That chill you feel creeping up your spine? No, it's not a frosty breath off an open grave, with the undead slowly emerging to pursue the living. It's the feeling you get when you start the players on Optimus' staff 'Ice' lists. Well, it should be. In this spooky season when the tricks look like
By Optimus StaffPublished On: October 31st, 2026Categories: Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Storyline, Strategy, Trending0 Comments on Fire & Ice: Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers For Week 8Tags: ashton jeanty, Brenton Strange, Brock Bowers, Carson Wentz, ceedee lamb, Chig Okonkwo, derrick henry, Emanuel Wilson, J.J. McCarthy, Ja'Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jaylen Waddle, Jerick McKinnon, Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins, kyler murray, lamar jackson, luther burden, Max Brosmer, Parker Washington, Quenton Nelson, Sam Darnold, T. J. Hockenson, travis kelce, tre tucker, Zach CharbonnetNational TE Day was Sunday, which means tight ends got their one day in the spotlight. Some made the most of it, some had other plans, and at least one performance has me asking questions. The NFL never misses an opportunity to make things weird. Nick Muse had a career day, Mason Taylor showed up,
By Lou BrunsonPublished On: October 28th, 2026Categories: Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Rookie, Storyline, Strategy, Trending0 Comments on The NFL Numbers Game Week 7: The Stats You Need to KnowTags: Aaron Rodgers, baker mayfield, Blake Corum, Bo Nix, Brock Purdy, bucky irving, Carnell Tate, Christian McCaffrey, Dandre swift, daniel jones, darren waller, de'von achane, Deebo Samuel, derrick henry, deshaun watson, elic ayomanor, J.J. McCarthy, Jahmyr Gibbs, jameis winston, james cook, Javonte Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jaxson Dart, jaylen warren, Joe Burrow, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Jacobs, Justin Jefferson, K.C. Concepcion, Kaleb Johnson, kendre miller, Kenneth Walker, kyle monangai, Kyren Williams, lamar jackson, Malik Nabers, Malik willis, marshawn lloyd, Marvin Harrison Jr., mason taylor, Mike Evans, Nick Muse, Nico Collins, ollie gordon, pierre strong, rhamondre stevenson, Rico Dowdle, roschon johnson, Sam LaPorta, saquon barkley, seth mcgowan, tank dell, Tetairoa McMillan, travis etienne, tre tucker, TreVeyon Henderson, Tyler Shough, wandale robinson, Zonovan KnightThis weekly series features Senior Analyst Nate Polvogt diving into fantasy football post-waiver wire additions flying under the radar in your leagues and tackling intriguing NFL situations that could shape your roster decisions heading into the week. Week 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Stashes and Look Ahead Every Wednesday this season, I'll take what we
By Nate PolvogtPublished On: October 9th, 2026Categories: Featured, Redraft, waiver wireComments Off on Week 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Stashes and Look AheadTags: aaron jones, ashton jeanty, Austin Ekeler, braelon allen, Breece Hall, Brenton Strange, Brycen Tremayne, Carson Wentz, Courtland Sutton, Dallas Goedert, dalton schultz, Dandre swift, de'von achane, DeVonta Smith, Emanuel Wilson, Geno Smith, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jadarian Price, Jalen Coker, jalen hurts, Jayden Daniels, jaylen wright, Justin Jefferson, Kaytron Allen, kyle monangai, kyler murray, Mike Washington Jr., ollie gordon, pat bryant, rachaad white, Robert Henry Jr., saquon barkley, Tank Bigsby, tank dell, Tetairoa McMillan, tre tucker, Zach CharbonnetWeek 2 is in the books, which means it's time to take another look at the waiver wire. We've got a few injuries opening the door for new opportunities, some veterans carving out bigger roles, and a handful of players who have done enough over the first two weeks to warrant a closer look. Of
By Optimus StaffPublished On: September 22nd, 2026Categories: Featured, Redraft, waiver wireComments Off on Week 3 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2026 Fantasy Football TeamTags: A.J. Brown, Aaron Rodgers, Adonai Mitchell, AJ Barner, Brock Bowers, bryce young, C.J. Stroud, caleb williams, cincinnati bengals, Dak Prescott, dalton schultz, Daniel Carlson, daniel jones, darren waller, DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Drew Lock, Emanuel Wilson, Emmett Johnson, green bay packers, J.J. McCarthy, j.k. dobbins, jalen hurts, jameis winston, Jaxson Dart, jaylen warren, Joe Burrow, Jonah Coleman, josh allen, Joshua Palmer, Kenneth Walker, Makai Lemon, Marcus Mariota, Minnesota Vikings, new orleans saints, New York Giants, Nico Collins, Oronde Gadsden, pat freiermuth, r.j. harvey, rashod bateman, Ryan Fitzgerald, saquon barkley, spencer shrader, Tank Bigsby, Ted Hurst, tre tucker, tutu atwell, Tyler Bass, Tyler Shough, tyson bagent, will reichard, Will Shipley, Zay FlowersWelcome to the fifth part of a thirty-two-part series: Reading the NFL Offseason Tea Leaves. Fantasy football tasseography is deeply rooted in predicting future fantasy fortunes. Some of the team tea cups we'll be looking into may be larger than others. The smallest of cups may have the most alluring blends of offensive weaponry, or
