Fantasy Football Help: Expert Advice for Struggling Teams

How are we valuing Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr.? Which players or picks would you swap them for if you were trading them?

Quarterback value is tricky because, unless you are in a Superflex league, there are only so many starting spots. Even though Trevor Lawrence has had a nice season, I don’t think he is a top-10 or top-12 commodity at the position. His value depends on which other quarterbacks are available.

I would assume that most of the elite fantasy quarterbacks are already spoken for. Because of that, Lawrence could maintain some value. According to this chart, Lawrence could be worth a late-first or early-second round pick. That price feels a bit high, to be honest. But again, it depends on the quarterback landscape of your league. If you can identify a team with a weakness at that position, it may be worth putting out some feelers.

I don’t know how deep the Brian Thomas Jr. value dip is, but if there is a dip, I am buying. We are talking about a player who has already had a 10-touchdown, 1,200+ yard season under his belt. And he just turned 23. I know how disappointing this season has been. However, I am not giving up on him.

Interestingly, Thomas is valued similarly to Marvin Harrison Jr. I have seen a similar take on other value charts. I would much rather have Thomas than Harrison. Michael Wilson has been far more productive when operating as Arizona’s top wideout than Harrison ever has. At least Thomas has last season’s results to fall back on.

Waiver Wire & Lineup Advice

Admittedly, I am not 100% sure if this is a question for Week 15, the rest of the 2025 fantasy season or going forward in dynasty. But either way, my answer is likely the same. I am taking Puka Nacua over Rashee Rice. That might be a tougher sell in dynasty leagues. However, things are constantly changing in the NFL.

If Rashee Rice is still catching passes from Patrick Mahomes in four years, he’ll probably continue to be an elite fantasy wide receiver. And Matthew Stafford will likely be retired by then. But how do we know the Rams don’t select a quarterback with what is expected to be a top-10 draft pick next spring? What if Sean McVay grooms that player to be the next Mahomes?

The point is that when I configure my dynasty rosters, I usually do so in very short intervals. More often than not, I play to maximize my potential to win that particular season. I don’t like to drive myself crazy worrying about what might happen multiple years down the road.

As much as we think we know, we are usually incorrect. And a player’s trajectory is rarely linear. Just look at Brian Thomas Jr., who was just asked about. Before this season, he was easily a top-five dynasty wide receiver. Now most pundits have him ranked as a low-end WR2 in 12-team leagues. Even though I love Rice as a fantasy wideout, I prefer Nacua.

Guillotine advice needed. I have $446; the next-highest player has only $196 FAAB left. My opponents need Running Backs. I’m definitely dropping $197 on Christian McCaffrey. Assuming I should do the same for Bijan Robinson.

If Tee Higgins is out next week, I’ll need an upgraded receiver; the best available are Justin Jefferson, Wan’Dale Robinson, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Chris Godwin. Or I could try to buy as many good running backs as I can and hoard. I’m thinking $197 on Christian McCaffrey, $197 on Bijan Robinson and then try to pick up Michael Wilson and/or Wan’Dale Robinson.

First, congrats on making it this far and saving that much FAAB. I had the most FAAB in my guillotine league once upon a time. I splurged on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Garrett Wilson to boost my receivers, which was my team’s weak spot. St. Brown had a decent game, Wilson put up a zero and got hurt, and Alec Pierce scored about 20 points from my bench. I got eliminated by eight points. Good times. Hopefully, your spending efforts are more fruitful than mine were.

To that point, I am completely in favor of spending on an elite running back if your opponents are weak at that position. Of course, weakness in this case is relative without knowing their running backs. But if you can hamstring at least one opponent with three weeks remaining, go for it.

The tricky part is, if you pick up both Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson, can you (if you advance to next week) survive the next couple of weeks on whatever money you have left? Especially if you are spending some money on a wide receiver. Because of that, I would prefer to spend the money on either McCaffrey or Robinson if your league is still chopping one team per week. In those formats, you don’t need to finish first. You just can’t finish last.

The league I played in used a running points total from Week 14 through Week 17. In such a format, I would be fine spending on McCaffrey and Robinson. I would want to have a decided advantage over all opponents at multiple lineup spots, and McCaffrey and Robinson will likely provide that edge.

However, if you are in a league where only the bottom team is eliminated after Week 15, I would spend $197 on a running back and roughly $100 on a wide receiver upgrade. This ensures you still have the most FAAB among the remaining teams. Good luck.

Should I have a backup tight end for the playoffs in a 12-team league? I have Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland and Darren Waller on my bench because of Warren’s illness scare.

My answer to this question is somewhat dependent on league settings. In some leagues, rosters lock when the playoffs start. This setting prevents eliminated teams from picking up players just to mess with playoff teams, which can be seen as collusion. If you play in such a league, it makes sense to roster at least one backup at every position.

I don’t mind having a third tight end in that scenario, depending on how long your benches are. However, if you are in a league where you can pick up players as you see fit, I do not see the need for a third tight end. A backup is fine, especially considering not only Warren’s illness but also his quarterback situation. A third tight end is not necessary.

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