The fantasy football season has finally arrived! Going through many months of no physical football, allows fantasy football owners to do a deep dive into the previous year, see what they can improve on, and make adjustments. There was also a season of checking stats, waiting for the NFL Draft to arrive, and reassessing each team with the final 53-man roster. Drafting usually follows these steps as everyone has done their homework and is ready to put their knowledge and strategies to the test. Once fantasy football owners draft their teams, there is a line drawn in the sand with what kind of owner they are going to be. There are many different strategies to try and win week by week and to be honest, it’s not the easiest decision to make. After week 1, everyone sees eye candy on all 32 teams from around the league and frankly, it can be extremely overwhelming not knowing what direction to pivot to. Let’s dive into three fantasy football moves you can follow after week 1.
Fantasy Football Moves to Consider
Know What Kind of Player They Are
Once week 1 is in the books, everyone tends to jump to the waiver wire and add the top player with the most points. Without knowing what you are looking at, that strategy could hurt your team more than help your team in the long run. Having a high number of points is obviously what you want your player to have but you want to look for consistency. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs just hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a battle that was mesmerizing. The Chiefs’ star tight end Travis Kelce did not perform as fantasy football owners would have hoped. Patrick Mahomes only targeted his highlight player four times in this game as Kelce caught three receptions for 34 yards. That’s not what we call “sexy” in the fantasy football realm. If owners saw these numbers on a random football name, they would not think twice about passing right by him.
Another player on the Chiefs had similar numbers as Kelce’s. Xavier Worthy, who is a 28th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, ended Thursday Night Football with two receptions, 47 receiving yards, 21 rushing yards, and two touchdowns! Granted Mahomes only targeted him three times, but Worthy is a player that is made for big boom moments. His speed and athleticism allow him to be a part of the receiving game as well as the rushing attack. He can make enormous plays with very little usage. Worthy only needed one rushing attempt to gain a 21-yard touchdown on Thursday Night Football. He also had one reception for a 35-yard touchdown. That is what he brings to the table and the kind of player he is, knowing that he broke the record for the NFL Combine 40-yard dash with a time of 4.21. These are details you want to be conscious of before you put claims in for players you want to acquire.
Look at the Numbers
Most of the time, fantasy owners get excited and carried away with the fact that a player has a huge point number next to their name. To ensure that you are about to put in a claim for a player that can help you in longevity, you want to pay attention to a few things that happened in the previous game. First, you want to look at the amount of targets the player is getting from the quarterback, if it’s a wide receiver. If it is a running back, you would want to see how many attempts he was offered in the game. The more the merrier! You want to see if the player is getting the volume of workload that’s worthy enough to put on your team.
For instance, on Sunday Night Football, the Detroit Lions hosted the Los Angeles Rams where the home team took a victory but please do not look over the fact that Cooper Kupp had 21 targets, 14 receptions for 110 yards, and a touchdown! Think about it…just the 14 receptions alone gave a fantasy owner, somewhere, 14 points (PPR scoring system) without the yardage or the touchdown! Imagine if Kupp had hauled in the other seven targets that were not caught?! That’s 21 points just for catching. The odds of Kupp being on a waiver wire are slim to none but use these tips to find the next hidden gem.
Have Patients
Understand that you are not the only team playing in your league. Many other fantasy owners are going to have the same idea, going after the same players that you are thinking of grabbing. If your team is already filled with great volume players, don’t make the mistake of taking a chance on someone who “might” do better. Use logic in your decision making and do not overreach. Being present in your league is a must, knowing where you sit in the waiver wire pecking order. This plays a gigantic role in the odds of you getting or not getting a player. Even if you have to ask your commissioner of the league what type of waiver wire your league has, ask it! There is no better way of winning a championship, than knowing that you have asked the questions and put in the work to get there. Now you’re ready for Week 2!
Main Image: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
