We all know the feeling. It’s Monday night and you have a certain scenario you need to play out to win one (or more) of your fantasy matchups. Despite your fantasy football platform claiming you have a 35% chance of winning, it feels like you barely have a shot. At least once, you return from the bathroom hoping your starting wide received pulled in three catches for 50 yards in the time it took you to commit a drop of your own.
Every once in a while in this situation, your guy pulls it out. A late touchdown; a meaningless 15-yard catch inside two minutes with no timeouts and down by 12; a clock-killer inside run bounced outside for 11; the winning fantasy football play takes many forms. With four weeks having Monday Night doubleheaders in 2024 (Weeks 3, 4, 7, 15), we’re already ahead of schedule on amassing more Monday Night moments of fantasy football victory than ever before.
We’re also way ahead of schedule in amassing fantasy football trauma via unfulfilled paths to victory. That is a lot more common.
What a week to be an Eagles fan that inadvisably also drafted Saquon Barkley to their fantasy team. If you want a bad game to hurt twice as much, I recommend drafting your favorite team’s skill players on your fantasy team. I don’t believe Eagles fans do this a lot, though. Having lived periods of my fantasy-playing life in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, it seems like Patriots fans are the ones who most frequently stack their favorite team’s skill players on their fantasy team.
To be specific, I mostly saw that when the Patriots actually had skill players on their roster.
There’s still time for my Derrick Henry bold prediction to come true. Oof.
Ja’Marr Chase did help me win a Monday Night matchup. He owes me after that bold prediction I made about him, after all.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys exploding in the fourth quarter against the Ravens is a nice reminder you should turn your fantasy football emotions off from around 1:00 to 7:30 p.m. every Sunday.
I’m no scout, but he’s Zach “Stutter-Step” Charbonnet to me. It just seems like he takes too many steps for the yards he gets. Take that man’s Fitbit away.
Pardon if my Jets fandom is showing, but if Tim Boyle starts for the Dolphins in Week 4, you’d sooner find a dolphin in a landlocked lake on the Texas coast than in my starting lineup. Even if that Dolphin is Tyreek Hill.
Speaking of the Tutu Atwell factor, the ultimate Tutu Atwell this week was Jauan Jennings. He had the fourth-biggest bench-scoring week since I started tracking FGW in 2021. The only other players to soar off the bench to such a grand degree since 2021 are the Seattle Defense in Week 4 of 2023 (30 points at 0% started, 0.40 bFGW), Taysom Hill in Week 5 of 2022 (35.08 points as a 6% started tight end, 0.41 bFGW) and last season’s never-to-be-eclipsed De’Von Achane in Week 3 (49.3 points at 0% started, 0.48 FGW).
Turns out Cole Kmet had to have a few bad games to get out of fantasy starting lineups before he was comfortable performing again. The year-long bFGW champ wins the Cole Kmet Sand Worm, after all.
I am still 90% certain Tre Tucker was auto-generated when we let Madden franchise mode simulate the 2023 NFL Draft.
This is the End… My Only Friend, Tight End
Not to go unnoticed, but if you check the 2024 FGW Leaderboards, you’ll notice Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews are both in the bottom three for the season thus far. I can’t think of another time when the top two players at a position suddenly, at the same time, got old. It’s the real-life Matt Damon Private Ryan meme times two.
What to do? I guess we should check the wisdom of those who foretold of this event. Let’s see what Jim Morrison had to say in Verse 2 of The End…
Can you picture what will be? So limitless and free. Desperately in need of some stranger’s hand in a desperate land.
Stranger’s hand? Desperate land? You heard the man, Brenton Strange to the moon.
Identifying the right buy-low and sell-high trade candidates is crucial to staying ahead of your league. In this article, we dive into the top trade targets for Week 3, with insights and recommendations from Featured Pros analysts. Whether you’re looking to capitalize on a player’s early-season breakout or snag a struggling star, these tips will help you maximize your team’s potential moving forward.
