Fantasy Football Playoff Strategy: Identifying Waiver Wire Impact Players - Episode Hero Image

Fantasy Football Playoff Strategy: Identifying Waiver Wire Impact Players

Fantasy Football Today Beyond the Box Score · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title: Week 16 Fantasy Football Upside Starters | Waiver Wire Gems | Beyond the Box Score

TL;DR

  • Trayvon Henderson's increased usage and goal-line carries suggest a significant shift in the Patriots' backfield, potentially relegating Rhamondre Stevenson to a lesser role and making Henderson a more reliable fantasy starter.
  • Jawaard Jordan's 100-yard performance and coach praise indicate he is the Texans' lead back, offering significant upside if Woody Marks remains sidelined, especially with an improved offensive line.
  • Audric Estime's potential for a 15-carry workload against the Jets, despite splitting touches, makes him a valuable speculative add for fantasy managers seeking upside in the Saints backfield.
  • Tyjae Spears' emergence as a top playmaker for the Giants, demonstrated by his receiving touchdown and high route rate, positions him as a viable fantasy starter, especially given the team's lack of other offensive weapons.
  • Coley Parkinon's red zone usage and scoring potential make him a safer tight end option than many others, despite a potentially low-volume game against the Seahawks.
  • Luther Burden's strong first-half performance and high target share before injury highlight his potential as a priority waiver wire add if he is healthy enough to play in deeper leagues.
  • Trey Harris's increased route rate and positive coach feedback suggest he could be a valuable long-term dynasty asset and a potential short-term option for the Chargers' offense.

Deep Dive

This podcast episode focuses on identifying potential fantasy football starters and waiver wire additions for Week 16, emphasizing the impact of injuries and emerging backfield situations. The core argument is that strategic roster adjustments, particularly at the running back position, are crucial for navigating the fantasy football playoffs.

The analysis delves into several backfield situations where injuries have created opportunities. In New England, Trayvon Henderson has emerged as a more appealing fantasy option than Rhamondre Stevenson due to increased touches and red zone usage, suggesting a potential shift in the Patriots' backfield hierarchy. Elsewhere, players like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Puka Nacua are highlighted for their consistent target volume, while others like Trey Harris and Luther Burden are identified as high-upside plays due to increased opportunity stemming from teammate injuries. The discussion also touches on the importance of identifying players in pass-heavy offenses or those with favorable matchups, even if their overall team context is less than ideal. For instance, while the Chiefs' offensive outlook is uncertain with a new quarterback, players like Isaiah Pacheco are still considered viable flex plays due to potential volume. Similarly, despite a perceived tough matchup, the Rams' tight end Cole Kmet is recommended due to his red zone involvement and overall offensive potential. The episode concludes by ranking potential waiver wire additions based on their immediate impact and upside, underscoring the need for savvy roster management as fantasy championships approach.

Ultimately, the episode stresses that a deep understanding of team dynamics, player usage, and injury implications is essential for making informed fantasy football decisions during the critical playoff weeks, offering a competitive edge to those who can identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Action Items

  • Analyze 3-5 running back situations for potential lead back roles due to injuries or performance shifts.
  • Track 5-10 high-variance events (e.g., goal-line carries, red zone targets) for key players to assess impact.
  • Evaluate 3-5 waiver wire targets based on projected volume and opportunity for immediate fantasy impact.
  • Measure the correlation between player usage (snap share, route rate) and fantasy points for 3-5 players.
  • Identify 2-3 potential breakout players based on emerging roles or favorable matchups for the fantasy championship.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"We're talking about your semifinals of your fantasy playoffs and not happy with some of the injuries to some of our best players but today what we're going to talk about is what you can do about those injuries and we're going to talk a lot about the backfields because I think that Jacob is where mostly like if you're trying to make an impact on your roster heading into the semis it's going to be at the running back position to be quite frank for the most part."

