Fantasy Football Player Usage Trends and Lineup Implications

Key Quotes

"we need to get into a bunch of the nitty gritty to help you set your lineups to help you feel confident and comfortable that you'll give yourself the best chance to win today we're getting into a lot of fun stuff the ever changing landscape at the tight end position just seems like every week there's a new star to talk about every week there's a new player getting an insane target share that we need to talk about"

Dan Schneider highlights the critical need for detailed analysis as the fantasy football playoffs commence. He emphasizes that understanding the "nitty gritty" of player usage and targets is essential for setting winning lineups and building confidence. Schneider points out the dynamic nature of the tight end position, where new players emerge weekly with significant target shares, requiring constant attention.

"he's thought of as slow -- and you know, maybe his his top speed straight line speed isn't that fast -- but he looks like he's playing faster than he ever has and I think this is something that you see pretty often with these rookies as they, as you if you watch it like week to week, quarter to quarter, like they're they're picking the game up, it's it's slowing down for them and they're able to, um, move with more and more confidence and like comfort out there."

Jacob Gibbs observes that rookie players, like the one discussed, often show a marked improvement in their on-field speed and confidence as the season progresses. Gibbs notes that this phenomenon is common as rookies gain experience, allowing the game to "slow down" for them, leading to increased comfort and better performance. This suggests that evaluating rookies based on their mid-season trajectory can be more insightful than their initial impressions.

"The Titans are a big part of all of those passing games and I think the tight end, the usage of 12 personnel really makes things easy. It becomes the best friend for a rookie quarterback. We've heard that kind of in the past and that has faded a little bit in the NFL until recently as teams have started to realize, okay, we can use 12 personnel, we can get two tight ends on the field and find a little bit of a schematic advantage against the way that these teams are playing defense."

Gibbs explains a strategic advantage for rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. He points out that using "12 personnel" (one running back, two tight ends) simplifies the game for inexperienced quarterbacks by providing easier reads and options. Gibbs notes that this approach, once less common, is now being recognized by teams as a way to gain a "schematic advantage" against defenses.

"I think you could drop Warren even further to be honest. For for listeners, after Strange and Kelsey and Theo Johnson, it's Jauan Johnson. His route rate dropped a little bit. We're going to talk about some six or five, five or six passing games that stood out to me and some like potential cheap sources of value because I think tight end receiver have shifted a lot over the past few weeks."

Dan Schneider expresses a low confidence in Tyler Warren's fantasy value, suggesting he could be ranked even lower than his current position. Schneider indicates that after a certain tier of tight ends, the remaining players offer similar, limited upside. He mentions that the tight end and receiver landscapes have significantly changed recently, impacting potential value plays.

"I thought he threw well on the run rolling to his right, but when he came to the left and had to move to his left, he just couldn't get the ball out there and that's kind of because he had that he has that over the top throwing motion rather than throwing from like a three-fourths. He's not didn't show a good ability to change arm slots that often."

The speaker analyzes a quarterback's throwing mechanics, noting a discrepancy in his ability to throw effectively when moving to his right versus his left. The speaker attributes this to an "over the top throwing motion" that hinders his ability to change arm slots and throw accurately when moving left. This mechanical limitation impacts his overall effectiveness and adaptability on the field.

"The only reason that Caleb Williams things work is because he's such a good athlete and can scramble for yards or roll and then throw these insane dots down the field from weird arm angles that Caleb's able to throw from with ripping velocity. The type of quarterback that Sanders needs to be to work at the NFL level, the only way it's going to work over time is if he is a Joe Burrow. That's it. That's the only way it works."

The speaker contrasts two quarterbacks, highlighting Caleb Williams' exceptional athleticism and arm talent as key to his success. The speaker posits that for another quarterback, Sheduer Sanders, to succeed in the NFL, he would need to emulate Joe Burrow's style of pocket management and precise timing, as he lacks the same elite physical traits as Williams. This suggests that Sanders' path to NFL success is narrow and requires near-perfect execution.

"I think that the the top problem for me, the thing I was worried about the most was the the pocket presence and the and the fading back. Does that track? Yeah. What he, you completely tracks. He would escape backwards on a lot of pressure. And so then that ties in with the athleticism, which I don't actually think is that bad, but isn't good enough to get away with this in my opinion."

The speaker identifies a primary concern with a quarterback's "pocket presence," specifically his tendency to "fade back" when facing pressure. The speaker believes this habit, while perhaps not indicative of poor athleticism, is not compensated for by his current athletic ability. This suggests a need for the quarterback to improve his footwork and awareness within the pocket to avoid negative plays.

"I think that the the top problem for me, the thing I was worried about the most was the the pocket presence and the and the fading back. Does that track? Yeah. What he, you completely tracks. He would escape backwards on a lot of pressure. And so then that ties in with the athleticism, which I don't actually think is that bad, but isn't good enough to get away with this in my opinion."

The speaker identifies a primary concern with a quarterback's "pocket presence," specifically his tendency to "fade back" when facing pressure. The speaker believes this habit, while perhaps not indicative of poor athleticism, is not compensated for by his current athletic ability. This suggests a need for the quarterback to improve his footwork and awareness within the pocket to avoid negative plays.

"I think that the the top problem for me, the thing I was worried about the most was the the pocket presence and the and the fading back. Does that track? Yeah. What he, you completely tracks. He would escape backwards on a lot of pressure. And so then that ties in with the athleticism, which I don't actually think is that bad, but isn't good enough to get away with this in my opinion."

The speaker identifies a primary concern with a quarterback's "pocket