Niner Noise
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Fantasy football: 5 winning strategies to command your league

By Peter Panacy

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 13: Quarterbacks Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons and Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles meet after their game at Lincoln Financial Field on November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Falcons 24-15. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 13: Quarterbacks Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons and Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles meet after their game at Lincoln Financial Field on November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Falcons 24-15. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Sleep on Quarterbacks

Unless you’re in a perfect position to land a top-tier quarterback like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, your best bet to solve this position is to sit back and let your quarterbacking fantasy needs come to you.

Remember the previous slide? Again, don’t be tempted just because there’s a brief run on the second tier of quarterbacks.

If you can land someone like Drew Brees in Round 5, do it. If not, don’t panic.

Instead, you’ll be able to land someone serviceable in the later rounds. Here are some interesting strategies to look at:

  • Carson Wentz — he might be trending in the right direction, as the Philadelphia Eagles have added receiving talent around him (WRs Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery). And while the Eagles may have reinforced their ground game by adding running back LeGarrette Blount, this still could be a pass-happy offense. Wentz was in the top five for passing attempts last year (607). While this doesn’t bode well for a well-balanced NFL offense, it could be good news for fantasy football owners and at great value.
  • Blake Bortles — Similar to Wentz, Bortles tossed a top-five amount of passing attempts last year (625). And while running back Leonard Fournette will take away some of his snaps, Bortles will probably throw a lot this season. While Bortles’ NFL acumen stinks, he’d be an easy fallback option in later rounds as someone who can, at least, generate some decent points at a value you can’t avoid.
  • Brian Hoyer — The San Francisco 49ers aren’t expected to be a high-flying offensive powerhouse this season. But Kyle Shanahan-led offenses have been in the top 10 in NFL passing yards five out of his nine years as a coordinator. And seven of those nine years saw Shanahan’s QBs finish in the top half of this same category. Chances are, Hoyer won’t be on too many fantasy owners’ draft boards, meaning you can grab him late in the draft with little trouble.

Simply put, fill your quarterback slot with a manageable option. Considering only a handful of NFL teams have elite-level guys under center, your job shouldn’t be to reach for a quarterback simply because other owners are.