Going through this week’s fantasy football mailbag was a tough one. Not because the questions were more difficult than in week’s past, but because the 2024 NFL season has been flipped upside down more times than a table at a Bills Mafia tailgate. 

Scoring, overall, is down, players who were expected to take a step forward and dominate have struggled and, of course, fantasy football players who have opened the season 1-2 or 0-3 and are starting to panic. Everyone needs to take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.

 

 

 

First and foremost, an 0-3 record does not mean your season is over. It just means you have to work a little harder. Last season I opened up the year 0-4 in one league and still won the championship. Yes, it’s possible. 

I’m not sure why people are so hellbent on achieving the perfect season, but a loss or two or three doesn’t mean you’re done. Do you get extra points for winning every regular season game? Is there a “perfection bonus?” Probably not. 

Remember, your goal is simply to make the playoffs. Once you get to the big dance, anything can happen. How many times have you seen a No. 1 seed get bounced by someone who just made the playoffs because they grabbed a top waiver claim in Week 12? Happens all the time. 

Stop worrying about what your record is right now and focus on how many points your team is scoring, what position you might be lagging in and how you can fix it. You don’t need to blow up your whole team trying to attain a Ja'Marr Chase or a Saquon Barkley. You just need to steadily improve your worst starting lineup spot and go from there.

And if, by the way, you are sitting in the top five of your league in total points, stop crying over a bad record. You’re running into some bad luck and things will balance out. Trust me – another spot I’ve been in and one I am currently in. 

Yes, I am 0-3 and third overall in points in one of the Beat Howard Bender leagues. Am I panicking? Absolutely not. I’ll be there in the playoffs and from there, anything can happen. Now let’s get to this week’s mailbag.

NFL Week 4 Fantasy Football Advice: Start/Sit, Waivers & Trades

Sean T. Asks...

Oh, Sean. You and everyone else. No one can believe it, but this is like what happened to Ja'Marr Chase last year when Joe Burrow went down. We know the talent level for Tyreek Hill is off-the-charts, but everything now revolves around who is getting him the football. Skylar Thompson has been awful and is now dealing with a chest injury which could be the best thing for those who own Hill.

The latest news has Thompson practicing in a limited capacity on Thursday and head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t want to tip his hand. I have a tough time believing Thompson will play and would welcome seeing Tyler Huntley under center. Not that he’s the be-all, end-all, but because he is a veteran who has been in this situation before. He’s got the ability to extend plays with his legs and he’s not going to be asked to do anything by getting the ball into his playmakers’ hands. If he’s starting, I’m using Hill.

The other option the Dolphins are exploring is Tim Boyle. I am much less bullish on him. He can chuck the ball downfield, but I don’t think he’s particularly good with managing the game itself. If it’s him or Thompson under center, I’ll happily take my PPR points with Diontae Johnson against a super-soft Cincinnati defense. If it’s Huntley under center, I’m good starting Tyreek.

 

 

 

Steve D. Writes...

The easy answer is yes, pick up Andrews and drop Conklin. I am fine with that, especially because you have Bowers who should be an auto-start for you at this point. He sees a strong target share and whether it’s Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell under center, the targets are consolidated to Bowers and Davante Adams.

Andrews is in a real tough spot right now because the Baltimore offense is running a little differently now, especially with Derrick Henry coming out of the backfield. If you want the perfect explanation, my friend Tera Roberts who used to write and do videos for us here at Fantasy Alarm (once you’re #FAmily, you’re always #FAmily), recorded a video explaining Andrews’ usage. 

She hit the nail on the head. If the Ravens are looking at a run-heavy approach like they had last week against the Cowboys, then you should expect Andrews’ snap-count and subsequent target-share to drop. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is using his tight ends to block and while yes, Andrews can block, the Ravens have other guys who are clearly better at it.

But having an elite pass-catching tight end like Andrews on your roster opens up a world of possibilities. If he doesn’t pan out, no big deal. You’ve got Bowers. If he does pan out then you can either play the matchups and scout what you believe the Ravens will do, or, better yet, you can start shopping him after a big game. 

And that might be the best move for you, especially because having to play the matchups with two strong tight ends is always dangerous. You’ll drive yourself nuts. But after a big game for Andrews, you can probably bolster your running back or wide receiver rooms with a simple trade to someone who is unsuccessfully streaming tight ends. Make that move, Steve! You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

 

Kevin G. Wants To Know...

This is actually a great question to ask because it’s all about how you handle your bench and your waiver wire pickups each week. Personally, I don’t like to continuously churn over my bench. Players I drafted in the later rounds were chosen because of the offenses in which they play and their potential in said scheme. 

I have plenty of shares of Kirk because I believed the Jaguars would finally use him as their chain-mover and pepper him with targets while Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas stretched the field. It hasn’t quite worked out like that yet, but Kirk plays a 75-80-percent snap-share, and he is actually tied for the team-lead in targets. I have hope still and in a full-point PPR format, I am happy to leave him on my bench while the Jaguars figure it out.

If there is someone on your waiver wire who you believe has higher upside or might even be someone you are legitimately thinking about starting, then sure. You can make that swap. Is McConkey that guy? Not at this time. As much as I love the overall talent and potential, the situation is not conducive for regular targets and high upside. 

The Chargers are run-first, they’re dealing with an injury to quarterback Justin Herbert and now they’ve lost two key offensive linemen in Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. How much time Herbert (or Taylor Heinicke) have in the pocket is going to be limited against good pass-rushers and while yes, both can roll out and try to extend the play, you need a strong rapport and precision-passing to make things work on the fly. Can the Chargers get there? Yes. Will they? It’s going to take some time.

Keep Kirk stashed on your bench for now and see what happens moving forward. Don’t be blinded by names or a flukey week of production. You’re playing the long-game here and continuously churning over your bench chasing points is a sure-fire way to drop a quality player you probably could have used once the bye weeks hit.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Week 4 - NFL 2024

As always, I try to pick through the questions that involve players who are most often asked about and try to answer in a broader sense so that anyone who also has these players can make informed decisions regarding their own team and lineup decisions. 

If you are still looking for answers, you know we’ve got you covered. You can find me and the rest of the team in the Fantasy Alarm Discord (just be sure to tag me or send a private DM) or feel free to email me at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.

Let’s crush it in Week 4!