X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

How To Use Key NFL Storylines To Your Advantage In Fantasy Football Drafts

Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

A number of years ago, I listened to an amazing podcast series from Freakonomics Radio, “What makes a successful CEO?”

The unique answer that they arrived at has truly resonated with me. They concluded (through data and research) that such an accomplishment is a byproduct of repetitive, compounded risk-taking. The top CEOs take huge risks over and over again, with most falling out throughout the process. But the few that succeed time and time again make it to the top.

The key point I’m trying to make is that without taking risks and compounding those risks, your chances of winning fantasy football leagues are small, if not nonexistent. Here we are going to apply this conclusion to fantasy football. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

How to Take Risk and Compound That Risk: Buying into Storylines and Stacking

Buying in or out of a Storyline - There are tons of storylines in the NFL this year. Taking risks related to these changes means picking narratives that you are going to believe in vs. those you won’t and drafting players accordingly.

Stacking - To put it simply, if you buy into a storyline, compound the risk by drafting 2+ players on that team.

 

Brett’s Most Influential NFL Storylines of 2023

Quarterback Changes

Deshaun Watson: Will Deshaun Watson return to being a top-five QB? He didn’t look great last year upon his return, but he has had a full year now to learn the system and move on from his suspension and associated situation. Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, and Elijah Moore aren’t bad weapons either. However, will he psychologically be able to return to prominence? Should you buy into this storyline? It won’t cost you very much. Drafting 2-3 of these players besides Chubb won’t cost you a ton for what could be a huge payout. 

Aaron Rodgers: Will this be MVP Aaron Rodgers who supports multiple WRs and RBs? Buying in is pretty cheap outside of Garrett Wilson.

Tua Tagovailoa: Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions in 2022 and contemplated retiring. He was either the first or second-most accurate passer in the league when playing healthy (Geno Smith) and ended the season with 25 TDs and eight INTs. A healthy season could see massive numbers for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and MVP-caliber numbers for Tagovailoa. But……he is possibly one concussion away from retirement. Are you daring enough to jump in? Tagovailoa won’t cost you much, but the WR duo will hurt the pocket.

Justin Fields: 1,143 yards rushing in 12 games started for Justin Fields is straight-up incredible. If he continues that pace, he will blow away Lamar Jackson’s 2019 campaign and put together an absolutely ridiculous floor for a fantasy QB. If he slows down the pace and throws more? Then maybe we get the dual threat many believe he is and finish QB1 overall. There just aren’t many QBs with this type of upside, which makes it a very risky buy-in. If you do, go in for Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, and Khalil Herbert.

Rookie/Sophomore QBs

Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Desmond Ridder, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, and Brock Purdy. There’s a lot to like in the rookie class and a lot of opportunity for these second-year fellas. Buy in? Play Russian Roulette and take one or two of these guys and stack with their top WR……or even more. Kenny Pickett and George Pickens sound nice. Sam Howell + Jahan Dotson + Antonio Gibson? Anthony Richardson and Michael Pittman Jr.? Desmond Ridder + Bijan Robinson + Drake London + Kyle Pitts! Who knows which NBA Jam team will hit but what I do feel confident in is that some of these guys are going to have a major impact on championship teams this year.

 

Coaching Changes

Denver Broncos, Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi: Can these two return coaches Russell Wilson to prominence? Their resume from New Orleans says yes. Maybe not a yes to turning Russell Wilson into Drew Brees, but a yes to improvement over last year’s disaster. Buy in and draft Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, Greg Dulcich, and/or Samaje Perine.

Dallas Cowboys + Mike McCarthy - minus Kellen Moore: Which storyline are we buying? Dak Prescott’s thumb is no longer broken, and he’s armed with an unleashed Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup? Or…….Mike McCarthy is looking to slow down the play and the Cowboys will go from being one of the fastest-paced offenses to 100+ less plays in 2023? If you buy into the former, Pollard and Lamb are going to cost you, but you could mitigate with Dak Prescott and Brandin Cooks.

Baltimore Ravens - Todd Monken: I keep hearing that the new Ravens are going to throw the ball a ton. Monken’s last two years in Tampa yielded high-octane passing offenses. There’s no shortage of talent and draftable players on this roster from Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews to J.K. Dobbins, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr., and Zay Flowers. Buy in and you could possibly get Lamar and Dobbins for significantly less than in previous and future years.  

Los Angeles Chargers - Kellen Moore: I left this one for last because it’s a storyline I’m finding trouble not buying into. Justin Herbert had busted up ribs all of last season. He got hurt in the fourth quarter of the second game of the season. In the two games prior to the injury, he threw for 613 yards, six TDs, and one INT. Add in Kellen Moore, who runs one of the fastest-paced offenses in the league, and a shiny new 6’3” rookie in Quentin Johnston, and we have lift-off. Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Quentin Johnston are very reasonably priced to offset the first-round pick on Austin Ekeler.

 

Which Risks Are You Willing To Take?

