Week 12!

Happy Thanksgiving! Congrats to those who have locked themselves into the playoffs and condolences to those that have already been eliminated. But, either way you need to keep making moves to improve your team and win as many games as possible. If you are into the playoffs you should be working to insulate your roster to injuries and finding the best matchups for the playoffs. If you need to win this week then it is time to sell off your bench to sell out to win this week since bench depth is meaningless if you are on the outside looking in.

Waiver Wire Pickups.

Alfred Morris- RB, Dallas Cowboys - 14.2%

Mike Gillislee- RB, Buffalo Bills - 26.3%

Derrick Henry- RB, Tennessee Titans - 49.1%

LeSean McCoy dislocated his thumb on Sunday showing us all once again WHY YOU OWN BACKUPS. You need to own these guys, especially if you are locked into the playoffs, a time where you should be insulating your team to catastrophic injury not adding more speculative adds.

Dion Lewis- RB, New England Patriots - 45.1%

Lewis looked great in his return to action on Sunday getting 5 carries and 3 receptions. He also got the start for the Patriots. His role should only expand as he gets more and more into game shape and hopefully by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around in a couple weeks he will be a dominant force for the Patriots and your fantasy team.

Sammy Watkins- WR, Buffalo Bills - 33%

Watkins is currently on IR as he recovers from a foot injury, but he could return for Week 13. If he does return in shape he could quickly become a very productive wide out for the stretch run as the Bills have been so banged up at the position that Percy Harvin is on their roster and playing in games. If you can afford the roster spot then Watkins could be worth the add.

Pierre Garcon- WR, Washington Redskins - 29.9%

Garcon has been a very stable PPR wide out this season and has had some very good standard weeks too. He (along with literally everyone else on the Redskins offense) had a field day with the Packers’ abysmal defense. They now go on a three game road trip and won’t be home until the fantasy playoffs. If you are looking for a WR3 then Garcon should be able to post the numbers you need to stay in the game.

Carson Wentz - QB, Philadelphia Eagles - 35.1%

If you are struggling at the position because you are starting the likes of Carson Palmer, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, or Andy Dalton then you are probably looking for another option. May I suggest Carson Wentz? He is way off the pace he was on early in the season, but this Thanksgiving week he gets the Green Bay Packers who just made Kirk Cousins look like Tom Brady. The Packers defense has given up at least 31 points in the last four games and more than 42 in the last two games (against Mariota and Cousins). Wentz is in the position to put up huge numbers as you fight off elimination for the playoffs.

Time to Drop

Matt Jones, RB Washington Redskins

Matt Jones has been a healthy scratch in back to back games with the emergence of Rob Kelley and this week Kelley cemented his ownership of the job as he absolutely exploded for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24 carries. Jones just simply doesn’t have the value to be on your roster this late in the season.

D/ST Streaming Options for Week 6

*must be owned in less than 50% of leagues.

Steelers vs Colts

They are the most obvious and will surely be the most popular pickup to stream the position this week and I am taking them too. Andrew Luck is in the concussion protocol and has about zero chance of clearing it before the game since this is one of three games on Thanksgiving. With Luck sitting out Scott Tolzien (who has all of 1 career touchdown pass while also throwing 5 interceptions) is going to get the start. The Steelers took  advantage of the Brown’s subpar quarterback play to the tune of 23 points last week. Start the Steelers with confidence if Luck sits.

Week 10 Preparation

Welcome to Week 10! Did you survive one of the most intense bye weeks of the last few years? The trade deadline for the NFL has now passed and the trade deadline in your league is probably this week. If you are struggling to stay relevant then it may be time to sell off your bench to sacrifice your depth in an effort to increase your ceiling and make up some games in the win-loss column. So keep working and let’s get to it!

Waiver Wire Pickups.

Alfred Morris- RB, Dallas Cowboys - 15.1%

Morris is a must own if you are a Ezekiel Elliott owner. He is an elite handcuff to the NFL’s leading rusher and will take over behind the best offensive line in the NFL. He also has three seasons of over a thousand rushing yards in his career so we know he can do it in the NFL. We are through the biggest bye weeks which means you can drop the fat off your roster and insulate your team for the playoffs. PICK UP MORRIS!

Dion Lewis- RB, New England Patriots - 30.3%

The Patriots are now through their bye week and into one of the softest schedules of the remainder of the season. Lewis likely won’t return for the Week 10 game on Sunday Night Football against Seattle, but when he does return for those in the playoff hunt he will be the guy putting people over the edge and winning games. James White has been average in the passing back role for an offense that is absolutely rolling and Lewis will quickly take over the backfield.

Thomas Rawls- RB, Seattle Seahawks - 43%

Did you watch Monday Night Football? Yes? Then I likely don’t need to explain why you want to own Rawls. Christine Michael took 5 carries for a total of 1 yard and a touchdown. He has gained over 67 yards rushing just once all season. The backfield is ripe for the taking and Rawls was more than up to the task last season in spot duty for Marshawn Lynch.