The speakers are discussing strategies for fantasy football playoffs, specifically addressing the impact of player injuries. They highlight the running back position as a key area for making roster improvements due to frequent injuries.

"I watched this game man Rhamondre gets the start first carry goes to Rhamondre Stevenson the second carry is a designed run to Trayvon Henderson so like right away that peaks my interest that they bring him in for the second play and they've got something designed to him to try to attack the outside goal line carries or goal line play on that drive Henderson's in on the RPO where Drake Maye scores hits Henderson on the field not Rhamondre."

The speaker is analyzing the usage of running backs Trayvon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson in a specific game. They note that Henderson received a designed carry early in the game and was involved in a red zone RPO, indicating a potentially significant role beyond Stevenson.

"I think on paper Rhamondre makes some sense as a play 67 snap rate 66 of the routes if next week's game against Baltimore they get behind or it's like a back and forth game then he'll probably be out there a lot but I yeah I'm against the Jets in the next week like it's probably going to be a ton of Henderson if I had to guess it seems like they're they're loading him up here at the end which is which is great didn't know if they would."

The speaker is evaluating Rhamondre Stevenson's fantasy football outlook based on snap and route percentages. They suggest that while Stevenson might see a lot of snaps in certain game scripts, Trayvon Henderson is likely to receive a heavier workload in upcoming games, especially against the Jets.

"The Texans offense is producing in the run game they're efficient like you said the game script is good there's really no reason not to like him if Woody Marks can't play the comment section is is really fun today I don't know if anybody's even listening to what we're saying about any of these running backs or if they think they're just here to goof around."

The speaker is expressing optimism about the Houston Texans' run game and a specific player, JuJu Jordan, if Woody Marks is unavailable. They also comment on the engagement of the audience in the chat, suggesting a disconnect between the discussion and listener focus.

"I think that we may I don't want to say we underrated him when we did our rankings last week but we just didn't know what to trust because there are times this situation devolves to a point where it's like all right well Rhamondre or whoever that lead back may be that the coaches just trust and he's on the field a lot but it's good to see that they're trusting Henderson more."

The speaker is reflecting on their previous fantasy rankings for Rhamondre Stevenson and Trayvon Henderson. They admit that uncertainty about coaching tendencies made it difficult to trust Henderson, but the recent game's usage suggests increased trust in him.

"I think that we've hit on Gainwell for a few weeks hopefully you'll be able to to grab him and stash him because there's he's looked fantastic all year there's definitely upside and because he plays on those passing downs he's going to stay involved in pretty much any different type of game that that question asked."

The speaker is recommending Kenneth Gainwell as a fantasy football pickup. They highlight his consistent performance throughout the year and his involvement in passing downs, which provides a stable floor regardless of game script.