Now that you’ve read the biggest storylines that will affect fantasy football in 2023, the question is, “Just how much risk are you willing to take?” Are you willing to take 3-4 players from one of these teams? 2-3 players from two of these teams?

There are two things that are almost certain: 1) If you pick right, the compounded impact is bound to propel your team beyond teams that merely picked player by player and 2) If you opt out of risk, there is still a high chance that you don’t win your league. The bottom line is that winning is extremely challenging in fantasy football and fortune favors the bold.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win More With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NASCAR11 mins ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex, Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot at Winning
Denny Hamlin12 mins ago

Fails to Advance to Championship 4, but Still Ran Well Despite Qualifying Crash
Shane Van Gisbergen14 mins ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron14 mins ago

Tentatively in Championship 4 Pending Ruling on Manufacturer Orders
Anthony Davis20 mins ago

Listed As Probable For Monday
Stephen Curry28 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Jaylen Brown38 mins ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Matchup In Atlanta
Joel Embiid44 mins ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo53 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Paul George1 hour ago

Expected To Make Debut On Monday Night
Erick All Jr.1 hour ago

Potentially Done For Season
Caleb Williams2 hours ago

Expected To Be Fine
Mike Gesicki2 hours ago

Keeps It Going In Week 9
Chase Brown2 hours ago

Thrives Versus Vegas
Joe Burrow2 hours ago

Has Another Strong Showing In Week 9
Jayden Reed3 hours ago

Leads Packers In Receptions And Yards In Week 9 Loss
Geno Smith3 hours ago

Tosses Three Interceptions In Week 9
Jaxon Smith-Njigba3 hours ago

With A Monster Day In Week 9
Saquon Barkley3 hours ago

Tallies Nearly 200 Total Yards, Scores Twice
Jalen Hurts3 hours ago

Has Another Strong Performance In Week 9
MMA4 hours ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius4 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado4 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro4 hours ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
CeeDee Lamb4 hours ago

Has AC Joint Issue, To Undergo An MRI
Amir Albazi4 hours ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno4 hours ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
A.J. Brown4 hours ago

Won’t Return Versus Jacksonville
Zay Flowers4 hours ago

Puts Up Huge Performance Against Broncos
Quentin Johnston5 hours ago

Has A Big Game In His Week 9 Return
Dak Prescott5 hours ago

Set For An MRI On Monday
J.K. Dobbins5 hours ago

Scores Twice In Week 9 Win
Lamar Jackson5 hours ago

Posts A Perfect Game Against Broncos
Puka Nacua5 hours ago

Ejected On Sunday
Derrick Henry5 hours ago

Scores Twice In Blowout Win
A.J. Brown5 hours ago

Questionable To Return Versus The Jags
Artturi Lehkonen5 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
NJ6 hours ago

Nathan Bastian To Miss "Several Weeks"
Cedric Tillman6 hours ago

Finds The End Zone In Week 9 Loss
Brayden Point6 hours ago

Exits With Injury Sunday
Dan Vladar6 hours ago

Set For Second Consecutive Start Sunday
Nicholas Robertson6 hours ago

Re-Enters Maple Leafs Lineup Sunday
Jakub Vrana6 hours ago

Scratched On Sunday
Onyeka Okongwu8 hours ago

Lands On Injury Report
Immanuel Quickley8 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday's Game
Austin Reaves8 hours ago

Participates During Sunday's Practice
Jarred Vanderbilt8 hours ago

Practices On Sunday
Ben Simmons8 hours ago

Available On Sunday
Austin Barnes13 hours ago

Returning To Los Angeles
13 hours ago

David Robertson To Test Free Agency
Wilmer Flores14 hours ago

Giants Exercise Club Option On Wilmer Flores
Owen Miller14 hours ago

Shipped To Colorado
Merrill Kelly14 hours ago

Staying In Arizona
14 hours ago

Eloy Jimenez Headed To Free Agency
Daniel Suarez15 hours ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith15 hours ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick15 hours ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano15 hours ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski15 hours ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar15 hours ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs15 hours ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric15 hours ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron15 hours ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher15 hours ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman15 hours ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Josh Berry15 hours ago

May Be Set For Long-Run Struggles At Martinsville
Dylan Larkin15 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
Cam Talbot16 hours ago

Stops 31 Shots In Saturday's Victory
Cale Makar16 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Anton Forsberg16 hours ago

Records Shutout Victory On Saturday
Philip Broberg16 hours ago

Leaves Saturday Early With Lower-Body Injury
Sidney Crosby16 hours ago

Nets Two More Goals In Saturday's Victory
Chase Elliott18 hours ago

Will Be Tough To Beat At Martinsville
Ryan Blaney18 hours ago

A Great DFS Play At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin18 hours ago