Week 3 Trade Candidates: Buy Low
Who is your favorite buy-low trade candidate at this point in the season, and why? Also, who are you willing to give up for him?
“If I’m buying low today, I’m targeting Jayden Reed. We know the talent he possesses and we know that Jordan Love is targeting him often when he’s in the lineup. Christian Watson has become an afterthought in Green Bay’s offense, while Romeo Doubs is the only consistent threat to Reed’s target share. We know Reed is even more efficient with Love, who is due back from injury soon, and his two touches per week in the run game also help to balance his floor. Finally, the Packers’ schedule looks really friendly all year long, so I’m paying up for Reed now after two down weeks. I’ll send Najee Harris or George Pickens (or Brian Thomas if you want a non-Steeler sell option) to acquire him.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)
“Jayden Reed was the most targeted player for the Packers in Week 3, securing four of six targets for 50 yards (32% target share). The Packers had to transform their identity on offense when Jordan Love got hurt. But he is expected to return in Week 4, and that makes all Packers WRs great buy-low targets. Reed is my favorite, as he looks like the clear target leader in the offense, boasting a team-high 21% target share this year. The Packers will play the Vikings, Rams, and Cardinals in their next three contests. Sell Michael Pittman Jr., Deebo Samuel, Jaylen Waddle, or D.J. Moore for the Packers’ starting slot WR.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“After this week, I’ll be attempting to trade for Brandon Aiyuk everywhere I possibly can. He remains one of the best wide receivers in the NFL despite his slow start. This week won’t be any kinder to him with a possible Christian Gonzalez shadow, but Aiyuk’s talent remains. Among 106 qualifying receivers, he ranks third in separation score and first in route win rate (per Fantasy Points Data). I’m willing to try to acquire him for a low-end RB2 or in a 2-for-2 trade where I can send a wide receiver and a running back where maybe I tier down at running back slightly but get a tier up at wide receiver.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“Over the offseason, Drake London’s value peaked as high as WR10 on keeptradecut.com but has now plummeted to WR17. Falcons quarterbacks averaged 15.5 completions per game in 2023, hampering London’s ability to break out, but Kirk Cousins is averaging 20 in each of his last two games, and as he gets healthier, don’t be surprised to see London trend upwards. If you’re a contender and can give up a potentially late 1st and late 2nd, that’s a good deal.”
– Tom Strachan (NFL Best Ball)
“I’m looking to target Tyreek Hill in trade discussions even though the offense is clearly in disarray without Tua Tagovailoa. Hill has only had six receptions for 64 yards in the past two weeks. This is trusting that Head Coach Mike McDaniel will scheme touches for Hill going forward. I’d try to take advantage of Drake London‘s last two weeks with touchdowns and move him.”
– Corey Pieper (Fantasy Six Pack)
“After a rough start to the season by his high standards, expect a monster CeeDee Lamb Thursday night versus the Giants. Lamb has not posted more than 20 points in half-PPR scoring as of yet, but that will change. Lamb has drawn some tough WR-CB matchups to start the season and now gets a reprieve in the form of a Giants secondary that allowed Cleveland Browns WR1 Amari Cooper to score twice on them a week ago. An offer around Chris Olave could be enough to make a Lamb manager bite.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Bijan Robinson has been solid but not quite the star many expected (current RB15 in Half-PPR). The entire Falcons offense, including Drake London and Kyle Pitts, hasn’t met expectations. The good news? The Falcons have one of the easiest schedules ahead, especially after week 10, which should lead to more carries and opportunities for Robinson to shine down the stretch. I’d give up JT, Gibbs, Kyren, King Henry, Rashee Rice, or Malik Nabers to land him.”
