Before getting started, a quick midseason shout-out to FF4W commenters Aaron, Joel, Matt, Robbie, and Tommy. They help answer 10,000+ questions a season, always with a smile on their face (I assume). And to those of you who sometimes answer folks' questions, fantastic. Everyone on this page has opinions. If you feel compelled, jump in.
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Been getting a lot of questions about Saquon Barkley. Here's how I'd approach him. If you have him and are 1-3 or 0-4, I'd strongly suggest trading him to a 4-0 or 3-1 team. Make the pitch: "He'll help you win a title; I need wins now." Because who knows when the Giants' bellcow will return. Let's say it's on the earlier side of expectations: Week 8. Would you rather hope you can climb to 3-4 with him stashed on your bench, or would you rather swap him now for a high-impact receiver?
To smooth trade channels, find a 4-0 or 3-1 team that's stacked at WR: "You're leaving points on your bench every week. I get some immediate help that you won't miss too much, and you'll get a top-3 RB for the final 5-to-9 weeks." Spell it out. If their top four WRs are averaging 19, 16, 14, and 12 points per game, help them do the math: "OBJ's averaging 14.4 per game. If he's your best receiver, I won't ask for him. But if you're only losing 2-3 points a game net difference without him, you'll get a lot more in return with Barkley in the long run."
I'm not saying trade Barkley for OBJ, though it might actually pay off, particularly if Jarvis Landry (concussion) misses Week 5. But that's the caliber of player you might be able to get for your injured star back: a struggling WR1 with monster upside. If you're under .500 at this stage, risk-taking looks far more appealing. You don't have the luxury of playing for the playoffs. In most 12-team leagues where six teams reach the postseason, you might need eight wins to get in. That means going 7-2 the rest of the way. What's easier: getting there with a sidelined Barkley, or with an extra high-impact WR?
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Pretty shocking to see Adam Thielen not-so-subtly dig at Kirk Cousins after Sunday's game. The Vikings nearly reached the Super Bowl two years ago. They're good enough to make a run this year . . . if the passing game returns (dare I say it?) to 2017 Case Keenum levels. Really though, the aerial attack was fine last year; they were 13th in passing yards and an atrocious third-to-last in rushing yards. This year Dalvin Cook's healthy and crushing it. But Cousins seems to have taken a step back.
It is odd. Last year he was the first QB in NFL history to net 4,000+ passing yards, 30 passing TDs, a 70.0% completion rate, and 10 or fewer interceptions. His $84 million guaranteed contract at least made some sense. But this year he's missing his deep targets--or not throwing deep when the opportunity's there. He's thrown it a league-low 14 times between 10 and 20 yards. So he's going deep, or he's dumping it off. That's not a recipe for success. "Stretching the field" doesn't just mean going long. He's also holding the ball the league-high 3.06 seconds, yet he's not taking advantage of it.
As a few of you know, I'm buying low on Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Minnesota has no choice but to figure this out. Diggs is signed through 2023, and Thielen through 2024. Cousins will be back under center next year; no other team will take on his contract at his current level of play. So they either right the ship, or the ship sinks. Given the talent, I'm betting on the former.
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Been getting a lot of questions about Saquon Barkley. Here's how I'd approach him. If you have him and are 1-3 or 0-4, I'd strongly suggest trading him to a 4-0 or 3-1 team. Make the pitch: "He'll help you win a title; I need wins now." Because who knows when the Giants' bellcow will return. Let's say it's on the earlier side of expectations: Week 8. Would you rather hope you can climb to 3-4 with him stashed on your bench, or would you rather swap him now for a high-impact receiver?
To smooth trade channels, find a 4-0 or 3-1 team that's stacked at WR: "You're leaving points on your bench every week. I get some immediate help that you won't miss too much, and you'll get a top-3 RB for the final 5-to-9 weeks." Spell it out. If their top four WRs are averaging 19, 16, 14, and 12 points per game, help them do the math: "OBJ's averaging 14.4 per game. If he's your best receiver, I won't ask for him. But if you're only losing 2-3 points a game net difference without him, you'll get a lot more in return with Barkley in the long run."
I'm not saying trade Barkley for OBJ, though it might actually pay off, particularly if Jarvis Landry (concussion) misses Week 5. But that's the caliber of player you might be able to get for your injured star back: a struggling WR1 with monster upside. If you're under .500 at this stage, risk-taking looks far more appealing. You don't have the luxury of playing for the playoffs. In most 12-team leagues where six teams reach the postseason, you might need eight wins to get in. That means going 7-2 the rest of the way. What's easier: getting there with a sidelined Barkley, or with an extra high-impact WR?
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Pretty shocking to see Adam Thielen not-so-subtly dig at Kirk Cousins after Sunday's game. The Vikings nearly reached the Super Bowl two years ago. They're good enough to make a run this year . . . if the passing game returns (dare I say it?) to 2017 Case Keenum levels. Really though, the aerial attack was fine last year; they were 13th in passing yards and an atrocious third-to-last in rushing yards. This year Dalvin Cook's healthy and crushing it. But Cousins seems to have taken a step back.
It is odd. Last year he was the first QB in NFL history to net 4,000+ passing yards, 30 passing TDs, a 70.0% completion rate, and 10 or fewer interceptions. His $84 million guaranteed contract at least made some sense. But this year he's missing his deep targets--or not throwing deep when the opportunity's there. He's thrown it a league-low 14 times between 10 and 20 yards. So he's going deep, or he's dumping it off. That's not a recipe for success. "Stretching the field" doesn't just mean going long. He's also holding the ball the league-high 3.06 seconds, yet he's not taking advantage of it.
As a few of you know, I'm buying low on Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Minnesota has no choice but to figure this out. Diggs is signed through 2023, and Thielen through 2024. Cousins will be back under center next year; no other team will take on his contract at his current level of play. So they either right the ship, or the ship sinks. Given the talent, I'm betting on the former.