🤮 The Colts Hate Your Fantasy Team

Don't let Jim Irsay get hot...

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by CreditStrong:

It's been an absolutely insane past few weeks for the Indianapolis Colts culminating with some wild coaching moves yesterday. Check out this timeline of events:

After Week 7: QB Matt Ryan is benched for Sam Ehlinger

After Week 8: Offensive coordinator Marcus Brady is fired

After Week 9: Head coach Frank Reich is fired and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday is hired as interim head coach

Weeks 10-18: The team does their best to get the #1 overall pick in the 2022 draft

Whew. Let's take a second to unpack some of this...

Despite being well-regarded as a coach around the league, the Colts let go of Reich after he compiled a 40-33 record since 2018.

It's crystal clear that owner Jim Irsay is frustrated with the trajectory of the organization and has decided that things must go down before they can go up.

The Saturday promotion is a head-scratcher on the surface—he wasn't even previously listed as a coach on their official roster—but makes perfect sense if you work under the assumption that this team wants to lose games in its pursuit of a high draft pick.

When you consider that on Sunday, the Colts will not have a single coach on staff who has previously called NFL plays before, it's not hard to view this as essentially a Ted Lasso situation.

I wish I had some positive news to pass along as it pertains to your fantasy teams, but this is as bad as it gets for your shares of Jonathan Taylor (shut down candidate), Michael Pittman Jr. (75 scoreless yards past two weeks with Ehlinger), and Deon Jackson (running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league).

If you want to finish in the top quartile of the upper quartile of your fantasy league, you're going to need to look elsewhere.

💪 Build out your bench, build out your credit score

As a fantasy player, you know the importance of building out your bench with high upside stashes.

In the same vein, we also need to build out a strong credit profile because you never know when you'll need it.

A good credit score helps acquire credit cards, car loans, home loans, apartment leases, and every other trick play life throws your way.

If that sounds tougher than finding the next Terrace Marshall or Josh Palmer, don't worry, CreditStrong Revolv makes it incredibly easy.

CreditStrong Revolv helps you build revolving credit (the type of credit you'd get from a credit card). It's designed to show that you can manage your spending responsibly and spend within your means.

CreditStrong Revolv is an incredibly flexible product. Once you've paid your annual subscription fee, you can choose your monthly payment amount and your payments go directly to your savings.

CreditStrong Revolv impacts 90% of the factors used to calculate your credit score and can immediately lower your credit utilization. Each month CreditStrong reports payment history on all CreditStrong products to the 3 major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax).

There's also no credit check performed when you apply, and no minimum credit score required.

Regardless of your financial goals in life, CreditStrong has you covered. We'll leave it to Fantasy Life to help you find the next great waiver add, though.

Want to buy, sell, and hold REAL athlete stocks? Mojo is the all-new sports stock market that lets you invest in NFL and college athletes and turn your sports knowledge into real money. Trade instantly, anytime, all year long. You can even SHORT an overrated player's stock and profit when the share price goes down. Mojo is fully licensed & regulated.

Each week during the season, Cooterdoodle walks us through the fantasy trade market from a buy, hold, sell perspective...

Let’s talk buyin’ and sellin’. Like it or not, trade deadlines are quickly approaching. This means that sooner than later, the team you’ve got is the one you’ll be stuck with as you enter the playoffs (if you’re lucky). Start analyzing which positions you’re weakest at so that you can buff them up.

Now don’t forget to look at your leaguemates’ rosters. It’s just as important to peek at their teams and identify weaknesses. Look for blood in the water. If they are barely hanging on by a thread, but they’ve got an elite player, POUNCE. Send them two startable players, make their team stronger, but pocket their Kelce.

Now that you’ve got the right mindset…

BUY

🛒 Nick Folk

Scoff if you must, but kickers are a part of the game. If you’ve got some fluff on your bench that you won’t be starting, now is the time to send it away and strengthen your other positions, kicker included.

Folk is dominating the position. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of his head coach, Bill Belichick, but he’s known for saying veryyy little in post-game interviews. So, I’ll leave you with this quote, and you can decide if Bill trusts Folk to keep banging out the kicks.

 SELL

🛒 Keenan Allen

Allen has played in only two games this season, totaling 6 receptions. There’s an argument to be had for stashing Allen for his return, but take a look at your team. Do you have that luxury? If you do, go right ahead, but my patience is waning.

HOLD

 🛒 Ken Walker III

Don’t get cute. “Ken” kinda rhymes with “win.” It’s really that simple.

In his last five games, Walker has scored seven TDs and racked up 512 yards. He’s everything you hoped Rashad Penny would be. Hold on tight, and don’t forget to thank him when you make the playoffs.

 🛒 Travis Kelce

I know I just suggested acquiring Kelce from a depleted, struggling team, but now I’m talking to the Kelce owner who is in the top half of the pack. If you’re reading this newsletter, I have to assume your team isn’t broken and bruised. You’re still in this to win this.

Use waivers and make other moves, but leave Kelce alone. He is either nabbing 100+ yards a game, or finding the endzone like Joe Mixon in Week 9. Kelce is carrying your team, He is a cheat code at the TE position. HOLD.

🚑 Uh oh, the best QB in football might be hurt. We'll be tracking this all week.

😥 The Packers lose an important WR for the next month or so. This isn't good.

⛱️ The DB who got injured on vacation. How about just sipping cocktails on the beach next time?

⚔️ Do we have a QB controversy in Carolina? Not this week, but maybe next.

💥 We all need to take the L on Geno Smith. The dude has been phenomenal.

🤔 What's going on with Amon-Ra & Godwin. Lord Reebs explains.

🩲 Adam Schefter shirtless? Adam Schefter shirtless.

🤨 We're "holding" Ken Walker, but PFF is selling high on him. Find out why.

Waivers are a crucial component of fantasy football, and nabbing the next league winner ahead of your leaguemates can help you edge out that title. Each Tuesday, Sam Wallace will highlight players to target in your redraft leagues.

➕ WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

• Available in 94% of leagues

Sophomore WR Terrace Marshall Jr. is doing his best to put his abysmal rookie season behind him. Marshall followed up his 4/87 performance last week by posting a 3/53/1 line on Sunday. More impressively, he tied fellow WR DJ Moore with six targets which led the Panthers.

Marshall now has three straight games with at least 43 snaps (PFF) and has an enticing matchup against the Falcons next week. He offers an ideal blend of short-term production with rest-of-season upside.

• FAAB: 15%

➕ WR Michael Gallup

• Available in 61% of leagues

It’s been a rocky season for WR Michael Gallup but it looks like things are starting to fall into place. After missing the first three weeks of the season due to injury, and then playing three games with backup QB Cooper Rush, Gallup finally played with QB Dak Prescott the last two weeks.

Gallup is averaging 47 snaps per game (PFF) over his last three games and is passing the eye test on the field. Prescott looked much better in his second game back from injury (Week 8) and the entire Dallas offense finally looks potent again. With his bye week behind him, Gallup should be a primary waiver addition this week.

FAAB: 15%

➕ WR Kadarius Toney

• Available in 45% of leagues

The much-anticipated debut of WR Kadarius Toney in a Chiefs uniform ultimately disappointed but it was good to see him healthy and active. He played just nine snaps (PFF) but did draw a pair of targets. QB Patrick Mahomes attempted a whopping 68 passes on Sunday night which is an outlier performance, but the opportunity for Toney to earn more targets in the coming weeks is very real. He’s a must-add in almost all formats for his late-season, league-winning upside potential.

FAAB: 15%

Need more waiver wire guidance? Check out our NEW Waiver Wire Hub for more picks from Sam & Dwain McFarland!