Well, here we are…the fantasy playoffs! Whether you made it by the skin of your teeth, or you’re sitting pretty with a week-one bye – there are still plenty of waiver wire bargains to be had as we enter the knockout phase of the season. In a week that saw Sam Darnold throw for 347-yards and 5 touchdowns and still not be the QB1 (thank you Josh Allen), we were also treated to some playoff clinching performances by Zach Charbonnet, Jordan Addison and Isaac Guerendo (more on him later). It doesn’t matter how you got here – we’re in win or go home mode…let’s win some championships!
Rules for Selection & Order Priority
For a player to be considered to be added, they have to:
- Have an rostered % of 50% or under on ESPN
- Players below are listed by their roster %, not priority. Know your league settings. If there is a high-priority add, you’ll know.
Matthew Stafford (LAR) 38.1% rostered
Despite throwing for 320-yards and 2 touchdowns, Matthew Stafford barely cracked the top-10 at the position in week 14…that’s how crazy it got, even with six teams on bye! The Rams victory over Buffalo on Sunday evening was one for the ages, and goes down as one of the most enjoyable games of offensive football I’ve ever watched. In the highest scoring game of the year (so far), the two teams combined for 5 passing touchdowns, 5 rushing touchdowns, and no turnovers…the first time that has happened in almost 60 years. Stafford is always dangerous with Cooper Kupp and human highlight-reel Puka Nacua at his disposal (seriously, Nacua is not human with some of those grabs). The schedule isn’t great for the fantasy playoffs, but I don’t care. If you’re still streaming at this stage of the season and Matty is available – do whatever it takes to grab him.
Jameis Winston (CLE) 19.9% rostered
Speaking of human highlight reels. Jameis Winston may not go viral for just his good plays, but he is truly a joy to watch, both on and off the field. He’s the type of QBs that fantasy managers dream of – as his latest multi-touchdown/multi-interception game proves. With Famous Jameis’ penchant for throwing pick-sixes, the Browns are going to be passing the ball…a lot, from here on in. Week 15’s matchup at home to Kansas City isn’t ideal, but if you can survive that one or have a bye in your playoffs, the Browns travel in-state to take on the Bengals and their incredibly generous pass-defense on week 16. He’s a high risk/high reward start, but if you’re going against a top-seed in your knockouts, he’s worth a punt.
Also Consider – Cooper Rush (6.9%) & Bryce Young (4.3%) rostered
Braelon Allen/ Isaiah Davis (NYJ) 48.7/ 3.4% rostered
If you managed to scoop up Braelon Allen for free after the news broke that Breece Hall would be OUT for the Jets trip to Miami at the weekend…congratulations. If you then started him with hopes of an RB2 level performance…commiserations. Despite Allen being the de-facto backup all year, this was a full blown timeshare between the former Wisconsin Badger and fellow rookie Isaiah Davis – both receiving 16 opportunities in the OT loss. If Breece sits, both backs should offer FLEX appeal against a Jags defense ranked 30th against fantasy RBs. I’d still lean Allen over Davis, but only just. If you’re a Breece Hall manager, you have to grab one of these guys ahead of the playoffs just in case Gang Green’s lead back gets shut down now that they are out of the post-season race.
Sincere McCormick (LV) 11.2% rostered
If you’re looking for a start who has a little more security…then the Las Vega Raiders’ Sincere McCormick is the waiver add for you…just. McCormick again drew the start in the absence of Alexander Mattison, and again looked impressive with the opportunities given to him. The second-year UDFA rushed at over 5 Y/C for the third straight week, posting his highest running total of the year with 78-yards on 15 carries. McCormick looks to have taken big steps in securing himself a significant workload, even if Mattison returns from injury against Atlanta on Monday night. He’s an exciting young player and startable as an RB3 moving forward as we enter the fantasy playoffs.
Patrick Taylor/ Israel Abanikanda (SF) 4.1/ 1.8% rostered
“For any of you real sadists out there – Patrick Taylor is the next name on the depth chart – do with that information what you will.”
