2022 fantasy football strategy – Page 2

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 11

It will be interesting to see the knee-jerk reaction that happens when a fantasy draft darling has resurrected himself from the dead. Coming into Sunday’s game, Green Packers wide receiver Christian Watson had caught just 10 passes for 88 yards and no touchdowns. He had missed three games due to injury and had shown nothing … until Sunday’s game against Dallas.

Three of his four receptions Sunday went for touchdowns – two bombs and a red-zone TD. He looked the part of a rookie with big upside, which has those who still have him on their rosters wondering if this is the start of something big or just a midseason mirage.

These are the decisions that aggravate fantasy owners – and sometimes kill their seasons. Watson was likely on the bench of every fantasy roster he was still on in Week 10. How many weeks will fantasy owners chase their tails hoping to see another huge game that may never come? There are reasons for optimism, but with the fantasy regular season in the home stretch, if you have more consistent options do you bench them for Watson in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle … a bottle that may blow up in your face?

Here is the Week 11 Fantasy Football Market Report.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 10

The most important fantasy football risers and fallers heading into Week 10.

Last weekend fantasy owners had to face the ordeal that they had been warned about weeks in advance (by us) that Week 9 was going to test roster depth. With six teams on bye – for no explicable reason the NFL admits to – many fantasy rosters were forced to go with weak lineups, because they had a couple key players with the Browns, Broncos, Cowboys, Giants, 49ers and Steelers. That’s a rough group to have on bye. The good news is that it’s over. The bad news is that it’s coming again at the worst possible time.

In Week 14 – the final week of the regular season in most fantasy leagues when everything is on the line for the playoffs – the NFL is going to have six more of its 32 teams on a bye. The good news is that those teams are the Packers, Bears, Saints, Falcons, Colts and Commanders. There aren’t a ton of critical fantasy players from those teams, but there are enough. If you’re locked into players from any of those teams, you don’t want to put your seeding (or your season) on the line by not being prepared. It’s coming. You’ve been warned.

Here is the Week 10 Fantasy Football Market Report.

Fantasy Football: 10 utilization stats to know after trade deadline

The NFL’s trade deadline created some shakeups in fantasy football utilization trends.

After a record-setting 10 trades were completed on deadline day last week, 12 players are now set to finish the 2022 NFL season with new teams.

This week’s list of utilization stats to know is highlighted by the trade deadline, with seven of the 10 players mentioned now playing in new cities.

Let’s get to the list!

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 9

The most notable risers and fallers heading into Week 9.

As we approach the midway point of the season, there are some anomalies that are hard to wrap your head around.

Who would have guessed that the 10 passing yardage leaders would include Matt Ryan (who was permanently benched before last week), Geno Smith and Jared Goff (in seven games)?

Who would have imagined that Geno Smith would have accounted for more touchdowns than Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers?

Who would have projected that Khalil Herbert would be tied for seventh in rushing yards?

Who could have forecast that Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson would combine for 121 receptions for 1,713 yards but scored just four touchdowns?

Who would have bet that the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a combined 9-14 record, the teams of the NFC East would be a combined 23-8, and their fantasy players would be as if not more valued than the established top dogs of the conference?

Believe it. That’s what the first half of 2022 has brought us so far.

Here is the Week 9 Fantasy Football Market Report.

Fantasy Football: 11 utilization stats to know from Week 8

The most important utilization stats to know from Week 8 action.

With eight weeks of NFL action in the books, several intriguing players are starting to show signs of life as well as create developing trends.

Week 9 brings “bye-mageddon” with six squads on vacation, and gamers will be digging deep to fill key roles in their lineups. That means we’ll be forced to gamble a little more, and assessing some recent utilization data can help mine the waiver wire for a few unconventional plays.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 8

Notable fantasy football trends heading into Week 8.

It’s bad enough for fantasy football owners when one of their key players is injured or not playing well. It’s much more of an issue when that player is a quarterback and two first-ballot Hall of Famers are on the wrong side of history at the moment.

It’s hard to imagine that seven weeks into the season, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are both sitting with records of 3-4, but harder to fathom is how poorly they’re playing from the fantasy perspective – where wins and losses don’t matter.

Neither one brings much value as a runner, so they earn their fantasy chops through the air. Through seven games, Rodgers has accounted for just 11 touchdowns (all throwing) and is averaging 228 passing yards a game. Brady is even worse. He is averaging 277 passing yards a game but has just eight TD passes in seven games.

For the purpose of comparison, seven games into last season, Rodgers was averaging 244 yards a game with 17 TDs (15 passing, two rushing), while Brady was averaging 325 yards a game with 22 TDs (21 passing, one rushing).

The problem with both is that fantasy owners who have their receivers are also suffering without even having Brady or Rodgers on their rosters. There is still time to turn things around, but, at the moment, the G.O.A.T. and the two-time defending MVP are both playing like hot garbage.

Here is the Week 8 Fantasy Football Market Report.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 7

Fantasy football risers and fallers entering Week 7.

We’re only six weeks into the 2022 season, and it’s already become bizarro world for quarterbacks.

Retreads Geno Smith and Marcus Mariota are getting a chance to replace franchise legends – and have the same win-loss record as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. P.J. Walker is the starter in Carolina after two former No. 1 overall picks fought it out in training camp prior to suffering injuries. Jacoby Brissett is holding down the fort in Cleveland.

Cooper Rush is 4-1 replacing Dak Prescott in Dallas. Miami has started three different quarterbacks the last three weeks and all three have been injured. Bailey Zappe is creating a QB controversy in New England. Mitch Trubisky won, lost and then regained his starting job in Pittsburgh. The Trey Lance era was derailed after five quarters.

At a time when franchise quarterbacks are at a premium for fantasy owners, a lot of teams are playing without them – and we’re only a third of the way through the season.

Here is the Week 7 Fantasy Football Market Report:

Fantasy Football: 13 utilization stats to know from Week 6

Week 6 stats you should know from before making waiver claims in fantasy football.

Bye weeks have arrived, injuries are piling up, and star players are underperforming. It’s peak fantasy football season!

Before you head to the waiver wire ahead of Week 7, here are 13 utilization notes to know from Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 6

The key risers and fallers entering fantasy football Week 6.

The 2022 season may be teaching us why running backs – the investment requirement for fantasy football – is becoming a throwaway position in the NFL.

When you look at the leading rushers through five games, there is a real chance one lucky fantasy owner could have five of them. How early were people willing to take Nick Chubb (No. 1 in rushing yards) or Saquon Barkley (No. 2)? When did Miles Sanders (No. 3) or Dameon Pierce (No. 4) come off the board? How late in the draft could you get Jeff Wilson Jr. (No. 7), Rhamondre Stevenson (No. 10), Jamaal Williams (No. 14) or Khalil Herbert (No. 15)?

As hard as it might be for longtime fantasy players to accept, the initial flurry of running backs that historically starts draft day may be coming to an end, because there is talent to be had later that will produce just as well for those who play their cards right.

Here is the Week 6 Fantasy Market Report:

Fantasy Football: 13 utilization stats to know from Week 5

Brian Robinson and Kenneth Walker headline this week’s list of utilization stats to know in fantasy football.

With four teams on byes this week, now is an important time to know under-the-radar players who could fill in off the waiver wire in Week 6. Here’s a quick look at the utilization of 13 players from Week 5 who could help (or hurt) your fantasy football team going forward.