4th & Inches With Jana And The Sherpa

The 2023 fantasy football season was a rollercoaster ride featuring lots of injuries, lots of players not living up to expectations, and lots of players seemingly coming out of nowhere to exceed expectations.  We'll take a final look at the 2023 season and cast a longing glance in the direction of 2024 fantasy drafts: Review of 2023 fantasy draft first-rounders2023 fantasy draft strategy hits and missesIn-season roster management strategy hits and misses2024 fantasy impact rookies2024 mock fantasy draft first roundNFL playoff picks Tune in tonight at 7pm Eastern (or download after the fact and listen with your favorite podcast app).  Now concluding the 14th season of our podcast, let us guide you to victory (or at least set the stage for doing so in 2024)!

It's finals week!  No, not the kind college students fear & dread - the kind that fantasy football team owners look forward to and strive for all season.  While almost certainly there's been some luck involved in your team's reaching your league's championship game, the pre-season reasearch & mock drafting, and the in-season trades & waiver wire additions have paid off, putting you on the doorstep of your league's title.  All that remains is one last contest vs a team that in all likelihood has been just as good (if not better) than your squad.  Which NFL teams have the best matchups this week that you can exploit for fantasy (championship) purposes?  And which players, even if they turn out to be just "one-week wonders", can increase your chances of emerging victorious? Tune in tonight at 7:30pm Eastern (or download after the fact and listen with your favorite podcast app) for The 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now in our 14th season together, let us guide you to victory!

RESCHEDULED FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH BLOG TALK RADIO It's semifinals week in most fantasy football leagues - if you're reading this, chances are you either won your first-round matchup last weekend (great!) or had a first-round bye (even better!)  However, past success is no guarantee of future performance in many aspects of life, including fantasy football.  Thanks to untimely injuries, some fantasy teams that breezed through the regular season find themselves having to decide between Easton Stick and Nick Mullens as their starting quarterback for a playoff matchup.  Feeling good about having picked up Keaton Mitchell just in time for the stretch run?  How about having to replace him this week with either Roschon Johnson or Kenneth Gainwell?  Happy to have Ja'Marr Chase back in your starting lineup?  How does having to start Joshua Palmer or Rashid Shaheed sound? The point is, no matter how smooth your path has been up to this point in the season, it's always a good idea to ha

Here we are - fantasy football playoff season!  It took lots of savvy team management and (in all likelihood) some degree of good fortune to get your team to the post-season, but there you are.  Even if you're one of the lucky few to have a bye this week, it never hurts to be looking ahead to optimize your lineup for next week.  And for those with first-round playoff matchups this week, hopefully you weren't counting on Justin Herbert or C.J. Stroud quarterbacking your team to post-season fantasy glory.  Of course, even if you were, you're unlikely to want to forfeit your first-round match-up, so which widely available waiver wire options should you be considering for this week? Tune in tonight at 8:30pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) for The 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa.  Now entering the homestretch of our 14th season, let us guide you to playoff victory!

Last call for those on the bubble of qualifying for their fantasy football league's playoffs!  For the vast majority of leagues this is the final week of the fantasy regular season.  Thankfully, there are only 2 teams on bye this week (Arizona, Washington), so hopefully that won't affect your starting lineup too much, but there are still a number of up-in-the-air quarterback situations, with a good number of injuries thrown in for good measure.  For the last week of the regular season as well as the playoff weeks, paying attention to the NFL schedule and the weather report are just as important as paying attention to the waiver wire.  While neither Jana nor The Sherpa have meteorological degrees, they're both astute enough to be able to read a schedule and figure out which games are either in warm-weather sites, in domes, or both (looking at you, Las Vegas).  At first glance it looks like there could be a number of low-scoring games this week, so don't blindly "start your studs" if they have a bad matchup, wh

There are just 2 weeks left in most fantasy football leagues' regular season - unless you're in the enviable position of having already clinched a first-round bye for your league's playoffs, chances are you have a lot riding on your last two regular season matchups.  And just to increase the degree of difficulty, standouts such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Josh Jacobs, T.J. Hockenson, and Saquon Barkley all have byes this week.  Which teams have the most favorable match-ups this week that you can exploit for fantasy purposes?  And which players who might currently be languishing on your league's waiver wire could make the difference between your fantasy team making the playoffs or not? Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa - now in our 14th season, let us guide you to victory!

So here we are at Thanksgiving week - how did that happen so quickly?  After this week the NFL regular season will be 2/3 over, and the fantasy football regular season will have just 2 weeks to go for the overwhelming majority of leagues.  Another week of generally low-scoring games - between that and the (in many cases) mediocre to atrocious quarterback play, it's been a real grind this season to put forth a consistent fantasy lineup on a weekly basis.  That makes it more important than ever to consider each week's matchups and most likely game scripts before setting your lineup.  Which teams have favorable matchups this week, and which ones will make your fantasy team wish they were on a bye this week? Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now in our 14th season, let us guide you to victory!

