Issue #215: Click It Really Good
By Derrick Ernst
October 02, 2025
Reinforcement
Have you ever given thought to what you click on? By that I mean news articles, videos, posts, comments, etc. My guess is that the majority of things you read, watch, and listen to reinforce your beliefs, views, and ideals. And if they don’t, you’re probably looking to get a rise out of it to reignite the things you stand for. If this sounds kooky, give it some thought the next time your finger is hovering over that post on Facebook. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately and how TDF fits this bill. I like to think TDF is a source that goes against the grain and is unlike anything else in the market. While that may be true, when you’re trying to carve out your place within it, your following is limited and because of that the amount of people to have exposure to what it is you’re saying isn’t enough to be reinforcing beliefs.
This is a struggle with starting from nothing and attempting to grow it into something. After awhile though, you start to think to yourself if the juice is worth the squeeze, especially if the growth isn’t what you were hoping it would be. I’ll be honest with you guys, the newsletter has stalled a bit on that front and is in need of an inflection point. I feel like I’ve tried numerous avenues to grow awareness this year and none have had immense return. There continues to be one area that I haven’t touched on due to it’s significant time commitment and that’s video. It’s an area I have very little experience with, but I believe has the widest reach of any growth tactic I’ve tried to date.
All this to say, video is the next piece of the puzzle for TDF. I wanted to be upfront with the faithful (you guys) simply because it may impact the newsletter. To what extent? I don’t know, but I also recognize that being a one man show limits what you’re able to accomplish. I won’t know unless I try and you all will be the first to know when the TDF’s first production hits the big screen (aka YouTube).
I also wanted to say that you guys rock! Honestly, as much as I want TDF to grow, I equally hope that it stays as this tight knit underground fantasy football community. I truly feel like I have a friendship with each of you and it has been a blessing having those grow throughout the years. Outside of you learning a thing or two from me, the biggest thing I want TDF to be known for is that it was a little guy making a difference in a market filled with big players (aka the three- and four-letter networks). You play fantasy long enough, you learn that all they really are is marketing behemoths with “fluff” for content. But it’s that fluff that is reinforcing for so many and is why they get to stay atop the pile. Thank you for choosing to go against the grain!
Sunday Scramble
BREAKING NEWS: THE FIRST SUNDAY SCRAMBLE OF THE ’25 SEASON WILL BE DELIVERED THIS SUNDAY (OCT 5)!
It has been a long time coming and boy I hope it’s worth it. Before we get into what you can expect, this breaking news comes with more breaking news: Crib Notes are no more. This only makes sense to subscribers from last season in that it was something we implemented then. Reasons why to follow.
But first, this is what you can expect from a distribution cadence:
Tuesday: n/a
Thursday: Newsletter & Status Sheet
Sunday: Newsletter & Sunday Scramble
I’ve reconfigured our Sunday Scramble to consist of a lot of things our Crib Notes sheet of the past had within it. At risk of being redundant, I felt it was right to eliminate it. This also eliminates Tuesday distributions during the season which if I’m being honest, wasn’t something I entirely enjoyed. While they weren’t large lifts putting together, I found distributing it outside of our normal newsletter cadence (and without a newsletter) felt a bit awkward and distanced TDF from its true identity. TDF has also been something you can count on Thursdays and Sundays. Its TDF’s day and no one else’s. Attempting to layer in a Tuesday was a competing effort. No more.
So what makes up our renewed Sunday Scramble? Seven sections to be exact!
Top Fantasy Scores This Season: Our Crib Notes outlined the top fantasy scorers at each position on a weekly basis. This will serve a similar purpose, but will be for the entire season. This section will also outline cutoffs for a player to be considered top-12 and -24 at their position. If you’re a person who likes their point projections, these averages will come in handy as you determine who to start and sit (PS. Start those who exceed these cutoffs).
High Low Rankings This Season: This section is more team oriented and outlines which are the best and worst with metrics that matter. Lean into players on teams that are the best and fade players on teams who are the worst.
MVP Prediction This Week: The player I think will be the most valuable fantasy asset for the upcoming week.
Trade Target: One player I think is worth going after via a trade. Trade recommendations are the #1 request I get. I hope this is a welcomed addition.
Stat You Should Know: It’s easy to get lost in all the craziness a week brings. This section is to highlight a stat of significance, good or bad.
Meme A Little: A little bit of levity goes a long way and everyone needs a good chuckle on a Sunday full of stress.
One Final Tip: Whether your toolkit is full or not, everyone could use/be reminded of a helpful tip every now and then.
Arguably the biggest thing missing is a section dedicated to free agents/waiver wire. Admittedly, I struggled with this last year. While I tried making waiver recommendations that were all-encompassing, it was a losing battle given all leagues are made different. If you have a waiver wire dilemma, shoot me an email, otherwise, I have all the faith in you!
Unwelcome Change
We’re a little delayed getting to this (it was announced before last week), but better late than never:
Source: Facebook (Yahoo Sports)
Play calling duties were handed over to TEN’s QB coach, Bo Hardegee and let’s just say he didn’t have a memorable debut:
Through four games, TEN has scored 12, 19, 20, and the aforementioned goose egg for an average of 12.8, the worst in the league. CLE, CIN, HOU, and NO aren’t too far ahead of that mark though. Four of the last five No. 1 overall draft picks have been QBs:
2025: Cam Ward, TEN (???)
2024: Caleb Williams, CHI (QB15)
2023: Bryce Young, CAR (QB23)
2021: Trevor Lawrence, JAX (QB22)
The average fantasy finish of their rookie seasons is QB20. Ward is currently QB34, meaning two backups are having better seasons. There’s bad and then there’s Cam Ward bad and his play is making all TEN Titans a group to avoid at all costs.
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