As Week 1 approaches, we begin to look at our drafted rosters to optimize lineups. A key aspect of managing our rosters is the ability to remain active and not get complacent. In the past, I have worked on a Game Theory I call “The Revolving Door”. I will combine that knowledge with this article to produce My Week 11 Stash Guide. Check out the full article at www.theleaguewinners.com if you want a full explanation of the theory. For this article, I will summarize it:
“The Revolving Door”
The Revolving Door is simple. Unless you have had extremely good luck in your drafts, you are bound to have two or three players at the bottom of your lineup that you will move on from. Instead of just letting these players take up space at the bottom of your bench, you should be sending out the revolving door in favour of high-upside stashes.
The key to this theory is to break the week of games into slates. Say I have two players on my team that I wish to move on from. Instead of simply dropping them for a player I want, I will go through my flowsheet. First I will drop them for two players I like from the Thursday Night Football game. If those two stashes don’t hit, I will drop them for two players from the 1:00 p.m. games on Sunday. If those players don’t produce results I will then drop them for two players from the 4:00 p.m. games on Sunday. I continue this process for Sunday Night Football as well as Monday Night Football.
Game Theory
So by the end of week one, I will have rotated those two dropped players through an additional eight dart throws. You may be wondering why I would do this. It’s simple. Those players aren’t producing, so I will drop them in hopes that one of the players I stash either breaks out or has an injury in front of him opening him up for an increased role.
Some weeks, this theory produces no usable players, so I continue with it into the following week. In approximately half the weeks, however, I will find a valuable asset. From there I can then choose to keep that player or try and sell high. This strategy frequently keeps me out in front of the waiver wire. It saves me countless FAABs when I already have that week’s hot waiver added to my roster. If I don’t believe in that player, I simply flip him to someone who does. That strategy has no downside. I’m already dropping the two players, so why not take free stabs at a potential league winner? The only thing this strategy requires is some patience and planning by the person who uses it.
So, now that you have an idea of my Revolving Door strategy. Let’s implement it for Week 11 and take a look at some of the players I will look to stash where available.
We are getting to the point in the season where every team’s need varies, so I will be changing the format slightly and will be giving stash options based on several categories of needs.
Thursday Night Football (Bengals-Ravens)
High Upside: Keaton Mitchell (BAL-RB), Rashod Bateman (BAL-WR)
Boring Fill-Ins: Trayveon Williams (CIN-RB), Odell Beckham Jr (BAL-WR), Nelson Agholor (BAL-WR)
Handcuffs: Justice Hill (BAL-RB), Isaiah Likely (BAL-TE)
Dart Throws: Chase Brown (CIN-RB), Chris Evans (CIN-RB), Trenton Irwin (CIN-WR), Andrei Iosiva (CIN-WR), Charlie Jones (CIN-WR), Tanner Hudson (CIN-TE)
Injury Stashes: None
Sunday 1:00 Slate
This slate of games is always the most difficult because most of the teams will play in it. Here I prefer to target handcuff running backs behind injury-prone starters and upside young receivers who could be primed for a breakout. It won’t hold in week one, but young players coming off of a bye are the best targets here.
Running Backs
High Upside: Devin Singletary (BUF-RB), Tyjae Spears (TEN-RB)
Boring Fill-Ins: Chuba Hubbard (CAR-RB), AJ Dillon (GB-RB), Matt Breida (NYG-RB)
Handcuffs: Emari Demercado (ARI-RB), Keaontay Ingram (ARI-RB), Raheem Blackshear (CAR-RB), Rico Dowdle (DAL-RB), Craig Reynolds (DET-RB), Tank Bigsby (JAC-RB), Joshua Kelley (LAC-RB), Zamir White (LV-RB), Jeff Wilson (MIA-RB)
Dart Throws: Roschon Johnson (CHI-RB), Pierre Strong (CLE-RB), Deuce Vaughn (DAL-RB)
Injury Stashes: None
Wide Receivers
High Upside: Michael Wilson (ARI-WR), Rondale Moore (ARI-WR), Jonathan Mingo (CAR-WR), Jayden Reed (GB-WR), Noah Brown (HOU-WR), Quentin Johnston (LAC-WR), WanDale Robinson (NYG-WR), Jalin Hyatt (NYG-WR)
Boring Fill-Ins: DJ Chark (CAR-WR), Darnell Mooney (CHI-WR), Brandin Cooks (DAL-WR), Michael Gallup (DAL-WR), Josh Reynolds (DET-WR), Kyle Philips (TEN-WR)
Handcuffs: None
Dart Throws: Tyler Scott (CHI-WR), Cedric Tillman (CLE-WR), David Bell (CLE-WR), Jalen Tolbert (DAL-WR), Jameson Williams (DET-WR), Dontayvion Wicks (GB-WR), John Metchie (HOU-WR), Calvin Austin (PIT-WR), Jalen Guyton (LAC-WR), Tre Tucker (LV-WR), Braxton Berrios (MIA-WR)
Injury Stashes: Zay Jones (LV-WR), Joshua Palmer (LAC-WR)
Tight Ends
High Upside: Trey McBride (ARI-TE), Jake Ferguson (DAL-TE), Luke Musgrave (GB-TE), Michael Mayer (LV-TE), Daniel Bellinger (NYG-TE)
Boring Fill-Ins: Hayden Hurst (CAR-TE), Dalton Schultz (HOU-TE), Gerald Everett (LAC-TE), Donald Parham (LAC-TE)
Handcuffs: None
Dart Throws: Luke Schoonmaker (DAL-TE), Chigoziem Okonkwo (TEN-TE), Austin Hooper (LV-TE), Durham Smythe (MIA-TE)
Injury Stashes: Darren Waller (NYG-TE)
Sunday 4:00 Slate
The 4:00 slate of games is not as big as the 1:00 slate, but it’s still a hefty one to sort through. The same principles apply as above, handcuff running backs and young receivers.
