This is a uniquely opportunistic time for savvy fantasy managers: bye weeks are in full swing, forcing some opponents to drop high-upside RB4s and WR4s and other breakout candidates just so they can field a viable lineup. Injuries to elite and near-elite talents like LeSean McCoy, Carlos Hyde, Jordan Reed, and Terrelle Pryor (believe it or not, he’s the 10th highest scoring WR this season) are turning waiver fodder like Vernon Davis and Mike Davis into legitimate starters.
There are no excuses for not rebuilding one’s team. I don’t care if someone plays in a 20-team league; I have, and can attest that even in 20-teamers we can discover out-of-nowhere weekly bargains that help reshape our rosters.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: In my 14-team, 15-round league, looking at injuries and performance, in hindsight I had only four good picks: Amari Cooper in the 2nd, T.Y. Hilton in the 3rd, Derek Carr in the 10th, and Josh Lambo in the 15th. My other picks, starting at #1, were Todd Gurley, Big Ben, Jeremy Langford, Zach Ertz, Ameer Abdullah, Devin Funchess, Tajae Sharpe, Dion Lewis, Benny Cunningham, Rob Kelley, and Charles Johnson. Yet I’m 4-2 and a strong favorite to reach 5-2 because of timely pickups and trades.
If you wasted a waiver pick on Knile Davis or didn’t trade away Jordan Howard in time or didn’t pick up Devontae Booker, don’t sweat it. In this fantasy landscape, new opportunities are continually opening up.
I get a lot of questions every day—almost more than I can handle. Keep ‘em coming. But also, read these columns and ones you might have missed from the past week; many answers to your questions are buried in these write-ups. Listen to my latest weekly podcast, where many more answers to questions are shared (http://www.wralsportsfan.com/football/asset_gallery/15976444/). Read my biweekly articles on WRAL SportsFan (http://www.wralsportsfan.com/football/blog/15976478/), which offer insights not found on this page.
And of course, if you’re asking about trades, I’m always happy to weigh in. But you can also do what many others are doing: sign up for my weekly player valuations spreadsheet on this page, where you can quantitatively assess the value of every possible trade.
Most answers can be found in what I’ve already written. Most ways to improve your roster are staring you in the face. I’m always here to pitch in, but if you don’t get an answer quickly, you might find it in a fellow community member or in one of my recent posts.
As I said above, this is a fantastic time to rebuild a struggling roster. Make it count.