Fantasy Football Saturday Mailbag for Week 6

Happy weekend Footclan and welcome to another jam-packed edition of the best thing to happen to Saturday morning after cartoons…The Fantasy Footballers’ Saturday Morning Mailbag! As we do here each and every weekend, I have selected a handful of your questions from The Fantasy Footballers’ Discord server, and given you, the Footclan, my hot takes and opinions ahead of this weekend’s matchups and beyond. The Ballers’ Discord is home to the biggest and best online fantasy football community in the world and is your go-to source if you’re looking to talk about all things fantasy football. Head over today and get involved with thousands of members across dozens of dedicated channels for start/sit questions, trade advice, waiver wire insights, and exclusive areas that are only available to members of the Footclan.

Another week of football is in the books and despite their best attempts to self-destruct in London, the Minnesota Vikings are still 5-0 alongside the inevitable Kansas City Chiefs. We saw some HUGE performances across the National Football League in Week 5 – Captain Kirk and his Falcons receivers setting phasers to obliterate as they overcame the Bucs on TNF, Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns and still lost at home to the Ravens, and Tank Bigsby showed just why Andy Holloway selected him as one of this year’s My Guys – rushing for over 100 yards and adding two scores to end the week as the RB1 for fantasy. It wasn’t all good news though – we finally got confirmation Rashee Rice was done for the year, as well as learning our fantasy rosters will be without Michael Pittman – as well as the current WR1 on the year – Nico Collins for at least the next four weeks as they landed on the IR. With those injuries and byes for the Chiefs, Vikings, Dolphins, and Rams – we’ve got a lot to talk about…let’s dive right in!

Question #1 – Waiver Wire 

Hey Hey Hey Ballers!! I am middle-of-the-pack in terms of points scored in my league, but have started 0-5. Can I straight up drop Patrick Mahomes for Sam Darnold for the rest of the season? I’ll be playing Daniel Jones this week due to Chiefs and Vikings byes. – Phinsanity

Answer: Picture the scene – it’s July 25th, the summer sun is shining, you’ve got a nice cool beverage in hand, and you’re kicking back listening to the newest episode of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Andy, Mike, and Jason are breaking down the Vikings’ starting quarterback situation, their monumentally tough opening schedule, and the Minnesota coaching staff’s likely unwillingness to throw in their new rookie QB (and face of the franchise) J.J. McCarthy to the slaughter to start the season…and thus the legendary moniker of “The Sacrificial Baby” is born. A little over two months later, and through the opening four weeks of the season, Sam Darnold – the aforementioned Sacrificial Baby, sits as the overall QB4 for fantasy, leads the league in passing touchdowns (11), and has steered his Minnesota Vikings to their first 4-0 start in six years…what a world.

Week 5 wasn’t quite as kind to Darnold’s season-long stat line – but the Vikes still managed to ground out the win over the Jets in London and move to 5-0…alongside the only other undefeated team on the year – the Kansas City Chiefs. It is crazy we are even having a conversation where we have to genuinely consider Sam Darnold over Patrick Mahomes for the rest of the season…but here we are.

Mahomes was a late third-round draft pick heading into the start of the season…Darnold was being taken in the early 22nd. Throw draft capital out of the window and let’s look at the numbers so far after five games – one of these guys is throwing at 8.1 Y/A (fifth), has found receivers in the end zone on 11 occasions (tied for second), and tossed just four interceptions…and the other is Patrick Mahomes.

The bottom line is this – Patrick Mahomes is one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the National Football League…but that doesn’t necessarily equate to fantasy points. With Rashee Rice set to miss the season and Isiah Pacheco out for at least another month – this Chiefs offense is not the high-octane machine we have become accustomed to seeing under Patty in the past – but please do not drop him. The name value of Mahomes is far too high to simply punt him to your waivers – I am all for starting other QBs for the rest of the year, but make sure you trade away Mahomes to another manager in your league and get a solid RB or WR as part of the deal.

Question #2 – Season-Long Strategy

Hey Ballers! Do you think we should be worrying about the size of the passing pie in Buffalo? Three games under 200-yards through the air, one of the weakest receiving corps in the league, and an OC in Joe Brady who would love to run it all game if he could. – HenryHill17

Answer: Through the first five weeks of the season, the Buffalo Bills rank 27th in total passing yards…yikes. Three of the teams who sit below them in the table – the Chargers, Titans, and Eagles – have only played four games due to being on a bye in Week 5…double yikes. Removing the home wins against Arizona and Jacksonville, Josh Allen is averaging just 13 completions for 150 yards and a touchdown (and that’s rounding up)…yikes cubed. It’s fair to say it’s been less than an ideal start to the season for the Bills – despite sitting atop the AFC East (let’s be honest – that’s not exactly impressive given the state of the other three teams). This offense – and the passing game in particular – has been incredibly disappointing. Things aren’t exactly looking any rosier for Josh Allen and Co. as they are set to face all three of the top-ranked defenses against quarterbacks in the form of the Jets (second), Titans (first), and Dolphins (third). I am in full-on panic mode with all aspects of this passing game – as a Josh Allen/Dalton Kincaid manager in my main League of Record, I don’t know how much more I can take –  and despite telling myself religiously that “Dalton Kincaid is going to be fine, it was just a bad week,” I just don’t believe that any longer.

