy, Troy Franklin, Kayshon Boutte, Jayden Higgins, Juwan Johnson. Omarion Hampton in the IR spot.)
My main issue with this roster is that you only have two active running backs, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. is currently on a bye. So you may have to make multiple drops if Hampton doesn’t return this week. You do not need three backup wide receivers when your starters are Rashee Rice and Ladd McConkey, with Emeka Egbuka in the Flex.
Kayshon Boutte also has a bye this week, so he is my first drop. If you have to drop a second player, I would probably drop Juwan Johnson. I like Johnson, but your starter is George Kittle. Which means he is always going to start over Johnson and Egbuka in the Flex. If Kittle gets hurt, you can always pick Johnson back up, or a similar player to play at your tight end spot.
What D/ST do you like for the playoffs? I’m thinking about streaming Rams and Eagles ROS. Prepping for Weeks 15-17. Of these available defenses, who would you play each week? Browns, Bills, Saints, Steelers, Bears, Giants or Chargers.
It is officially that time of year. Many fantasy football leagues do not allow for pickups during the fantasy playoffs. If you are in such a league, now is the time to grab a second D/ST unit. You will want multiple options at each position.
The first question above is easy for me to answer. If I were making ROS (rest-of-season) rankings, I would have both the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles defenses in my top five, or close to it. If you have both on your roster, you should be ahead of the pack when it comes to streaming defenses. They also match up very nicely if you have both at your disposal:
- Week 14: Rams at Cardinals, Eagles at Chargers (advantage Rams)
- Week 15: Rams vs. Lions, Eagles vs. Raiders (advantage Eagles)
- Week 16: Rams at Seahawks, Eagles at Commanders (advantage Eagles)
- Week 17: Rams at Falcons, Eagles at Bills (advantage Rams)
The second question requires some more crystal ball reading. If I had to pick right now, I would play them as follows, and you may sense a theme:
- Week 15: Bears (vs. Browns)
- Week 16: Bills (at Browns)
- Week 17: Steelers (at Browns)
If you want to go a different route or rely on a single D/ST during that stretch, the New Orleans Saints may be your best bet. They face the Panthers, Jets and Titans during those three weeks. All three of those teams are in the bottom 10 in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing defenses.
Trade Advice
In a league where there is a penalty for finishing last, should fantasy football managers who have been statistically eliminated from the playoffs be allowed to make legitimate, mutually beneficial trades?
Absolutely. I would be in favor of this even if there were no punishment. All fantasy managers should be trying to improve their teams for as long as possible. True story: I have a team that started this season 0-6. A lot went into that, including drafting Rashee Rice. However, I have enough respect for everyone in the league that I’m not giving anyone a free win, especially as the playoffs approach.
I’m now 5-8. My most recent two losses came when Christian McCaffrey scored 39.1 points and Jahmyr Gibbs scored 55.4 points. Even though I will miss the playoffs, I am happy with the strong finish. So if there is a punishment for a last-place finish, then all avenues for improving one’s team should be open. That includes waivers, FAAB and, yes, trades.
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