weekly5 min

Tuesday Morning Routine

Waiver wire pickups 101

Why Tuesday Mornings Matter

Tuesday morning is when waivers process. This is the MOST IMPORTANT hour of your fantasy week.

Championship teams are built on Tuesday mornings, not draft day.

If you're not active on waivers, you will finish in the bottom half of your league. Guaranteed.

This guide will teach you the exact routine winning managers follow every Tuesday.

The Tuesday Morning Timeline

3:00-4:00 AM ET: Waivers Process

Your league's waiver claims get processed automatically while you sleep.

6:00-7:00 AM: The Golden Hour

This is when you should check your team. Most casual players sleep in. Be early.

7:00-9:00 AM: Competitive Window

Active managers are awake now. Free agents get scooped up fast.

9:00 AM-Tuesday Night: Scraps

By midday Tuesday, all the good pickups are gone.

Step 1: Check Your Waiver Claims (6:00 AM)

What to Do:

Open your fantasy app. Go to "Transactions" or "Activity."

Questions to Answer:

  • Did you get the players you wanted?
  • If not, who got them?
  • Did you drop the right players?

    • If You Got Your Claims:

    ✅ Great! Move to Step 2.

    If You DIDN'T Get Your Claims:

    ❌ Check who's still available. Pivot to Plan B immediately.

    Common Scenarios:

  • **You missed on the hot RB:** Look for the #2 or #3 RB waiver option
  • **Someone blocked you:** They might've had higher priority. It happens.
  • **You dropped the wrong guy:** Learn from it. Move on.

    • Step 2: Scan Free Agents (6:15 AM)

    What to Do:

    Go to "Players" → "Available" in your app.

    Filter by Position:

    Start with the positions you need most (usually RB, WR, then DST).

    Sort by:

  • "% Rostered" (find players owned in 30-60% of leagues)
  • "Fantasy Points" (last 3 weeks)
  • "Projections" (next week)

    • What to Look For:

    ✅ Backup RBs who saw increased work

    ✅ WRs with 6+ targets in recent games

    ✅ Defenses with good matchups next week

    ✅ QBs if yours is injured or on bye

    Grab Immediately:

    Any obvious value that cleared waivers. Don't overthink it.

    Step 3: Research Sunday's Breakouts (6:30 AM)

    What to Do:

    Check Reddit r/fantasyfootball "Post-Game Thread" or Twitter for Sunday's hot takes.

    Questions to Ask:

  • Which backup RB got the start because of injury?
  • Which WR got a ton of targets in their first game?
  • Which defense dominated a bad offense?
  • Which player had a role change?

    • Example Breakouts:

  • Backup RB: "Starter injured, backup got 20 carries"
  • Rookie WR: "First game as starter, 10 targets"
  • Streaming DST: "Next 3 weeks vs Panthers, Broncos, Cardinals"

    • Red Flags (Avoid These):

    ❌ Player had 1 lucky TD on 3 touches

    ❌ Garbage time stats (team losing 35-7)

    ❌ Veteran WR who scored 2 TDs but only had 4 targets

    Step 4: Check Injury News (6:45 AM)

    What to Do:

    Go to Twitter/X or your fantasy app's "News" section.

    Search for:

  • Players who left Sunday's games early
  • MRI results from Monday
  • Coaches' Tuesday morning press conferences

    • Action Items:

  • **If a starter is injured:** Grab their backup ASAP
  • **If YOUR player is injured:** Plan for a replacement
  • **If a star is out 4+ weeks:** Check for trades

    • Example:

    "Christian McCaffrey to miss 4-6 weeks with knee injury"

    → Immediately add Elijah Mitchell or Jordan Mason

    Pro Tip:

    Set up Twitter/X notifications for Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) and Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet).

    Step 5: Drop Dead Weight (7:00 AM)

    What to Do:

    Review your bench. Drop players who are useless.

    Who to Drop:

    ❌ Injured players who won't return soon

    ❌ Players who lost their starting job

    ❌ RBs in 3-way committees

    ❌ Your 3rd QB or 3rd TE (you don't need them)

    ❌ Last week's streaming defense

    Who NOT to Drop:

    ✅ Your Round 1-5 draft picks (even if struggling)

    ✅ Handcuffs to your starting RBs

    ✅ Players on bye THIS week (they'll be useful next week)

    The Rule:

    If you wouldn't start this player even if 2 guys got injured, drop them.

    Pro Tip:

    Don't get emotionally attached. "But I drafted him in Round 7!" doesn't matter if he's droppable now.

    Step 6: Stream Next Week's Defense (7:15 AM)

    What to Do:

    Look ahead to NEXT week's schedule. Find the best streaming defense.

    How to Find It:

    1. Check which team has the worst offense (32nd ranked)

    2. Check if any backup QBs are starting

    3. Find the defense playing AGAINST that team

    4. Add that defense

    Where to Get Help:

  • Reddit r/fantasyfootball: "Week X DST Streaming" post
  • FantasyPros: "Streaming Defenses" article
  • Subvertadown: Defense projections (Google it)

    • Pro Tip:

    Grab next week's defense on Tuesday BEFORE everyone else realizes it's a good matchup.

    Step 7: Plan for Bye Weeks (7:30 AM)

    What to Do:

    Check next week's lineup. Do you have players on bye?

    If Yes:

    Grab their replacement NOW while options are available.

    Common Bye Week Pickups:

  • Streaming QB (if your starter is on bye)
  • Streaming TE (if your starter is on bye)
  • Flex RB/WR (if you need depth)

    • Pro Tip:

    If your QB is on bye NEXT week, grab the streaming QB THIS week. Don't wait until next Tuesday when options are limited.

    Common Tuesday Morning Mistakes

    ❌ Sleeping In

    By 9 AM, the best pickups are gone. Set an alarm for 6:30 AM Tuesday.

    ❌ Overthinking Free Agent Pickups

    If a player is obvious value, grab him. Don't wait for "more research."

    ❌ Holding Too Many QBs/TEs/Defenses

    You only need 1 of each (maybe 2 QBs/TEs). Drop extras for RB/WR depth.

    ❌ Not Dropping Anyone

    If you don't have room for pickups, you're not dropping enough. Be aggressive.

    ❌ Chasing Last Week's Points

    Player scored 30 last week but only got 5 touches? That's luck, not talent. Avoid.

    ❌ Ignoring Snap Counts

    Player scored 1 TD but only played 30% of snaps? Not sustainable. Pass.

    The Complete Tuesday Routine (Checklist)

    6:00-6:15 AM:

    ☐ Check if you won your waiver claims

    ☐ Review who got the players you wanted

    6:15-6:30 AM:

    ☐ Scan free agents by position

    ☐ Grab obvious value immediately

    6:30-6:45 AM:

    ☐ Research Sunday's breakouts

    ☐ Check Reddit/Twitter for hot takes

    6:45-7:00 AM:

    ☐ Check Monday injury news

    ☐ Target handcuffs if starters are hurt

    7:00-7:15 AM:

    ☐ Drop dead weight from your bench

    ☐ Make room for new pickups

    7:15-7:30 AM:

    ☐ Stream next week's defense

    ☐ Stream next week's kicker

    7:30-7:45 AM:

    ☐ Plan for next week's bye weeks

    ☐ Grab streaming options early

    Total Time: 45 minutes

    That's it. Do this EVERY Tuesday and you'll finish top 3 in your league.

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