It happened today.
It also happened yesterday.
It’s probably because it happens every damn day.
“Is this trade fair?”
“The league wants to veto this, are they right?”
“Help me settle a dispute, TMR…”
With Davante Adams going to the Jets, Amari Cooper being dealt to the Bills and sure, Cam Akers re-uniting with the Vikings, the NFL trades on Tuesday have me thinking about fantasy trades more than usual.
Just this morning, there was a trade in one of MY leagues and a private chat quickly started up among some non-trade partners of folks in the league, grumbling about the trade. In fairness, I was among those complaining. I personally thought it was a terrible trade for one of the people in the deal, and that the manager could have gotten a lot more for the star they were trading away had they just announced it to the league that this player was on the block.
But, while I was annoyed and shook my head as I texted away, guess what else I did?
Absolutely nothing.
Because the person who got the star player, well, good for them. They got to this other manager before I or anyone else in the league could, they negotiated a deal, they win. That’s the game we play.
Yesterday, I was a guest on a TV show, and I got the same question… this person traded this and this and got back this, and the league is tearing apart, and do I think it should be vetoed?
SIGH.
I’ve written my stance on this before, but it bears repeating. Honestly, I should do this every year. I feel like I do it often, but it never seems to be enough. Because the questions still come. Over and over again. The names of the players change, the settings, rules and context of the leagues change, but none of it matters.
Because it’s the same damn question, and the answer is always the same.
NO.
You shouldn’t veto. The trade should stand.
But you don’t understand---they interrupt.
The answer is no.
But let me just say this one other thing---
The answer is still no.
But guess what place the team trading the star away is in, and you don’t know that they already have a good---
The answer is always no.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS NO.
Like every hard and fast rule, there is one exception. ONE.
You (or rather, your commissioner) can veto if, and ONLY IF, there is a clear and provable case of collusion between two managers in which one manager is aware the trade is terrible and does NOT believe the trade will improve their team but is doing the trade anyways for different reasons that are NOT trying to improve the fantasy team.
If you find that out, then yes, you must veto the trade. And honestly? Kick the two people out of the league. But that’s another column.
Other than that, one specific example, every trade must go through. You hear me? Must go through. Must.
Look, I’ve been there. You see the email notification as it comes across your screen, and you roll your eyes. You smack your head. What was that person thinking?
But it doesn’t matter. Managers must be allowed to coach their teams.
Even if it’s done badly.
Look, part of the fun of fantasy football is that we all have different opinions on players. And no one can predict the future. A week ago, a trade of WR22 on the season, Rashid Shaheed, for third string and never used running back Sean Tucker would have drawn a crazy uproar. Today, Shaheed has a serious injury and might miss the rest of the season. And Tucker just went for $60 in FAAB in a deep league that I am in.
And before you say that even with that hindsight, a Shaheed for Tucker deal a week ago would still have been bad, sure. I agree with you. But it doesn’t matter. Because it’s not about whether the trade was good or bad, or was bad, and then turned good due to injury and changes in opportunity.
The only thing that matters is the two people doing the trade thought they were giving themselves a better chance to win by making the deal. Whether it turned out to be right or wrong is immaterial.
There is no gray area. You still don’t veto.
Because it’s not your job to manage someone else’s team. You don’t think he got nearly enough for his star quarterback? So what? Not your team, not your quarterback. He or she is allowed to run it any way they want, be it into first place or right into the ground.
Just like they are allowed to manage their team any way they want, so are you. That’s your job. Your only job. Worry about YOUR team. Period.
And understand this. The art of negotiation is a skill. It’s part of fantasy football, just like drafting, waiver wire pickups, making starting lineup decisions. It’s a skill and part of what you need to be a successful player.
And it should be rewarded, not punished or neutralized.
There’s a special place in Hell reserved for the people who veto just because it’s a deal that didn’t involve them or because, “it’s part of their strategy.” That’s not strategy, that’s being a jerk. It’s being a coward. It’s, frankly, not being good enough to win on your own. Someone beat you to a good deal. It is what it is -- part of the game, same as beating another player to the waiver wire or getting a win with the second-lowest score of the week because you happen to face the lowest scorer.