Running Backs
High Upside: Israel Abanikanda (NYJ-RB), Michael Carter (FA-RB), Zach Charbonnet (SEA-RB)
Boring Fill-Ins: Latavius Murray (BUF-RB), Leonard Fournette (BUF-RB), Darrell Henderson (LAR-RB)
Handcuffs: Elijah Mitchell (SF-RB), Royce Freeman (LAR-RB), Jordan Mason (SF-RB)
Dart Throws: Zach Evans (LAR-RB), Sean Tucker (TB-RB)
Injury Stashes: None
Wide Receivers
High Upside: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA-WR), Jake Bobo (SEA-WR), Trey Palmer (TB-WR), Tutu Atwell (LAR-WR)
Boring Fill-Ins: Khalil Shakir (BUF-WR), Allen Lazard (NYJ-WR), Jauan Jennings (SF-WR)
Handcuffs: None
Dart Throws: Ray-Ray McCloud (SF-WR)
Injury Stashes: None
Tight Ends
High Upside: Dalton Kincaid (BUF-TE), Cade Otton (TB-TE)
Boring Fill-Ins: Tyler Higbee (LAR-TE), Tyler Conklin (NYJ-TE)
Handcuffs: None
Dart Throws: Noah Fant (SEA-TE)
Injury Stashes: None
Sunday Night Football (Vikings-Broncos)
High Upside: Jaleel McLaughlin (DEN-RB), Ty Chandler (MIN-RB), Marvin Mims (DEN-WR)
Boring Fill-Ins: Samaje Perine (DEN-RB), KJ Osborn (MIN-WR)
Handcuffs: None
Dart Throws: Kene Nwangu (MIN-RB), Adam Trautman (NO-TE)
Injury Stashes: None
Monday Night Football (Eagles-Chiefs)
High Upside: Kenneth Gainwell (PHI-RB), Rashee Rice (KC-WR)
Boring Fill-Ins: Jerick McKinnon (KC-RB), Julio Jones (PHI-WR), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (KC-WR), Boston Scott (PHI-RB)
Handcuffs: Noah Gray (KC-TE)
Dart Throws: Chase Brown, Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC-RB), Skyy Moore (KC-WR), Kadarius Toney (KC-WR), Justyn Ross (KC-WR), Albert Okwuegbunam (PHI-TE)
Injury Stashes: Dallas Goedert (PHI-TE)
Bye Week Stashes (Patriots, Saints, Colts, Falcons)
High Upside: Tyler Allgeier (ATL-RB), Josh Downs (IND-WR), Demario Douglas (NE-WR), AT Perry (NO-WR), Taysom Hill (NO-TE)
Boring Fill-Ins: Ezekiel Elliott (NE-RB), Van Jefferson (ATL-WR), Jonnu Smith (ATL-TE), Hunter Henry (NE-TE), Juwan Johnson (NO-TE)
Handcuffs: Zach Moss (IND-RB), Jamaal Williams (NO-RB)
Dart Throws: Kendre Miller (NO-RB), Alec Pierce (IND-WR), Kayshon Boutte (NE-WR), Kylen Granson, Mike Gesicki (NE-TE)(IND-TE)
Injury Stashes: None
Final Thought
The theme here is preparation and patience. This strategy is not for the casual fantasy manager. It’s for those of us in tough leagues who realize even the smallest edge can be the difference between winning and losing.
Not all of these stash players will hit. Realistically, most of them will miss. Even if we only hit on one of these stashes a month, it’s an extra four undrafted players that we paid nothing for, but who added value to our fantasy team.
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