Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Most fantasy football leagues only run the regular season through week 13, so there are exactly four weeks left to rack up those wins and secure your place in the fantasy post-season! On this episode, your hosts Jason and Dave will be highlighting player trends looking forward into those all-important last few weeks as well as having our weekly cutlist discussion.

We'll also answer any lineup questions you might have in the chatroom or from Twitter and who knows - maybe a bet or two. You can't force these things!

This video features the songs and artists listed below, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license:
- Bridge to Grace - Weapon
- What i realized - No Better

Listen to the Fantasy Finish Line, 11/11/2020: Week 10 Preview: Playoff Push!

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to get notifications whenever we release a new episode. We also broadcast the shows live on our YouTube channel Wednesday nights at 9pm CT. Feel free to browse over and join in the discussion in the chat room and subscribe to the drinkfive channel for updates!

The grind of the NFL will always create injuries throughout the season, but it's how we as fantasy team managers react and adapt to those injuries and resulting depth chart changes that will determine our success and likelihood to make it far into the playoffs each year. This week, Jason and Dave will look into situational players that have been thrust into all-important starting roles, and their outlook over the next few weeks. We'll also discuss the cutlist and talk about the next group of guys that shouldn't be rostered as dead weight on your squad.

We'll also answer any lineup questions you might have in the chatroom or from Twitter and who knows - maybe a bet or two. You can't force these things!

This video features the songs and artists listed below, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license:
- Bridge to Grace - Weapon
- What i realized - No Better

Listen to the Fantasy Finish Line, 11/18/2020: Week 11: Fill-in-the-blanks

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to get notifications whenever we release a new episode. We also broadcast the shows live on our YouTube channel Wednesday nights at 9pm CT. Feel free to browse over and join in the discussion in the chat room and subscribe to the drinkfive channel for updates!

The podcast this week is all about lost civilizations - a little history, some of the very strange (and sometimes even otherworldly!) situations surrounding their rise and disappearance, and of course some spirited discussion about what scenarios could have led them to their fates. When we don't have the benefit of historical documentation to follow along with, a lot of the most recognized scientists and anthropologists out there can only make educated guesses as to what happened to these civilizations. We do, however, have a lot of new information since the last time you may have heard of places like Gobekli Tepe and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), for example.

Listen to Retrospectical Ep20, Lost Civilizations: Facts & Fictions

We were joined on the show by quite a few beers, including the inimitable Pabst's Blue Ribbon and some great citrus IPAs including the seasonal Citra Hero by Revolution Brewing. Yum!

The 3rd year wide receiver theory has been a staple for fantasy football fans year after year. The theory is based on the idea that wide receivers take at least 2 years to fully develop at the NFL level. Players like Reggie Wayne, Greg Jennings, Roddy White and Sidney Rice all had breakout years in their 3rd season. Players and coaches alike all agree that this is no fluke due to the learning curve associated at the wide receiver position between college and the pros. The 2014 season promises to be one of the best wide receiver break-out seasons, if tradition holds true. The 2012 wide receiver draft class was stacked with talent. That leads us to our list of 3rd year wide receivers to keep an eye and target for your upcoming draft.

Alshon Jeffery, CHI

Jeffery's sophomore year flew in the face of the 3rd year theory. He combined with Brandon Marshall to create the best wide receiver duo in the league under the first year of Marc Trestman's tenure as head coach. The Bears offense is only going to improve with more practice and time in the same system. Last season Alshon Jeffery showed off a skill set including crisp route running, strong hands and a highlight reel circus catches. While his 2nd season was his break out season, the 3rd year theory is still very much alive for Jeffery. He now has 2 season of experience under his belt and a full off-season of training to build on in 2014. Alshon Jeffery won't make it out of the third round in most leagues.

