Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Week 8 has come and gone, leaving just five more weeks for most fantasy football leagues. This week’s column is going to be shorter than usual and it also targets a specific group of fantasy owners: owners whose teams are at 8-0, 7-1, and 6-2. Basically, this column is for owners who have pretty much locked up a playoff spot already. To those of you at or below .500 (like Bruno Boys Ziza), this column isn’t going to help you as much as my previous columns have. If your team is sitting at 8-0, 7-1, or 6-2, you have an incredible advantage and opportunity you may not realize. While your opponents are fighting for a playoff spot, you can start preparing for the playoffs and laying the groundwork for a championship run. Do not underestimate the advantage and edge this gives you. Failure to capitalize on the advantage and opportunity presented to you could result in a frustrating finish to your fantasy football season. 

Please Note: This column assumes your league playoffs run Weeks 14-16, as most leagues do.

  1.  Look for ways to improve your team.

This may sound really basic, but its not. When I talk about improving your team, most fantasy owners seem to think I’m only referring to their starting lineup. I want you to try and upgrade your backups and now is the perfect time. I know those players don’t seem to be important, but should one of your starters suffer an unfortunate injury in the next five weeks (and it happens every year), you’ll be glad you did. Fantasy teams with a lot of talent make the playoffs. Fantasy teams with a lot of depth win the championships. NFL teams are constantly looking to upgrade at every position on their 52 man roster. It should be no different with your fantasy football team.

  2. Now is the time to get players with favorable matchups in Week 14-16.

Fantasy owners are told every preseason to give extra value in their draft or auction to players with weak matchups in Weeks 14-16. This is some of the worst advice given by fantasy “experts” every season and one of many draft day myths I’ll be dispelling in a column next preseason. This advice is flawed for two huge reasons:

  A. Favorable matchups in Weeks 14-16 mean absolutely nothing if your team doesn’t make the playoffs.
  B. How can we possibly predict in July or August what teams will be weak matchups in December?

With only five weeks to play and your playoff spot seemingly locked up, now is the time to use accurate, up to date information to acquire players with favorable matchups during your league playoffs. Please note that I’m not telling you to completely overhaul your team with players who have ideal matchups in Weeks 14-16. The point I’m trying to make is when you’re preparing and improving your team for a championship run, players with weak matchups during your league playoffs should be given extra consideration. If you’re upgrading your bench positions and you think two players are a toss up, tend to take the player with the better matchups in Weeks 14-16. This year is much easier than normal because there are so many pathetic teams. Because I’m such a nice guy, here are the teams with the best matchups during your league playoffs: Buffalo, New Orleans, Kansas City, Miami, New York Jets, Arizona, and New England.

  3. Do not forget about or underestimate the weather.

One of my favorite lines I hear from fantasy football owners every year has to be, “Had I known that Eli Manning was going to be playing in a snowstorm, I would have started Carson Palmer this week.” Don’t be that guy. Follow and respect weather reports. The weather changes game plans and it definitely affects player performance. Please note, however, that I’m not advising you to bench Tom Brady and start David Garrard because there’s a 30% chance of snow in Foxboro. I’m advising you to be aware of the weather reports, the predicted severity, and whether or not one of your other options might be a better play that week because of it. Don’t kid yourself either. Most quarterbacks aren’t going to put up the kind of numbers Brady did in the snow a few weeks ago.

  4. Don’t get cute and don’t do anything stupid.

If your team is at 8-0, 7-1, or 6-2, you don’t need to take any unnecessary risks right now. Obviously, what you’ve done so far seems to be working pretty well. Don’t try to fix what isn’t broke. We’re trying to improve our team and set up a championship run with calculated baby steps, not blind running leaps. Now, if you’ve got a team like Bruno Boys Ziza, it’s already broken so it’s not like its going to get any worse. So have at it… J

Failure to utilize the advantage and edge presented to you will result in a disappointing finish to your fantasy football season. Keep these four things in mind and you’ll be in a position to make a championship run in your fantasy league. Well, that’s it for this week. I told you it would be short and sweet and I’m a man of my word. Since everyone always asks, I’ll just tell you that my team is now 7-0-1 in the Bruno Boys Staff League. Yes, a Week 7 tie ruined my shot at a perfect season. Special thanks for that goes out to Ahmad Bradshaw’s fumble (-1 point) and Brent Celek’s failure to show up on Monday Night (0 points). Bruno Boys Ziza, my partner in crime, has really come on as of late and is lurking at 2-6. To the best of my knowledge, Z and I will be running another Live Q&A over the weekend. Stay tuned for more information because you’re not going to want to miss it. It is always a fun and lively discussion. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Best of luck this week and I hope you’re able to stop by the Live Q&A this weekend.

Week 9 Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF    (click to read)

Week 9 Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  | SIT ‘EM    (click to read)

Week 9 Waiver Wire Advice:  PICK THEM UP  |  CUT THEM LOOSE    (click to read)

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