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

Top 5 Mid-Season Tips For Fantasy Football: Winning Strategies, Trades, Waiver Wire

Preseason fantasy football drafts have come and gone, and we're quickly approaching the midway point of the 2023 NFL season. Whether your team is undefeated, hasn't won a game, or is somewhere in the middle -- in-season transactions can keep your team rolling, put you over the edge, or take your team from a bottom-feeder to a contender.

Fantasy football championships are not won solely during drafts. Unexpected breakout players like Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams are already rostered in most leagues, and big-time studs are unlikely to be available on the waiver wire for the rest of the season. That said, there is a new way to approach waiver wire pickups. However, that's just one aspect of our in-season strategy.

Below, we'll dive into five tips for getting an edge over your league mates near the mid-way point of the fantasy football season. Let's dive in.

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

 

1. Evaluate Your Roster Among Your League

Near the mid-way point of the season, it's more important to evaluate where you rank in overall points, rather than your win-loss record. While you can make your own luck by drafting well and attacking the waiver wire -- good and bad luck do exist in fantasy football.

Fantasy managers who rank in the top three in points scored can have a losing record, while others will sit closer to the bottom in points scored and have a winning record. If you have a losing record but are putting up plenty of points -- it's not time to panic. Assuming your roster is relatively healthy and has future upside, things should even out. On the flip side, fantasy managers who have "lucked" into a winning record should be more proactive about improving their rosters.

At this point in the season, it's probably time to drop unproductive quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends. There are plenty of players who carried a lot of hype into 2023 but haven't fired yet, like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Dalton Kincaid. Eventually, it's time to pull the plug. Running backs can be treated a little differently, as we'll discuss below.

 

2. Stash High-Upside Fantasy Assets

After dropping the non-contributors from your fantasy roster, it's time to identify some high-upside bench stashes on the waiver wire. Instead of stashing a low-end WR5 in hopes he will eventually break out, pick up high-end handcuff running backs. To identify which players are best to stash, decide which offenses are worth targeting.

At the time of this writing, the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks are among the top six teams in points per game. Automatically, players like Jeff Wilson Jr., Elijah Mitchell, Latavius Murray, Kenneth Gainwell, and Zach Charbonnet should enter your radar.

Most running backs are likely to deal with bumps and bruises that keep them out of at least a game or two, so any of these handcuff RBs on great offenses could become must-start options in fantasy football for at least a small stretch.

The WR5 or low-value tight end that you will drop to pick up handcuffs will likely never be a must-start option. Even if an opportunity opens for them, their outlooks wouldn't be as great as these handcuff RBs elevated to a starting role. Remember, targeting high ceilings is more important than having fantasy assets with safe floors.

 

3. Be Active In Trade Talks

Some fantasy leagues see multiple trades per week, while others won't have a trade go down all season. Either way, you should try your best to get "sell-high" candidates off your team and target "buy-low" options.

The toughest part about trading is the initial conversation. If you start it, your league mate will likely be interested.

Be sure to use our free fantasy football trade analyzer tool. You can compare up to three players on either side of the trade.

 

4. Prepare For Bye Weeks Early

Make sure to look ahead at when some of your key players are going to be on a bye week. Instead of panicking and furiously scavenging the waiver wire on the same week your player is out of action -- pick up replacements at least a week early. That way, you have little or no competition to acquire the one-week fill-in.

When bye weeks start to see at least four teams out of action consistently, your entire league will submit waiver claims or FAAB bids for mid-level streamers. Beat the rush, and do it early.

 

5. Rely On Matchup Statistics

During the first few weeks of the fantasy football season, matchup statistics can be taken with a grain of salt.

One team might have given up a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks early in the season -- but it faced Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, etc. Meanwhile, another defense could have great statistics against quarterback -- but it faced Ryan Tannehill, Zach Wilson, and Kenny Pickett. Context matters.

Matchup stats matter more the longer the season rolls on. As always, superstars all are always must-start options, but when considering end-of-the-bench flex considerations, trust matchup data. Just because a player boomed in a juicy matchup the week before, doesn't mean they should start over a consistent fantasy stud who had a down performance.

There are also players who likely won't perform well in any matchup, so knowing how to rely on matchup stats and data is important for future start-or-sit decisions.



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!