And if you are a commissioner and you don’t enforce this rule -- you allow vetoes to happen, or worse, you veto them yourself -- you wipe away any of the good you have done by being a commissioner.
Win on the virtual field, not in some technocratic loophole. And don’t argue with me about this because there is no argument. You’re wrong. A fantasy league is not an autocratic country. It is made up of individuals with free will to manage their teams as they see fit. And if you try to impede that, you’re a bunch of words I can’t print.
Now go, trade, be merry and stop asking me whether a trade should be vetoed. Because the answer is no. Always. NO.
By the way, one easy way to tell if a trade you’re being offered is fair or not is with the Fantasy Life Trade Analyzer. It’s one of the many kick-ass tools that are part of FantasyLife+, the official tools provider of NBC Sports. And you can always ask us what we think of a trade this Sunday morning on Fantasy Football Pregame, which airs live at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Peacock and the NFL on NBC YouTube channel. Just comment on the YouTube show or tweet us using #FFPregame.
Thanks, as always, to my producer Damian Dabrowski for his help at various points in this column. Let’s get to it.
Quarterbacks I Love in Week 7
Jayden Daniels vs. Carolina
There is a lot in our day-to-day lives that can cause us to feel uneasy. Things that make us unsettled or stressed. Pressured. So that’s why I give thanks for the Carolina Panthers defense. Because if you are sick of pressure, the Panthers are the team for you. Carolina is dead-last in the NFL in pressure rate. They provide a stress-free passing experience. Carolina is the football equivalent of lounging in a Zen Garden on a tropical beach, with each pass-rushing Panthers defender being pushed aside and diverted with the slightest breeze through the palm trees. Ahhhhh. Serenity. And I feel especially at peace starting Jayden Daniels against Carolina this week. The Panthers are allowing 33.8 points per game and give up touchdown passes at the third-highest rate. Meanwhile, Washington has the highest implied total of the week and Daniels is averaging 24.0 PPG this season when the Commanders put up 30-plus points. Daniels is my QB1 for Week 7.
Baker Mayfield vs. Baltimore
Baker Mayfield is in a new show on Amazon Prime in which he dresses up in disguise as a Buccaneers fan. We’ve known about Mayfield’s acting prowess for years thanks to his commercials, but I’m actually most impressed by his performance this season in which he’s disguised himself as a top 10 fantasy quarterback. Actually, “top 10” is under-selling it. Mayfield has now finished as a top seven quarterback in five of six games this season and is QB2 on the season. Now, he faces a Ravens team that is 31st in pass defense. Get this: five of the six quarterbacks to face Baltimore so far this season have thrown for at least 269 yards. Mayfield should make it six of seven. I have him as QB6.
Kirk Cousins vs. Seattle
Over the last three games, Seattle is allowing a league-high 10 yards per pass attempt. Each of the last three quarterbacks to face the Seahawks – Brock Purdy, Daniel Jones and Jared Goff – have all scored at least 22 fantasy points. Maybe the 12th Man should get a tryout as a defensive back? No, but seriously. Cornerback Riq Woolen missed last week’s game with an injury and now his backup, Artie Burns, is on IR. The Falcons have the second-highest implied team total this week for a reason. Cousins is my Week 7 QB7.
Others receiving votes: Cousins and the Falcons aren’t the only team likely to put up points in that Falcons-Seahawks game. The matchup has the second highest Over/Under of Week 7 (51) and Geno Smith leads all quarterbacks in pass attempts per game this season (41.6). The Falcons have also given up two or more passing touchdowns in three of their past four games. … I don’t want to hear people in the UK complaining that we’re forcing them to watch Patriots-Jaguars. You subjected us to NINE YEARS of James Corden. You can handle 60 minutes of atrocious football. We’re letting you off easy. Anyway, I think Drake Maye has a good shot to be NOT atrocious (at least from a fantasy perspective) against the Jags on Sunday. Jacksonville is dead-last in pass defense; the Jags allow a league-high 24.0 PPG to opposing quarterbacks and every QB to face them this season has finished in the top 12 that week. … Washington is allowing touchdown passes at the second-highest rate this season. So, I see some upside in deeper leagues this week with Andy Dalton. In three of his four starts this season, Dalton has thrown the ball at least 37 times.
Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 7
Jared Goff at Minnesota
It’s hard to feel good about playing any quarterback against the Vikings right now. So far this season, the Vikings have allowed the lowest passer rating to opposing quarterbacks and are top five in completion percentage and yards per pass attempt against. Minnesota also has the third-highest blitz rate in the league at 41.6% and actually has more interceptions (11) than touchdown passes allowed (8). On top of all that, Jordan Love is the only quarterback to score 14-plus fantasy points on them … and he needed 54 pass attempts to do it. Sure, the Vikings’ impressive defense stats may be skewed a little by the fact that they don’t have to face the great Sam Darnold in a game. (I honestly don’t know if that’s a joke at this point.) But any way you cut it, the Vikings’ pass defense is very good, so I’m keeping Jared Goff outside my top 20 this week.
Patrick Mahomes at San Francisco
I know. I know. It’s very hard to NOT start Patrick Mahomes in fantasy if you have him on your roster. He’s Patrick Mahomes. But hopefully last week served as a sort of test run. Mahomes had a bye, so you couldn’t start him and … what happened? Your fantasy team still exists, right? The world is still spinning on its axis, no? Great. So, now consider not starting him two weeks in a row. Baby steps. Because don’t forget: Mahomes has yet to have a game this season with more than 17 fantasy points. He also has the lowest aDOT (5.2) among all starting quarterbacks. And now he gets a 49ers defense that has held four of the six quarterbacks they have faced this season under 14 points. Over the past four weeks, San Francisco is allowing touchdowns at the seventh-lowest rate, and you need to go back to Week 2 for a game in which the 49ers have surrendered multiple touchdown passes. Listen, you can do it. You can put Mahomes on your bench. I believe in you. Everything will be okay. Mahomes is outside my top 15 this week.
Running Backs I Love in Week 7
Kyren Williams vs. Las Vegas
I could give you lots of stats and analysis about why playing the Raiders is a good matchup for Kyren Williams. Or I could just say that last week the Raiders let Najee Harris run for 106 yards, 7.6 YPC and score his first touchdown since Week 18 of last season. But if you’re the reading sort, I’ll provide some additional analysis. Such as the fact that every starting running back to face the Raiders so far this season has scored at least 15 fantasy points. And that running backs who have seen 13-plus touches versus Vegas this season are averaging 19.9 PPG. I love that last one especially this week because Kyren Williams is averaging 21.8 touches per game. Williams also leads all RBs with an 85% snap rate, and he’s at the top in goal-line carries, too. All of that is more than enough to make Williams my RB1 this week.
Tony Pollard at Buffalo
Tony Pollard was on the Week 6 Love List and put up 17.8 fantasy points on a season-high 5.5 YPC, so let’s run it back in Week 7. Run it back, run it sideways, run it forward, it doesn’t matter which way he runs because all of it this week will be against a Bills defense that lets everyone run on them. Buffalo has allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs and, so far this season, five different backs have scored 19-plus against Buffalo. Can newly-acquired Amari Cooper also tackle running backs in space? Because the Bills have also allowed the most receiving yards to running backs this season, while Pollard has a double-digit target share in every game. Pollard has posted at least 15 fantasy points in every game this season in which he’s seen 10-plus touches, and with Tyjae Spears nursing a hamstring injury, Pollard should easily eclipse the 10-touch mark. I have him at RB9 for Week 7.
