“It’s never too late to live your life,
The time is now, it’s do or die
It’s never too late to live your life,
The time is now, it’s yours and mine
I can’t run anymore
I can’t hide anymore
I can’t run anymore
I can’t hide anymore”
-“Do or Die” by Papa Roach
They’re here! The playoffs are here! Oh boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy! The playoffs are here! We’ll if they’re not in your league, this is the last week of the regular season. Either way, it’s time to make those winning moves and get yourself in a position to get in or to start advancing in the playoffs. This could also be the time of year where you snap up players to play spoiler and keep them away from the playoff teams if you didn’t make it. I know I’ll be doing that after finishing a game out of the final playoff spot in the Razzball Writers’ League.
This week certainly is summed up by this weeks lyrics. It’s do or die time and you can’t run or hide from your team’s fate. The only downside is that the waiver wire is picked bare and there aren’t many options out there for pickups. Let’s get started and check out what scraps might be able to help you this week.
As always, availability is based off of ESPN leagues and FAAB on the budget of $100.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson (82%; $4) has been tearing it up as of late and could give your team an insurance policy if needed. He’s thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of his last five games and his playing with a nice level of consistency for a rookie.
Wilson faces Arizona this week then visits Buffalo before hosting San Francisco and St. Louis to close out the season. Also keep in mind that Seattle has played very tough at home and could have a lot of success late in the season.
Wilson could also be a nice pickup if teams start resting their star quarterbacks. Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub are the first targets as their teams are 11-1 and closing in on wrapping up the homefield advantage in their conference.
Philadelphia RB Bryce Brown is still shockingly out there in 32 percent of leagues. It’s hard to believe that someone with 43 carries, 347 yards and 4 TDs in two weeks would still be on the wire. The only possible downside of Brown is the recovery of LeSean McCoy. McCoy is in the middle of recovering from his concussion suffered against the Redskins. He might come back but with the Eagles just playing out the string Brown will be the man the rest of the way. I’d still put everything I have left in FAAB on him because he is proving he is that good. Tampa Bay, Cincinnati (on a short week), Washington and the NY Giants round out his schedule.
Pittsburgh RB Jonathan Dwyer (58.4%, $3) looks to be the lead dog in Pittsburgh right now and could be a good option if you can’t get your hands on Brown. He hit the end zone for the first time this year in the win at Baltimore and we know Pittsburgh is likely to be run-first while Ben Roethlisberger is still recovering from his rib injuries. San Diego is next and they have allowed at least 120 rushing yards against them in each of their last three games so the matchup is there. The final three games are Dallas, Cincinnati and Cleveland; those last two matchups are positive if your league runs all the way through week 17.
Denver RB Knowshon Moreno (51.2%; $4) is still out there on the wire and can help your team get over the proverbial hump. Since coming back to the lineup, Moreno has had back to back 20-carry games but not scored a touchdown. Denver has a cake schedule (Oakland this Thursday, Baltimore, Cleveland and Kansas City) and he should be getting the bulk of the touches the rest of the way.
If you’re in the market for a wide receiver, here’s three worth checking out.
Cleveland WR Josh Gordon (74.7%; $4) came back on the radar with a 6-116-1 line against Oakland and is likely to continue with the strong numbers. He had three straight games with a touchdown earlier this season and this could be the start of another such run.
The Browns take on the Chiefs and Redskins the next two weeks before finishing with Denver and Pittsburgh.
St. Louis WR Chris Givens (96.2%; $2) has put up a couple strong games in a row for the Rams. He has put up 16-207-1 in the last two games and favorable matchups await him. Givens and the Rams face Buffalo, Minnesota, Tampa and Seattle to end the season. The Rams should be passing quite a bit and that game against Tampa in Week 16 makes him ownable for your Fantasy Super Bowl Game.
Detroit WR Mike Thomas (99.8%; $2) is a beneficiary of being in the right place at the right time. Detroit lost WR Ryan Broyles a torn ACL this week and has been having disciplinary problems with WR Titus Young. So in comes Thomas to be the wide out opposite Calvin Johnson. Don’t be put off by the lack of production from him so far this season but think of it terms of the opportunity he has.
Brian Robiskie is likely to be the WR3 in Detroit but isn’t worth owning. The Lions finish with Green Bay, Arizona, Atlanta and Chicago.
If you stream defenses, we’ll give a couple recommendations of who to pick up.
The Cleveland DST (91%; $2) gets Kansas City this week. The Chiefs won in their last outing, fueled by emotion. Kansas City has been brutal on the road this season so it’s unlikely that they can put together back to back wins.
The Chargers DST (71%; $2) could be the DST to pick up now and ride to the end of the season. They’ve scored touchdowns in two of their last three games and take on Pittsburgh this week. Pittsburgh with Charlie Batch potentially under center has been a boon for fantasy defenses. The Chargers finish with cream puffs Carolina, the Jets and Oakland to close the season.
Good luck this week and leave questions and comments below.
