SportAI
(Athlete: Patrick Mahomes Source: today.com Photograph by Ryan Kang / Getty Images , Date: February 11th, 2024)
With around three weeks until the fantasy football playoffs, managers must prepare for fierce competition against their leaguemates during the postseason. Although the trade deadline for default Yahoo leagues has already passed, many managers still have the opportunity to improve their team.
Overall, managers should start exploring options for trading their underperforming stars or draft picks to construct the top team.
2024 Fantasy Fallout: Stars Dimmed by Injuries
(Athlete: Christian McCaffrey Source: cbssports.com Photograph by Getty Images , Date: November 7th, 2024)
Throughout another brutal NFL season, we have seen many stars get injured, limiting their fantasy production and value for their managers. It has been an especially tough year for teams with a top-five pick because Chrstian McCaffrey, Ceedee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill have not lived up to their investment.
First, McCaffrey has missed nine weeks of football despite being the consensus number one pick after a stellar 2023 season in which he won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year Award. As a result, he has only garnered 30 points in total during week nine and ten, failing to reach his projected value.
McCaffrey is still a top running back in the NFL and his role still seems significant as the driver of the 49ers offense. However, due to subpar play by the 49ers and his continued recovery from a serious injury, it may be best for fantasy football owners to reevaluate their stance of McCaffrey on their team and ponder trade options.
Cowboys Superstar Disappointing Managers in 2024
(Athlete: Ceedee Lamb Source: dallasnews.com Photograph by dallasnews.com , Date: October 4th, 2024)
Second, although Lamb has not experienced a personal injury, his quarterback, Dak Prescott, had a season-ending hamstring injury that has left the Cowboys with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance as their remaining options. Though Lamb has played decently with Rush as the QB, the performances lack the volume and quality compared to games where Lamb played with Prescott.
Also, Lamb currently has a back injury that will not keep him out of his upcoming game, but might convince the front office that he needs to rest for the remaining matches. Since the Cowboys are out of playoff contention, Lamb might have a “phantom injury” that could cause him to miss the rest of the season and no longer contribute fantasy points, making his trade case important for owners.
Speedster Unable to Perform Due to Starting Quarterback Injury
(Athlete: Tyreek Hill Source: on3.com Photograph by Sam Navarro-Imagn Images, Date: November 15th, 2024)
Similarly, Tyreek Hill has also had quarterback struggles during the 2024 NFL season, with Dolphins QB Tua Taguolivoa going through concession protocol and possible retirement. Accordingly, Hill has severely underperformed since Tua’s injury and even his return, averaging around nine fantasy points per game from week two to week ten.
Still, his latest game against the Las Vegas Raiders brings hope for managers who selected him in the first round since he had his second-best performance of the season. However, Hill is in the same situation as Lamb because the Dolphins are out of playoff contention and may consider benching Hill to avoid injury and harming their $90 million investment.
Overall, injuries to players and their teammates has been a significant cause in underperformance. Also, it raises questions on whether managers should trade these stars because they may receive less playing time due to their team’s underwhelming play.
Capitalizing on Last-Minute Trades and Roster Changes
(Athlete: Saquon Barkley Source: theeagleswire.usatoday.com Photograph by Glenn Erby, Date: September 6th, 2024)
In most leagues, fantasy managers are able to trade all or some of their draft picks. This ability allows owners to imitate professional general managers who either go all-in or have a firesale of their players.
Based on a team’s position, one of these strategies may be suitable and managers must be practical with their postseason expectations. If your team has one of these underperforming stars and are aiming to reach the championship, it would be smart to package some of these draft picks to obtain elite players like Saquon Barkley or Ja’Marr Chase who may be on selling teams.
When trading with another team, spend a few minutes analyzing their needs and then communicate with the manager instead of randomly sending unhelpful offers. This strategy will significantly increase your chances of striking a deal because the other owner also wins.
Also, do not be afraid to trade away depth pieces that could get you an elite player because there are no byes after week 14, so injuries will greatly hurt your chance of winning anyway. The waiver wire will offer viable options also, so it is better to acquire top-tier players that can deliver game-changing performances.
Underwhelming Stars and Playoff Preparation Summary
Ultimately, managers need to explore trade offers for underwhelming stars because they may be able to get future draft picks or package players to acquire top talent. This unfortunate subpar play has mostly been due to injuries and the lack of consistent explosive performances, especially for wide receivers.
Finally, with fantasy football playoffs approaching, it would be clever to analyze your team’s opponents’s needs because the trade deadline is soon and these last-minute deals could help your team win the league championship.
(SportAI Inc TM)
New Free Fantasy Sports AI Tool
Looking for more rankings and free fantasy tools?
Check out SportAI.io, the all-inclusive fantasy sports app that provides the necessary tools to compare lineups and determine starting or benching a player effectively.
SportAI uses its unique Score+ metric, derived from in-house algorithms, to project future fantasy performance relative to other players.
The statistic accounts for performance variance and goes beyond normal benchmarks, using data points such as injuries, team achievement, opponent performance, and more.
2024 Fantasy Football League-Winning Sleepers & Waiver Wire Watchlist
Looking for League-Winning Sleepers? Read here
Looking for Savvy Waiver Wire pickups? Read here
SportAI’s Drop the Mic
“Maybe I’m not a cheetah, I’m a lion.”-Tyreek Hill, Dolphins WR
Drop the Mic is a segment that features a funny quote at the end of each blog post!
Connecting With Other Players
Interested in talking with other passionate fantasy basketball players while receiving insightful weekly updates about the NBA season? Join the SportAI Discord
