Can you feel it? The pressure of each decision weighing heavily on your mind? The decisions are now crucial. There is no room for error; you must make it right. Let’s say you’ve had the perfect season. No injury or major movement from your draft or dynasty team. Why read this? There are guys available in your waivers who could alter the chemistry and take the team through the playoffs. If you’re like most people, then this is a read for the answer to, who should I play and who should I avoid? It’s all here, detailed with who and why. So get your towel to wipe your brow. Let me take it from here, future champ.
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LB Josey Jewell: Alright, enough with the fancy names that have all the measurables and untapped potential. In a world of overused hype words and phrases, I present to you Josey Jewell, fantasy’s LB1 over the past two weeks. There’s nothing flashy about his game. He’s 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, so he isn’t exactly a physical freak, either. So why is he here? His stats are off the charts - 96 tackles in nine games played this season and he has back-to-back double-digit tackle games. The tackle total this week wasn’t near as much as his last, but he did add two interceptions this week. He’s a no-doubt starter when he’s healthy.
LB Dre Greenlaw: Back-to-back monster games from the “second-best” linebacker in San Francisco. I’ll say it here, I would rather manage Greenlaw in fantasy currently than his counterpart Fred Warner. For starters, he’s likely cheaper to draft or acquire (for now) due to the name recognition of Warner, and he’s just flat-out performing when it matters most. He’s had back-to-back game-of-the-season outings right as we approach the playoffs. He’s a league winner, folks; just set and forget him in your lineups. It’s okay to be late to the party; just make sure you’re there. Flashy names and money are one thing. Point production and viability are another.
DE Myles Garrett: Oh, Garrett, you’ve been missed. This year is the first I can remember in his career where it felt like the “big” games have felt few and far between. Now, we had the scary car crash situation earlier this year that I’m sure was detrimental to what he was trying to achieve on the field, but it just keeps feeling like he’s not himself. That is, until recently. Three of his last four games and six of his last eight have all been double digits in standard-scoring leagues. He also has a very favorable stretch against the Ravens, Saints, and Commanders here. He could be due for some very big and timely weeks.
LB Roquan Smith: Another game another reason to love rostering Smith wherever you can get him. With 120 tackles on the season, Smith is showing us why he is one of the top linebackers in the game. It is his ability to contribute points in multiple ways. Whether it is a 16-tackle performance like Week 3 or a sack, two defended passes, and an interception, Smith can do it all. The young backer is ascending into his prime at the age of 25, and managers shouldn’t fret if he will produce long-term for the Ravens. See man tackle man is fun to have, but who doesn’t like a little statistical razzle-dazzle with their players?
DE Christian Wilkins: Wilkins has no doubt been a bit of a disappointment up to this point, but have you watched his play over the past two weeks? With back-to-back 20 outbursts, Wilkins reminds IDP fans and football fans why he was so highly coveted in redrafts and dynasty play. His 21 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in two weeks lead me to believe he may have found his groove - just in time for playoff football! This has been his first two-game stretch of double-digit points all year, but what a time it is to find your stride!
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DE Brian Burns: Maybe this isn’t fair to burns, but he falls on this list at least partially due to his poorly scheduled bye week and then immediately after he has a bad game. If you had burns in a must-win over the past few weeks, he did nothing to contribute to your team and that is alarming for a player of his caliber. Prior to this, he was on an absolute tear and still can finish the year strong, but has unfavorable matchups down the stretch against the likes of Pittsburgh, Detroit, and the Buccaneers. Burns has been a stud all year, but these past two weeks, you were forced to win despite him.
DT Jeffery Simmons: If you’re a Simmons manager, then you are currently enduring what has been his worst tackle year since his rookie year and his third-worst year in terms of sacks. Likely one of the first defensive tackles off the board, we now find ourselves in the playoffs but lack the confidence to start such a big name. It’s time to take the risk of playing a more consistent starter. In four of 12 games, he has produced fewer than four points which is just not good enough to start for a playoff team. Simmons just isn’t the guy to play this year, so here is your sign to sit him in your playoffs.
DT Derrick Brown: Another disappointing defensive tackle this season has been Brown. Brown has put together a grand total of 16 points in his last five games. He has also only scored double-digit points in four total games this year. It’s time we find other dynasty darlings. If you have suffered through the season with Brown, it has been admittedly frustrating, but the Panthers’ pass rush since the loss of Hasson Reddick just hasn’t been the same. Maybe we are seeing double teams, or the ownership/front office situation is distracting, but we need to sit Brown and look to the future of the position in the fantasy playoffs.
DE Trey Hendrickson: The timing of this injury to Hendrickson couldn’t be any less ideal. He has suffered a broken wrist but appears to be staying off the IR at this point, giving hope that he may be able to play through this injury at some point. Whether it is two weeks or the fantasy super bowl, either way, take him out of the lineup and find a better solution. It is always the worst when these types of things happen, but prepare for what you know as opposed to what you WANT to have to happen.