J.K. Dobbins at Arizona
J.K. Dobbins led all players in carries last week with 25. That was his career high for carries in a single game, and he added two receptions for a career high in touches, as well. Why the extra workload? Well, two reasons. First, Jim Harbaugh remains steadfast on destroying Justin Herbert’s fantasy value. And second, last week was the Chargers’ first game since Gus Edwards went on IR and they chose to lean even more on Dobbins. That type of usage should go a long way against an Arizona defense that allows the second-most rushing yards per game to running backs. I also like Dobbins getting some work when Herbert is allowed to throw, as Dobbins has a 12% target share on the season and two-plus receptions in four of his five games. Give me Dobbins as a top 12 back this week.
Others receiving votes: Indianapolis allows the fifth-most rushing yards per game to running backs. So, it’s a nice matchup for De’Von Achane (or Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright if Achane is out). Don’t forget, the Dolphins got their run game going before the bye, with Miami backs going for 187 rushing yards in Week 5 against the Patriots. … Speaking of the Patriots, give me some Rhamondre Stevenson this week in London against Jacksonville. Stevenson has 15-plus touches in all four full games he’s played this season, while four of the five backs to get that workload against the Jaguars this season have posted 18-plus fantasy points. Jacksonville has also allowed the second-most receiving yards to backs this season and Stevenson has a target share of 13% or more in each of his four healthy games. … Most bosses like to have new hires ease into a job. Andy Reid is apparently not one of those bosses. In Week 5 before Kansas City’s bye, Reid gave Kareem Hunt 28 touches – most among all backs that week. Hunt now has 76% of Kansas City’s RB touches since returning to the team, including six of seven red zone opportunities. We’ll see if Clyde Edwards-Helaire eventually works into the mix, but for this week I expect a heavy workload for Hunt. And this season, backs who have seen 15-plus touches against San Francisco are averaging 18.6 PPG. Hunt has definite RB2 value this week against the 49ers. … Over the past three weeks, Chase Brown is RB7 in fantasy (18.0 PPG) and has at least 14 fantasy points in each of those games. Last week he saw a season-high snap rate of 62%, and over the past two games, Brown has out-touched Zack Moss 27-to-19.
Running Backs I Hate in Week 7
Jordan Mason (or any SF RB) vs. Kansas City
Jordan Mason may play this week after leaving San Francisco’s Week 6 game with a shoulder injury, or the bulk of the run game work could go to Isaac Guerendo and/or Patrick Taylor. But wherever it goes, it’s not going to go far against the Chiefs. Kansas City is allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game to running backs. Check out what the Chiefs have done so far this season to some of our most cherished fantasy running backs:
- Week 1 vs. Derrick Henry: 46 yards
- Week 3 vs. Bijan Robinson: 31 yards
- Week 4 vs. J.K. Dobbins: 32 yards
- Week 5 vs. Alvin Kamara: 26 yards
Not only have the Chiefs turned Patrick Mahomes into QB24, but they’re also ruining our running backs, too. Disgusting. I mean, those four backs listed above averaged just 11.4 PPG against the Chiefs, and no back has put up more than 13.2 fantasy points against KC so far this season. I’m going to be sick. Jordan Mason - if he plays - is my RB23. And if it’s a messy committee of Guerendo and Taylor, they will obviously be even lower.
Rachaad White/Bucky Irving vs. Baltimore
With the breakout game last week by Sean Tucker (Go ‘Cuse!), Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said this week that Tucker’s performance was “definitely worthy of him making this a three-headed monster.” That was a long way for Bowles to say: “I hate fantasy managers.” But listen, I don’t care if the Bucs’ run game has one head or is constructed out of a giant, Frankenstein-esque body made of 50 heads, I don’t like any of them against this Ravens run defense. Baltimore has the league’s top-ranked rush defense and is allowing a league-low 2.9 YPC to backs. Oh, and by the way, while Tucker’s emergence further muddied the Bucs’ running back situation, there’s been dirt in that water for weeks. Since Week 3, no Bucs back has seen more than 40% of team rushes in a single game. I’m staying away from all of them in Week 7.
