It is hard to believe, but the Fantasy playoffs are here! If you are reading this I think it is a safe bet to assume you have made the playoffs! I hope you took a quick second or two to enjoy making the fantasy playoffs, I mean we do play this for fun! If you haven’t already, take a second to do so now… ok, now it is time to once again focus on why we do this. That’s right… we do not play this simply to make the playoffs! We play this game to dominate and show everyone that we are the best! That is exactly what we will do this week and the next two! Hopefully my Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings will help along in that regard.
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Week 14 Notes
- So much has happened in the past week. First off, the Chiefs had a change in running back. Going forward Spencer Ware is an RB2 as the Chiefs lead back. He has a difficult schedule and is not as talented as their previous back, but he’s a focal point on one of the best offenses in history.
- Damien Williams should also be owned. He is not a startable option yet, but not only is he one injury away from being the lead back in that great offense, but he also had two targets and receptions, which was actually more than Ware. He could blossom into a PPR flex option.
- The Sanchize is back! Mark Sanchez, yes that guy, is back and will quarterback for the Redskins the rest of the way. But if he was too miss time, another blast from the past, Josh Johnson is next in line. But, with Sanchez last week the Redskins targets broke down like this: Jordan Reed 5, Chris Thompson 4, Jamison Crowder 3, Josh Doctson 3, Vernon Davis 2. I expect this to continue, as Jay Gruden likely asks Sanchez to only make safe, short-to-intermediate throws, and protect the ball. Reed is a mid-TE1 this week, while Thompson is a borderline RB2 in PPR this week.
- James Conner owners are unfortunately out of luck if they did not end up with Jaylen Samuels on their roster. Samuels was my top add of the week this week and the reason really has nothing to do with Samuels. Look at the Steelers running backs in reason seasons. Le’Veon Bell, James Conner, DeAngelo Williams. They all put up RB1 numbers. Can Samuels do that? We have yet to see. But at the very least he should be a reliable RB2 while Conner is out.
- I would also take a flier on Stevan Ridley, as Mike Tomlin said the Steelers can go to a committee. If Ridley was to outperform Samuels perhaps he can take over the job in Conner’s absence.
- Hey, Todd Gurley, Ezekiell Elliott, Saquon Barkley, etc owners, this is yet another huge reminder of why you should handcuff your top running back. Injury can strike at any point. Be ready, not reactive.
- Oh and by the way, Gurley has a new handcuff now. Add John Kelly but continue to monitor as there has not yet been proof that he is the official backup.
- The Niners have a new RB and he was also a must add this week. Jeff Wilson stepped up with Matt Breida injured and played 72 percent of the snaps. He also had more touches (23), targets (9), and receptions (8) than any other Niners RB had in a game this season. He is a very solid RB2 this week, with the upside to finish as a Top 10 RB.
- Oh and speaking on Niners RBs, Matt Dayes is a deep stash right now. He has a similiar build as Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson (5’9, 205) and shown the ability to be a pass catcher with 98 receptions in four years at NC State. Additionally, he is not a plodder that slows down the offense like Alfred Morris.
- Emmanuel Sanders suffered a tragic end to his season at practice on Wednesday. He was leading the Broncos in almost every receiving statistic including targets, receptions, yards, touchdowns, and air yards. Second in the majority of those is Courtland Sutton who is now a WR2 for me this week. A player to stash on your bench is DaeSean Hamilton who has been running the second most slot routes, just behind Sanders, the past couple of weeks.
- Zay Jones is a legit sleeper this week. In fact, he is more than that, he is a viable option this week. The Jets have struggled against slot receivers all week and Zay carved them up for 8 catches, 93 yards and a touchdown the last time he played them. He is becoming the top target of Josh Allen and no longer has Kelvin “Popeye Biscuit” Benjamin to deal with.
- Speaking of Allen, he has just had the best two-game rushing stretch by any QB. Yeah, it was that good. And while his rushing ability gives him a very high floor, I just feel like this is the week it comes crashing down. A QB rushing for 90-plus yards is not something you should bank on. I foresee a game where he rushes for like 40 yards and has a couple turnovers. You can hear the cries of “I started Josh Allen over [insert name of QB you’ve started all year here] and got eliminated!”
Week 14 Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings
As always, you should listen to Wide Right Fantasy Football with Matt Modica and myself to get even more of an advantage in your matchup (I mean Matt Mo is a top high-stakes player for a reason!). You can follow me on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.
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