In the ever-evolving landscape of fantasy football, success is not merely a product of the draft and in-season management. True glory on the fantasy gridiron also requires the foresight and strategic planning that precedes the crucial playoff weeks. As the regular season winds down and trade deadlines approach, astute managers understand that the path to a championship is paved with careful preparation. Planning early for the fantasy playoffs can make all the difference when the stakes are at their highest.
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Anticipating the Schedule Chessboard:
As the fantasy season progresses, the importance of the schedule becomes increasingly apparent. Identifying favorable matchups for your key players during the playoff weeks can provide a decisive edge. By planning ahead, you can make calculated roster decisions, such as targeting players with favorable matchups or shoring up your bench with potential breakout stars. Understanding the landscape of the upcoming weeks allows you to navigate the chessboard of schedules with precision, putting your team in the best position to thrive when it matters most.
Injury Mitigation and Waiver Wire Mastery:
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in football, and their impact can be especially magnified during the fantasy playoffs. Planning ahead enables managers to assess and address potential injury risks in advance. Keeping a vigilant eye on the waiver wire becomes paramount, as it allows you to scoop up emerging talents or secure valuable handcuffs before the rest of the league catches on. Proactive managers, armed with the knowledge of their team’s needs, can make strategic moves that set them apart from competitors caught in the chaos of last-minute decisions.
Weathering, or Taking Advantage of, the Bye Week Storms:
The scheduling gods can be both fickle and unforgiving, often bestowing the dreaded bye week conundrum upon even the most formidable fantasy rosters. By planning for the playoffs weeks well in advance, managers can strategically navigate and even take advantage of the Week 13 and Week 14 bye weeks. This will involve keeping a keen eye on the waiver wire and nabbing players that others drop to fulfill their bye week needs. Adding important handcuffs (see below) and blocking your opponents from rostering key free agents is your goal here. A well-thought-out strategy can turn what might be a stumbling block for others into an opportunity on your road to fantasy glory.
Securing Key Handcuffs and Breakout Candidates:
The fantasy playoffs are rife with unpredictability, and the emergence of breakout stars or the sudden necessity of handcuffs can reshape the fantasy landscape. By planning ahead, managers can identify players with favorable late-season schedules or those poised for increased roles. Snatching up potential breakout candidates and securing the handcuffs to your star players provides insurance against unforeseen circumstances, ensuring that your roster remains resilient in the face of adversity.
The fantasy football playoffs represent the culmination of weeks of dedication and strategic acumen. Planning for this climactic stretch of the season three to four weeks early is not merely a luxury; it is a necessity. As other managers scramble to react to shifting circumstances, those who have foreseen the challenges and opportunities on the horizon will stand poised for success. So, embark on this journey of strategic mastery, and let the careful planning of today be the cornerstone of your triumphs in the fantasy football playoffs of tomorrow.
Luckily, you’re not on this journey alone. All of us at Razzball are here to help. Today, I’ll identify my must have RBs that fit these categories. This won’t be an all-inclusive list by any means, but you should find some nuggets here that fill any gaps in your roster.
RBs to Target
Check out this table. It lists the top 9 teams in allowing fantasy points to RBs and their respective schedules during the fantasy playoffs:
The first thing that should jump out at you here is the Falcons and Eagles RBs have primo matchups during the fantasy playoffs, facing “bottom 9” defense in each week.
- Falcons – For reasons that defy logic, Bijan Robinson is finally emerging as an every week must start. That doesn’t mean you forget about Tyler Allgeier. Quite the opposite. Robinson owners need to keep an eye on their waiver wires and stash Allgeier at their earliest opportunity. If something should happen to Robinson right before or during the fantasy playoffs, Allgeier could be a league-winner. Remember, the Falcons have a VERY RB FRIENDLY schedule coming up.
- Eagles – Same goes with the Eagles backfield. D’Andre Swift has separated himself from the rest of his backfield mates and becomes an every-week fantasy starter. However, the fact that he’s currently dealing with an ankle issue stresses the importance of also rostering Kenneth Gainwell.
Others to consider:
- Chargers – Austin Ekeler remains the only viable fantasy RB option on this squad. Joshua Kelley did little to excite fantasy owners during his early season tryout in Ekeler’s absence, but he’s still the only other RB getting work. In fact, Kelley played 29% of the Charger’s offensive snaps last week so he continues to hold value as an insurance policy. Something else to consider here, if the Chargers continue to fall further out of the playoff race, we may see a shift in workload to protect Ekeler.
- Steelers – Najee Harris may technically still be the starter, but anyone with a set of eyes can see the talent Jaylen Warren has. This situation has frustrated fantasy owners all year, but if the murkiness clears, whether due to injury or as a result of the recent coaching change, there’s potential gold here – especially in your Week 17 championship game.
- Rams – Kyren Williams is coming back very soon. The Rams designated him for return from injury reserve, and has a chance to play this weekend against the Cardinals. Unless your fellow owners were asleep at the wheel, he’s probably rostered by now, but it’s definitely worth your time to go out and make sure. If he’s owned, pulse that owner to see if there’s a trade to be made. In addition to the Week 17 matchup against the Giants listed above, a Week 15 contest at home versus the Commanders looms. Let’s not forget, the Commanders just gave up a combined 140 yards and 2 TDs to Saquon Barkley.
- 49ers – Christian McCaffrey owners probably don’t need me to tell them to handcuff him with Elijah Mitchell. This is common sense, right? Well, I’m willing to bet a good portion of you CMC owners out there have not done so. Looking at Mitchell’s numbers (only 4.5 fantasy points since week 3), I can’t necessarily blame you for using a roster spot on him during the bye weeks. Now that those are essentially done, it’s time to make the move. The 49ers appear to realize the importance of keeping their key weapon healthy and have stopped pounding him into the line every other carry. That’s good news, of course. However, let’s not forget McCaffrey has an injury history, and if that scenario plays out, his backup now inherits the keys to a backfield on one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Make that owner you!
- Colts – The eventual emergence of Jonathan Taylor has rendered Zack Moss as an afterthought. I was a Zack Moss owner early in the season, and I enjoyed the run he provided, especially those few weeks after Taylor’s return. But I had to move on. In that league, he still sits on the waiver wire to this day. That’s a mistake by the Taylor owner. Remembering the explosiveness we saw early in the season, imagine what a rested Moss can deliver during your fantasy playoffs if Taylor goes down. In addition to the prime matchup against the Raiders in Week 17, he’d have a nice home matchup against the Steelers in Week 15 as well.
You see where I’m going here, right? Don’t wait for everyone else to steal your handcuffs. Be the proactive owner who plans ahead. If you have a late trade deadline, owning some of these key handcuffs may allow you to pull a 2-1 or 3-2 deal to better your team somewhere else. This is incredibly important for teams at the top of the standings but also provides an opportunity for those in the middle. You know your leagues better than I do. Go make it happen.
This is just the first installment of my “Must-have” players for the playoffs. I’ll cover QBs, WRs and TEs over my next couple of articles, but you don’t have to wait to apply these tactics in those areas, too. Use the free tools we have at football.razzball.com and get to work.
In fact, feel free to drop some scenarios beyond RBs in the comments below, and I’ll give you my thoughts.
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The four of us also come together every Tuesday night to talk trade scenarios, must-have players, and any other topic of importance for the upcoming week. We have a lot of fun along the way, but our singular focus remains on helping you win your fantasy championships. Come join us.
Look for my articles right here each week, and be sure to follow me on Twitter/X @Derek_Favret. I’m now on Bluesky as well (@dfavret.bsky.social).
Until next time, my friends.