– Francisco (Chato) Romero (Estadio Fantasy)
“Anthony Richardson is the ultimate boom-or-bust fantasy football quarterback. He had an outstanding Week 1, totaling 26.1 fantasy points on only nine pass competitions and six rushing attempts. Unfortunately, fantasy players have seen his extremely low floor over the past two weeks, with Richardson completing 50% of his pass attempts for 185.5 yards, 0.5 touchdowns, and 7.5 fantasy points per game. He has struggled to protect the ball, throwing five interceptions over the past two weeks against two talented defenses. Thankfully, Richardson has fantasy-friendly matchups ahead after Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Furthermore, he faces the Houston Texans in Week 8 after dropping 26 fantasy points against them earlier this season. I would try to flip a red-hot quarterback like Sam Darnold or Justin Fields and a bench player for Richardson.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Rhamondre Stevenson could have single-handedly cost teams a chance at a victory in Week 3 with his six rushes for 23 yards and 0 receptions. Owners are bound to be angry with him, but remember, this is the same player who averaged 23 carries for 100 yards in the previous two weeks. Trade for him while he is low, and the 49ers defense is on the horizon in exchange for players such as Chuba Hubbard, Aaron Jones, Najee Harris, Rhashaad White, or others who could lose committee work. He can’t play the Jets every week, and that will help owners when he explodes and carries them into the playoffs.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
“I’m buying low on Josh Jacobs. Week 4 was abysmal for Jacobs and the Green Bay offense without Jordan Love, but once Love can return to the Packers lineup, he will be all-systems go once again. He is one of the few legitimate workhorse running backs left in the league, and his guaranteed volume in a high-scoring offense makes him a locked-in top-12 running back. James Conner, Ken Walker, and Travis Etienne are just a few of the running backs I would trade away straight up to acquire Jacobs.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Football Universe)
“Hopefully you bought Ja’Marr Chase and Jayden Reed already, their buy-low windows have closed. Travis Kelce has disappointed all season, but has a juicy matchup this week against the Chargers. Anyone that drafted Kelce used a high draft pick on him and is likely in need of a win. Take advantage before he has a big game and it could be this week. We know how important it is to have a game changer at tight end of the playoffs. Get Kelce before he gets to play the great matchups inside their division.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Week 3 Trade Candidates: Sell High
Who is your favorite sell-high candidate at this point in the season, and why? Also, who would you try to get in return?
“Right now, I’d be shopping Stefon Diggs. His standing as WR13 in fantasy is likely to fade as Tank Dell rebounds. He may continue to produce, but more at a WR2/3 pace this season. I’d be looking to get a low-end RB2 in return, like Brian Robinson Jr. or Devin Singletary.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“Stefon Diggs had a big Week 3 with 10 catches for 94 yards against his former team, but there are some red flags. Nico Collins is emerging, and Tank Dell could (and will) take more targets soon. The Texans might also lean more on the run once Joe Mixon returns. While he’s still a key player, sharing touches seems likely as the season progresses. If I could get LaPorta, Bowers, or even Scary Terry in return, I’d gladly pull the trigger.”
– Francisco (Chato) Romero (Estadio Fantasy)
“In dynasty leagues, yes, Sam Darnold is off to a remarkable start this year with the fourth-most QB fantasy points through three games, but let’s not forget this is the scheme that made Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens look like viable starters for a period of time. Darnold’s contract is a one-year deal, and if he lands in a less QB-friendly scheme next year, then it’s easy to see his value start to plummet quickly. Anything close to a 1st would be a great return unless you drastically need Darnold to compete this year.”
– Tom Strachan (NFL Best Ball)
“Jauan Jennings is coming off the biggest wide receiver game of the season with his 11 receptions, 175 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Eventually, the typical 49ers playmakers- George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and hopefully Christian McCaffrey– will be back. Plus, Brandon Aiyuk will get up to speed after his holdout. We’ve seen what Jennings has done in the offense when everyone else is healthy. I’d love to see if I could move him for one of the slow-starting tight ends, such as Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce.”
