Trades always seem to release the most dopamine in my brain of any fantasy football action. The anticipation of finding out whether I made a brilliant move or a big mistake is a reward in itself, and each trade creates a storyline to follow. But what if you are in a league where people are reluctant to make trades? Another fun risk/reward move is the "sabotage drop", a term coined by my friend Paul Charchian.
What is a "Sabotage Drop"?
A Sabotage Drop is a player with:
- Strong name value/ADP
- Fantasy value that is dim/inconsistent enough to make you not want to consider them in any given week
That makes them a drop, but where does the sabotage part come in?
- Another team will spend significant FAAB or waiver priority
- Drop another potentially useful player and clog a roster spot
- Use that player in their lineup and find out why you were willing to drop them
- Maybe even in a matchup against you!
In other words, "sabotage drops" are players who have more value than the lower-end waiver pickups of the week, but are more likely to cause aggravation than help your fantasy team in the long run. The fantasy football conventional wisdom has been to hold this type of player on your bench to see if they come around, but by being decisive, we can create new ways to entertain ourselves in the context of our leagues! Now let's figure out who our sabotage drop of the week will be. We will also track how the previous sabotage drops are going each week as we take on this topic.
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time" - Maya Angelou (RIP)
Previous SDotW Picks:
Week 2: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR-ARI) - 1 target, 0 catches, 0 yards
Maybe we should just retire Sabotage Drop of the Week because it can't get much better than this.
On Sabotage Drop Watch
Justin Herbert (QB-LAC), Quentin Johnston (WR-LAC) - They would be better candidates next week after they put up some garbage-time numbers against the Bills. The Chargers schedule turns into a murderer's row of defenses from Week 4-Week 10
Luther Burden III (WR-CHI) - If you based the choice on Week 2 alone, then Burden is the sabotage drop of the week. It's right there in his name! Burden!! This should also make you more open to Kalif Raymond's lasting value. It still feels a little too early to sabotage drop Burden, but you could consider selling low.
Brian Thomas Jr.. (WR-JAX) - Thomas faces Christian Gonzalez in Week 3, and with Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Houston up the next three weeks, he is not startable. The problem is that after that, the Jaguars' schedule gets much easier, opening a window of value for Thomas that may be worth waiting for.
Terry McLaurin (WR-WAS) - There's a strong case to drop him ahead of the matchup with Seattle after Jayden Daniels got hurt, but Daniels could be back in 3-4 weeks. McLaurin also had a big game in Denver in his return from injury last year with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. After Seattle comes Indianapolis and the Giants. Be patient.