Gather round boys and girls, because it is a magical time of year. All the good little children of the world are asleep in their beds, dreaming of presents and cookies and sugar and spices and stuff. Meanwhile, the rest of us are awake at 2 a.m. trying to decide: is Julian Edelman really on the comeback? Spoiler, he isn’t.
Yes, it is playoffs time in fantasy football! That means Santa can take a backseat for a little while because unless he’s bringing Arian Foster a new running back, then he doesn’t really have anything that you need.
You’ve battled hard, and sacrificed so much to set that line-up, or pick up that free agent. Good for you, Fantasy Football warrior. Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back for all of that football other people were playing which you sat on the couch with your honey-mustard flavored Ruffles. You earned it.
If you’re reading this right now, it means that you still care about Fantasy Football, which means you are in the playoffs, so congratulations! Or you just really have nothing better to do, which is fine by me. I’ll take readers where I can get ‘em.
Way to go guys. You’ll tell your kids about this amazing accomplishment one day.
In the meantime, we’ve got to get you ready for the playoffs. At this point, you probably already have a stud roster, since you made the post-season. Even if you don’t, and you somehow snuck your way in anyways, there really aren’t many great waiver options left out there. It’s week fourteen, and pickings are slim.
So instead of the usual add/drop section, we’re going to play a little game. I’m going to tell you some stats, and then you are going to guess which player I am talking about. We’ll talk about why I’m doing this later.
Ready? Go!
Highest scoring quarterback since week nine, has gotten more than twenty points in all but one game that he has finished this year.
NICK FOLES – Available in just under 30 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tenth-best quarterback in standard scoring, only one game without double digits. More points than Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, RGIII, and Colin Kaepernick.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER – Available in over ten percent of ESPN leagues, if you can get over the fact that he’s evil.
Running back with less than three points in half of his games this year, and only two total touchdowns in all twelve games he’s played.
C.J. SPILLER – No better than a low-end flex.
Running back who has scored somewhere between seven and twenty points in seven of the last nine games.
DANNY WOODHEAD – Much more valuable than C.J.
Running back averaging 15.8 points a game over the last five games, second only to Adrian Peterson.
RASHAD JENNINGS – He is the man right now.
Wide Receiver with six double-digit performances this year, three of which went for 20 or more points. More points than Dez Bryant, Desean Jackson, and Andre Johnson.
ALSHON JEFFERY – Sixth best wide receiver in Fantasy this year.
Only four outings with double-digit fantasy points, the same number as T.Y. Hilton, Anquan Boldin, and Julian Edelman.
VINCENT JACKSON – He’s the single most unreliable player in Fantasy every year.
Alright, so you’re probably tired of lists now. At first, you were excited about the list, but now it has gone on too long, and you just want to know the point of my incessant ramblings.
The names on this list represent players who are either way over-performing or under-performing their expectations. The point of showing you these players is to make one simple fact clear.
The name on the back of the jersey doesn’t matter. Trust the production. It’s the playoffs, and you need to go with guys who worked to get you here.
Aside from that just keep doing what you’re doing. You made it this far, so you should be alright; just trust your instincts and make the calls that will make you happy.
Good luck to everyone! I wish each and every one of you a championship hanging from your holiday mantle.
Happy holidays, and good luck!
Brown