– Corey Pieper (Fantasy Six Pack)
“Jauan Jennings is an obvious sell-high candidate. Yet, I would do everything possible to get him off my roster within the next week. The veteran scored 41 half-point PPR fantasy points in Week 3, accounting for 75.1% of his season total. While he won’t have three receiving touchdowns again in Week 4, Jennings has a fantasy-friendly matchup against the New England Patriots. However, fantasy players should get him off their roster no later than early next week. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle should return to the lineup soon, plus Ricky Pearsall can make his NFL debut as early as Week 5. I would try to flip Jennings for a wide receiver with more season-long appeal who is coming off a poor performance, like Rashid Shaheed or Jaxon Smith-Njigba.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Jauan Jennings is the ultimate sell-high. After putting up a massive game in Week 3 that saw him total 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, there is nowhere to go but down. Waiver wires everywhere went berserk this week, clamoring to obtain Jennings, and if you are one of the managers that was lucky enough to win him, quickly flip him for a long-term player. Jennings has put up his best game of the season, and maybe his career, and if you can find a fantasy manager who is willing to give up something for him because they believe George Kittle and Deebo Samuel will be out long-term, you should do so. I would give up any receiver that I think can be a solid WR3 which includes Diontae Johnson, Jameson Williams, and pretty much any of the Green Bay receivers.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Football Universe)
“This might be the perfect time to get out on Derrick Henry if managers have any concerns about the Baltimore offense. After he just about single handedly won the game for Baltimore last week at Dallas with over 150 yards and two scores, Derrick Henry could be an intriguing sell. For one, Henry carries incredible name value, given his stunning reputation. Second, there is a recency bias after his massive game last week. Derrick Henry managers should not be selling for the sake of selling, but if an offer comes in that includes someone such as Jahmyr Gibbs or A.J. Brown, those managers should not think twice about dealing The King.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“I’m looking to sell Kyren Williams after a surprisingly massive performance against the 49ers front. Kyren looked awesome this week, and his usage was phenomenal as he boasted 26 touches. But there is no way defenses continue to allow the Rams to get away with this, given their lack of threats in the receiving game. Also, LA is unlikely to score 3 TDs in a game until their stud WRs return, let alone having one player score 3 TDs by himself. This game was the best Kyren should see in a while if not all season, so I’ll sell him to a manager who thinks this is Williams’ weekly output going forward. I’d happily take Jahmyr Gibbs, Alvin Kamara, or Garrett Wilson in return for Kyren right now.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)
“Kyren Williams led the Rams rushing attack with 24 carries for 89 yards averaging 3.7 yards per carry with three total touchdowns, playing 90% of the snaps. It was an unbelievable effort from the Rams RB, akin to a lot of his production last season. Still, the long-term outlook with the Rams is concerning, given the status of the OL. I think the safe move is to just cash out after a three-TD game that could easily be Williams’ peak performance of 2024. The Bears’ defense on the road could be a much tougher challenge in Week 4. And Williams has not been efficient as a rusher this season. He’s in the bottom 10 in rushing yards above expectation per attempt (-0.9) this season. Acquire James Cook, Joe Mixon, A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, De’Von Achane, or Tyreek Hill while selling high on Williams.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“Chuba Hubbard had an AMAZING Week 3 with 114 rushing yards and five catches for 55 yards! Nothing screams sell high like a running back with a looming player returning (Jonathon Brooks) after a HUGE week! Hubbard will help your team until he becomes a committee back with Brooks. Sell him while he is hot for players who will be leaders or the bigger part of their committee for the entire season, like Aaron Jones, Kenneth Walker III, or David Montgomery.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
“J.K. Dobbins is the definition of a sell high for me. The player has massively outperformed his role so far this season. Dobbins is RB33 in expected points per game with 9..6. Currently is the RB14 in PPG with 16.0. It is incredibly difficult for a player to split work, evidenced by Dobbins’s 48% opportunity share, who also lacks high-end receiving upside to play this efficiently week in and week out. In week 3, we saw Dobbins come back down to earth with 6.9 half PPR points. I would expect Dobbins to finish the season as a backend RB2. If you can pivot into Brandon Aiyuk or Chris Olave, I would happily make that move.”