Michael Floyd, ARI

2013 Stats: 65 Rec. 1,041 Yds. 5 TD's
2014 Projections: 80 Rec. 1,200 Yds. 8 TD's
2014 Ranking/ADP: 48th Overall/ 62nd ADP
(Rankings and ADP Values as of August 14th)

Floyd is the perfect candidate for the 3rd year theory. He made great strides last year while breaking the 1,000 yard mark, but fantasy owners would like to see a guy get in the end zone a little bit more. At the beginning of the 2014 regular season Larry Fitzgerald will be 31 years old and entering his 11th season. Fitzgerald didn't have a bad year last season, especially with 10 TD's, but his age is a concern. Michael Floyd stepping up last season just set the table for a break out 2014 season. Carson Palmer is going to lean heavily on the younger wide receiver after a successful 2013. As of right now Michael Floyd is an amazing value pick with an ADP of 62nd. That probably won't hold up as he continues to impress throughout the preseason, but I still expect him to be a value pick in the 5th round.

Kendall Wright, TEN

2013 Stats: 94 Rec. 1,079 Yds. 2 TD's
2014 Projections: 90 Rec. 1,100 Yds. 6 TD's
2014 Ranking/ADP: 69th Overall/ 86th ADP
(Rankings and ADP Values as of August 14th)

Wright is another 3rd year wide receiver who showed break out talent in his 2nd year. Where I expect to see Kendall Wright achieve official break out status is in the end zone this year. His 94 receptions last year make him an obvious choice in PPR leagues, but no matter what format you draft in you are going to want to pay attention to him. At 5'10" he is a little shorter than you would want in a wide receiver but he makes up for it by catching everything. Tennessee has no other clear cut star offensive weapon except for Kendall Wright. He is currently ranked 69th overall and early drafters are getting a lot of value with his 86th ADP.

Rueben Randle, NYG

2013 Stats: 41 Rec. 611 Yds. 6 TD's
2014 Projections: 65 Rec. 900 Yds. 8 TD's
2014 Ranking/ADP: 92nd Overall/ 124th ADP
(Rankings and ADP Values as of August 14th)

Randle was most likely everyone's least favorite waiver pickup last season after having a strong 3 games in October before finishing the season in lackluster fashion. This season Randle is on my radar as the Giants look to find a replacement for Hakeem Nicks. Randle is a tall, well-built wide receiver with all the tools to break out in 2014. He is going to see more play time this season as the #2 on the Giants offense and I expect him to be Eli's favorite receiver in the red zone. Don't let the shaky 2013 Giant offense scare you. We saw this once before and they bounced back to a Super Bowl win. Randle is currently ranked 92nd overall with an ADP of 124th. I believe his money spot in value is somewhere in-between those two numbers right now, but that could change as we see more of him in the preseason.

Jarret Boykin, GB

2013 Stats: 49 Rec. 681 Yds. 3 TD's
2014 Projections: 60 Rec. 850 Yds. 5 TD's
2014 Ranking/ADP: 133rd Overall/ 170th ADP
(Rankings and ADP Values as of August 14th)

Boykin had a handful of impressive games last season. He is the first guy on this list to not be a number one or number two receiver for his team, but don't let that stop you from drafting some great value on your team this year. The Green Bay offense is built around Aaron Rodgers and he likes to distribute the ball to keep defenses guessing. You will have to keep an eye on the Packers at camp to see what is going on with the number three position, but I feel that Jarrett Boykin earned his opportunity last season. Boykin is a great addition to any team especially with his current rank to ADP differential.

Rod Streater, OK

2013 Stats: 60 Rec. 888 Yds. 4 TD's
2014 Projections: 60 Rec. 850 Yds. 5 TD's
2014 Ranking/ADP: 163rd Overall/ 237th ADP
(Rankings and ADP Values as of August 14th)

Streater is currently listed on the Oakland depth chart as the number two receiver with Andre Holmes. The situation in Oakland is interesting and fantasy players are going to want to keep an eye on things on the left coast if you plan on drafting a Raider. Holmes and Streater are likely to be the guys in my opinion. Streater is primed for a break out year as he has shown good improvement in each of his previous two seasons. The Raiders also upgraded their quarterback position by signing Matt Schaub. Streater is currently ranked 163rd with an ADP of 237th. You can take a flier on Streater late if you have the adequate depth at your other positions, but chances are he will go undrafted in many leagues. I recommend you keep an eye on him as one of your waiver wire targets. He could prove very valuable once we all see what Oakland's offense is going to look like.