Some strategies to thrive in 2nd half
Former Buccaneers coach John McKay, quick with a quip to explain his terrible 1970s expansion team, once said, “A genius in the NFL is a guy who won last week.”
It’s the same in fantasy football.
No doubt you’ve faced some adversity or made mistakes, but unless you’re winless after seven weeks, it’s most likely all is not lost.
Here are some strategies to use in the second half of the fantasy season.
1. Learn from the first half: We’ve all had moments in which we’ve outsmarted ourselves. Either you convince yourself to start a player against a bad matchup because he just had a monster week or we ignore a prime matchup because the player has been in a slump.
Don’t chase points and don’t be timid. Believe in what you’ve seen.
If Blake Bortles has a decent week against the Eagles, don’t get sucked in again. Accept that any touchdowns you get from Keenan Allen or Julio Jones are gravy. Trust that Stefon Diggs has the talent to find paydirt at any time — bench him and you may regret it.
2. Don’t get caught up in your win-loss record: It’s easy to lose sight of where you stand in the league, but that five-game winning streak or 3-6 record could be the luck of the schedule. It’s best to compare your “points for” or “PF” with other teams in the standings, or, better yet, your average points per week if your fantasy service provides it.
It’s important to know your true scoring power — eliminating outliers — because it determines whether you need to make a trade or go scouting the waiver wire. Your league’s lineup requirements also play a role. If you’re in a two-quarterback system or must play two running backs each week, you might want to sacrifice depth at wide receiver to shore the other positions.
3. Know your players: You should take an honest look at your roster and break it down in to three groups: workhorses, matchup plays and streamers.
Here’s where simplicity meets variety. Obviously you play your workhorses every week. Don’t get cute and sit Patrick Mahomes in Cleveland in Week 9 just because Alex Smith has a home game versus a porous Falcons secondary.
matchup plays are second-tier players — Adrian Peterson, Marlon Mack, Devin Funchess, C.J. Uzomah — who need positionfriendly foes to succeed.
Streamers are the flex options whom you also play against forgiving defenses, but you have to be willing to drop them for a free agent who has a matchup you can’t resist. The second half is when you have to start being a bit more daring. 4. Get your house in order for December: You have a prolific passing offense. Congratulations. What are you going to do when it’s cold and windy? Make sure you have at least one reliable running back, preferably of the stocky Nick Chubb or Chris Carson variety.
If a trade’s not plausible, you could roster or stream touchdown vultures such as Latavius Murray, LeGarrette Blount, Buck Allen or Chris Ivory.
5. Settle your quarterback situation: When pundits say it’s becoming a passing league, they’re not just falling back on cliche. After seven weeks, 11 quarterbacks are averaging 20 points or more, according to fantasydata.com. After 16 games last season, it was three.
Some experts advise keeping one quarterback on the roster and picking one up for a main guy’s bye. That’s leaving a lot to chance. It’s worth it to spend an extra roster spot on a quarterback to guard against injury or take advantage of great matchup.
Some of the best starts during Weeks 15 and 16 include Cam Newton (Saints, Falcons), Drew Brees (at Panthers, Steelers), Russell Wilson (at 49ers, Chiefs) and Ben Roethlisberger (Patriots, at Saints).
If they’re unattainable, streaming options include Joe Flacco (Buccaneers, at Chargers) and Dak Prescott (at Colts, Buccaneers).