Keeping fantasy managers engaged
Incentivizing play for down-and-out GMs
Fantasy football is weird. My 0-4 team is now 2-4. My 4-0 team is now 4-2 (loss margins: 4.5 points, 0.5 points). Lesson? Don’t give up. Now, in the past, I have been in leagues where that is exactly what happened. And what unfolds is that a team manager stops replacing bye-week dead guys, or checks out and leaves IR guys in the lineup. This creates a competitive imbalance that is infuriating; it’s hard to make up ground when teams you’re chasing are essentially getting free wins. I have some ideas how to counteract this but I want to get your thoughts.
AI: Well — AMEN to all of those statements.
1. Fantasy is weird and a complete crapshoot most of the time. No matter how much you strategize based on matchups, game plans and the like ... sometimes it simply doesn’t matter. The No. 1 draft pick does absolutely nothing and the random benchwarmer gets 30 points. I’ve seen it happen week after week and it’s beyond frustrating. It’s just like life — sometimes no matter how hard you plan, things just don’t go your way.
2. In regards to what you’re saying about GMs checking out and handing out free wins -- it’s ridiculous and wildly unfair. At the least, they shouldn’t be invited back to play the following year. But, I believe there should be timely takeovers to prevent these things from happening — like the team GM gets a warning before the league manager can go into their lineup and adjust it before the matchup to keep things fair. What are your ideas?
BC: I like the idea of a takeover. But how to implement? Maybe a leaguewide email on lineup ideas and the most votes get the start(s)?
A few years ago in the Herald league, I watched week after week as one guy had checked out. Literally for three to four weeks. I was frantically playing catch-up and looking forward to at least getting to take advantage as it was my turn. Lo and behold, that was the week this manager decided to update his lineup. I did not take it well. (BTW, this team also cut prime Le’Veon Bell on a bye week early in the year.)
The best method I’ve seen for this was when I was in a spendy pay league. There were weekly payouts for the top-scoring team and individual player. So even if your team was 0-6, you still had incentive to stay engaged. I started 0-6 last year and had to run the table to make the playoffs, but it was just too big a hole to crawl out of. Maybe if I had been in the 2020 NFC East. But a lot of people, when it goes bad, just flake. AI: Oh, wow, I actually really buy into that idea. I think that’s a great way to keep GMs not only engaged, but it incentivizes them to make their rosters as solid as they possibly can to reap the potential winning weekto-week monetary benefits.
I say we start this ... I wish we started it for this past week because I think I may have claimed that prize ... DARN.
BUT — speaking of updating lineups with top-notch candidates ... here are my top-three guys to either move from your bench to your starting roster or pick up on waivers:
Without a shadow of a doubt — Bengals WR Tee Higgins should be a must-start heading into this week. The rookie from Clemson has had a solid stretch to prove himself as a great flex contender — 14 catches for 264 yards in his past three games. He’s also mixed in a couple of runs to broaden his appeal. If he’s on your bench — make him a starter. If he’s on waivers — put in a claim ASAP. You won’t regret it.
Eagles fans already know, but if you have Miles Sanders — ruled out for this week — you’re going to want to try to snag his handcuff Boston Scott off waivers. He had 48% of Philadelphia’s RB snap counts against the Ravens. Plus, Scott has a good track record against the Giants (the Eagles’ opponent on Thursday Night Football this week), with a combined 39 touches in his two games against the Giants last year. HOWEVER — although he is without a doubt going to be the Eagles RB1 heading into this week, keep in mind the Giants have allowed the fifth-lowest yards per carry to backs in the league this year.
Last, but certainly not least — San Francisco RB Jerick McKinnon should be a high waiver wire pick this week with 49ers lead back
injured and ruled out this week — once again. McKinnon averaged 13.6 combined touches and 83.6 yards from scrimmage with a TD per game during the three contests Mostert missed previously this season. BUT — keep in mind rookie JaMycal Hasty has taken 21% of the snaps, so he could steal a bit of McKinnon’s thunder.
Do you have another top three in mind? BC: Totally agree on Boston Scott. He isn’t great, but he should get some volume, and that matters.
If you’re looking for a QB, I think Matt Stafford is a great pick this week, going up against a trash pass D in Atlanta. Kirk Cousins lit the Falcons up for 343 yards, and he’s Kirk Cousins. Also, FitzMagic is over (for now) as the Dolphins have handed the reins from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Tua Tagovailoa. Worth a flyer in deep leagues, keeper leagues or if you just wanna buy a Lotto ticket.
I needed a tight end last week and got lucky with Trey Burton, who had two TDs. TE is such a guessing game, but two good ones are currently on our waiver wire, and