Buffalo will undoubtedly bounce back and start to get it together as they stumble their way to winning the AFC East – but I am moving on from all pass-catchers in Upstate New York while I can. Given their performance, it’s unlikely you’ll get much in the way of a trade for Shakir or Coleman, with Kincaid still carrying some level of name value if you’re looking to make the switch. Josh Allen should remain a high-level QB1 – thanks in part to his rushing abilities – and even though I would expect the efficiency through the air to regress to the mean – it’s far too difficult to speculate who in this receiving corps will be the main beneficiary…if anyone.

Question #3 – Trade Advice

Hey Ballers, Shot Callers! I’m currently running an RB heavy team with Jordan Mason, Jahmyr Gibbs, Josh Jacobs, James Cook and Brian Robinson. I’m looking to flip at least one to improve at other positions. Which of these guys do you believe would be the best to trade away? – jeremy_spoken

Answer: That is a very high-T offense you’re running there Jeremy – Guns Mahoney would be proud! Clearly you are stacked at RB, so it makes sense you may want to move one (or more) of these guys to help improve at other positions…but just remember, top-quality running backs are hard to come by – so don’t be too hasty to trade them away…especially with bye weeks and lingering injuries to consider.

If you are 100% committed to using one of your backs to improve at WR or TE, then I would be putting the feelers out to see what I could get in return for Brian Robinson. Robinson is showing us all just what Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright saw in him as a rookie and currently sits as the overall RB6 for fantasy. Averaging almost 17 total touches and just under 75 yards per game, B-Rob (I’m making it a thing) sits behind only King Henry and Kyren Williams in rushing scores on the year so far with five trips to the end zone in the opening five weeks…so why would you trade him away? The truth is – I just don’t see this level of production from Robinson lasting. Austin Ekeler looks far more like the Awesome Excellent superhuman we came to know as a Charger, and Jeremy McNichols has emerged as an explosive change-of-pace option in this backfield, appearing electric with the ball in his hands…then of course we have rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and his now-customary double-digit attempts for 50+ yards. The Commanders’ offense has been truly exciting to watch with Daniels under center, and there should be plenty of opportunites to go around – but with four legitimate rushing options and their eyes firmly fixed on the playoffs – why would Washington want to overload any of them? Robinson will continue to lead this backfield…but I doubt he ends the year as an RB1 – it will be tough sledding for the Commanders’ rushers against a stout Ravens run D on the road this Sunday, with a much friendlier matchup at home to Carolina in Week 7. If you can sell him now, I would do just that – otherwise, I’m holding him until after another big game against the Panthers.

Question #4 – Season-Long Strategy (Playoff Primer)

Eyooooooo Ballers! What advice do you have for the 4-1/5-0 folks? Do you focus on depth? How do you evaluate your team to ensure you have that trophy at the end of the year? – joshsolo11

Answer: The most obvious piece of advice that I can give is of course, to keep listening to the award-winning The Fantasy Footballers Podcast each and every day for the best insights and hottest takes from the greatest minds in the industry…but as a loyal Footclan member – I know you already do that.

First things first, congrats on such a great start to the season – despite what your league-mates may say, you’re not lucky to be there – a 4-1 or 5-0 start is payback for the hard work done prior to the draft, and some savvy early season waiver wire work…but now the real work begins. We are five weeks into the season, so if my calculations are correct (not a doctor) – we still have at least 10 more games before the fantasy playoffs begin…so there’s still a long way to go. Starting undefeated gives you a great cushion over the rest of your division, and allows for those “down weeks” that can happen (like getting nine points from your starting QB – thanks Josh)…but we’re looking forward, and have aspirations of lifting a #FootclanTitle, so what can you do to make sure that squad is as strong as possible? For me, I like to trade my way into a super team – taking those guys on my roster who are perhaps performing a little bit above expectation and packaging them up to get myself a glorified stud. I like to target managers who have started 2-3 or worse and see what it would take for them to part with their prized assets – there’s a good chance they have a real need for depth at certain positions or have some underperforming gems you could acquire on the cheap.

Depth is important…but don’t get bogged down with the idea you need several strong alternatives at every position. With injuries and byes – the waiver wire often provides multiple top options at the RB/WR position, even as we go deeper into the season – remember, come championship week, it’s unlikely you’ll be relying on your bench. As we come out of Spooky Season and edge towards Thanksgiving, we start to get a much better idea of what each player’s matchups are starting to look like for those all-important fantasy playoffs – only then am I focusing on potential streamers at the QB position (or DSTs if you play those). Keep doing what you’re doing right now – it’s clearly working…but as the year goes on, take advantage of desperate managers who are circling the drain.

