OT: Fantasy Football - replaced Patrick Mahomes with Derek Carr

I got Carr off the waiver wire, though I don't know if I'd put him over my starter CJ Stroud.

It seems like the first QB off the board is always a sucker's pick.

Carr plays a D that can't defend the pass. I wouldn't fault you.

In my largest payout fantasy league (I am in 3) I just turned down a trade offering me Carson Steele and Derek Carr for Jayden Daniels. I have Richardson as well so it was an easy turn down as I believe Daniels will have a better season than Richardson and Carr and will end up on the same level as Mahomes.
My advice is to play Mahomes and not Carr if you are starting Shaheed. Pacheco is out so I believe KC is going to be far more pass heavy in the near future without him and if Carr sucks, Shaheed will as well. Remember that Carr's stats last week were bit inflated because Kamara to a mediocre screen pass 57 yards for a TD, based on his skillset, not Carr's.
Braggart time: I am in first place, scored the most points in the league and neither McCaffery, nor Higgins has played a down. Kamara was a great draft pick, but my later round picks of Jameson Williams and Jaxson Smith-Njigba, have been great and the next breakout dude will be my 14th round pick: Bucky Irving.

Chiefs win a lot of big games but they are hardly dominant. Last year in the playoffs they won in Divisional round, afc championship and superbowl all by 7 points or less. Their defense has been picking up the slack in recent years and I wouldn’t even consider drafting mahomes at this point. I would start Carr in a heartbeat. He has much better weapons and he’s been underrated for awhile imo

@Puddy: I hear you, but who would have thought that Mahomes would be this bad? In fact, if he keeps playing this poorly and Carr continues to excel, I may end up packaging Mahomes in a trade to get some more RB and TE help.

@Ski: I hear what you're saying and I know that Mahomes will have to air it out more with Pacheco out, but I just don't trust him right now. He threw two picks last week that would have been 3 if one wasn't called back due to a penalty. He was not great in week one either. There's something wrong with the guy. Meanwhile Carr is going up against one of the worst secondaries in the league. I'll let you know how it goes, but I think I'm going to run with Carr.

Also Ski, I have to admit that I did not draft as well as I had hoped. Many of my later round value picks are coming along quite nicely, but three of my blue chip names are killing me - so much so that I've already sat two of them.

^ fantasy football is weird. In the league that matters most to me I chopped the championship game with the guy who finished second behind me on the regular season. I had drafted 10th and scored the fewest points of any other team in the league yet won. Luck. I won 3 games by less than .5 and another by a point when Nick Chubb tore his acl on a carry on the goal line in the first quarter.
If Mccaffery comes back and plays like himself I will be stylin.

Life is just a fantasy. Can you live this fantasy life?

2 games into the season and already thinking about trading maholmes? just curious. who were the qb's that were taken ahead of your pick in your draft? hurts, stroud, and mayfield would have been guys i would have targeted. mayfield after maholmes is picked.

even against a shit philly defense carr is due for to bounce off his last 2 games.

^ a lot of draft decisions are made based on the format of your league. In my yahoo leagues, which are .5 ppr leagues, I focused more on big ply receivers and running backs who run. My espn league is a 1-point ppr league, but TD passes are only 4 points for qbs and 6 points for the receiver. That makes running qbs more valuable (see Jayden Daniels week 1) and reception bases receivers such as Njigba, more valuable. If the patriots weren't fucking terrible I would care less about fantasy.

@rickdugan - Mahomes wasn't great statistically last year. Harrison Butker did me a lot of good as so many of their drives ended in field goals. Now Travis Kelce isn't doing much, Hollywood Brown might miss the season, all he has is Rashee Rice. Someone in my league took him second overall.

Last year I drafted last (standard scoring, no PPR), went WR/WR (Diggs/Lamb) then RB/QB (Stevenson/Lamar Jackson). I finished 3rd overall but I was starving for RB/TE play all year. Took Nick Chubb late and stashed him on my IR.

This year I drafted 9th/10 and went WR/RB (JJ/Henry) then WR/RB again (Collins/Jacobs), then RB/QB (Aaron Jones/Stroud). I figured QB, you can still get a serviceable option later on--the top QBs always seem to go too early. There are so many WRs and it seems like a new one breaks out every year more than other positions. TE is low scoring anyways, I just picked up Dalton Kincaid because Josh Allen needs to throw to SOMEBODY.

I might start Carr this week but I don't think I'd sell low on Mahomes. Wait for him to have a good week or two.

^ I meant this year I took Chubb late and stashed him on IR.

I don't see how Mahones can improve over last year (def is way better). My friend had him last year and it was not good. Then again, Carr really surprised me this year. I haven't watched either closely, just highlights, and Carr looks really good. I would pick him. Then again, I have Allen and Cousins, and Carr is gone off my waiver wire so I don't have this issue :)

I don't intend to sell low on Mahomes. I fully expect that his name appeal alone will entice someone with QB problems to part with a RB and TE, both positions I'm weak in.

