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

Here are some of the latest key tips and recommendations to help you survive and advance this season. These guidelines can help you navigate through the rest of the schedule with more confidence and potentially better results.

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.

 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

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.

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-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.

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-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.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Josh Jung

Back In Action On Monday
Giancarlo Stanton

Stays Back In New York
Ben Rice

Sitting Versus Orioles
Jordan Westburg

Day-To-Day, Not Playing Against Yankees
Cedric Mullins

Feeling Better, Back In Monday's Lineup
Adley Rutschman

Back In Baltimore's Lineup On Monday
Cleveland Browns

Browns Decline Kenny Pickett's Fifth-Year Option
New York Giants

Giants Won't Pick Up Evan Neal's Fifth-Year Option
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Ikem Ekwonu
Chandler Simpson

Extends Hit Streak To Eight Games With Three-Hit Effort
Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert Could Remain An Eagle
Andrés Muñoz

Andres Munoz Secures Save No. 10, Tied For League Lead
Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Could Still Add Wide Receiver Help Prior To 2025 Season
Jordan Romano

Earns The Save In Extras On Sunday
Justin Martinez

Shaky In Recording Third Save
Pete Fairbanks

Notches Sixth Save On Sunday
Luis Urías

Luis Urias' Home Run Wins It For The A's In Extras
Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders Struggled During Pre-Draft Process
Buffalo Bills

Elijah Moore Visiting With Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Ogbah Signs With Jaguars
New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr Undergoes MRI Exam
Carolina Panthers

Hunter Renfrow Signs With Panthers
Rafael Devers

Blasts Another Home Run
Eddie Rosario

Braves Sign Eddie Rosario, Option Jarred Kelenic To Triple-A Gwinnett
Boston Red Sox

Brandon Clarke Earns Call To High-A
Boston Red Sox

Hayden Mullins Joining Double-A
Kristian Campbell

Stuffs Stat Sheet In Win
Franklin Arias

Promoted To High-A
Nolan Jones

The Only Source Of Offense Sunday
Jordan Sprinkle

Heading To High-A
Braden Montgomery

Promoted To High-A
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Adds Insurance With Max Brosmer
New York Jets

Donovan Edwards Inks Deal With Jets
Atlanta Falcons

Nick Nash Signs With The Falcons
Tennessee Titans

Xavier Restrepo Reunites With Cam Ward In Tennessee
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
William Nylander

Posts Two Assists In Losing Effort
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Jake Sanderson

Keeps Senators Alive With Overtime Winner
Mackenzie Blackwood

Records First Postseason Shutout
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores First Goal In Nearly Three Years
Ivan Barbashev

Gives Vegas Vital Win
Nikita Kucherov

Records Three Assists In Game 3 Win
Troy Stecher

Cleared For Sunday
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Indianapolis Colts

Riley Leonard Drafted By Colts Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room
Miami Dolphins

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense
Indianapolis Colts

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
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