The words of a man who was half-joking/half-deadly serious. If you were successful in the Isaac Guerendo Sweepstakes last week, congratulations – at least you got an RB1 for a very important week of the season. Sadly, it looks like the 49ers’ 4th choice RB will miss some time after sustaining a foot injury in the 38-13 victory over Chicago on Sunday. As has been the case on multiple occasions this year for San Fran…it’s next man up! We’re really getting thin in this backfield, so all signs point to Patrick Taylor hopefully being the guy – but honestly, it’s hard to tell at this stage. Israel Abanikanda was inactive on Sunday, but he only recently joined the squad after being claimed off waivers upon release from the Jets. Taylor is the name at the top of my list this week, but Abanikanda can be considered in deeper leagues. It’s a short week for the 49ers as they host the Rams on Thursday Night Football – we saw what Guerendo could do as the leader of this backfield…perhaps Taylor can repeat.
Also Consider – Tyler Allgeier (37.7%), Justice Hill (21.0%), Trey Benson (19.8%), Blake Corum (14.7%) & Kendre Miller (5.5%) rostered
Adam Thielen (CAR) 38.7% rostered
I did say there was life in the old dog yet! Adam Thielen continues to roll back the years with another top-20 performance in the Panther’s narrow 22-16 loss in Philadelphia at the weekend. The 34-year old veteran led the team in targets, receptions and yards as he went over 100-receiving yards for the first time since week 6 of the 2023 season. Thielen clearly has the trust of sophomore QB Bryce Young, and the young signal-caller’s successes of late have come largely in part to the play of his experienced wide receiver. With the very soft pass-defenses of Dallas and Tampa Bay ahead, Thielen makes a solid add if you’re struggling at WR ahead of the knockouts – time for one last outing before he’s taken round the back of the barn.
Sterling Shepard/ Jalen McMillan (TB) 8.7/ 8.5% rostered
I’ll be honest with you here…I don’t know which of these guys I’d prefer, but both are in consideration this week, particularly in 12+ team leagues. It wasn’t pretty for the Bucs in their 28-13 victory over the Raiders on Sunday, and with rookie running back sensation Bucky Irving leaving the game in the second quarter – you would have expected Baker to lean heavily on his arm and future hall-of-famer Mike Evans…well, you would have been half right. Mayfield found success through the air with 295-passing yards and 3 scores, but it was rookie Jalen McMillan and off-season acquisition Sterling Shepard that made the difference for the Bucs aerial attack. McMillan scored his second (and third) touchdowns as an NFL pro, finishing the week as the overall WR10 for fantasy. Whilst veteran Shepard didn’t find the end zone, he did lead see 6 targets to Mike Evans 5, and was one of 4 Bucs pass-catchers to record between 50-70 yards through the air. The buzz will be over McMillan with his brace of scores, but Shepard has value…particularly if Irving misses time, forcing this team to pass a little more in Los Angeles against the Chargers this weekend.
Also Consider – Elijah Moore (23.6%), Joshua Palmer (12.1%) & Ray-Ray McCloud (12.0%) rostered.
Pat Freiermuth (PIT) 48.2% rostered
My favourite pickup at the position last week once again tops the list as we head into the fantasy playoffs. Once again The Muth cracked the top-5 at the position, thanks largely to a 20-yard dart over the middle from Russell Wilson in the 43rd quarter, giving Freiermuth his fifth TD of the season. In the absence of George Pickens, I was expecting more from the fourth-year TE than only 3 targets – but in a game that didn’t require Wilson to throw much, it was understandable to see all pass-catchers see a downward turn in production. A road game in Philadelphia isn’t the best of matchups for TEs, but if Pickens doesn’t return from his hamstring injury in time, expect Freiermuth to see a lot more work than he did this past Sunday.
Grant Calcaterra (PHI) 1.7% rostered
If you miss out on Freiermuth, you could do a lot worse than the man facing him on the opposite side of the field this weekend. With Dallas Goedert placed on the Injured Reserve prior to the Eagles’ win over Carolina, he will be on the sidelines for at least the next three contests, possibly returning for the post-season as Philly pushes for a Super Bowl. However, we’re not concerned about that, all we know is that Goedert is done for fantasy this year and Calcaterra steps into a very valuable role, particularly in deeper leagues. The third-year TE caught all three of his targets from Jalen Hurts for 16-yards and the game-winning score in the 22-16 victory. The upside is there…but so is the floor.
Also Consider – Juwan Johnson (13.9%) & Tyler Conklin (17.1%) rostered
There you have it! Any questions, or want some more specific help for your league on who to drop, just reach out. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. And checkout out rankings for each Week.
