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The race to the fantasy playoffs is in full swing. Six teams are on a bye this week, which makes roster decisions more challenging than usual. Here are 11 thoughts worth thinking about as we inch closer to the playoffs.
11 Thoughts Worth Thinking
1. The young quarterback crop is going to be just fine.
Some of these younger quarterbacks, who we collectively decided weren't quite fantasy-ready, are now starting to prove that they can produce for us. This includes Bo Nix, Anthony Richardson, and Drake Maye. Nix is dominating in Sean Payton's scheme. This is not news, but if you have been starting someone else at quarterback who has dropped off recently, Nix is worthy of reaching your starting lineup. This season, he has steadily improved his downfield vision, decision-making, and trust in Sean Payton's offense. Since Week 4, he has 14 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. It may take Anthony Richardson some time to grow into a consistent, capable quarterback, but he has the tools to provide decent production while he works out the kinks. Drake Maye has made strides in his rookie season, and while this year may not be in the cards for the Patriots as a contender, there is hope around the corner with a wealth of cap space available. The belief is that New England will make the moves necessary to help build a team around Maye as their cornerstone.
2. Week 15 juggernaut matchup to yield high fantasy numbers.
The Week 15 game between the Bills and Lions in Detroit will tell us a lot about both teams as they jockey for playoff seeding, but it could also be a game that yields a steady dose of fantasy production. If the game script leans in a direction where both teams find success moving the ball and putting up points, it could be a tremendous source of point production that could elevate your team to Week 16. Sam LaPorta or Jameson Williams may even be the reason why your team advances.
3. An unlikely hero for the playoffs.
San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings has been outstanding since his return from a hip injury and the subsequent loss of Brandon Aiyuk (knee). He has taken over as Brock Purdy's go-to option, especially when George Kittle is out. He outperformed the oft-injured Deebo Samuel Sr. this past week and looks to be on a course that would make him one of the more sought-after fantasy plays for the playoffs with two big positive matchups against the Rams in Week 15 and the Lions in Week 17. Another plus is that the 49ers have already had their bye, so there is no concern for lineup issues.
4. Ride the Buccaneers players for the playoff stretch.
Mike Evans (hamstring) may return just in time to make a difference, but this belief includes Baker Mayfield, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, Cade Otton, and the Tampa D/ST. Looking ahead to the Buccaneers' schedule, they face one difficult opponent in the LA Chargers in Week 15. Everyone else is a favorable matchup that includes Carolina twice, the Giants, the Cowboys, and the Raiders. If you can navigate your way through and past Week 15, you'll be in good shape with any Buccaneers on your roster.
5. Tennessee wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the win?
While the Titans aren't known for their high-flying passing attack, when they do throw the ball, Calvin Ridley has emerged as a favorite target for Will Levis. Ridley has the fourth-most targets in the league since Week 8, highlighting his growing role in the Titans' offense. To make things even spicier, Tennessee's schedule for Weeks 14-17 includes Jacksonville (twice) plus Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The writing is on the wall for Ridley (and perhaps Levis) to enjoy a productive playoff stretch.
6. Stay away from Cleveland.
This isn't exactly front page news, but looking at their schedule, they face Pittsburgh twice, Kansas City, Denver, Cincinnati, and Miami. Jameis Winston and the Browns aren't projected to do much to finish the season, but especially not against that schedule.
7. The Jets are better off at quarterback with Tyrod Taylor than Aaron Rodgers.
Do the Jets want to win or jockey for draft picks? Do they want to bench soon-to-be Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers or keep him in to appease his ego? Rodgers is 3-9 with this team, which can only be described as the team that did less with more. Could Tyrod Taylor do better? One might argue that he can. If you recall, the last time we saw Taylor, he replaced Tommy DeVito in New York for the last three weeks of the 2023 season, which saw him face the Eagles twice and the Rams. He won one of the games against Philadelphia and lost the other but looked decent while doing so. He narrowly lost the game against the Rams despite a 300-yard performance. Taylor may or may not be able to win games with this team, but it has become fairly apparent that Rodgers consistently cannot.
8. If your wide receiver plays Philadelphia, you may want to start a different wide receiver.
The Eagles have allowed just one receiving touchdown to a wide receiver since Week 4 (Ja'Marr Chase). Looking back at the past six weeks, these are the best wide receivers against them: Terry McLaurin 1-10, CeeDee Lamb 6-21, Brian Thomas Jr. 2-22, Ja'Marr Chase 9-54-1, Malik Nabers 4-41, Amari Cooper 4-42.
9. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels is on a downward trajectory.
Of all quarterbacks inside the top 20, Daniels has the fewest touchdown passes with 10. He has performed well as a fantasy commodity due to his rushing prowess and four rushing touchdowns, but he hasn't quite passed the eye test as an elite quarterback. A rib injury in Week 6 has affected his play, which has had an impact on his fantasy numbers. Since Week 6, Daniels is QB13, lower than his rookie counterpart, Drake Maye. Even Aaron Rodgers is higher over the last six weeks. To add fuel to the negative fire, Daniels will need to navigate through Tennessee in Week 13 (the current #1 in pass defense) and Philadelphia in Week 16 (#2 in pass defense). In addition to that, Washington also has a bye in Week 14. Daniels was an impressive surprise this year, but his usage for the fantasy playoffs may be one to avoid.
10. LA Rams wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are a dynamic duo.
Since Week 8, when both returned from injury, aside from Week 9, when Nacua was ejected from the game, both Kupp and Nacua have been productive alongside each other. In all three games together since Week 8, both have at least 5 receptions in each game, and both have either scored a touchdown or reached 80 yards. It is safe to say that you can rely on both any given week. Since Week 8, Kupp is WR3 and Nacua is WR12, despite the early game ejection in Week 9.
11. Miami tight end Jonnu Smith may be the quietest tight end all year.
He had an eye-opening Week 11 game that saw him reach 6 receptions for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns, which opened us to a new fantasy option. Except, that has been the case all along. Or at least since Week 6 where he has been the TE6. Smith leads the Dolphins in targets (31), receptions (25), receiving touchdowns (3), and reception percentage among WR/TEs (80.6%) in that span. If you have struggled to find traction with your chosen tight end for your roster, you may want to insert him into your lineup or see if he is available on waivers because he's been hot lately with no signs of slowing down.
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