Think Your Fantasy Season Is Cooked? Field Yates Has Five Minutes to Save It

By the middle of the fantasy football season, even the best-laid draft plans can look completely unrecognizable.

Star players get hurt. Breakout picks disappear. Bye weeks arrive at exactly the wrong time. The waiver wire gets picked clean. And suddenly, a roster that looked like a championship contender in September needs some serious help.

For five fantasy managers this season, that help will come directly from one of the most recognizable fantasy football experts in the game: ESPN's Field Yates.

RED BARON is teaming with Yates for "Field Access," a new fantasy football promotion that will give five winners weekly one-on-one strategy sessions with Yates as they navigate the critical second half of the fantasy season. The program begins Week 9 of the fantasy season for six weeks of regular season finale to ensure their squads are set for a championship run through the playoffs.

There's just one catch: They only get him for five minutes.

The oddly specific time limit isn't arbitrary. Five minutes is approximately how long it takes to cook a RED BARON CRUNCHTIME pizza in the microwave. So, when the pizza is finished, the fantasy advice is, too.

That means no time for debating whether your first-round pick has one more good week left in him. Winners will have to get straight to the decisions that can make or break a season: Who should I grab off waivers? Is it time to make a trade? Which running back gets the flex spot? Do I really bench the player I drafted to start every week?

It's essentially fantasy football speed dating, except the relationship at stake is the one between a manager and a potential championship.

That six-week stretch is exactly when fantasy seasons tend to get complicated.

The football bye schedule forces managers deeper into their benches, while injuries accumulated during the first half of the season can turn previously unknown players into must-start options. At the same time, trade deadlines are approaching in many leagues and managers fighting for playoff spots have less room for mistakes.

Having Yates on speed dial—even for five minutes—could provide a considerable advantage.

The ESPN analyst has built a career around helping fantasy managers make those decisions, translating NFL news, matchups, roster changes and statistical trends into actionable fantasy advice.

Yates is an NFL Insider and Fantasy Football Analyst at ESPN, where he contributes across multiple platforms including TV, radio, podcasts and digital content. He co-hosts the popular "Fantasy Focus Football" podcast and hosts ESPN2's "Fantasy Football Now," while also appearing regularly on "NFL Live" and "SportsCenter." Before joining ESPN in 2012, Yates worked in scouting and coaching roles with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.

A fantasy fan could conceivably run through several start/sit decisions, get Yates' opinion on a potential trade and ask which player to prioritize on waivers before the microwave timer hits zero.

And for anyone who has spent 45 minutes staring at two nearly identical wide receiver projections before making the wrong choice, five decisive minutes might actually be preferable.

“I’m competitive and I’ll do everything I can to help fans win their leagues, but I’ve always believed fantasy football is about community as much as competition. It’s going to be awesome to meet up each week with some new friends to talk about the game we all love,” Said Yetes.

The timing also taps into what makes fantasy football compelling—and occasionally maddening. Draft night gets most of the attention, but championships are often determined by what managers do after the draft: identifying emerging players, reacting to injuries and making the right lineup decisions as circumstances change.

Field Access turns that weekly ritual into something closer to having a fantasy football emergency hotline.

The five grand-prize winners will also receive RED BARON CRUNCHTIME pizzas to go along with their sessions. And the promotion extends beyond those winners: 10,000 additional entrants will receive a free CRUNCHTIME pizza to eat while watching the games—or, presumably, while second-guessing their lineup choices.

Fans can enter at www.redbaron.com/fieldaccess from October 6 through October 20, 2026 for a chance to get Yates on the line before their season goes up in flames.

For the five managers who ultimately get Yates on the other end of the line, the challenge will be figuring out how to use every second.

Because six weeks of expert fantasy advice could help save a season.