By Cam TemplarPublished On: July 7th, 2026Categories: 2026 Team Previews, FeaturedComments Off on Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy 2026: Reading the Offseason Tea LeavesTags: ashton jeanty, Brock Bowers, Fernando Mendoza, Jack Bech, Jalen Nailor, Kirk Cousins, mike washington, tre tuckerI honestly cannot believe Week 9 is over. We are officially halfway through the regular season, folks. It feels like it has flown by. For most leagues, the fantasy playoffs start in just five short weeks. Some of you may be looking ahead to the playoffs, while others are just trying their best not to
By Carly MangerPublished On: November 4th, 2025Categories: Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Rookie, Storyline, Strategy, Trending, Unpacking The NFLComments Off on Unpacking the NFL Week 9: The Stats You Need NowTags: aaron jones, Brian Thomas, Brock Bowers, caleb williams, calvin ridley, cam skattebo, Carson Wentz, chase brown, Chimere Dike, Christian McCaffrey, cole kmet', Colston Loveland, Cooper Kupp, Dalton Kincaid, Dandre swift, daniel jones, davante adams, David Montgomery, de'von achane, derrick henry, devin singletary, Dion Lewis, Drake London, elic ayomanor, Garrett Wilson, Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy, Ja'Marr Chase, Jack Bech, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jakobi Meyers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jaxson Dart, Jaylen Waddle, joe flacco, Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Mason, keenan allen, Kenneth Walker, Khalil Shakir, kyle monangai, Kyle Pitts, Ladd McConkey, lamar jackson, Mark andrews, Marvin Harrison, Matthew Golden, matthew stafford, Oronde Gadsden, Parker Washington, puka nacua, Quentin Johnston, Rashid Shaheed, rhamondre stevenson, Rico Dowdle, Rome Odunze, Romeo Doubs, Sam Darnold, Tee Higgins, Terrell Jennings, tony pollard, tory horton, Travis Hunter, tre tucker, TreVeyon Henderson, Trey McBride, Troy Franklin, tucker kraft, tyjae spears, Tyler Lockett, Tyreek Hill, Tyrone Tracy, Zach CharbonnetIt's Week 6, and there are only two teams on bye: the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings. Enough time has gone by this season that we're starting to know what these teams are in 2025. Like the Colts, it's much more than a hot start at this point; they're AFC contenders. There's a lot of
By Kevin TompkinsPublished On: October 11th, 2025Categories: DFS/Betting, Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Storyline, StrategyComments Off on NFL Week 6 Fantasy Football Angles and LeverageTags: Alvin Kamara, Amon-Ra St. Brown, antonio gibson, ashton jeanty, baker mayfield, bhayshul tuten, bijan robinson, Bo Nix, Breece Hall, Brian Thomas, Brock Bowers, bucky irving, cade otton, calvin ridley, cam ward, chase brown, Chris Godwin, Chris Olave, Christian Gonzalez, Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard, Cooper Kupp, cooper rush, Courtland Sutton, D.J. Reed, D.K. Metcalf, Dak Prescott, Dalton Kincaid, Dandre swift, daniel jones, Darnell Mooney, darren waller, davante adams, David Montgomery, David Njoku, Dawson Knox, de'von achane, Deebo Samuel, derrick henry, dillon gabriel, Drake London, Drake Maye, emari demercado, Emeka Egbuka, Garrett Wilson, George Pickens, hassan haskins, hunter henry, j.k. dobbins, Ja'Marr Chase, Jackson Hawes, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jake Ferguson, Jakobi Meyers, Jalen Coker, Jalen Tolbert, james cook, Jameson Williams, jared goff, Jauan Jennings, Javonte Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jayden Daniels, Jaylen Waddle, jaylen warren, joe flacco, Jonathan Taylor, jordan love, josh allen, Josh Downs, Josh Jacobs, justin fields, justin herbert, juwan johnson, Kareem Hunt, keenan allen, kendre miller, kendrick bourne, Kenneth Gainwell, Kenneth Walker, Khalil Shakir, kimani vidal, Kyle Pitts, kyler murray, Kyren Williams, Ladd McConkey, Malik Washington, Mark andrews, Marvin Harrison, Matthew Golden, matthew stafford, michael carter, michael mayer, Michael Pittman, Mike Evans, Omarion Hampton, Patrick Mahomes, Patrick Surtain, puka nacua, Quentin Johnston, Quinshon Judkins, rachaad white, rhamondre stevenson, Ricky Pearsall, Rico Dowdle, Rome Odunze, Romeo Doubs, Ryan Flournoy, Sam LaPorta, Samaje Perine, stefon diggs, Sterling Shepard, Terrion Arnold, Terry McLaurin, Tetairoa McMillan, tony pollard, tory horton, travis etienne, travis kelce, tre tucker, TreVeyon Henderson, trevor lawrence, Trey McBride, tua tagovailoa, tucker kraft, Tyler Warren, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Zay FlowersWe're in Week 5, with a quartet of byes that includes the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. We have a handful of data points under our belt through the season's first four weeks, which give us some clarity and insight into what these teams are doing this season. We're no