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

Taylor Pendrith1 hour ago

Is A Dark-Horse Pick For Sony Open
Jalen Hurts1 hour ago

Expected To Practice On Wednesday
Eric Cole1 hour ago

Looking For Bounce-Back Performance At Sony Open
Zay Flowers1 hour ago

A Long Shot To Play On Wild-Card Weekend
Sahith Theegala2 hours ago

A Big Name To Stay Away From At Sony Open
Nick Dunlap2 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Sony Open
Tom Kim3 hours ago

Making Season Debut At Sony Open
Deni Avdija4 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Wednesday's Contest
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

Remains Unavailable Wednesday
Ben Simmons4 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
D'Angelo Russell4 hours ago

To Miss Second Straight Game
Karl-Anthony Towns4 hours ago

Questionable To Face Raptors
Hideki Matsuyama4 hours ago

Looks To Make History At Waialae
Tyrese Haliburton4 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Khris Middleton5 hours ago

Likely To Return To Action Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Sean Monahan6 hours ago

Exits Tuesday's Game Early
Filip Chytil6 hours ago

Exits On Tuesday With Upper-Body Injury
Brock Faber6 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Tuesday
Steven Stamkos6 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin6 hours ago

Sidelined With Upper-Body Injury
Josh Morrissey6 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower Body Injury
Nikola Jokic16 hours ago

Out On Tuesday Night
Kyle Kuzma17 hours ago

Exits Game Early With Calf Contusion
Brice Sensabaugh18 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
Tanner Scott18 hours ago

Mets Meet With Tanner Scott
Lauri Markkanen18 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Tuesday
Bogdan Bogdanovic18 hours ago

Will Suit Up On Tuesday
Trae Young18 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Derrick White18 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
Dejounte Murray18 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Anthony Davis18 hours ago

Available For Tuesday's Contest
Justin Verlander18 hours ago

Signs One-Year Contract With San Francisco
LeBron James18 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Jalen Green18 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Bilal Coulibaly19 hours ago

Set To Return Tuesday
Daniel Gafford19 hours ago

Unavailable For Dallas On Tuesday
NFL19 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty Declares For 2025 NFL Draft
Joey Daccord19 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Colin Miller20 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Justin Faulk20 hours ago

Rejoins Blues Lineup Against Wild
Igor Shesterkin20 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Chris Kreider20 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jacob Middleton20 hours ago

Available Tuesday
Troy Terry20 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Action
Tua Tagovailoa21 hours ago

Dolphins Have "No Concern At All" About Tua Tagovailoa's Long-Term Health
Las Vegas Raiders22 hours ago

Raiders Fire Head Coach Antonio Pierce
David Montgomery23 hours ago

Expected To Return For Divisional Round
Tyreek Hill23 hours ago

Dolphins Say Tyreek Hill Did Not Request A Trade
Brandon Woodruff23 hours ago

Hopes To Be Ready By Opening Day
Zay Flowers23 hours ago

Not At Tuesday's Practice
Luke Clanton1 day ago

A Player To Watch At Sony Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of Sony Open
Russell Henley1 day ago

A Course Horse At Sony Open
Stephan Jaeger1 day ago

A Risky Option At Sony Open
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Looks To Stay Hot In Hawaii
Sepp Straka1 day ago

A Safe Option At Sony Open
Michael Thorbjornsen1 day ago

A Dark Horse At Sony Open
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Titans Retaining Brian Callahan As Head Coach
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Titans Fire GM Ran Carthon
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Aims For Better 2025 Debut In Hawaii
Brent Rooker1 day ago

Signs Five-Year Extension
Keith Mitchell1 day ago

Attempts To Put Fall Behind Him
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

Tries To Learn Sony Open Lessons
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Jacob Markstrom1 day ago

Snaps Losing Skid On Monday
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Tries To Keep Momentum Rolling In Hawaii
Devon Toews1 day ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Nick Suzuki1 day ago

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Victory
Harris English1 day ago

Begins 2025 At The Sony Open
Alex Tuch1 day ago

Scores Twice On Monday
Jared Spurgeon1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Exits Early On Monday
Corey Conners1 day ago

In Good Form For The Sony Open
Nolan Arenado2 days ago

Red Sox Emerge As Strong Candidate To Land Nolan Arenado
Christian Watson2 days ago

Packers Confirm Torn ACL For Christian Watson
Ezekiel Elliott2 days ago

Signing With Chargers
Michael Lorenzen2 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Kansas City
Gavin Lux2 days ago

Traded To Cincinnati
Kyler Murray2 days ago

"100 Percent" Chance That Kyler Murray Will Start For Cardinals In 2025
Brock Purdy2 days ago

Wants Contract Done Sooner Than Later
Christian McCaffrey2 days ago

"Definitely Close" To Being Fully Recovered
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Commanders "Not Concerned" With Jayden Daniels' Leg Soreness
Amari Cooper2 days ago

Bills Hopeful Amari Cooper Will Be Available In Wild-Card Round
Erik Haula2 days ago

Expected To Miss "A Few Weeks"
Patrik Laine2 days ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Bears Seek Permission To Interview Mike McCarthy For Head-Coaching Job
Jalen Hurts2 days ago

Still In The Concussion Protocol
Anthony Richardson2 days ago

Will Be Colts Starter In 2025
Luis Arraez2 days ago

Yankees Talking With Padres About Luis Arraez
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Antonio Pierce Expects To Return As Raiders Head Coach
Clayton Kershaw4 days ago

Intends To Pitch In 2025, Expected To Return To Los Angeles
Charlie Morton5 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Pete Alonso6 days ago

Angels "Looking At" Pete Alonso

RANKINGS

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