Week 6 Sleepers: As we’re nearing the final approach stage of the fantasy football season, bad luck is heating up. What a dark horse. While not an official team member, luck can be an undependable friend or violent nemesis, neither of which is really good for you in the long haul. Hedging against bad luck will be a deciding factor in your future success this season.

“A win now mentality one must have,” the Yoda in my head says, over and over again. Plan for the stretch but don’t overcommit resources to it is how you protect against chance not being favorable.

This is a rough year for tight ends but I’m not sure I would reach and burn a 1^st or 2^nd position on the waiver to go after a guy like Evan Engram unless I was desperate at the position. I love Greg Olsen, too, and we all could certainly use the Greg of old, but how many weeks until he is back to full speed? (Bench-strength life-steal, right there).

[Also See: Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups]

There are plenty of ways bad luck can wiggle its way into long-term season plays, wasting that wire priority you’ve been cultivating for weeks in the process. If Kareem Hunt went down, you’d be kicking yourself for not having that gun to fire. Focus on what benefits you this week, here and now. Let the other guy or gal overplay their hand, make the mistake and waste their resources. Be Iceman.

In a shocking development, bad luck, that little trickster, is also bringing hubris levels to an all-time high among some fantasy managers. A win eeked out by 2.6 points rarely stems from great management on the winning side. Mason Crosby missing five kicks can’t be accounted for in game-day planning. Alvin Kamara averaging 27.36 points per game in .5 PPR leagues, only to score 5.4 on Monday Night? Bad luck took your opponent behind the woodshed in Week 5. Sitting back with your hands covering your eyes didn’t play much into this tragic turn of events. It’s sometimes better to be lucky than good, but I wouldn’t say this is a viable strategy to a title.

Spin moves and stiff arms on the waiver wire or via trades will only get you so far. I don’t care how many buttons you mash on the controller, unless, of course, your name is DeAndre Hopkins. At a certain point, the Fantasy Gods step in and it comes down to whether a little push will set it off and send you rocketing skyward. With a little luck, we can turn it on, but don’t bet on it.

Week 6 Sleepers

Niles Paul, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars; 0% owned (FanDuel $4800; DraftKings: $2600 )

At a certain point you have to wonder if this is a Skynet-hatched plan from the future to wipe out the entire tight end position. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is now out until December, when will The Curse stop? Niles Paul’s time in Indy shows he works well with drunk, piano-playing gunslingers at quarterback, when healthy. It’s a new look in an offense that’s been a mess, this could be the spark the Jags need.

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets; 35% owned (FanDuel $5500; DraftKings: $4600)

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Jets are looking hot. Sam Darnold is breathing some life into what was once thought of as a dead franchise. Now that Robby Anderson’s off-field troubles stemming from two arrests are behind him, he can focus on catching deep bombs. We saw a little of the connection these two had this past Sunday and there are some exploitable weeks ahead on the Jets schedule.

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Chris Ivory, RB, Buffalo Bills; 12% owned (FanDuel $5300; DraftKings: $3800)

All signs are pointing to a LeSean McCoy/Eagles reunion. Sure, Chris Ivory is on the Bills, but a starting running back that you can snatch off the waivers without a bidding war isn’t a bad deal. This is CYA play through bye weeks or unforeseen circumstances, like The Curse stomping on your crotch, and 10-15 points in a pinch could help during a squeaker week.

Tre’Quan Smith, WR, New Orleans Saints; 2% owned

First mentioned in Week 1, the rookie Tre’Quan Smith flashed some of that raw, awesome power he possesses. He’s a deep threat on a team that can’t help but throw the ball, but pecking order has hurt Tre’Quan this season. With the reintroduction of Mark Ingram, I expect the field to be stretched for receivers. Smith stands to benefit the most from the changes defenses will make to stop the run. He seems much better and more explosive than either Cameron Meredith or Ted Ginn.

D’Onta Foreman, RB, Houston Texans; 20% owned

No Houston running back has cracked 100 yards in a game this season. This is somewhat of a concealed issue, as DeSean Watson is either airing the ball out or trying to take hits like Jimmy Garoppolo by running. Coming back from the PUP list, D’Onta Foreman could be in line to get a big shot. The jury is out on how that will play out, but things will get worse before they get better at the running back position.

Crypto Corner (NOT financial advice)

1. Yale University’s endowment has invested in Paradigm, a crypto asset hedge fund. As far as adoption goes, this is a very big deal and should be viewed as a statement legitimizing Bitcoin ($BTC) and other crypto assets. People managing hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in assets don’t roll the dice. It is clear by this move that it’s impossible to put the genie back in the bottle.
2. Continuing with the adoption theme, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved legislation to make it easier for corporations to issue ICO securities as a way to raise capital. The Middle East will be pumping cash instead of oil for the foreseeable future in the blockchain space.
3. In a bid for transparency, the world’s largest digital exchange, Binance.com, has announced it will donate all listing fees to its in-house run charity. This is a positive step forward for consumer confidence and another reason why you should consider using the platform. Here is a referral link to try them out if you haven’t already.