– Jesse Moeller (Fantasy Football Universe)
“Dallas Goedert erupted in Week 3 and likely had his best performance of the season. The tight-end landscape is brutal this week with all of the injuries. We also have a lot of the top guys like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and others who are underperforming. Goedert is currently the #2 Tight End, according to the ECR. There is a good chance he wasn’t even your starting tight end. Flip him while his stock is as high as it can get before Smith and Brown return. A desperate 0-3 or 1-2 team might be willing to pay top dollar right now.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Justin Jones will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after suffering a torn triceps Sunday in a Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Cardinals signed Naquan Jones to the roster to fill the void with Justin Jones placed on injured reserve. The 26-year-old Naquan Jones played in four games for Arizona last season and was signed off the Miami Dolphins practice squad.
Justin Jones was Arizona’s top free-agent addition this offseason as the team attempted to shore up its depth on the defensive line.
He reportedly inked a three-year, $30.1 million deal with $19.8 million of that guaranteed.
The veteran recorded one tackle before going down Sunday, which brought his tackle tally to four on the year. He had a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
The now-28-year-old started every game for the Bears the past two seasons, a reason the Cardinals pursued he and fellow free agent Bilal Nichols. Jones posted 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 17 QB hits in 2023.
Through three weeks with Arizona, Jones was the most-used defensive lineman with 100 snaps (54.5% of those available).
What is the Cardinals’ defensive line depth chart look like after Justin Jones’ injury?
With starting spots up for grabs, Arizona signed Jones and Nichols and also drafted the more versatile Darius Robinson in the first round.
Robinson injured his calf before the start of the season, and the team entered Week 1 with the veterans starting along with nose tackle Roy Lopez.
Robinson will miss a minimum of one more game on Sunday at home against the Washington Commanders. He is eligible to return off injured reserve for an Oct. 6 game at the San Francisco 49ers.
That leaves Nichols, L.J. Collier and second-year pro Dante Stills to work at defensive tackle this coming week. Lopez and Khyiris Tonga have played at nose tackle, though the latter suffered a knee injury in the Detroit game.
Stills, who was limited throughout the last week of practice with a shoulder injury, was a healthy scratch in Week 2 in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
He was quiet in 25 snaps in Week 1 but was busy against the Lions on Sunday, posting six tackles, including a sack.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Adrian Del Castillo and pitcher Yilber Diaz have been named to Baseball America’s minor league first and second All-Star teams, respectively.
With Triple-A Reno, Del Castillo has hit .312 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs with a 1.002 OPS. Baseball America notes that Del Castillo, who leads the Triple-A level in OPS and is fifth in home runs, has been one of the best players in the Pacific Coast League in 2024.
Del Castillo scuffled at Miami in his draft year of 2021 and for two seasons in the D-backs’ system. That tide began to turn this season, when everything clicked for the 24-year-old left-handed hitter in the Pacific Coast League. Del Castillo led the minor leagues with a .603 slugging percentage and 1.002 OPS and also finished fourth with 65 extra-base hits despite spending more than a month in the big leagues, where he filled in for an injured Gabriel Moreno.
Del Castillo made his MLB debut on Aug. 7 versus the Cleveland Guardians, where he got his first career major league hit.
He would get his first career home run two days later in dramatic fashion, hitting a three-run, walk-off homer against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 25 games played with the D-backs, he hit .313 with four home runs and 19 RBIs with a .893 OPS.
He platooned with Jose Herrera at the starting catcher position before being sent down on Sept. 16 after Gabriel Moreno was reinstated from the injured list.
With Triple A-Reno, Diaz has a 3-4 record with a 3.22 ERA, 63 strikeouts and a 1.29 WHIP.
Diaz made his MLB debut on July 8.