By Kevin TompkinsPublished On: October 4th, 2025Categories: DFS/Betting, Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Storyline, Strategy, TrendingComments Off on NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Angles and LeverageTags: A.J. Brown, Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce, Alvin Kamara, Amon-Ra St. Brown, ashton jeanty, baker mayfield, braelon allen, Brashard Smith, Breece Hall, Brenton Strange, Brian Thomas, Brock Bowers, cade otton, cam skattebo, cedric tillman, ceedee lamb, chase brown, Chris Godwin, Chris Olave, chris rodriguez, Chuba Hubbard, Cooper Kupp, Courtland Sutton, Dalton Kincaid, daniel jones, Darius Slayton, darren waller, David Montgomery, David Njoku, de'von achane, Deebo Samuel, dillon gabriel, Drake Maye, emari demercado, Emeka Egbuka, Garrett Wilson, George Pickens, harold fannin, hunter henry, Isaiah Bond, Isaiah Davis, Ja'Marr Chase, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jake Ferguson, Jakobi Meyers, Jalen Tolbert, james cook, Jameson Williams, jared goff, Javonte Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels, Jaydon Blue, Jaylen Waddle, Jerick McKinnon, Jerry Jeudy, joe flacco, Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Addison, Jordan Mason, josh allen, Josh Downs, justin fields, Justin Jefferson, juwan johnson, keenan allen, Kenneth Walker, Khalil Shakir, Kyle Pitts, kyler murray, Ladd McConkey, Malik Nabers, Malik Washington, Marvin Harrison, michael carter, Michael Pittman, miles sanders, nick chubb, nick westbrook-ikhine, Nico Collins, Omarion Hampton, Parker Washington, Patrick Surtain, Quentin Johnston, Quinshon Judkins, rachaad white, Rashee Rice, Rashid Shaheed, rhamondre stevenson, Rico Dowdle, Sam Darnold, Sam LaPorta, saquon barkley, sean tucker, stefon diggs, Sterling Shepard, T. J. Hockenson, Tee Higgins, Terry McLaurin, Tetairoa McMillan, Tim Tebow, tom brady, Tommy Tremble, tony pollard, Travis Hunter, travis kelce, tre tucker, TreVeyon Henderson, trevor etienne, trevor lawrence, Trey McBride, Troy Franklin, tucker kraft, Tyler Warren, Tyreek Hill, wandale robinson, Willis McGahee, Woody Marks, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Zach ErtzWell, they're here - the first week of byes. I didn't think they'd be quite this rough, either, but here we are. I mean, it's Week 5, and already we're talking about Flex players like "Tre Tucker" and "Darius Slayton," even in shallower leagues. Dig any deeper, and you start seeing true Madden-esque create-a-player names.
By Optimus StaffPublished On: October 3rd, 2025Categories: Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Storyline, Strategy, TrendingComments Off on Friday Vibes: NFL Week 5 Storylines and 2025 Fantasy Football OutlookTags: bucky irving, Carson Wentz, chase brown, Chuba Hubbard, Darius Slayton, derrick henry, george kittle, Jake Tonges, Joe Alt, justin herbert, keenan allen, kendrick bourne, Ladd McConkey, lamar jackson, Malik Nabers, Mekhi Becton, michael carter, Omarion Hampton, Quentin Johnston, rachaad white, tre tucker, Tyreek HillThis is it. This is the week of the fantasy season where "stuff gets real." Up until this point in the season, preseason ADP is the single greatest predictor of how players will finish in terms of fantasy points scored. But starting this week? The most recent four weeks of data are most predictive. That's
By Optimus StaffPublished On: September 26th, 2025Categories: DFS/Betting, Dynasty, Fantasy 101, Fantasy Football, Featured, NFL, Redraft, Rookie, Storyline, Strategy, TrendingComments Off on Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 4Tags: bucky irving, calvin ridley, cam skattebo, cam ward, Carson Schwesinger, chase brown, Dallas Goedert, daniel jones, derrick henry, elic ayomanor, Fantasy Football 2025, Fantasy Football Higher or Lower, Jahmyr Gibbs, james cook, Jaxson Dart, joe flacco, jordan love, Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams, Malik Nabers, Mason Graham, Nnamdi Madubuike, Quinshon Judkins, rachaad white, Rashee Rice, saquon barkley, Tony Jones, tre tucker, tucker kraft, Tyrone Tracy, Xavier Worthy
