Fantasy Football. A mystical combination of numbers, football, and passion. It’s an intimidating front if there ever was one.
Being the only girl in a fantasy league is a daunting venture. You’re under attack at all times, especially if you haven’t had a vested interest in football for your whole life.
At first, you think you can rely on your male friends or coworkers to give you pointers. Then you realize they’re twisting those interactions for their own gain, and now you’re on your own.
Drafting in fantasy is truly a gamble. Top players in the past season can get injured before they ever even make it onto the field.
After week 7, there are dozens of players sidelined. Breaking down the top choices simply is not something you want mansplained. Here are the sneaky contenders that came out of nowhere – meaning they might be on the waiver wire in the coming weeks if your team is struggling.
Quarterback
The quarterback is the center of your fantasy team. They need to be consistently getting points, or it can throw the whole thing off balance. Here, my pick is from the struggling New York Jets.
- Justin Fields, NYJ
Justin Fields is making a name for himself despite his ties to the franchise that is 0-6 so far. He’s a dual threat, meaning he’s been known to throw great passes and sneak in a run or two on occasion when necessary. Even though his team hasn’t won yet, he still consistently scores points, and consistency is key.
Runningback
Runningbacks in general are underrated. One of the most confusing things about football to me when I started out was why they ever run the ball. It seems like it always gets them only a short distance gain, and causes so much ruckus. Runningbacks tend to make great fantasy players, though, because they’re often responsible for taking the ball the last few yards for a touchdown.
- Josh Jacobs, GB
The Packers are still considered super bowl contenders, even if they didn’t have the strong start they’d hoped for. One of the pillars of their offense is Josh Jacobs. In their last game against the Bengals, he scored two touchdowns and had 18 total carries. Josh Jacobs may not be a household name like Saquon Barkley quite yet, but he’s well on his way.
Wide receiver
Wide receivers are tricky business. They can have really great games and really bad games depending on the plays that are run. With key wide receivers recently declared out, you may be in the market for a new one.
- Drake London, ATL
Though the Falcons are at a steady 3-2, one of their wide receivers really pushed the stats for them recently. Drake London is a red zone threat, meaning he’s at his best when he’s within 20 yards of a touchdown. This is great news for your fantasy team.
Tight end
Tight ends are one of the most interesting positions in football. They can act as part of the offensive line, the players who protect the quarterback, or they can be a receiver. This makes them hard to predict for opposing teams.
- Tucker Kraft, GB
Just like Jacobs, Kraft is just hitting his stride in Green Bay. He is consistently scoring good points, and he’s a sneaky pick because he’s not on everyone’s minds since Green Bay had their BYE week.
Kicker
Sometimes kickers are picked as an afterthought, but they can really make or break a game. They often end up the backbone of a fantasy team riddled with injuries. In this category, I’ll be focusing on accuracy.
- Eddy Pineiro, SF
The 49ers are off to a rocky 4-2 start after their star quarterback Brock Purdy was benched early on in the season. Their kicker, however, is not. With a 15 attempt 100% accuracy rate, he leads the league in accuracy. He may not score as much as big picks like Harrison Butker or George Kittle, but you can be sure he will lose you the least points, too.
Hopefully these waiver wire picks can prop up your team in the weeks to come. The only thing better than women in male fields is women winning in male fields.