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) - 4 targets, 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 touchdown
Week 3: J.K. Dobbins (RB-DEN) - 11 carries, 40 yards, 2 targets, 2 catches, 12 yards
Week 4: Jadarian Price (RB-SEA) - Placed on injured reserve (chest)
Harrison scored early and drew penalties in the red zone, but his name is coming up in trade speculation, so this isn't going anywhere while he is with the Cardinals. Dobbins is still running in wet cement. Price had the bottom drop out of his value the day after he was named the Sabotage Drop of the Week.
On Sabotage Drop Watch
Xavier Worthy (WR-KC) - Worthy is an intriguing choice because he is presumably set up for a target bump after the bye in a Chiefs offense with a renewed deep passing game. There is a lot of buzz about Tyreek Hill reuniting with the team, and we could have a different depth chart at wide receiver by the time we see the Chiefs play the Chargers in Week 6. Worthy still hasn't converted his opportunity into consistent fantasy value in year three, and he is no stranger to the injury report, so it's not that scary to drop him for bye week flexibility in short bench leagues.
Bucky Irving (RB-TB) - Sean Tucker was used successfully as a goal-line back last week, and Kenny Gainwell caught the other touchdown in the red zone. This Bucs offense is not proficient at running the ball or passing downfield. If Irving isn't a frequent target and he doesn't get consistent red zone opportunities in an offense that struggles to create them, what are we waiting for? He's a tempting sabotage drop in short bench leagues if you have good running back depth.
Omarion Hampton (RB-LAC) - The Chargers schedule is going to be rough for the next month plus, and Hampton's share of the backfield is going in the wrong direction. Jim Harbaugh could override Mike McDaniel's RBBC blueprint or even fire McDaniel, which could put Hampton at the center of a "keep it simple, stupid" downhill, run-first game plan. Hampton would probably still draw a big bid on the waiver wire, so it's worth considering if you want to do something that would have seemed bombastic a couple of weeks ago.