🤔 Are We Underestimating This Veteran RB?

Mike Tomlin has been the Steelers head coach for 17 YEARS?! Man, I gotta lay off the peyote…

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by Underdog Fantasy:

The NFL world was fairly quiet on Monday, somehow even refraining from releasing their 645th alternate jersey of the offseason.

However, there was one bit of news that could be an early sign of much bigger things to come: RB Rhamondre Stevenson told reporters he feels like he’s “pretty close” to reaching an extension with the Patriots. The quote comes on the same day that new head coach Jerod Mayo said he thinks Stevenson is “one of the better backs in the league.”

Regular ho-hum off-season propaganda? Perhaps, but signing the 26-year-old veteran to a big-money deal would help explain why the team largely declined to add any sort of real meaningful resources to the position during the last six months.

During free agency and the draft the Patriots:

• Let 2023 No. 2 RB Ezekiel Elliott return home to Dallas in free agency.

• Signed ex-Commanders RB Antonio Gibson on a three-year, $11.25 million deal, but just $5.3 million is fully guaranteed.

• Declined to use any of their eight draft picks on their backfield.

The Patriots beat was clear from the beginning of the Gibson signing that Stevenson is still very much the team's undisputed No. 1 RB. Fantasy Life projections reflect this and have the backfield split leaning heavily in the incumbent starter’s favor:

• Stevenson: 196 rush attempts, 50 targets

• Gibson: 103 rush attempts, 37 targets

Reminder: Stevenson is only one year removed from working as the RB10 in PPR points per game. While last season’s RB27 mark was hardly what fantasy managers were hoping for, the team’s tumultuous situation under center, pathetic scheme and a late-season high-ankle sprain hardly created one of the league’s more fantasy-friendly situations.

Now, there’s no guarantee that new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and some combination of Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye will turn this into a top-10 scoring offense overnight, but that risk certainly seems to be more baked into Stevenson’s 2024 ADP (RB21, pick 84.3) than it was last year (RB9, pick 29).

Historically, RBs from bad scoring offenses have managed to put up good fantasy numbers at a much stronger rate relative to other positions. Don’t hate the player, hate the ADP — and Stevenson is VERY affordable for someone with a recent RB1 season to his name and the potential to breeze past 250 combined carries and targets in 2024.

And whether you agree or disagree, what are you waiting for? Put your money where your mouth is!

💰 BEST BALL MANIA V

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👨‍🍳 After a surprising 2023, what do the Buccaneers have in store for 2024? Bucs country, let’s bake.

⛳️ Take a break from drafting to hit the links. Course preview for the 2024 U.S. Open.

💸 Mike Tomlin signed a three-year extension on Monday. Things look just a bit different from when he signed his first Steelers contract.

🤞 UFL Offensive Player of the Year Hakeem Butler is expected to get an NFL workout. This would be a great story.

🤣 Dak said he’s a gambling man and IMMEDIATELY regretted it. Lmao.

🐻 Marcedes Lewis is BACK for year 19 in the NFL. How much help does Caleb Williams need?

👀 Robbie Chosen AKA Robby Anderson AKA Robbie Anderson AKA Chosen Anderson has a tryout. Comeback szn.

😮‍💨 One of the Saints’ best players reported to minicamp. Phew!

🤓 Fantasy RB values based on their team’s projected points. Great stuff as always from Hayden.

It may still be the offseason, but we're always plugged in. Cooterdoodle is here to keep our minds in check by asking the age-old, evergreen question: “What Now?”

😥 What Now? The Principles of Fantasy Football

Fantasy football is unpredictable and we’ve got to be ready to roll with the punches. So, we’re going to take a little inspiration from improvisation.

1️⃣ Principle 1: Can't Be Halfway In

One of the most important fantasy fundamentals is commitment. We’re not sitting on the fence. And we’re not going to be halfway in. It's FULL THROTTLE OR NOTHING, boys and girls.

🗣️ Speak the F*ck Up!

If your league is going to last, you’ve got to interact on a regular basis.

You can’t be halfway involved in the discussions that make the cogs in the machine move. If you’re not comfortable with trash-talking, I’ll let it slide. But the BARE MINIMUM involvement should at least include:

• Heavy discussions in the group chat (Was that collusion?)

• Playful discussions in the group chat (Is David going to blow all of his FAAB early again?)

• Participation in league votes

• Offering up ideas

I’m not saying you should be happy and thrilled with everything going on in your league, but you can at least tell the league when you’re disgruntled. There should be a healthy amount of back-and-forth between good and bad ideas.

If you’re going to ghost your league mates half the time, don’t expect the league to last.

🚘 Who's Driving This Thing??

It’s time to take the wheel. Are you in or are you out?

If you can’t set waivers, make time for trades, and give your league the attention it deserves, what are you doing here? Not only is it making the league feel stale, I have to assume you’re at the bottom of the pack in rankings year after year with that kind of half-in attitude.

I mean, really… Are you handing out free wins to your opponents?

Stop being halfway in. Either buckle up and manage your team or back out and let someone else take the wheel. 

🤔 Trade Temperaments

We used to get trades done. REMEMBER?

But these days, everyone is so worried about squeeeeezing out every single last drop from their trade partners that the entire charade turns sour. It's exhausting! Here are some quick tips for avoiding a half-in/half-out trade temperament:

📤 Sending:

• Send a SERIOUS trade offer. Stop playing the "aren't you going to counter it" game. 

• Don't get cold feet! When someone is interested in your verbal offer, that doesn't mean you're losing the trade. If you want to do it, send it.

• Accept whatever response you get. No one owes you a negotiation phase.

📥 Receiving:

• Don't sit on trade offers. Accept, negotiate, or decline. 

• You don't have to make things work. If you don't like a trade offer or you're not willing to move a certain player from your team: Decline. 

• Always respond. Yes, declining is a response. You're not the 1993 viral Cranberries single - Don't let it linger.