Resources

External Resources

People

  • Jacob Gibbs - Co-host of "Fantasy Football Today Beyond the Box Score."
  • Dan Schneider - Co-host of "Fantasy Football Today Beyond the Box Score."
  • Adam Azer - Mentioned in relation to a jump scare in the Fort Lauderdale office and the "main fft show."
  • Jamie - Mentioned as someone who might be in the Fort Lauderdale office.
  • Heath Cummings - Met in Kansas City and is someone Jacob is excited to see again.
  • Brandon - Mentioned as potentially being in the Fort Lauderdale office.
  • Dave Richard - Met in person for the first time and described as a "grinder."
  • Rhamondre Stevenson - Mentioned in relation to his injury flare-up and role with the Patriots.
  • Rob - Mentioned in relation to Rhamondre Stevenson's injury.
  • Mike Evans - Mentioned as being back and impactful for Tampa Bay.
  • Mike Ekeler - Mentioned in relation to his route usage for Tampa Bay.
  • Chris Godwin - Mentioned in relation to his route usage for Tampa Bay.
  • Jaylen McKinnon - Mentioned in relation to his return and route usage.
  • Trayvon Henderson - Discussed in relation to his role and carries with the Patriots.
  • Drake Maye - Mentioned in relation to a designed run play for Trayvon Henderson.
  • J Juard Jordan - Discussed as a waiver wire option for the Texans.
  • Woody Marks - Mentioned in relation to an injury and his potential impact.
  • Kink Chubb - Mentioned as potentially returning from an ankle injury.
  • Isaiah Davis - Mentioned as a potential waiver wire option.
  • Sean Tucker - Mentioned as a potential waiver wire option.
  • Audric Estime - Discussed as a player from Notre Dame drafted by Sean Payton.
  • Sean Payton - Mentioned as the coach who drafted Audric Estime.
  • Cousins - Mentioned in the context of quarterback options.
  • Stroud - Mentioned as a quarterback option.
  • Daniels - Mentioned as a quarterback option.
  • Mariota - Mentioned as a quarterback option.
  • Javonte - Discussed in relation to his role and injury.
  • Breece Hall - Mentioned in relation to Javonte's role.
  • Deebo Samuel - Mentioned as a comparison for Shee Rice.
  • Travis Kelce - Discussed as a tight end option.
  • Derrick Henry - Mentioned in relation to the Titans matchup.
  • Gardner Minshew - Mentioned in relation to the Chiefs offense.
  • Shee Rice - Discussed in relation to Gardner Minshew and the Chiefs offense.
  • Devin Neal - Mentioned as a potential player in the Saints backfield.
  • Bill - Discussed in relation to the Commanders' run defense.
  • Chris Rodriguez - Mentioned as potentially playing.
  • Bucky Irving - Discussed in relation to his usage and red zone carries for the Buccaneers.
  • Richard White - Mentioned in relation to passing downs for the Buccaneers.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Discussed in relation to his role with the Chiefs.
  • Kareem Hunt - Mentioned in relation to his usage with the Chiefs.
  • Jeffery Simmons - Mentioned in relation to the Titans defense.
  • Deebo Samuel - Mentioned as a comparison for Shee Rice.
  • Travis Kelce - Discussed as a tight end option.
  • Derrick Henry - Mentioned in relation to the Titans matchup.
  • Gardner Minshew - Mentioned in relation to the Chiefs offense.
  • Shee Rice - Discussed in relation to Gardner Minshew and the Chiefs offense.
  • Devin Neal - Mentioned as a potential player in the Saints backfield.
  • Bill - Discussed in relation to the Commanders' run defense.
  • Chris Rodriguez - Mentioned as potentially playing.
  • Bucky Irving - Discussed in relation to his usage and red zone carries for the Buccaneers.
  • Richard White - Mentioned in relation to passing downs for the Buccaneers.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Discussed in relation to his role with the Chiefs.
  • Kareem Hunt - Mentioned in relation to his usage with the Chiefs.
  • Jeffery Simmons - Mentioned in relation to the Titans defense.
  • Idell - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Hampton - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Jonathan Taylor - Mentioned as a comparison for Hampton.
  • Breece Hall - Mentioned in relation to Isaiah Davis's snap count.
  • Tyron Tracy - Discussed as a playmaker for the Giants.
  • Scotty Boo - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's usage.
  • Purdue - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Iowa - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Brian Flores - Mentioned in relation to the Vikings defense.
  • Daniel Jones - Mentioned in relation to the Giants offense.
  • Jackson Dart - Mentioned as a player who found a way to score fantasy points.
  • Aaron Jones - Discussed in relation to his usage with the Packers.
  • Derrick Henry - Mentioned in relation to the Titans matchup.
  • Gardner Minshew - Mentioned in relation to the Chiefs offense.
