If you’re still reading at this point, you either really love fantasy football, or you’re within a game or two (stop playing into Week 17!) of winning your fantasy championship. Ideally, your lineup is set at the typical streamer positions at this point. Well, unless you somehow managed to advance after Andy Dalton’s early injury last week. More than likely you didn’t, but perhaps you did.
I know I did.
Yes, despite Dalton’s one-point performance, I was able to survive my first-round playoff matchup to move on to the semifinals. It’s also a league where every team thinks it’s necessary to hold two or three quarterbacks, so the pickings were slim. More than any other time this year, I’m desperate for some streamers.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins (23 percent) vs. Baltimore — Luckily, the Cousins owner in the aforementioned league just dropped him for A.J. McCarron. Why? Don’t know, don’t care. But Cousins is at home, where he has performed the best this year against a woeful Baltimore secondary. He should perform well.
T.J. Yates (3 percent) at Indianapolis — I’d prefer a Ryan Fitzpatrick or an Alex Smith this week, but Yates was the best available for me. The Colts secondary is horrible, and he did score 19 points (not pretty) against the Jets earlier this year. With Nuk Hopkins, he has the chance for a big game.
Tight Ends
Richard Rodgers (62 percent) at Oakland — He may not be available in your league now after his past two weeks, but if he is, quit your job if you have to and pick him up now. He faces Oakland, who gives up the second-most fantasy points to tight ends on the year. Start him with confidence.
Zach Miller (33 percent) at Minnesota — Miller scored again last week, and with the state of tight end being what it is, he’s a fringe TE1 the rest of the season.
Kicker/Defense and Special Teams
Chris Boswell (23 percent) vs. Denver — Since Connor Barth played Thursday, I actually have to pick someone else for the kicker spot this week. Go with Chris Boswell, who has put up double-digit points in fantasy in the past five games. It’s a high-scoring offense, and the Steelers could be stymied a few times in the red zone against the elite defense.
Jacksonville (5 percent) vs. Atlanta — Houston is the defense you want this week, but they are 70 percent owned, so let’s look at the Jaguars. It’s easy to say this is chasing points, being that the Jags put up 23 points last week against the Colts. But, it’s more that they are facing Matt Ryan outdoors. He’s the most overrated player in football, and is almost guaranteed to throw at least one interception outdoors.
I’ll be traveling for the holidays over the weekend, so best way to send me your questions is on Twitter @MichaelWaterloo.
