Playoffs? We're talking playoffs??
Yes, it is already playoff time and it's time to pick up these potential diamonds to help you go win a championship!
Baker Mayfield - QB - Browns - ESPN 20% Yahoo 38%
Baker Mayfield impressed greatly in the Browns last game against the Tennessee Titans. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 334 yards for four touchdowns. Mayfield additionally has limited how often he is turning the ball over as he hasn’t thrown an interception in 156 pass attempts. He may have a tough matchup this week against the Baltimore Ravens, but he will play the New York Jets in the fantasy playoffs and could have a monster game.
Tim Patrick - WR - Broncos - ESPN 15% Yahoo 21%
Somehow this year, Tim Patrick is still not owned very much in fantasy. This season, he has only posted less than three receptions and 30 receiving yards in only two games. He has become a reliable target for gunslinger Drew Lock. After getting blanked last week against the New Orleans Saints, Patrick bounced back catching all four of his targets for 44 yards and two touchdowns. With a weaker schedule with the Panthers, Bills, and Chargers coming up, he could help greatly in the playoffs.
Cole Kmet - TE - Chicago Bears - ESPN 1% Yahoo 1%
Since Week 9 in the Bears loss to the Tennessee Titans, Kmet has seen his snap count grow greatly. After only registering 47% of the snaps in Week 9, he has grown to at least 70% in each of the three games since. Although the targets haven’t completely been there, Kmet has seen an increase in targets as this week he caught five of seven targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. Trubisky likes to rely on his tight end especially in the red zone, so if Kmet gets continued looks, he could be a solid tight end.
Anthony Firkser - TE - Tennessee Titans - ESPN 5% Yahoo 9%
Anthony Firkser only has two fewer targets than Jonnu Smith was the #7 overall tight end in PPR scoring entering Week 13. Smith has been battling a knee injury and was forced to miss what was supposed to be a friendly matchup against the Cleveland Browns, but it turned ugly. Even though MyCole Pruitt, fellow backup TE, snagged the touchdown grab Firkser still managed to haul in five of his seven targets for 51 yards. At his point in the season, if Smith continues to miss time, Firsker is about as reliable a waiver add you can hope for at the most shallow position around.
Ty Johnson - RB - New York Jets - ESPN 1% Yahoo 2%
The indestructible Frank Gore was forced out of Sunday’s contest against the Raiders due to a concussion and former Lions running back Ty Johnson stepped in nicely to take advantage of a porous Raiders defense. Johnson had carried the rock 22 times for 104 yards and added on a touchdown with two receptions. He firmly entrenched his role as the backup should Gore miss week 14. The Seahawks defense has struggled to stop anyone this season as Wayne Gallman Jr totaled 135 rush yards last week. If Gore is out, Johnson is worth a flex play.
Keke Coutee - WR - Houston Texans - ESPN 12% Yahoo 27%
Will Fuller V is out for the rest of the season for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy of the NFL. Keke Coutee stepped right in to make up for his lost ability to the tune of 9 receptions for 141 yards against what was to be considered a stout Indianapolis Colts defense. Watson was able to get the ball out quickly and deliver it to his newest go-to receiver. The Bears are not quite who we thought they were given they allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 402 yards on Sunday. Keke is worth a shot for those looking for a spark entering the fantasy playoffs or looking to stay away from last place.
Phillip Rivers - QB - Indianapolis Colts - ESPN 16.5% Yahoo 40%
Since Week 6, Rivers has put up at least 16 points in all but one week. He is not a flashy play but he seems to be clicking with his weapons and putting up fantasy numbers. There has recently been news that he will need offseason surgery on his foot but that he will play through it regardless. I am not worried about this injury because Rivers is one of the toughest QBs in the league, so tough that he even started a playoff game with the Chargers on a torn ACL and meniscus. The main reason why Rivers is a priority add is that he is facing the Raiders and Texans in the next two weeks for your fantasy playoffs. The Raiders just made the Jets offense look good, and the Colts offense just played well against the Texans.
TY Hilton - WR - Indianapolis Colts - ESPN 47% Yahoo 45%
Managers who drafted Hilton this year likely dropped him at some point in the season. He has battled injuries and has not looked good up until recently. Now that he is healthy, he seems to have found his stride. Hilton seems to be on the same page as Rivers, delivering back to back good fantasy weeks, including torching the Texans, whom he seems to deliver against every year. Better yet, he faces the Raiders and Texans over the next two weeks as I talked about above with Rivers.
Cleveland Browns D/ST - ESPN 45% Yahoo 38%
I recognize that we do not usually talk about defenses in our waivers article but I feel like now that we are in the playoffs, having good D/ST matchups is crucial. Cleveland has been a decent defense for the most part this year but they are not a top tier defense. Their upcoming game is against the Ravens and other managers in your leagues may be dropping them. I highly recommend stashing them on your bench for the rest of the playoffs because they face the Giants and Jets in weeks 15 and 16. If you make it through your first round of the playoffs this week, it could be a league-winning move, as the Browns have a division title to play for in weeks 16 and 17 against bottom 5 offenses.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to keep an eye out every Tuesday for our weekly start/sit article with the @FF_Astronauts. Follow @ZtwiceFF, @joespehherffNFL, and @theweaverwire on Twitter for more Fantasy Football content throughout the season, and hit us up with any questions.