In six games pitched with the D-backs, Diaz has a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA with 18 strikeouts and a 1.32 WHIP.
After a loss to the Kansas City Royals on July 28, Diaz was sent down back to Triple-A but was brought back to the majors on Sept. 12, where he has pitched out of the bullpen.
Baseball America’s minor league All-Stars at every level include a current D-backs prospect and a former one
Diamondbacks prospect Demetrio Crisantes, who split the year with the Single-A Visalia Rawhide and Arizona Complex League team, made Baseball America’s low-A All-Star team at second base.
Former Arizona prospect Deyvison De Los Santos made the Double-A team for the publication at first base for his time under the D-backs’ umbrella. He spent much of the year at two lower levels with Arizona’s organization before being dealt to the Miami Marlins in the A.J. Puk trade.
De Los Santos posted a .372 average and 1.12 OPS with Double-A Amarillo before he was promoted to Triple-A.
He was then in the trade to the Miami Marlins organization and cooled off to bat .240 with a .743 OPS in 50 games with Triple-A Jacksonville.
Tonight’s MLB DFS main slate at DraftKings and FanDuel has 10 games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. The suggested player props at Sleeper and Underdog are also from the 10-game slate.
A head coach’s ability to adjust and adapt over the course of a game, season and career usually determines how much success he has. Some coaches are more rigid and stuck in their ways, even when the rest of the NFL catches up to them.
Sean McVay is not one of those coaches and we only have to go back to Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers to see why. It’s fair to say that game was one of McVay’s best ever as an NFL head coach.
It’s not just that the Rams beat their biggest rivals as sizable underdogs. It’s not just that they overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. And it’s not just that the win prevented the Rams from falling to 0-3.
It was how they got the job done, largely thanks to McVay’s willingness to make major changes in the face of adversity.
Let’s start with the most obvious change, which came on offense. After running 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, 3 WRs) on every offensive snap in their first two games, the Rams came out in 12 personnel (one RB, two TEs, two WRs) on the opening snap against San Francisco. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers probably had a feeling the Rams might utilize their tight ends more with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp out, but perhaps not to the extent that LA did.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams used 12 personnel on 25 of their 56 snaps against the 49ers. So they went from using 11 personnel 100% of the time in the first two games to just 55% of the time against San Francisco. They ran the ball 56% of the time on those 25 snaps, gaining 60 yards on 14 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt.
On their 12 carries from 11 personnel, they gained just 38 yards, an average of 3.2 yards per carry, so it’s clear they had more success when Colby Parkinson and Hunter Long were on the field as blockers in the run game.
McVay didn’t have to make this change to 12 personnel, but he recognized that it gave the Rams their best chance to win. The reason he can lean so heavily on 11 personnel is that Kupp and Nacua are terrific blockers, almost operating as tight ends in the run game. As good as Jordan Whittington is, the Rams can’t get the same blocking effectiveness out of their wide receivers in the run game that they can with Kupp and Nacua.
McVay recognized that and turned to Long in 12 personnel, turning Sunday’s game into a ground-and-pound attack on offense. Despite the Rams falling behind 14-0 and eventually 24-14, they never abandoned the run, handing the ball off 26 total times in the win – more than even the run-heavy 49ers, who attempted just 24 rushes with their running backs on 65 total plays.
Moving forward, the Rams are likely to keep using a healthy dose of 12 personnel while Kupp and Nacua are sidelined after finding success on Sunday.
“I think that’s going to have to be something that we’re going to continuously have to do because these circumstances are different than anything that we’ve gone through,” McVay said Sunday about the possibility of continuing to use 12 personnel. “I think it’s a real credit to the coaches. … All these guys that are doing a great job and it’s a tremendous tribute to those assistant coaches and then ultimately the players being able to step up and deliver in these moments out here. We’ll have to continuously do that.”
Aside from that huge shift in offensive mindset, McVay also did an excellent job situationally as a coach. Sometimes on the more conservative end when it comes to fourth-down decisions, McVay was actually aggressive in this game, knowing how important it was for the Rams to win.