I was drafting seventh in a league where go-to WRs often do better than most QBs. By the time my turn came in the second round, the remaining receiver pool was looking a bit mediocre, so I switched gears and snatched up Mahomes. I also had my eye on some sleepers and value picks at the WR position, so it was a strategic move to pick my QB before the bottom of the 3rd round, by which point all of the best QBs would be gone.

My main sleepers and value picks are performing far better than projected, so the strategy would have worked if my blue chips were performing even close to expectation. But they've been awful. Mahomes, Amari Cooper (Cle-WR), Ja'Marr Chase (Cin-WR), Brandon Aiyuk (SF-WR) and Sam LaPorta (Det-TE) have been the bane of my fantasy existence.

I'm currently 1-1 and that's only because I benched Cooper and played Brian Thomas Jr (JAX-WR), one of my late round sleepers, along with upgrading my DEF and K through free agency.

Aiyuk has now been replaced and Cooper is on the bench. I suspect that Chase is due for a breakout, so I'm keeping him in for now. But I still don't have an answer for LaPorta and I could also use another RB.

@rickdugan - PPR? That makes WRs more valuable. My league isn't PPR so this year I made sure to have all my RBs by Round 6.

I have disappointing Cooper (WR CLE) and Waddle (WR MIA) on my bench but my league is QB, RB, RB, WR/RB, WR, WR, TE, K, D/ST so I'm playing 3 RBs. In this format, an undisputed lead RB does better than a 3rd good WR. I don't plan to use those two except as bye-week filler.

I had a bad feeling about Cincy in general--Burrow is a severe injury risk, both Chase and Higgins having contract issues and acting a bit bitchy--so I avoided them all except for MacPherson as my backup kicker.

Kickers and defenses, I like to have one "anchor" I can take in the very late rounds, but then cycle through the waiver wire for matchups.

Yes, it's PPR, which makes the receivers valuable.

Puddy, I suspect that Chase has done so poorly because Higgins has been out due to injury, which has left opponents free to double up on Chase. With Higgins returning for Monday night against a horrible Commanders defense, I'm feeling pretty good about Chase in that matchup.

@rick - Yeah, then it makes sense. I wouldn't bench Chase, but he went like #5 overall in my draft (4 spots before me) and no way in hell I would have drafted him that high.

Scoring system affects a lot...I used to play in a league with fairly standard scoring but had special bonuses for guys with monster days (100, 200 yards rushing/receiving, 300, 500 yards passing, 100 rushing/100 receiving) or huge plays (like 50+ yard runs/catches). There I went towards gamebreakers.

Still, if I were going to go QB early, I would have gone with Allen or Jackson over Mahomes. Allen's new OC in the second half of last year got him a fuckload of rushing scores, and Lamar is Lamar.

^We give points for "hallmark" events such as 100 yds. etc. and also have a points systems for plays over 50 and fg in the 40 - 49 yd range are 4 with fg over 50 scoring 5. Full point ppr with qb; rb; rb; wr; wr; wr; te; flex; flex; dst; k. No qb in flex.

@skibum - wow, that's going to be a VERY WR-heavy league especially if PPR. Probably makes sense to start 5 every week (or another TE if WRs are picked clean, or at least prioritize a pass-catching back.)

My old league was like that with hallmark events.

I just heard on fantasy footballers podcast, Mahomes has hit 15 or more points only once or twice? since last season Halloween.

^^ Wide receivers went 1 and 2 in the draft and then the pass catching running backs.

The last year I did fantasy football seriously was the year I had Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss on my team. Like that year's Patriots, my team was also undefeated until the championship game where the IRL pats turned in a stinker against the New York Football Giants resulting in a close loss.

The important thing is not to give up too early. Two years ago in one of my long-term leagues, I started 1-5 and then never lost another game on the way to the championship.

I need Evan MacPherson to kick about 7 50 yarders tonight.

that tampa-denver game probably killed off so many that played survivor pools that there already maybe some champs crowned already.

Mahomes wasn’t great but Derek Carr reverted to being Derek Carr.

Is Andy Dalton worth picking up?

^he was yesterday. i picked him for one my fanduel lineups. one shot deal for me. thielen suffered a hamstring injury. besides johnson if you think mingo or another panther wideout can step up, and your fantasy qb sucks then maybe dalton can help. next 4 games carolina can go 2-2.

As long as Jayden Daniels throws for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns tonight, I am a lock.....

This was not my best move, but fortunately Carr only hurt me for one week before I looked on my bench and realized that Jayden Daniels was a consistent beast, so I put him in last week and will keep riding him for the time being. Who would have thought that Mahomes would be a backup for a rookie QB playing for Washington, lol.

^ I think Mahomes is a better real QB than fantasy QB. Doesn't hurt that he gets all the calls.

===> "The important thing is not to give up too early. Two years ago in one of my long-term leagues, I started 1-5 and then never lost another game on the way to the championship."

