Redraft FF Playoffs - who to target NOW (1 Viewer)

It's not too early to start looking toward the playoffs in redrafts.  

Who are the players we might look to target in trades who have favorable schedules in weeks 13-17?  (I threw out 13-17 because some leagues will have playoffs weeks 13 and 17, though most don't.)

Hell, who might we want to trade now because their schedules look BAD in weeks 13-17?

I think this exercise is good because you can make what might look like lateral, or even downgrade-type, trades to better position your team for the playoffs.

First thing that comes to mind is Atlanta plays New Orleans in weeks 14 and 16. Ryan, Julio and Freeman sound like good trade targets.

Imagine those saints/falcons games will be high scoring-- but you never know.

Always a great topic & something I think about all year. At the redraft & for every transaction, I always look at Weeks 14-16. It’s not the sole or even chief determinant, but I’m always considering it. My goal every year is never to win the regular season or lead the league in points; just get there, make the top 6, and try to have a team that is peaking and/or has favorable schedule. I couldn’t care less about seeding or getting a bye.

All that said, believe in your studs. If you drafted them in rounds 1-2, or they came later but are having a massive breakout year, dance with the one you brung. I remember a couple years ago ERRRRYBODY said “Trade Julio now, dude has a brutal playoff schedule! No way he is getting his when he faces J-No two of the last three weeks.” It was almost consensus opinion you weren’t winning a FF Championship with JJ as your WR1.

Weeks 14-16:

@CAR 10/7-88-0

@JAX 13/9-118-1

CAR 11/9-178-1

packer_junkie said:

Imagine those saints/falcons games will be high scoring-- but you never know.

Click to expand...

There's not much you can trust in this world, but three things high on the list are death, taxes, and terrible Saints defenses. On FF teams with good playoff odds I want any piece of the Falcons I can get my hands on.

NE is this year's poster child for laughable pass defense but, unlike NO, I trust Belichick to somewhat right the ship before the end of the season. Plus their week 15/16 games are @PIT and BUF - you don't want any piece of the Bills not named Shady and I guess you could take a run at Big Ben / Bryant / Smith-Schuster, but then they play @HOU in week 16. Bleh.

Other bottom of the barrel defenses to target might include:

OAK - @KC, DAL, @PHI. Wentz makes a tempting trade target from a struggling team as he faces a brutal mid-season stretch of DEN, @DAL, CHI, @SEA, @LAR before @NYG and v.OAK in the two playoff weeks. I won't pay the going rate for Alshon given that schedule, but other pieces of the Eagles offense you can get on the cheap (Agholor, Smith, Blount) are worth going after.

IND - @BUF, DEN, BAL. See my above comment about BUF, but at this stage you can just about name your price on most pieces of the latter two teams. BAL in particular finishes @CLE and v.IND - two tasty matchups for guys who will come free or close to it right now.

BobbyLayne said:

Always a great topic & something I think about all year. At the redraft & for every transaction, I always look at Weeks 14-16. It’s not the sole or even chief determinant, but I’m always considering it. My goal every year is never to win the regular season or lead the league in points; just get there, make the top 6, and try to have a team that is peaking and/or has favorable schedule. I couldn’t care less about seeding or getting a bye.

All that said, believe in your studs. If you drafted them in rounds 1-2, or they came later but are having a massive breakout year, dance with the one you brung. I remember a couple years ago ERRRRYBODY said “Trade Julio now, dude has a brutal playoff schedule! No way he is getting his when he faces J-No two of the last three weeks.” It was almost consensus opinion you weren’t winning a FF Championship with JJ as your WR1.

Weeks 14-16:

@CAR 10/7-88-0

@JAX 13/9-118-1

CAR 11/9-178-1

Click to expand...

Your Jones anecdote seems to suggest this entire exercise is misguided.

davearm said:

BobbyLayne said:

Always a great topic & something I think about all year. At the redraft & for every transaction, I always look at Weeks 14-16. It’s not the sole or even chief determinant, but I’m always considering it. My goal every year is never to win the regular season or lead the league in points; just get there, make the top 6, and try to have a team that is peaking and/or has favorable schedule. I couldn’t care less about seeding or getting a bye.

All that said, believe in your studs. If you drafted them in rounds 1-2, or they came later but are having a massive breakout year, dance with the one you brung. I remember a couple years ago ERRRRYBODY said “Trade Julio now, dude has a brutal playoff schedule! No way he is getting his when he faces J-No two of the last three weeks.” It was almost consensus opinion you weren’t winning a FF Championship with JJ as your WR1.

Weeks 14-16:

@CAR 10/7-88-0

@JAX 13/9-118-1

CAR 11/9-178-1

Click to expand...

Your Jones anecdote seems to suggest this entire exercise is misguided.

Click to expand...

On the contrary, I think it should always be part of your in season management.

I am merely cautioning against taking it too far. Wondering if you should trade a stud because two months from now he has what looks like some tough matchups is overthinking it; moving your borderline RB2/WR2 because they likely [won't] be as productive is sound thinking. The major part of "never bench your studs" that people goof up is understanding who really are your studs, and which players are more matchup dependent. 

Based off of current SoS, weeks 14-16..

QBs:

BUF - IND, MIA, NE

NYG - DAL, PHI, ARI

OAK - KC, DAL, PHI

TEN - ARI, SF, LAR

WRs:

ATL - NO, TB, NO

CAR - MIN, GB, TB

MIA - NE, BUF, KC

NYG - DAL, PHI, ARI

OAK - KC, DAL, PHI

TEN - ARI, SF, LAR

Some of these are deceptive. For instance, you'll want Funchess vs. MIN but not KB. Similarly, you'll want the #2 vs. ARI. 

RBs:

ATL - NO, TB, NO

HOU - SF, JAC, PIT

KC - OAK, LAC, MIA

PHI - LAR, NYG, OAK

SEA - JAC, LAR, DAL

TEs:

BUF - IND, MIA, NE

IND - BUF, DEN, BAL

PIT - BAL, NE, HOU

#### will change though, I'd like to revisit this in a couple of weeks.

SameSongNDance said:

Based off of current SoS, weeks 14-16..

QBs:

BUF - IND, MIA, NE

NYG - DAL, PHI, ARI

OAK - KC, DAL, PHI

TEN - ARI, SF, LAR

WRs:

ATL - NO, TB, NO

CAR - MIN, GB, TB

MIA - NE, BUF, KC

NYG - DAL, PHI, ARI

OAK - KC, DAL, PHI

TEN - ARI, SF, LAR

Some of these are deceptive. For instance, you'll want Funchess vs. MIN but not KB. Similarly, you'll want the #2 vs. ARI. 

RBs:

ATL - NO, TB, NO

HOU - SF, JAC, PIT

KC - OAK, LAC, MIA

PHI - LAR, NYG, OAK

SEA - JAC, LAR, DAL

TEs:

BUF - IND, MIA, NE

IND - BUF, DEN, BAL

PIT - BAL, NE, HOU

#### will change though, I'd like to revisit this in a couple of weeks.

Click to expand...

Please do as I own maybe players on these teams