Engel's Angles: Latest In-Season Tips for Success & Survival

Recently, I shared my first installment of In-Season Tips for Success and Survival in Fantasy Football. Now we are back with more. Fantasy football is not just about setting lineups, making waiver adds and trades. Having the right mentality and approaches to everything you do can boost your potential for success.

We help you become a more judicious, clear-minded and poised fantasy player by focusing on the proper thought processes and strategies that can produce the best results. Read and absorb these tips, and you will think like a winner, instead of second-guessing yourself too much. Step with us into a less worrisome state where your confidence will be raised by greater knowledge.

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The King’s Latest Tips for In-Season Fantasy Football Success and Survival

Recently, I shared my first installment of In-Season Tips for Success and Survival in Fantasy Football. Now we are back with more. Fantasy football is not just about setting lineups, making waiver adds and trades. Having the right mentality and approaches to everything you do can boost your potential for success.

We help you become a more judicious, clear-minded and poised fantasy player by focusing on the proper thought processes and strategies that can produce the best results. Read and absorb these tips, and you walk with a strut, instead of second-guessing yourself too much. Step with us into a less worrisome state where your confidence will be raised by greater knowledge.

The King’s Latest Tips for In-Season Fantasy Football Success and Survival

-Unless you absolutely have no choice, you should never drop an impactful player just because he is injured or on a bye week. I have seen players such as A.J. Brown and Kenyan Drake hit the waiver wire in some leagues this season. Always keep a close watch on the transaction report in your league to see who else is making these sort of mistakes so you can take advantage. You can also get ahead of the pack on waivers when other people overlook a guy because he is on a bye. Jalen Reagor went unclaimed in many leagues this past week during his bye and if you added him ahead of Week 10 you may have made a savvy move that will pay off for your playoff drive.

-It is a mostly a myth that in a perceived blowout, the better team will heavily feed their top running back in the second half. I am not saying this never happens, but it does not occur frequently. A team with a big lead will try to bleed a lot of clock, and that could limit rushing attempts. If the game is very much out of hand in the fourth quarter, the top RB from a team may be rested. Plus, the opponent will have a decent amount of possessions to play catch-up. The losing side will also load up to stop the run and get the ball back. Don’t assume a RB is a better start than another player because of a perceived second half game script that often doesn’t become reality.

-Another myth is that if a quarterback is going to play in a perceived blowout, that he won’t be on the field for enough of the second half or may be handing off a lot and that will seriously cut into his production. That is usually not true. If the game is a blowout, the QB usually is a major reason that the score became lopsided in the first place. You will still benefit greatly from the good to excellent production through two to three quarters. Some teams don’t let up in a blowout. When the Chiefs beat the Jets 35-9 on Nov. 1, Patrick Mahomes stayed in for the entire game for Kansas City and threw five TD passes. If he was rested before the final quarter he would have thrown four TD passes. When the Packers beat the 49ers 34-17 on Nov. 5, Aaron Rodgers fired his fourth and final TD pass with 7:17 left in the third quarter. He still ended up with 305 yards. Don’t make any negative assumptions about game script hurting your QB in a one-sided affair.

-Never base your lineup decisions on other internal or external factors, just simply play your best options. It’s fine to have more than one player from a particular NFL team in your starting lineup if those are your best choices. Never worry about starting a QB and the defense he faces. You cannot control results by reserving one. The QB can still throw for 300 yards and 3 TDs and the defense can get five sacks, two INTs and a TD and both perform well. The scoring is different for the two positions. Also, never make lineup decisions based on who an opponent is starting. Using a WR or even two players from the same NFL team as your opponent’s QB won’t cancel the production out from the other side. Again, the scoring is different for each position. The opposing QB can easily have a good day that does not include your WR, or the WR can have a good game and be the only guy that produces well for the opposing QB.

-When a player who is listed as questionable or as a game-time decision is confirmed to be active for that week’s game, simply play him or consider him as usual. Unless there are published reports of a snap count or limited reps, there is no major reason to be concerned about a lingering injury. NFL teams, for the most part, will not let a player on the field if he is not cleared and ready to play and perform. If there are no reported indicators of a limited role, don’t worry about it.

-Don’t start looking ahead to Week 14 playoff matchups yet, it’s too early. So much can change between now and then because of injuries and wildly fluctuating player trends. Heck, looking ahead to Week 11 could be jumping the gun, too. Fantasy Football is a week to week game, focus on the matchup ahead. Don’t worry about byes and matchups five weeks from now.

-Very often, when you are looking for “Rest of the Season” answers on player comparisons regarding non-stars, there is no set answer. Lesser players are simply not “set it and forget it” options. You will always be churning your roster outside of your core players and streaming players at a few positions.

-When you are digging deep for a streamer, do not hesitate to take a risk, especially when recent results support some potential upside. David Moore is in an offense that can support a third possible fantasy WR at any time. He has scored over 30 fantasy points in his past two games. Olamide Zaccheaus went for 103 yards and a TD in Week 9 and is always worth consideration when Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley are out. Don’t ignore No. 3 WRs from some of the league’s busier passing games or those who have shown they can step up when called on to play a larger role.

-When you want to know if a player is droppable or not, you must first consider who you are cutting that player for. You should not cut a player just to get rid of him, there has to be someone better on the waiver wire.

-Another reminder on trading. You have to give up something to get something. Very often, quantity does not equate to quality. The best way to build an offer is to put yourself on the other side of the deal and consider if you would accept such an offer. If you can win a trade you should always get the better end, but always be ready with an offer that is truly attractive and somewhat fair to have a real chance of completing a deal.

-Keep your cool. Don’t lash out if things do not go your way, at fantasy analysts or NFL players. As analysts, we aren’t always right. No one can fully predict full athletic execution. Don’t attack players on social media. They are the reasons we have the game of Fantasy Football to enjoy.

-When you are considering Fantasy defenses for the upcoming week, do not focus mainly on points allowed. In today’s high-scoring environment, many teams are not going to keep an opponent under 20 points in a given week. Focus on units that generate sacks and turnovers and target NFL teams that surrender more sacks and make more turnovers when scouting matchups.