Zack Moss at Cleveland
The pro-Chase Brown case in the Others Receiving Votes section above is the anti-Zack Moss case here. (I’m going to dress my analysis up in Spiderman costumes and have them point at each other.) But things truly are trending in a bad direction for Moss. His target share has declined in four straight games. Over the past two weeks, he has only 41% of Cincinnati’s RB touches, and after losing a fumble in the third quarter last week, he did not see another touch in the game. Ooof. Yes, when it comes to winning back the RB1 job from Chase Brown, Moss will find himself having to … wait for it … chase Brown. Thank you! Thank you! You’ve been a wonderful crowd! Thank you!
Pass Catchers I Love in Week 7
Diontae Johnson at Washington
Since Andy Dalton took over the QB1 job in Carolina, Diontae Johnson is averaging 18.3 PPG and has 19-plus fantasy points in three of those four games. He also has 10-plus targets in three games over that same span, thanks to a 29% target share with Dalton. Granted, this is not the QB-WR combo Panthers fans may have dreamed of before the season, but as the saying goes: “Panthers can’t be choosers.” Now Johnson – who leads the NFL in end zone targets – gets a great matchup against a Commanders defense that is tied for the most touchdowns allowed to wide receivers on the season. Washington also gives up an average of 19.2 PPG this season to opposing wide receivers who see seven-plus targets against them. All that makes Johnson my WR7 for Week 7.
Mike Evans vs. Baltimore
As good as the Ravens have looked at times this year, their pass defense too often looks like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story. (Who can forget his series of spooky football tales that were the talk of 1840s America?) The Ravens have given up the most receptions and yards on deep passes this season and – in three of their past four games – have allowed multiple touchdowns to wide receivers. Now, they have to face one of the top deep threats in the game in Mike Evans, who has the second-most end zone targets this season. I have him as WR11 this week.
Zay Flowers at Tampa Bay
Baltimore has played six games so far this season, with two of them essentially decided by the end of the third quarter. In their four competitive games, Flowers has seen at least nine targets in all of them, along with a 30% target share. He also has 19-plus fantasy points in three of those four games. Now, he gets a Bucs defense on Monday night that is allowing the sixth-highest PPG to wide receivers. So far this season, wide receivers who see eight-plus targets against Tampa Bay are averaging 18.7 PPG. Considering this matchup should be close, I like Flowers to get plenty of volume in this one and finish as a top 15 WR for the week.
Brock Bowers at Los Angeles Rams
The Rams allow the second-most fantasy PPG to tight ends this season and opposing tight ends have caught a league-high 91% of their targets against them. Now they face a tight end who already has nine more receptions than any other tight end in the league. Get this: Brock Bowers is the only tight end this season with four games of six-plus receptions. Plus, his usage continues to grow, too, seeing a 30% target share over the last two weeks with 11 targets in each game. That’s significant because in Bowers’ four games this season with a target share of 20% or more, he is averaging 17.6 PPG. Bowers is essentially single-handedly keeping the Raiders organization and the tight end position in business. I have him as my TE3 this week.
Others receiving votes: In Tyler Huntley’s two starts before the bye, Tyreek Hill saw a 32.7% target share and almost half (47%) of his targets over that stretch came on deep passes. That feels like a good day could be on the way against a Colts defense that has allowed the fourth-most yards on deep passes, especially as Huntley has now had two more weeks in the system and a bye week to get on the same page with head coach Mike McDaniel and his teammates … If Jakobi Meyers plays this week, he’ll see a lot of usage if for no other reason than that he’s pretty much the Raiders’ only weapon left, not named Brock Bowers. In the two games Meyers played this season without Davante Adams in the lineup, Vegas’ new WR1 saw a 31.7% target share. That makes him a nice FLEX option against a Rams defense that has allowed at least one touchdown to wide receivers in four of their five games. … Ladd McConkey has led the Chargers in targets in all but one game this season while earning a 26.5% target share. While he’s never going to get a ton of targets in this Chargers offense, he at least has a good matchup against an Arizona defense that allows the second-highest catch rate to wide receivers. Oh, and last week the Cardinals gave up three touchdowns to