ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: What is your best advice for the fantasy playoffs?
SAM HENDRICKS
Always ask why. Why are the rankings or projections for that player that amount? Is it too high or too low from what you think? Is it because outdoor weather plays a factor. Or is it a revenge game? Is the player trending up or down the past 3-4 weeks? Do they play better or worse at home or away? Is it because injuries to themself or a teammate affects their performance? If you can figure out why the numbers are what they are then and only then can you determine if they are right or fake news. This is especially important in "win and continue" playoff scenarios.
Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 30-year fantasy football veteran who participated in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). He won the Fantasy Index Open in 2013 and 2018.
MIKE NAZAREK
Always start your studs. And in the vast majority of cases, the weather is overrated.
Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc, celebrating 25 years online! His company offers a preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, a multi-use fantasy drafting program including auction values, weekly in-season newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site, www.ffmastermind.com. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is a four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. He's also won nearly $30K in recent seasons of the FFPC High Stakes Main Event. Nazarek can be reached via email at miken@ffmastermind.com.
DAVID DOREY
My advice is to remember that fantasy football is about having fun and interacting with a sport that we love. When you set your lineup, select the best options that you have. Think about each one, weigh your choices and then set the lineup. And whatever happens, let it be okay. Someone you picked will be a dud, someone on your bench will go off. But do not let that bother you. Be at peace that you made the best lineup you could at that time with everything you knew. Whatever happens, happens - do not let it get to you if you lose. And above all, if you do lose - go congratulate the winner. In the end, it's something that should be pleasure and a way to connect with others.
Dorey co-founded The Huddle.com in 1997. He's ranked every player and projected every game for the last 23 years and is the author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. David has appeared on numerous radio, television, newspaper and magazines over the last two decades.
IAN ALLAN
Stay true to your board. Trust your research. That is, nobody on my roster is guaranteed a starting spot, just because he’s been on my roster all year. The best eight guys are going to play. If that’s a guy you drafted, fine. But if it’s a player who’s available on the waiver wire, I’m not opposed to picking him up and playing job. Job is to maximize your score.
Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index magazine. He is a member of the FSGA’s Fantasy Sports Hall of Fame and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. He is an avid runner, swimmer and cyclist.
JASON WOOD
Assume you’re going to play in the Finals and scour the Week 17 schedule for easy to exploit matchups. Preemptively grabbing a DST or kicker now or adding the handcuff to your top playmaker could be the difference between eking out a title and going home without the trophy.
Wood is Senior Editor at Footballguys.com and has been with the company since its start in 2000. For more than 20 years, Footballguys has provided rankings, projections, and analysis to help fantasy managers dominate their leagues.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI
In most of my leagues, I would never roster two defenses in the early part of the season, but it's something I like to do at this time of year. Look ahead on the schedule, find a quarterback you can pick on. Even if you're merely blocking a good option from your future opponent, it's a prudent idea. I'll throw in a bonus tip, when it comes to weather, if you have to err on one side, err on the side of not taking it that seriously. Heavy wind is the enemy, but other weather conditions are generally overrated when it comes to their impact on fantasy production.
Pianowski has been with Yahoo Sports since 2008, covering a variety of sports. On the rare occasions when the computer is turned off, he enjoys word games, poker, music, film, game theory, and a variety of condiments. He lives in suburban Detroit. Pianowski was inducted into the FSWA Hall of Fame in 2021.
KEN HOLIZNA
Like every year this year has been unique. Lots of injuries, so many no name quarterbacks. It has been my general rule in the playoffs to dance with the people who got you there. This strategy lost me a playoff berth by someone desperate to win who picked up and played 3 free agents Zeke (27), Thielen (11.4), and Everett (13.9). This year don’t be loyal to the team you drafted over obvious streamers who are in better spots with schedule or role. As Coach Herm Edwards said “you play the game to win”. If you don’t win this week there is no next week. I have a ton more nuggets but we were asked to give one. Good luck with those lineups!
Holizna is a 29-year fantasy football enthusiast and founder of Faith-Family-Fantasy Football in 2019, a family-friendly, faith-based, G-rated fantasy football platform. Rankings contributor to the 2023 Fantasy Index magazine. Find him on Twitter @holihandicapper
ANDY RICHARDSON
There are two that come to mind, one I always adhere to and one that's new. The first is to make sure you can live with the decision you made if it blows up in your face. An example this year is Puka Nacua, who is the main reason I was even in the playoffs in my main league. I was wary of him against Baltimore last week, but I decided I couldn't mentally handle benching my MVP if he went off. I started him over a player ranked higher, and it worked out. Maybe this is just Don't bench your studs, but it felt like something more to stick with him. The new thought I have -- after starting the Packers defense everywhere last week and getting burned -- is that going forward, I'm going to be careful about getting too cute with defenses and kickers. There is so much randomness with those positions, at times, that getting too married to the idea of a great matchup over the more talented or productive group can be risky. I wish I'd just started my more talented Jets defense last week.
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.