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The fantasy playoffs are finally here, and congrats to those still fighting for a championship. I’ve got my notes below, but I wanted to switch things up for my last few columns this season. Typically, I focus on players and their good or bad performances to help you sift through next week’s roster decision. However, I’ll be hunting for players with lower rostership numbers through the playoffs to keep this more actionable. Let’s get into my lessons learned.

Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers

Week 14 Results: (Projected) 20.1, (Actual) 20.1

This week, quarterbacks will be tough to rank with Dak Prescott in a slump and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen injured. Jimmy Garoppolo is the safest option if you’re looking for another option off the waiver wire. He usually flies under the radar, but I took a deeper look at how he’s performed through the 49ers’ injuries and what to expect over the next few weeks.

Advice Moving Forward:

Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the best streaming options through the playoffs. San Francisco’s low passing volume decreases his chance to take over a week, but his efficiency and personnel give him a safe floor.

Garoppolo never pops as the quarterback to roster in any fantasy format. Maybe a 14-team superflex league. But even then, you just shrug your shoulders at him in your QB2 slot. He’s 20th in PPG, but we can talk ourselves around his (and the rest of the team’s) season.

Injuries headline the setbacks for the 49ers. Garoppolo missed about a game and a half earlier with a calf injury. The team put George Kittle on IR, Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell have dealt with various ailments, and then there was the whole Brandon Aiyuk doghouse thing to start the season. Week 9 was the first game with Kittle back and Aiyuk full-time. Since then, Garoppolo’s kept the offense moving.

The 49ers are 11th in offensive yards per drive, and the chart gives us a good indication of why that’s true. Garoppolo’s been top-12 in both efficiency metrics inherent to high-quality passers in four of their last six games. Also, San Francisco’s offensive line has kept him clean with minimal pressure. An efficient and accurate quarterback with a solid offensive line would be attractive to any fantasy manager, but the 49ers’ passing volume isn’t inspiring.

They’re bottom-5 in pass rate over expectation (PROE) which shouldn’t shock anyone as Samuel now has more rushing touchdowns than receiving scores. But, Garoppolo has been dealing in the red zone. He now has at least one touchdown in every game since Week 9, and his next three matchups set him up for success (ATL, TEN, and HOU). His lack of rushing and overall passing volume are fair concerns, but his matchups and pass-catchers can provide a high floor with access to a ceiling on any given week.

Running Back: DOnta Foreman, Titans

Week 14 Results: (Projected) 10.3, (Actual) 14.2

The Titans continue to figure out life without Derrick Henry while getting enough wins to hold their place in the playoff picture. D’Onta Foreman has played Henry’s role and has done a fine job to date. He’s been in the RB2 conversation each week, found the end zone last week, but it was against the Jaguars. Plus, he’s now splitting time with two other running backs and a mobile passer. Any running back getting double-digit touches may be appealing to some squads, but I’m having a tough time betting on Foreman moving forward.

Advice Moving Forward:

If you’re rostering Foreman, proceed with caution. The Titans may be operating similarly, and Foreman got the goal-line role, but his involvement outside of the red zone gives him a lower floor than other RB2’s.

Foreman’s been fantasy-relevant the last two weeks, but the production overshadows his workload. Or lack thereof.

Since getting on the Titan’s active roster, Foreman’s earned more than half of the backfield touches just once. He’s had no more than two targets in a single game. After an impressive performance against the Patriots, Jeremy McNichols returned last week and gave 20 touches. Foreman has been inefficient as a runner and left without a role in the passing game. His primary utility to the offense is what he can do in short-yardage situations.

Dontrell Hilliard was the only running back with a high-value touch (HVT) in Week 11 with a single target. However, Foreman has been the primary option once the team gets into the red zone for two weeks. It’s how he maintained his relevancy in Week 14 by finding the paint on a five-yard rush. But we can’t rely on touchdowns, especially during the fantasy playoffs.

Tennessee’s yards per drive on the season is 34.4. They’ve averaged 32.3 yards per drive in the five games without Derrick Henry. They’ve struggled to move the ball without a credible passing game, and their upcoming matchups don’t inspire confidence (PIT, SF, and MIA). Two of those contests are against teams in the Top 10 for the fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to running backs. All three are in the Top 10 in sacks per game over the last few weeks. You might need to start Foreman out of necessity due to injuries, but don’t be fooled by the boxscore and continue to look for better options.

Wide Receiver: Tyler Boyd, Bengals

Week 14 Results: (Projected) 10.2, (Actual) 10.3

Gabriel Davis will be the popular add with Emmanuel Sanders’ injury. As DeAndre Hopkins may be sidelined, A.J. Green will also be a high-priority claim. But if you can’t get either of those guys, you could look to Tyler Boyd. He’s been the forgotten man in the Bengals’ passing attack but averaging 5.5 targets since their bye and tied for second in red-zone targets. Cincinnati isn’t necessarily passing more often, but a slight adjustment in where Burrow’s throwing the ball has made Boyd a more viable option over the last few weeks.

Advice Moving Forward:

There’s no indication of a role change, but Cincinnati’s offense may be altering its approach to Boyd’s benefit. His target share has stabilized, making him a viable WR3 during the playoffs.

Again, this week’s column was to try and guide you through the playoffs. I don’t have a silver bullet or sleeper that will win you a week, but Boyd won’t drag your team down like other volatile players. Sometimes, you need to “not lose” instead of win. Boyd is a “not lose” type of play.

He’s not like Tee Higgins, who’s either matched or had a greater rate of targets per route run over the last few weeks. He’s played the slot in three-wide sets and worked the underneath and intermediate areas of the field. But Joe Burrow’s 8.8 passing aDOT was tied for 12th through Week 8. They were ranked 20th in PROE. Boyd’s deployment directly conflicted with how Burrow was passing the ball. Plus, the volume was minimal. But things might be changing in Cincinnati.