the slot. (Wide open eyes emoji) …The 20-point fantasy game JuJu Smith-Schuster put up before Kansas City’s bye on a 23.5% target share wasn’t exactly expected, but it also wasn’t a fluke. Don’t forget, in JuJu’s one full season with the Chiefs in 2022, he averaged 11.6 PPG and was WR31. He should have another productive day on Sunday against a 49ers defense that gives up the fourth-most yards to the slot. … In three games this year with a target share of 20% or more this season, DeMario Douglas is averaging 16.0 PPG. And in Drake Maye’s first start last week, Douglas saw a team-high 29% target share and got a season-high aDOT of 9.7. The good times should continue against a Jaguars defense that allows the third-highest catch rate to the slot. … Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both out for the Saints, which means more Bub Means. Last week the rookie out of Pitt tied for a team-high 21% target share. So, if you’re looking for some production in deeper leagues this week, Bub is a means to an end. Okay, I’ll stop now. … Over the past four weeks, Cade Otton is TE10 in PPG. I have him ranked as TE10 this week against a Ravens defense allowing the second-most yards per game to tight ends. … In Houston’s first Nico Collins-less game last week, Dalton Schultz saw a season-high target share of 25.8%. With that kind of usage, Schultz has upside this week against the Packers, which allow the third-most fantasy PPG to tight ends. ... For those of you truly desperate at tight end, and who among us isn’t, it’s worth noting that Juwan Johnson had a season-high 75% route participation in Week 6. Taysom Hill is also out for the Saints, along with Olave and Shaheed, and very quietly, the Broncos allow the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Pass Catchers I Hate in Week 7
Michael Pittman vs. Miami
Anthony Richardson’s likely return to the lineup is bad news for Michael Pittman managers. Pittman has seen 57% of his fantasy points this season with Joe Flacco at quarterback and, in his three full games with Richardson, Pittman is averaging a brutal 6.6 PPG. Pittman exploded for 113 yards against the Steelers in Week 4, but that game remains Pittman’s only performance of the season with more than 37 yards. This week he gets a Miami defense that is allowing the third-fewest PPG to wide receivers, which means he also gets left outside my top 35 wide receivers for Week 7.
Amari Cooper vs. Tennessee
I’m sure Amari Cooper will have a massive smile on his face this week going from Deshaun Watson to Josh Allen, but unless your league uses a Point Per Smile format, I’m in wait-and-see mode on Cooper. It’s just hard to know how big of a role he’ll have in the Buffalo offense with less than a full week in the system. What I do know is that the Titans aren’t a great matchup for any receiver. They allow the fewest yards per game to wide receivers on the season and only two wide receivers have scored 11-plus fantasy points against them. The Titans have also surrendered just two touchdowns to wide receivers this season, tied for the second fewest. Amari Cooper undoubtedly loves his new home, but for this week he’s a “Hate” for me.
George Pickens vs. New York Jets
Since Week 2, George Pickens is WR57 in PPG (9.2) and has only one game with more than 11 fantasy points over that stretch. Maybe that changes a little for the better if Mr. Unlimited (Russell Wilson) takes over at quarterback, but it’s also hard to see that Pittsburgh passing attack being anything but limited … especially this week against a Jets defense that allows the fourth-fewest PPG to wide receivers. The Jets also allow the fewest receptions per game to wide receivers and opposing WRs catching a league-low 54% of their targets against the Jets. Pickens is outside my top 30 this week.
Tucker Kraft vs. Houston
Last week the Tucker Kraft bandwagon drove off a cliff, exploded on impact and caused a forest fire that devoured several nearby villages. Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But after three touchdowns in his previous two games, Kraft had no touchdowns and just two receptions for 13 yards. And while there’s still plenty to like about him long term, the fact remains that more than 30% of his fantasy points have come on touchdowns and that he has just one game on the season with more than five targets. This week he gets a Texans team that destroys tight ends almost as much as that bandwagon fire destroyed those villages. Houston allows a league-low 52% catch rate to opposing tight ends, as well as the third-fewest fantasy PPG to the position. And get this: Houston has allowed only one tight end more than 34 yards against them this season, and that was Hunter Henry last week with a whopping 41 yards. I have Kraft outside my top 12 for the week.
