If you are reading this chances are that you are playing for a fantasy football championship! First of all, congratulations on making it to this point. Trust me, making it this far, yet alone winning it all, is tough to do and is an accomplishment you should enjoy. But at the same point in time, flags fly forever and no one remembers who finishes in second. The job is not done, as we still got one more week to take this home.
My biggest advice for Week 16 is to not treat it like any old week because it’s not, but many fantasy owners treat it as such. No, I do not mean to sit your studs and play someone off the waiver wire. That would be getting too cute. But, take a good hard look at your lineup. There should be a good amount of players that you already know you are starting. With this being the last week, any player you are not considering starting is expendable. You can and should use that to your advantage.
Many will leave their bench filled with the same bench options that they have held onto all year. But… why? You are not starting them this week and there is literally no next week. Instead, use your bench to try and block your opponent. Have they been streaming defenses? Put in claims on all the top defenses on the waiver wire! Do the same thing if they have been streaming QBs or TEs. At this point in the season, blocking your opponent is just as helpful as adding to your team. Actually, unless you are planning on starting the players you would put in claims for, blocking is more important. And this is not strictly for those who have been streaming. Does your opponent have Dalvin Cook? Pick up Mike Boone, especially with that game being on Monday night. Did they lose Chris Godwin or simply need someone to start? Pick up Breshad Perriman. This strategy is particularly effective in FAAB leagues if you have more money than your opponent. At this point in the season, most owners are low on funds, if not operating at $0. If you have some money left and you know your opponent needs a defense, you can unload your bench and add all the top options for $1. They will have to pick from the scraps! Some may say that this is unethical, but think of it like this: if Bill Belichick played fantasy football, he would ONE HUNDRED PERCENT be in favor of this strategy. You want to be the Patriots and win. You don’t want to be the good sport that wanted to give the other team a fair shot and lose.
I also wanted to take a second to thank all of you who have read my articles, used my rankings, watched my Sunday morning live streams, interacted on Twitter or any place you consumed my work this season. I love that I get to put out this content every week and there are people that actually read, watch and care. I am rooting for each and every one of you to win a championship. And to those who did not make it that far, I still appreciate you greatly and hope to help get you to the promised land next year.
My goal every year is to help as many people as possible win their matchups and become better fantasy players. I truly mean it when I say I care more about your fantasy teams than my own. Don’t get me wrong, if we ever face off, I will try to beat you. But, I care more about getting the calls I make right. If I tell you guys to use a player you can bet I am using them too. But more than winning my matchups each week I care about the advice I give coming through and helping those that listen. Basically, what I am saying is I appreciate you guys, way more than you could ever appreciate me or my advice. Thank you for trusting me with your fantasy teams and I hope you continue to stick around for years to come.
Championship Week Rankings
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