Amen to that crosscheck. I started 1-3, but last week I blew the doors off by earning the highest weekly score of the season - by a stretch. I finally have the ship righted, with a beast in virtually every position.

I benched Mahomes, Amari Cooper (Cle-WR) and Sam LaPorta (Det-TE) and cut Brandon Aiyuk (SF-WR) and replaced them with rookies off of waivers and free agency and one from my bench, all of whom are having breakout years. And finally Ja'Marr Chase (Cin-WR) has come into his own.

Let that be a lesson: Don't sleep on the rookie class, which is often overlooked and rated low at the beginning of the season. The last draft was chalk full of high octane rookie talent, some of whom are now the primary long ball threats on their respective teams.

Too many of the guys in my league got complacent, which allowed me to quietly accumulate these guys off of waivers, starting in the third week. Once we got through Week 4 and it was clear that these guys weren't just flashes in the pan, I cleaned house and benched the laggards.

Now I intend to wreak havoc. Fucking A!

daniels has a passing percentage of 77.1%, that's playing at an elite level. at a level of brees and mahomes. and he's only a rookie. i don't think he can keep that up for the rest of the season but if finishes at 69% that alone itself is outstanding. he's also one of the most enjoyable players to watch.

@Rattdog: I couldn't agree more. I picked him up as a late round sleeper pick, along with one of my other rookies, but for the first 3 weeks I was concerned that he was doing that rookie QB flash in the pan thing. But after his week 4 performance, I just couldn't ignore him any longer and he paid off nicely for week 5. Now I'll just keep riding him until defensive coordinators start to figure out his weaknesses.

My starting lineup now includes 4 bonified rookies, lol. I also have a second year guy on the bench who seems to be finally hitting his stride in the league, but I need to see one more good game from him before I give him one of my coveted RB slots.

Man I'm having fun now. I had to be strategic and unconventional because I had a shitty draft position. If more of these guys were paying attention to the sleepers in the draft and the rising stars emerging by weeks 3 and 4, I'd probably be fucked right now, lol. Instead I was able to bolster my team by starting my sleepers and through uncontested waiver claims and one overlooked free agent.

Rick - I don't know what kind of league you're in, but Daniels was gone by Round 5 in both of my leagues. There was no taking him as a late round sleeper. He was known.

He cut Aiyuk. Must be an 8 team league lol

when i used to play in leagues none of them would ever let a player like aiyuk float around on the waiver wire. but if it's not a deep league, or the fantasy players he's playing against are mammals then yeah i suppose you can get away with that.

Aiyuk has underperformed in all but one game this year. Replacing him was one of the best decisions I've made this year.

yeah lately i've been avoiding him when playing fanduel. he might wake up weeks later but i'm not going to waste wide receiver slots on him in attempts to catch that moment.

@rattdog, exactly. When I dropped Aiyuk, I had Ja'Marr Chase and Brian Thomas Jr. in my WR 1 and WR 2 slots, Rashid Shaheed in my flex as a WR 3 and Amari Cooper on the bench. Aiyuk was occupying bench space that I needed to seek out help in other areas and to stash bye week backups.

Of course for anyone following, Rashid Shaheed just got knocked out for the season. But the football gods were smiling on me as Amari Cooper just got traded to Buffalo and is already returning to old form, tearing it up this week with Josh Allen throwing to him. Imagine having a productive Amari Cooper as your WR 3, lol. It's an embarrassment of riches in a PPR league.

don't have to worry about aiyuk anymore. acl injury makes him out for the remainder of the season.

I just saw Mike Evans go down with a hamstring. Only have him in 2/3 of my leagues.

@rickdugan - my league isn't PPR but after 2 people dropped out last minute it's a 10 person league, I have Jefferson, Collins (though on IR), Waddle (should improve with Tua back), Cooper (traded from the Factory of Sadness).

I'm second in points scored in both of my leagues and am 3-4 and 4-3 despite that. Fantasy football can be awfully frustrating sometimes...

@crosscheck: Jayden Daniels was a late 10th round pick in my league, lol. As far as your current positions, the cream always rises to the top eventually - you'll get there. A few weeks ago I was 1-3 with the second lowest point total and at 9th place in a 10 team league, lol. Now I am 3-4 in 6th place with the fourth highest point total in the league due to two monster weeks. I'm on the march with a beast in every position (finally) and I only need to finish in 4th to make the playoffs.

@Puddy: Like you I suspect, I kept Cooper tucked on my bench in the hope that SOMETHING would change, whether it was a different QB or something else. I'm guessing that you're as happy as I am that you held onto him, lol.

^ Yep. Pleased as punch, lol. From the worst QB in the league throwing him the ball to top 3.

Another week, another round of frustration. 3-5 in one league with the second most points scored. 4-4 in the other with the most points scored. Rick, I understand your saying cream rises to the top, but with how relatively short the fantasy football season is, it can be too late before the volatility evens itself out.

My QB (Stroud) loses yet another high value target (Diggs, ACL). This season is starting to slip away.