For almost everyone, week 13 of the NFL regular season is the final week of the fantasy football regular season. At this point there are 3 types of teams in your league. The first type is the playoff clinchers (teams that have a spot already in the playoffs). The second types of teams are the in the hunt teams (or teams that still can make the playoffs). The final type of team and most depressing are the eliminated teams. If your team is a part of this third type of team in your fantasy league then you likely haven't been managing your team very well if at all. When it comes down to it, managing your team is all Fantasy sports really is.
For those of you still in the hunt to make the playoffs, excellent you still have a shot! Now it is more important than ever to manage your team and set the perfect lineup. Some strategies you can use to set your teams perfect lineup would include:
-Start your best players-Most of the time it is easiest to say "start your best players" which duh that's obvious, that's not advice. Well if you are hesitant about starting someone for someone else go with the better player. The one who is the most targeted on a regular basis and who is the most talented, speedy, etc on their team. In other words the go-to-guy on the team.
-Start players with good matchups- Look to start players with good matchups. To tell if a matchup is good look the stats. See how many yards and touchdowns the teams defense has given up to players of the same defense. Good Matchups this year would be ANY position playing the Browns, 49ers and Colts, WRs vs Raiders, RBs vs Jets, QB's vs Dolphins, and TE's vs Falcons.
-Go with your gut- If you have a feeling a player will do well even though the "fantasy experts" don't think they will or the other way around where you think a player will do poorly but the "experts" think they will do well, do what your gut is telling you. If this means starting Josh Gordon, by all means start him, but only if you have a good feeling about it. This is probably the riskiest strategy of the four if you are willing to go through with this and the end result turns out in your favor it really is a fantastic feeling.
-Stay trendy-This strategy involves looking at statistics as well as other news surrounding them and the team they play on. Look at the players last four games they have and ask yourself these questions:
-Has your player been getting more targets?
-Is your player on a touchdown streak?
-Has your player had improving numbers?
-Has the team your player is on made any big changes recently (people being benched, new coach (Offensive coordinator, Head Coach), injury news, suspension news, etc.)?
All of these are good questions to help you sort out who's trending upward or downward.All of these strategies can be used together too, so you don't have to go with just one strategy.
Here are some upward trending players in my book:
QB:
Phillip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger
Matt Ryan
Case Keenum
WR:
Josh Gordon
Keenan Allen
Jamison Crowder
Adam Thielen
Robby Anderson
Devin Funchess
RB:
Alex Collins
Tevin Coleman
Joe Mixon
Alvin Kamara
Dion Lewis
TE:
Jack Doyle
Hunter Henry
Delanie Walker
K:
Graham Gano
Will Lutz
Matt Bryant
Jake Elliot
D/ST:
Chargers
Eagles
Vikings
Jaguars
Patriots
Giants
***I would start any of the players listed above
.