The Fantasy Playoffs are underway and it is one of the most wonderful times of the year! All your hard work, your dedication, and your suffering through my cheesy weekly jokes have paid off. Scouring the waiver wire until the wee hours of the night and combing through spreadsheets and Reddit to find just the right advice has finally led to success. Now that you are here, who should you start to cash in and win your fantasy championship?
Oh also, if you enjoy this and my weekly FAAB columns, go support me in the contest for the best Fantasy Analyst under 1,000 Twitter followers!
Waiver Wire and Stashes for Fantasy Playoffs
Best Quarterback Plays
Mitch Trubisky is back in the saddle as the Bears’ quarterback and I am about to write a sentence that I never thought I would. If you have been streaming quarterbacks, lock in Mitch for the playoffs. Craziness for sure, but look at the numbers. Since reclaiming his job, Trubiscuit has completed 67% of his passes for 776 yards, 7 touchdowns, and only 2 picks. Has he finally figured out how to be an NFL quarterback? Doubtful. Might he feast against soft Vikings and Jaguars defenses in the playoffs? Without a doubt. If you have some FAAB left, he is worth up to 11% of it in the fantasy playoffs.
The rookie sensation that is sweeping the nation has a few weeks left before Phil’s Law of New Quarterbacks kicks in. Until then, Jalen Hurts looks like a high-floor fantasy option each week in all league formats. The dynamic dual-threat quarterback showed his skills against a stingy Saints’ defense Sunday. Sure, the Cardinals are a nice defense to add down the stretch, but Hurts will set a nice floor with his rushing and will cancel out any mistakes he might make. Hurts is worth up to 18% of your FAAB if you have any left, especially with a soft matchup against Dallas in Week 16.
Your last good streaming option just earned his job back. That is right! The Mania that is Gardner Minshew is back as an option for the fantasy playoffs. Sure, Minshew has struggled at times, but he has three 300+ yard games and five 2+ touchdown games as well. He may not have the upside of the other two, but he has better weapons and is more likely to light it up in garbage time.
Boom-Bust Flex Plays
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been a big play waiting to happen all season. MVS has averaged 19.5 yards per reception and has five touchdowns on the season as well. If you roll him out at the flex you are most likely guaranteeing five or so targets, but it is his deep-threat potential you are hoping for. The downside for MVS is the unpredictable weather in Green Bay that can stifle the passing attack. MVS is worth up to 11% of your remaining FAAB.
After missing a supposedly easy matchup against the Seahawks, the Jets’ target monster is back. Denzel Mims has been targeted 7+ times in four games this season. The Jets offense looked even more pitiful than usual without him on Sunday so maybe he is the difference. The upcoming schedule is not friendly, but you are hoping for some garbage time production from the rookie. Mims has some major upside and is worth 12% of any FAAB you have left.
The Broncos’ passing offense has looked downright awful at times. KJ Hamler has been an up and down proposition but has been on the field. His upcoming schedule is not friendly, but he will get targets and will get involved with some rushes as well. Hamler has some big-play upside and should be considered as a dart throw if you need a big afternoon game.
Tre’Quan Smith has been consistently targeted by the pride of BYU, Taysom Hill. Smith has had six targets each of the last two weeks and has some soft matchups coming up as well. With his breakaway speed and athleticism, he may finally have fantasy-relevance with the big arm of Hill slinging it. You are hoping he scores a touchdown, but he will have a solid 10 point floor as well.
Tight End Streamers
The Bears used a second-round pick on Cole Kmet for a reason. In the last two weeks, Kmet has been targeted seven times per week and hauled in a touchdown as well. Additionally, he has been on the field for 70% or more of the Bears’ offensive snaps since Week 10. The tight-end focus of the Bears offense and Trubisky’s love of checking it down will help Kmet feast, especially in PPR leagues. Kmet appears poised for the kind of resurgence that wins you games in the fantasy playoffs so be ready to put down up to 15% of your FAAB.
Similar to Kmet, Dawson Knox has seen a resurgence the past three weeks. In his past two games, he has seen four targets and has a touchdown in two of his last three games. Knox seems like he is open on almost every play and has the trust of Josh Allen. Allen has plenty of options, but his consistent targeting of Knox in the red zone is an encouraging sign for Knox’s fantasy prospects. Consider putting down up to 6% of your remaining FAAB on him.
Dalton Schultz is not a sexy or exotic start at tight end. He has more targets than Knox, but he has not been finding the endzone as much. However, his rest of season schedule is far more appealing than Kmet and Knox. With late-season matchups against the Eagles and 49ers, Schultz could be relevant in the fantasy playoffs. He will not post huge numbers but will set a nice eight-point floor at tight end. Drop up to 5% of your FAAB on a reliable tight end option.
Kicking it with Kickers
Yeah, we are going to talk about kickers. The right kicker will get you 10 points per week, more than most of your tight end options. A kicker could very well save your season. This time of year weather matters and Ryan Succop has a cushy stretch with two games in domes during the fantasy playoffs. Succop is 24/26 on the season and has converted on 38 PATs as well. He plays on a team with a high-octane offense and has a favorable schedule, add him for your playoff run.
Michael Badgley has been viewed as inconsistent at times, but overall has been fairly reliable. During the playoffs, Badgley has a favorable schedule with domed games in Week 15 and 16. Badgley has a safe schedule and has had four games with 3+ field goal attempts. Add in four games with 4+ PATs and Badgley looks like an opportunity-heavy playoff kicker.
Aldrick Rosas has been in and out of the Jaguars’ lineup, but he has had two games with 3+ attempts so far this season. His Week 15 game in Baltimore is not the warmest, but it is not going to be too miserable. In Week 16, he gets to kick in sunny Jacksonville though and the Jags will be settling for plenty of field goals against a stingy Bears’ defense.
Defenses for Fantasy Playoffs
Go read an entire article about the best streaming defenses for the playoffs here!
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