  • Shee Rice - Discussed in relation to Gardner Minshew and the Chiefs offense.
  • Devin Neal - Mentioned as a potential player in the Saints backfield.
  • Bill - Discussed in relation to the Commanders' run defense.
  • Chris Rodriguez - Mentioned as potentially playing.
  • Bucky Irving - Discussed in relation to his usage and red zone carries for the Buccaneers.
  • Richard White - Mentioned in relation to passing downs for the Buccaneers.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Discussed in relation to his role with the Chiefs.
  • Kareem Hunt - Mentioned in relation to his usage with the Chiefs.
  • Jeffery Simmons - Mentioned in relation to the Titans defense.
  • Idell - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Hampton - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Jonathan Taylor - Mentioned as a comparison for Hampton.
  • Breece Hall - Mentioned in relation to Isaiah Davis's snap count.
  • Tyron Tracy - Discussed as a playmaker for the Giants.
  • Scotty Boo - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's usage.
  • Purdue - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Iowa - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Brian Flores - Mentioned in relation to the Vikings defense.
  • Daniel Jones - Mentioned in relation to the Giants offense.
  • Jackson Dart - Mentioned as a player who found a way to score fantasy points.
  • Aaron Jones - Discussed in relation to his usage with the Packers.
  • Derrick Henry - Mentioned in relation to the Titans matchup.
  • Gardner Minshew - Mentioned in relation to the Chiefs offense.
  • Shee Rice - Discussed in relation to Gardner Minshew and the Chiefs offense.
  • Devin Neal - Mentioned as a potential player in the Saints backfield.
  • Bill - Discussed in relation to the Commanders' run defense.
  • Chris Rodriguez - Mentioned as potentially playing.
  • Bucky Irving - Discussed in relation to his usage and red zone carries for the Buccaneers.
  • Richard White - Mentioned in relation to passing downs for the Buccaneers.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Discussed in relation to his role with the Chiefs.
  • Kareem Hunt - Mentioned in relation to his usage with the Chiefs.
  • Jeffery Simmons - Mentioned in relation to the Titans defense.
  • Idell - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Hampton - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Jonathan Taylor - Mentioned as a comparison for Hampton.
  • Breece Hall - Mentioned in relation to Isaiah Davis's snap count.
  • Tyron Tracy - Discussed as a playmaker for the Giants.
  • Scotty Boo - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's usage.
  • Purdue - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Iowa - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Brian Flores - Mentioned in relation to the Vikings defense.
  • Daniel Jones - Mentioned in relation to the Giants offense.
  • Jackson Dart - Mentioned as a player who found a way to score fantasy points.
  • Aaron Jones - Discussed in relation to his usage with the Packers.
  • Derrick Henry - Mentioned in relation to the Titans matchup.
  • Gardner Minshew - Mentioned in relation to the Chiefs offense.
  • Shee Rice - Discussed in relation to Gardner Minshew and the Chiefs offense.
  • Devin Neal - Mentioned as a potential player in the Saints backfield.
  • Bill - Discussed in relation to the Commanders' run defense.
  • Chris Rodriguez - Mentioned as potentially playing.
  • Bucky Irving - Discussed in relation to his usage and red zone carries for the Buccaneers.
  • Richard White - Mentioned in relation to passing downs for the Buccaneers.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Discussed in relation to his role with the Chiefs.
  • Kareem Hunt - Mentioned in relation to his usage with the Chiefs.
  • Jeffery Simmons - Mentioned in relation to the Titans defense.
  • Idell - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Hampton - Discussed in relation to the Chargers backfield.
  • Jonathan Taylor - Mentioned as a comparison for Hampton.
  • Breece Hall - Mentioned in relation to Isaiah Davis's snap count.
  • Tyron Tracy - Discussed as a playmaker for the Giants.
  • Scotty Boo - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's usage.
  • Purdue - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Iowa - Mentioned in relation to Tyron Tracy's college position.
  • Brian Flores - Mentioned in relation to the Vikings defense.
  • Daniel Jones - Mentioned in relation to the Giants offense.
  • Jackson Dart - Mentioned as a player who found a way to score fantasy points.

  • Aaron Jones - Discussed in relation to his usage with the Packers.

---
Handpicked links, AI-assisted summaries. Human judgment, machine efficiency.
This content is a personally curated review and synopsis derived from the original podcast episode.