Postseason fantasy football is just around the corner. Only the best — and/or luckiest — remain in the championship hunt now.
At this stage, there’s not a whole lot a team can do to drastically change its fortunes, but here are a few tips to keep in mind for December.
Don’t overthink lineups
By now, you know who your best players are. Don’t outsmart yourself just because a player has a bad matchup in one of the critical, final weeks.
The first thing I did when I checked my team this morning was put in all my best players now that bye weeks are through. Barring injury, a major slump, or a sustained surge from a bench player, I don’t foresee changing my lineup between now and the end of the NFL season. It’s perfectly normal to have a dilemma over who should be your flex one week or another, but try not to agonize over it. Go with your gut and don’t look back.
Starters or sleepers
As many fantasy pundits have advised this week, it’s time to dump those bench players who offer a low ceiling. You will not play them again this year, whether they’re rostered or cut.
Frank Gore (RB, Dolphins) and Mohamed Sanu (WR, Falcons) are the type of players who might get you 8-10 PPR points in a given week, but rarely more than that at this point. That’s not enough when the only teams left standing are rife with high-ceiling talent at the flex positions.
Instead, use your depth on potential breakout players over the final month. Rookie RBs Rashaad Penny (Seahawks) and Royce Freeman (Broncos) aren’t doing a lot right now, but they could be an injury away from being must-own.
Full stream ahead
Even some of the best teams are forced to make weekly add/drops at the second- and third-tier positions — QB, TE, DEF and K. If you’ve been streaming those positions and are playoff-bound, the rest of your team must be loaded.
When I’ve resorted to this in the past, I plan ahead and keep my next streamed QB on the roster a week before he is needed. If you’ve got room on the roster to spare, maybe don’t wait until next Tuesday to put in a claim for the Lions defense that will face the generous Cardinals in Week 14. Stash them now, then look ahead again next week.