DT Dexter Lawrence: Maybe he’s just having a bad stretch, or maybe this market article is cursing him, regardless since he was written about highly on here Lawrence has fallen into a bit of a slump. Having one assisted tackle in the entirety of last Sunday’s game doesn’t give a lot of confidence to managers that now have tough decisions every week. I believe he will be fine, but it was worth noting that he had his worst game of the year last week, coming off his best game…
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LB Cody Barton: Does everyone remember the panic that ensued when we all thought Barton was going to lose the job because he had a few games with decreased snaps? Well, we are a long way away from those days. Since his bye week in Week 11, he’s been arguably the hottest linebacker in the league and right when managers need it. In these money weeks, it’s easy to tweak our formulas for success and take bigger risks, but some things are really just simple analyses of your team. If you’re a Barton manager, you need to play him. The days of questioning whether he will produce seem long gone and we are in the midst of a four-week 15+ point streak. What more would you like to see?
LB Leighton Vander Esch: If one could solve the anomaly that is Vander Esch, you might have yourself a Sean Lee 2.0 (for all you IDP players of the early 2010s). For those new here, that means you’d have a sideline-to-sideline tackler with just the right amount of physical tools to contribute elsewhere on the stat sheet. It’s important to remind everyone that Vander Esch too often just doesn’t produce weekly starter amounts of points. He has been consistently average, but last week popped off for his best game of the year, a 14-tackle outburst. Guys like this can win leagues. He’s a sneaky play down the stretch, but it would take some guts I’m not sure many managers have…
S Kyle Dugger: Coming into this season, Kyle Dugger was my personal fantasy football dark horse for the best player at his position. This has been far from reality, but had he been producing like he has been all year, maybe it wouldn’t have been. Since his bye week in Week 10, Dugger has 30 tackles, one sack, three defended passes, and a fumble recovery. The good news is we finally have a sample size where he has outplayed his bad days, but they were there and are ugly. I think he’s safely a set-and-forget guy again and if you need some depth for your playoff run, he may be available to stash.
LB Eric Kendricks: Could I have been more wrong on Kendricks in the early season? Sheesh, who could have predicted the highs and lows of this season from Kendricks? He started in Weeks 1-6 and had three games of single digits and three games of double digits. In the same span, Jordan Hicks his teammate was setting the world on fire. Kendricks then had his Week 7 bye week and, since then, has had just one game under double-digits. We have turned the corner of will he/won’t he produce and arguably one of the safer options at linebacker for the playoffs. Glad to be wrong on Kendricks here. The talent and production in his career far exceed the ugly numbers from the early season.
LB Christian Kirksey: One name that doesn’t get talked about a lot is that of Kirksey. He’s just the type of player that won’t “lose” your games. He’s consistently average, which at times is ok. If you’re looking for points in a spot start or aren’t as intrigued by your matchup with other options, it’s safe to say that playing Kirksey doesn’t harm your team. When you’re playing for something in Week 15, that may be just the formula you need to be successful. Safe doesn’t always win, but if you’re like me, the more safe options you have, the easier it is to take those risks.
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S Jalen Pitre: Rookies are great on paper when eyeballing your dynasty roster, but can they really help you win your league? Some rookies, YES! Over his last three games, he’s been out of this world, with 35 tackles, four defended passes, and a pick. He has a few outbursts that can really make any manager excited, but the best part about him is that he doesn’t ever really “drop the ball” in reference to point production. His low tackle total on the year is four, which won’t lose a game and his high is 16 although he's been 10+ in three games this year. All that being said, he’s a rookie on a bad team that gives up lots of points. Start him if you have him.
LB Josh Uche: Uche got some love from this article recently but deserves even more now. He’s just hot right now and managers need to strike while the iron is hot. He has six sacks in the last three games to go along with 13 tackles and a forced fumble. At 24 years old, he also may be a long-term hold as well, which is tantalizing for even a novice fan of the game. Something changed in Week 9 when he exploded for six tackles and three sacks. Whatever it was, fantasy managers are benefitting in a big way. Get Uche while you still can.
DE Chandler Jones: When a no-doubt Hall of Famer goes on a hot streak, you need to be aware of it. Jones has had a bad year, plain and simple, but these past two games are absolutely world-class. Nine tackles to pair with four sacks is a two-game stretch that anyone would love to see in their lineups. Now, he’s still too risky for me to start in a playoff game, but he may have played himself into a roster spot if you’re looking for options. He shouldn’t be your every-week option, but he is better than some of the ones we start, and that’s enough for us to roster him and sneak that spot start in.
LB Ernest Jones: When the Rams signed stud linebacker Bobby Wagner this past offseason, it was easy to overlook the other options in that corps. Jones, however, has been a consistent starter-level linebacker for your team and is at the ripe age of 23. He has scored double-digits in five of his last six games, which included an 11-tackle performance in Week 12. You aren’t starting him over Wagner, but dynasty managers need to get familiar with his name. He is poised for big things in the upcoming seasons and has all the looks of a league winner down the stretch. He’s ascending at the right time; can you capitalize on it?
DE George Karlaftis: Karlaftis who is also referred to as “furious George” is having a great end to his rookie season. The former Purdue Boilermaker is on a tear, scoring a sack in three straight games, and has had back-to-back double-digit scoring weeks for the first time in his career. Being a rookie in the NFL is hard, and many fizzle out due to the immense pressure they’re introduced to. When a rookie produces numbers, that means we have something there. Karlaftis may not pop off the screen like he did in college, but he is producing lately and that’s the name of the game folks. As a defensive end, he’s a good depth add if you have the spot and has favorable matchups down the stretch.
There it was! You’re first playoff stock market. Let’s set those lineups a few extra times this week and most importantly, let’s not second-guess ourselves. You got to this point for a reason, don’t get rid of your secret formula! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @steakspeare and follow @Footballguys while you’re there!