LET’S GET WEIRD
Week 17 a guessing game
THERE is a reason most fantasy football leagues hold their championship games in Week 16. It is because Week 17 often looks like what this year’s Week 17 will look like: a guessing game of which stars will play, and a free-for-all to grab the backups for those you know will sit, the sinking realization the roster you built across a season of success is not remotely close to the one you will use in your title clash.
It’ s the Broadway mat inee of championship scenarios. Some stars will sit, some will play. Some star cast members might not be highly motivated, some of the understudies will. It’s Tony Award judges considering Tuesday afternoon performances. It’s the Oscars giving an award for best actor based on the work of a stunt double. It’s grading Captain Oveur’s performance in an airline emergency based on how well fill-in Ted Striker did in the pilot’s seat after the captain ate some bad fish.
Nevertheless, here we are, sweating out our waiver and sub options with no autopilot, in the one week when waivers and subs should mean the least. So when patrolling the backup backwash, here are some targets.
First, aim for teams and games that have playoff implications, like Lions-Packers. Play your studs here, but also don’t be afraid to use Lions running back Zach Zenner. Zach Zenner? Surely you can’t be serious? I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley. Zenner is a guy you would expect to see in a meaningless game, but injuries make him a viable option here.
After that, the Redskins are in a virtual win-and-in scenario, so expect them to go hard. But they are playing a Giants team with nothing to gain. Despite what coach Ben McAdoo says, we would be surprised if Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. get a full run here, especially if one team jumps out to a big lead. And for effort, well don’t be the guy who next week is crying: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit starting Rob Kelley.
Of the games with little or no playoff implications, look for individual opportunity and motivations, like Steve Smith Sr. With his retirement getting closer, expect Smith’s role to get larger — in what could be as much an honorary send-off as a football game.
In daily formats, particularly tournaments, we will target cheap sub options for those players who might get pulled early. So the Madman will use some Darren McFadden. We will have some shares of Derrick Henry. We’re going to gamble the Steelers won’t gamble as much with recently healthy backup DeAngelo Williams and instead use more Fitzgerald Toussaint.
Whatever your plan, know you can’t rely on the autopilot. You might need to lean on a backup. Just make sure you pick the right ones. You don’t want fantasy championship week to become your own personal Macho Grande.