With just 4 weeks remaining in most fantasy football leagues' regular season, we're heading into the home stretch!  In all likelihood, there are still a bunch of playoff spots up for grabs in your league, so now's the time to either solidify your grip on a spot, or claw your way through the thicket of contending teams to secure your golden ticket!   That said, the fantasy landscape looks a lot different now than it did 2-3 months ago when you did your fantasy draft, especially at the quarterback position.  Due to a combination of injuries and bad performances (or in Daniel Jones' case, both), a number of highly touted QB options have fallen short of expectations.  Other options have exceeded expectations (looking at you, Jared Goff), and even an overlooked rookie has been among the best QBs fantasy-wise (and real life-wise) in recent weeks (C.J. Stroud, of course).  Should you stream QBs and play matchups?  Or just trust your best option will be reasonably consistent from week to week?   Tune in tonight at

Happy (day after) Election Day!  Many Americans are already looking ahead to the 2024 elections, but that's no reason to ignore the 2023 elections.  Similarly, we've reached the point in the fantasy football season where it's easy to look ahead and lose focus on the only thing that you can control in the short run - your team's lineup for the next game in front of you.  Sure, if you're still undefeated and are already eyeing the top seed in your league's playoffs, or if you're at the bottom of the standings and already looking forward to your league's 2024 draft next summer, it's more understandable if you aren't focused on what's right in front of you.  However, for the vast majority of us, the remaining 5 weeks of the fantasy regular season still matter - either we're working to improve our likely playoff seeding, we're scratching and clawing just to make our league's playoffs, or we're looking forward to playing spoiler (both from a personal satisfaction standpoint and a league integrity standpoint).  With

Where have all the quarterbacks gone (long time passing)?  The list of quarterbacks drafted in fantasy football leagues who've now been knocked out (either for the season or an extended period of time) now includes Aaron Rodgers, Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, Deshaun Watson, and Kirk Cousins.  Those in questionable health, with questionable holds on their starting positons, or with byes this week include Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, and Baker Mayfield.  All this is to say that there's a good chance that either your starting quarterback or your bench version will be unavailable this week.  Fortunately, there are a number of good replacement options widely available on waivers, but which ones will be your best bets? Tune in tonight at 7:30pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) to the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & Ther Sherpa!  Now in our 14th season together, let us guide you to victory!

We're officially at the halfway point of the regular season for many fantasy football leagues - how is your team faring?  Whether you're undefeated and think you're the fantasy football equivalent of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, you're feeling like roadkill (i.e.- like the 2023 Miami Dolphins after losing to the Eagles), there's still plenty of regular season left.  At this point it's unlikely you'll find "difference makers" on the waiver wire, but the goal isn't to find someone who'll duplicate Patrick Mahomes' stats the rest of the way - any incremental improvement, even if it's just to the fringes of your roster, is likely to be worthwhile.  Which players currently on the waiver wire might be in that category for your fantasy team? Tune in tonight at 7pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa.  Now in our 14th season, let us guide you to victory!

Let's cut straight to the chase - this week will be . . . challenging.  Between the myriad of injuries (esp to QBs) and having 6 teams on bye this week, NFL Week 7 has the potential to be a real . . . challenge for fantasy football team owners.  How far down into the depths of the waiver wire will you need to go to find a replacement RB or QB?  Probably a lot deeper than you would need to in an "ordinary" week (if such a thing ever existed).  The silver lining is that your opponent this week is likely facing similar challenges, so don't expect a lot of sympathy from them.  However, NFL games will still be played, and fantasy football matchups will still be won/lost.  How can you ensure that your team has the best chance to be successful this week in spite of all the . . . challenges? Tune in tonight at 8:30pm Eastern (or download later and listen with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa.  Now in our 14th season, let us guide you to victory!

So, we're now through 4 weeks of the NFL season and more than a quarter of the way through the fantasy football regular season - how is your team doing?  Is it living up to the championship-level expectations you had for it when you left your draft?  Are you in the middle of the pack trying to gain ground on the league leaders?  Or are you overseeing a complete dumpster fire / pile of dung of a team that has fallen far short of its potential?  Wherever you currently sit, we're about to enter a critical part of the schedule - the bye weeks.  Unlike injuries, every owner has to navigage bye weeks to the same extent, and your ability to do so may make the difference between a playoff berth and an off-season spent second-guessing yourself.  The waiver wire is somewhat thinner than usual during bye weeks - which players can help you get over the hump, even if it's just for a week? Tune in tonight at 7:30pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with