Wrecks In Practice, Will Start Last At Martinsville
Kyle Larson18 hours ago

Going Overlooked At Martinsville
Martin Truex Jr18 hours ago

. Will Be Strong At Martinsville On Sunday
Joel Embiid23 hours ago

Reportedly Shoves Columnist On Saturday
Desmond Bane23 hours ago

Diagnosed With An Oblique Strain
Marcus Smart23 hours ago

Labeled Week-To-Week
Jordan Hawkins23 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Wendell Carter Jr.23 hours ago

Questionable Against Dallas
Bradley Beal1 day ago

Returning On Saturday Night
Ben Simmons1 day ago

Questionable Versus The Pistons On Sunday
1 day ago

Joc Pederson To Test Free Agency
Isaiah Jackson1 day ago

Suffers Achilles Injury
1 day ago

Anthony Rizzo Headed To Free Agency
Anfernee Simons1 day ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Freddy Peralta1 day ago

Milwaukee Picking Up Option On Freddy Peralta
Andrew Wiggins1 day ago

To Suit Up On Saturday
1 day ago

Ha-Seong Kim Headed To Free Agency
Adam Pelech1 day ago

To Miss At Least Four Weeks
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

Ruled Out For 4-6 Weeks
Tyler Seguin1 day ago

Day-To-Day With A Lower-Body Injury
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Out On Saturday
Mark Stone1 day ago

Good To Go Saturday
Mark Jankowski1 day ago

Back For Predators On Saturday
Brandon Montour1 day ago

Returns To Kraken Lineup
Samuel Ersson1 day ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury Saturday
Robbie Ray1 day ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
1 day ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
1 day ago

Sean Manaea Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole1 day ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins2 days ago

Staying In Milwaukee
2 days ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver2 days ago

Returning To New York
Eugenio Suárez2 days ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Nikolaj Ehlers2 days ago

Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Rose Namajunas2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Clayton Kershaw2 days ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Erin Blanchfield2 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe2 days ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Marc-Andre Barriault2 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott2 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado3 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz3 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis3 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Waiver Wire Express - Week 10 Lightning Round Including Quentin Johnston, Xavier Legette, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Ray Davis, Jauan Jennings, Cedric Tillman, Bo Nix

October is in the past and many of you moved your clocks around, with several of you are here seeking help at wide receiver. Amidst the usual chaos of Sunday's football, we absorbed several high-profile losses at wideout. We're all doing our best to stay hot in November with our fantasy football waiver wire pickups […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 9 (Sunday Morning Updates): Jordan Love, Puka Nacua, Josh Jacobs, Tank Bigsby, Tony Pollard, and more

Heading into Week 9 of the NFL season, injuries continue to impact the upcoming schedule. These play a huge factor in start/sit decisions for fantasy managers. Our injury updates and reports for Week 9 as of Sunday, November 3, 2024, will give you the latest updates on key fantasy football players. The injury news for […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 9 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 9! With the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers on bye this week, fantasy managers will have to replace George Pickens, Najee Harris, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle in their lineups. This Week 9 matchups analysis and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em piece will help you make the right lineup decisions […]


Michael Pittman Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 9 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 9 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Josh Jacobs, Zay Flowers, Tank Bigsby, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb, Bucky Irving

Welcome to Week 9, the midway point of the 2024 fantasy football season. It's arrived quickly for most, but there's still plenty of season left! Injuries to wide receivers have left a sour taste in the mouths of fantasy managers, therefore propping up running backs. However, some running backs may have a rough week while […]


Rachaad White - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 9 Include Caleb Williams, Alvin Kamara, DeVonta Smith, Josh Jacobs, more

What a week it was for fantasy goodness. Quarterbacks were on fire, and thus, so were offenses around the NFL. If you were on the right side of that output, then I commend you. If you received duds on your roster, then I feel your pain. This was a topsy-turvy week in the NFL and […]


Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 9 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Chase Brown, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Joe Flacco, more

Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions. The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller […]


Terry McLaurin - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jalen Coker, Troy Franklin, Jaylen Wright, Erick All Jr., Kimani Vidal, Blake Corum

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Jameis Winston - NFL DFS Picks, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football Rankings

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 9 Lineups

Well, November is here, and we have officially entered the third month of the 2024 NFL season. It never ceases to amaze me how fast it moves once it’s finally here. Week 8 was more of the same for us here. Some good calls mixed in with some poor ones. Our big miss of the […]


Chicago Bears Defense - Jaquan Brisker, DST, D/ST, Rankings, Streamers

Week 9 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 9 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. With two teams on bye (Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers), I will be ranking fantasy defenses from No. 1 to No. 30.  With the 49ers and […]


Devin Singletary - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 9 - Joe Flacco, Devin Singletary, Xavier Legette, Dalton Schultz, Bo Nix, Josh Downs

We have reached the point in the season when some of you may be in season-saving mode. If you are sitting at 3-5, this may apply to you. To save your season, you have to change your approach. Rather than holding injured players and waiting for them to return, you have to trade them.  Yes, […]