On fourth-and-6 from their own 43-yard line while trailing 14-0 in the first half, McVay called a fake punt and it worked to perfection as Ronnie Rivers picked up 7 yards after taking the direct snap.
That was a turning point in the game, something 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged afterwards.
“I thought also we had a number of times in the game, we had opportunities to run away with it especially early in the game, that 14-point lead,” he said. “Hadn’t really moved the ball on our ‘D’ and it started with that fake punt. I think after that, I feel like (Stafford) went like eight of his next 10 or something like that so that got them back in the game.”
The second fourth-down picked up by the Rams was when they were trailing 24-14 with 7:58 left in the game and rather than settling for a short field goal, McVay put the ball in Kyren Williams’ hands and he picked up 3 yards to move the chains. They didn’t turn that into a touchdown and still took three points with a field goal, but it was a sign of McVay’s confidence in the offense, which was encouraging to see.
On special teams, McVay finally bailed on the experiment of having Williams return punts after two quiet weeks in that department. He elevated Xavier Smith from the practice squad and put the second-year receiver in the biggest spot of his career right away.
Smith took over as the team’s punt returner and with 55 seconds left, he got his first official NFL touch: a 38-yard punt return to set the Rams up from midfield, only needing a field goal to win.
That adjustment made by McVay might be the difference in being 0-3 or 1-2. No disrespect to Williams, but there’s a good chance he would’ve fair-caught that punt and given the Rams the ball at the 12 with no timeouts left and under a minute. And if he did try to return it, he probably doesn’t pick up as many yards as the speedy Smith.
Xavier Smith with a huge punt return for the Rams!
McVay’s willingness to recognize that something wasn’t working helped the Rams in a huge way. And now moving forward, he’s going to stick with Smith as the punt returner.
“He’ll continue to be the punt returner, if that’s what you’re asking. He did a good job,” McVay told reporters. “He had two ‘ops’ yesterday, one fair catch and then one big return that’s obviously well-documented. He’s really put a lot of work in. It’s a cool reflection of the work paying off, him continuing to just stay steady, and then being able to have the opportunity to deliver in an important moment for the team. He will be the punt returner moving forward. Happy for ‘X’.”
McVay has coached in a lot of big games and has a lot of impressive wins on his resume, including a Super Bowl victory, but this was one of his best-coached games ever.
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Once your fantasy football team is drafted, the work is not over. Successful in-season management is crucial to a winning fantasy football season. Here are some tips to help you manage your team effectively throughout the season:
Stay up to date on player news
Keep track of player injuries, suspensions, and other news that may impact their performance. This will help you make informed decisions about which players to start each week.
Monitor the waiver wire
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and be ready to pick up players who may be undervalued or overlooked by other teams. This can provide valuable depth to your roster. Use our waiver wire assistant to view optimal lineups, waiver and trade suggestions, and league analysis.
Analyze matchups
Analyze the upcoming matchups for your players and opponents to determine which players to start in your lineup each week. Look for favorable matchups and take into account the strength of the opposing team’s defense.
Stay active in trades
Be open to trading players with other teams if it will benefit your team. Analyze the potential impact of a trade before making a decision and negotiate with other teams to find a mutually beneficial agreement.
Be prepared for bye weeks
Plan ahead for bye weeks by having backup players ready to fill in for your starters. Avoid having too many players with the same bye week, which can leave your team short-handed.
Don’t overreact to one bad week
Avoid overreacting to one bad week of performance by a player. Take a long-term view of their performance and evaluate their potential moving forward.
Continuously evaluate your roster
Continuously evaluate your roster throughout the season and make adjustments as needed. Be willing to drop underperforming players or make changes to your lineup if necessary.
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate ofFantasy Football Toolsas you navigate your season. From ourTrade Analyzer– which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – to ourWaiver Wire Assistant– that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
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