Week 3 of the NFL season was a relatively mild one from an injury standpoint - just don't tell that to the Michael Williams or Jaylen Waddle owner in your fantasy football league.  At least Williams put up a stellar performance before he was knocked out by a knee injury that will end his season.  As someone who has Jaylen Waddle on a roster, it was disappointing (I almost wrote "infuriating") to miss out on the Dolphins' historic offensive explosion - if you were playing a team that included either Raheem Mostert or (somewhat less likely) De'Von Achane in its starting lineup this past week, most likely you were on the short end of the score.  Not to worry - those kinds of fluky things happen during the season. However, what's not fluky are the results you get when you're making incremental (or greater) improvements to your team's roster as we go through the season.  Whether your team is 0-3, 3-0, or somewhere in between, there are more than likely some areas of your roster that could use an upgrade, even if i

NFL Week 2 was a rough one from an injury standpoint.  If your fantasy football team doesn't include Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, Anthony Richardson, or a myriad of other players who went down with injuries, consider yourself lucky!  For the rest of us, this is likely just a taste of what's to come.  Almost every fantasy football roster faces a number of serious injuries to key players during the course of the season, but not all owners react the same way.  Some owners will bemoan their players' fates or curse at their team's misfortune.  Other owners, while still bemoaning their players' fates, will see this as an opportunity to demonstrate their know-how by making a trade or plucking this week's version of Puka Nacua from their league's waiver wire. If you want to be in the latter group, you've come to the right place! Tune in tonight at 7:30pm Eastern (or download afterwards and listen with your favorite podcast app) to the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now in our 14th season together, l

So, how did NFL Week 1 go for you and your fantasy football team?  Much like a kid eager to open presents, we finally had a chance to see what we got, and the results weren't always quite what we'd hoped for.  Did you spend an early-round draft pick on Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews?  Did you have J.K. Dobbins or Aaron Rodgers in your Week 1 lineup?  Did you start any Giants' players?  If so, then you were probably left wondering what could have been.  But cheer up, it's only one week, and small sample sizes are no reason to tear your hair out (or go flinging your toys against the wall).  Which unexpected star turns are likely to last more than a week?  Which players who had a disappointing season debut are likely to bounce back?  And how do you replace those irreplaceable players on your roster who have already been bitten by the injury bug? Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern (or download after the fact and listen with your favorite podcast app) to the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now in our 1

Are you excited yet?!?  With a mere two days left until the 2023 NFL season kicks off, you're probably done with your fantasy football drafts at this point.  Now comes the fun part - seeing how your team actually stacks up against both other teams and your own expectations.  With that said, there are a lot of unanswered questions heading into the season.  How will the highly touted rookie QBs (Young, Stroud, Richardson) do in actual games?  How serious is Cooper Kupp's injury?  Will Jonathan Taylor play at all this season, and if so, where?  Which teams that revamped their offenses this off-season will be improved sources of fantasy points? Tune in tonight at 7:30pm Eastern (or download and listen after the fact on your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa as we attempt to answer these questions and get your lineups optimized for Week 1!  Now in our 14th season together, let us guide you to victory!

It's fantasy football draft season!  Which players in new situations have a chance to flourish?  Which rookies will be valuable from the start?  Which players should be faded, either because they're in less favorable situations with a new team, or because they have additional challengers for their current role? Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern (or download after the fact and listen with your favorit podcast app) to the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now starting our 14th season (how did that happen!?!), let us guide you to victory!

It's Championship Week (for most fantasy football leagues)!  You've made it this far, but you'll remember the season far more fondly if you're able to win one last contest and emerge with your league's trophy/bragging rights.  This week, more than any other, matchups matter - better to analyze the health of your roster, matchups, weather, and any other variable you can think of ahead of time, rather than be left second-guessing yourself afterwards if things don't go your way.  Which stars have bad matchups this week that may prevent you from winning?  Which under-the-radar players have great matchups this week that you might be able to exploit to your advantage? Tune in Wednesday night at 8pm Eastern (or download and listen after the fact with your favorite podcast app) to the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa!  Now in our 13th season, let us guide you to victory (and a championship)!

What a wacky week it was for the first round of fantasy football league playoffs: an all-time Vikings comeback; walk-off overtime victories for the Vikings, Jaguars(!!), and Raiders(!!!); and injuries to a couple of players (Jalen Hurts, Jonathan Taylor) that many fantasy teams were counting on for the playoffs.  While the first two are fun to talk about, it's really the third item that will be causing owners still alive in their fantasy football playoffs the most stress.  How do you replace players like Hurts and Taylor?  The short answer is - you don't.  At best, you may find someone still on the waiver wire with a favorable matchup this week, which is all you should care about at this point in the fantasy season.  But who are those needles in the haystack? Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern (or download and listen after the fact with your favorite podcast app) for the 4th and Inches Show with Jana & The Sherpa - now in our 13th season, let us guide you to victory!