It’s another special evening edition of this blog. If Facebook hadn’t shut down yesterday, there would have been one then. These will be quick-hit pieces focused on a small handful of pressing fantasy items.
First, David Montgomery. My heart goes out to the opponent in my league who traded for him last week. My heart also goes out to the same opponent for not accepting my offer for Montgomery immediately after he acquired him. Fantasy success is not just about who we have, but also when we have them. It’s not just about the trades we make, but also the trades we don’t.
Montgomery’s injury reportedly will keep him out until Week 9 at the earliest, and possibly until Week 11 (right after Chicago’s bye). Longtime readers know about my past contrarian views about Damien Williams. I didn’t buy into him as the answer in Miami, and I didn’t trust him in Kansas City. This situation is different, because he’s on my fantasy team (that’s a joke, but the way). It turned out he wasn’t the right fit in Miami, but he proved me wrong in K.C., and his passing-game usage should be enough to keep him in top-20 conversations. Williams is a terrific short-term plug-in for RB-needy managers. If you’re comfortable at RB, I wouldn’t go overboard with FAAB spending. But yeah, with Khalil Herbert backing him up, Williams should be a weekly bellcow until Montgomery returns.
Keep an eye on Marlon Mack, not just because the Colts want to trade him, but also because some teams might actually want him. He’s a cheap waiver add with some pop if a team like Houston or Miami wants to stop messing around with middling production and instead take a shot on a competent 25-year-old with bellcow experience.
If you are rostering a San Francisco RB, please reconsider this strategy. Trey Sermon’s value might never be higher, just as Elijah Mitchell’s value topped out three weeks ago, just as Raheem Mostert peaked five weeks ago. These are not isolated incidents. Yes, injuries are bad luck, and we don’t manage rosters based on randomness. But head coach Kyle Shanahan has had stacked backfields for years. There is no “2021 starter.” There’s only this week’s starter, and that could change next week. If you want too long, your tradeable San Francisco RB is likely to be untradeable.
Finally, Will Fuller has missed 37% of his NFL games. He’s now week-to-week with a broken finger. On the field he’s competing for targets with two other good wideouts and an underappreciated tight end. And Jacoby Brissett is throwing to him. Even if it’s Tua, does that matter? Will Fuller is rostered in 80% of ESPN leagues. It should be no more than 10%. Don’t burn a roster spot on Fuller when there are so many better ways to remake your team.
First, David Montgomery. My heart goes out to the opponent in my league who traded for him last week. My heart also goes out to the same opponent for not accepting my offer for Montgomery immediately after he acquired him. Fantasy success is not just about who we have, but also when we have them. It’s not just about the trades we make, but also the trades we don’t.
Montgomery’s injury reportedly will keep him out until Week 9 at the earliest, and possibly until Week 11 (right after Chicago’s bye). Longtime readers know about my past contrarian views about Damien Williams. I didn’t buy into him as the answer in Miami, and I didn’t trust him in Kansas City. This situation is different, because he’s on my fantasy team (that’s a joke, but the way). It turned out he wasn’t the right fit in Miami, but he proved me wrong in K.C., and his passing-game usage should be enough to keep him in top-20 conversations. Williams is a terrific short-term plug-in for RB-needy managers. If you’re comfortable at RB, I wouldn’t go overboard with FAAB spending. But yeah, with Khalil Herbert backing him up, Williams should be a weekly bellcow until Montgomery returns.
Keep an eye on Marlon Mack, not just because the Colts want to trade him, but also because some teams might actually want him. He’s a cheap waiver add with some pop if a team like Houston or Miami wants to stop messing around with middling production and instead take a shot on a competent 25-year-old with bellcow experience.
If you are rostering a San Francisco RB, please reconsider this strategy. Trey Sermon’s value might never be higher, just as Elijah Mitchell’s value topped out three weeks ago, just as Raheem Mostert peaked five weeks ago. These are not isolated incidents. Yes, injuries are bad luck, and we don’t manage rosters based on randomness. But head coach Kyle Shanahan has had stacked backfields for years. There is no “2021 starter.” There’s only this week’s starter, and that could change next week. If you want too long, your tradeable San Francisco RB is likely to be untradeable.
Finally, Will Fuller has missed 37% of his NFL games. He’s now week-to-week with a broken finger. On the field he’s competing for targets with two other good wideouts and an underappreciated tight end. And Jacoby Brissett is throwing to him. Even if it’s Tua, does that matter? Will Fuller is rostered in 80% of ESPN leagues. It should be no more than 10%. Don’t burn a roster spot on Fuller when there are so many better ways to remake your team.