Question #5 – Start/Sit

Can you briefly explain the Start/Sit Tool on the website? I have plugged in my league settings and need to choose a player to fill one flex spot – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Keenan Allen or Jerome Ford. I currently have Ford in my lineup and the tool recommended JSN – despite him having the toughest matchup…help! – 6RingsDynasty

Answer: The weekly Start/Sit Tool here at The Fantasy Footballers website is one of my favorite functions offered across the whole site, and is the one I use almost daily to help me decide which players on my roster offer me the best chance of winning each week.

At its core, it does exactly what it says on the tin – it is a tool that allows you to enter the names of players from your roster, and it will advise which of the two (or four if you’re a Footclan member) is the “best” start in that particular week…but it is oh so much more than that.

Like many of the tools here at Ballers HQ, the Start/Sit function allows you to fully customize the scoring settings to your own league – ensuring that the advice is personalized to your fantasy team. Once you’ve entered the players you want to evaluate, simply hit the “View Results” button and the magic starts to happen. Not only will you get a very simple indicator of which player the Ballers recommend as a consensus but you will be presented with each of Andy, Mike, and Jason’s individual rankings as well as a projected points total for each player. The Start/Sit Tool also analyzes a player’s matchup – a culmination of the over/under, implied team total, game line, and even the weather. The final piece of information the tool provides is each player’s strength of schedule – this is an invaluable resource, allowing you to see just how good (or bad) the opposing defense is against their specific position.

Remember, the Start/Sit Tool gives you a wealth of information to help you make a decision – but it’s your team, so always go with the decision that you think is best for your team.

Question #6 – League Rules

My league just had a big disagreement on veto rules and we have decided to change commissioners. There’s been a lot of debate but could you guys give your take on veto rules. Thank you – JOSAY

Answer: I want to start by offering you my congratulations – making changes in a league can be very difficult, especially if it has been running a long time – but by appointing a new commissioner and taking the appropriate steps to positively transform a bad situation, the whole fantasy football experience should start to be far more enjoyable for everyone involved.

That said…get that veto rule outta here! 

The entire concept of the veto is outdated – reminiscent of an ancient time when online leagues were in their infancy and without any of the customization or personalization that we are blessed with today. The origins of the word “veto” derive from ancient Latin, and roughly translates into “I forbid”…fitting, as anyone who attempts to veto a trade is forbidding their league from being fun. Too often are trades voided by fantasy managers who feel that the transaction is “unfair” simply because they are threatened by the outcome and how it impacts their own team – sure there are several trades a season that go down in my own League of Record that I don’t like – not because they are unfair, but rather that one manager has made a great move and I’m just jealous that I didn’t think to make the offer myself! I understand the need to eradicate collusion from fantasy football – but a good league shouldn’t have collusion – and if it does, I’m gone.

As fantasy managers, we would be mindful to remember that not all trades pan out how we think they will – how often has a trade seemed lopsided, and by the end of the season, the exact opposite has happened? As long as there is no obvious cheating going on, then I am fine with any trades that have been accepted by both parties being processed as normal. And don’t get me started on that 24/48 hour waiting period!

Question #7 – Fantasy Superstitions

Yooo Ballerdaddies!!! Do any of you have a superstitious Schrödinger-style relationship with their fantasy teams on Sunday afternoons – where you want to look to see how you’re doing but you also don’t want to look because then you’ll see just how bad it’s going? Or do you follow along with the score as each individual yard tallies up? – jturn314

Answer: Fantasy football managers are a unique bunch, and we all have our pre-match rituals and superstitions to help ensure our team is the one that comes out on top each weekend!

There are players in my league who like to keep empty slots up until kickoff in order to keep their opponents guessing, as well as ones who point black refuse to look at trades once Thursday Night Football has kicked off as they consider it “unlucky.” 

For me, I take a screenshot on my phone of the starting lineups in my League of Record matchup and use that as my “cheat sheet” to see which of my opponent’s players I need to keep an eye out for, rather than watch the scores live. Only once one of my guys (or theirs) has made a big play do I log in to the app and get an updated score…after that, I’m in full-on tilt mode. Living in the U.K. I very rarely get to watch Thursday Night Football, the Sunday Night game, or Monday Night Football – so with each of these, instead of logging into the app directly in the morning, I like to check the box scores as soon as I wake up, work out what each player in my or my opponents’ lineup scored, and then attempt to figure out how that’s impacted the matchup…a word of warning on this one, trying to do math at 6:00 AM on a Tuesday morning can sometimes lead to mistakes…not ideal when your matchup is super tight!