C.J. Fiedorowicz- TE, Houston Texans 13%

Fiedorowicz has been very good for the Texans as of late and going into their bye week he hauled in 5 catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. A lot of people are struggling to fill the tight end position week to week and Fiedorowicz can be the answer if he continues to get the amount of looks in the passing games.

Tim Hightower- RB, New Orleans 40%

Hightower jumped way up in ownership after his breakout week last week. This week even sharing the backfield with Ingram he was effective and found the endzone. I wouldn’t be counting on him to be your RB1 or RB2, but he can be a decent Flex play and great insurance if you are an Ingram owner going into the playoffs.

Sammy Watkins- WR, Buffalo Bills - 29%

Watkins is currently on IR as he recovers from a foot injury, but he could return for Week 12. If he does return and becomes effective he could be a real asset in the playoffs. He has elite skills in an offense that is so desperate at the position that they signed Percy Harvin; Watkins is a worthwhile add if you have the room.

Time to Drop

DeVante Parker- WR, Miami Dolphins

Parker was a first round selection and is struggling to be the second option on a team in desperate help of offense around Jay Ajayi. Parker, like the rest of the Dolphins receivers, has done nothing in this offense with Ryan Tannehill under center. Parker has 2 points or less in four of the last five games and has just one touchdown on the season. Parker can safely be dropped for just about anyone at this point.

D/ST Streaming Options for Week 6

*must be owned in less than 50% of leagues.

Ravens vs. Browns

The Ravens have topped double digit points in their last two games. This week they get the Browns. The Browns haven’t dished out as many points to opposing D/ST as you would think (just 1 point in Week 9) because of garbage time, but the Ravens have the skills to force the Browns into enough mistakes to be a strong play if you are streaming the position.

Week 9 Preperation

Welcome to Week 9! We have officially reached that time of the season where if you are in the back of the pack you are going to start mathematically eliminating teams from playoff contention. If you are leading the league you need to start to insulate your team to injuries and making trades to prepare for the playoffs. If you are struggling to stay relevant then it may be time to sell off your bench to sacrifice your depth in an effort to increase your ceiling and make up some games in the win-loss column. So keep working and let’s get to it!

Waiver Wire Pickups.

Derrick Henry- RB, Tennessee Titans 44.1%

What that number tells me is that 55.9% of DeMarco Murray owners either like to live dangerously or want their championship chances torpedoed with one injury. You don’t need me to say, we all lived it on Thursday Night Football when DeMarco Murray left the game for the locker room. If Murray goes down Henry is capable of carrying the load and will get all the work in the Titans’ backfield. IF YOU OWN MURRAY YOU NEED TO OWN HENRY!

The same goes for

• Alfred Morris
• DeAngelo Williams
• Mike Gillislee

Injured Players on their way back

If you can stash them through the huge bye weeks we have over the next couple of weeks then there are a few guys we are expecting back from injuries that are worth grabbing to help with your run to the playoffs.

• Dion Lewis- RB, New England Patriots - 28.3%
• Corey Coleman- WR, Cleveland Browns - 31.5%
• Thomas Rawls- RB, Seattle Seahawks - 45.9%

Jamison Crowder- WR, Washington Redskins 44.5%

Crowder has been double digit points for the last three weeks and is becoming a key cog in the Washington offense with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon both struggling to produce. Crowder shouldn’t be too high on many waiver priorities because he is off this week, but if you can snag him he can be a solid WR3 or Flex play for the rest of the season.

C.J. Fiedorowicz- TE, Houston Texans 13%

Fiedorowicz has been very good for the Texans as of late and going into their bye week he hauled in 5 catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Chances are you aren’t going to have the room to roster him this week with so many teams on bye again, but he has a very favorable rest of the season schedule and could be very helpful down the stretch if you are struggling at a position where there are just a handful of reliable players.

Tim Hightower- RB, New Orleans 1.9%

For the second season in a row, Hightower has the chance to come out of nowhere to lead a bunch of fantasy teams to the championship after taking over the feature back roles from Mark Ingram after Ingram took 3 carries for -9 yards and lost a fumble. If you need help at the position; the Saints have already been through their bye week and Sean Payton has already stated that Hightower has earned more work.

Time to Drop

Knile Davis- RB, Green Bay Packers 35.3%

Last week it was Eddie Lacy (who somehow is still owned in 50.8% of leagues) and this week it former Green Bay running back Knile Davis who was released by the Packers. This is a good sign for the Packers as a whole as it likely means the return of James Starks who is much more familiar with the offense and could be a good weapon for the Packers and your fantasy team if he can return to form from in season knee surgery.

D/ST Streaming Options for Week 6

*must be owned in less than 50% of leagues.

Cowboys vs. Browns

The Cowboys have had a very solid fantasy floor all season (at least 4 points in 6 of 7 games), but also a very low ceiling (high of 9). Usually the worry with playing the bottom of the barrel is garbage time ruining the day for the D/ST (see Titans v. Bengals), but with a very good ball control offense against a defense that won’t be able to force the Dallas offense off the field the Cowboys should have a very good day.

Lions vs. Vikings

I am going to ride this train until the Vikings offense proves they can do anything on offense. The Lions went -4 in Week 1 against the Colts, but since then they have been positive in every game and with the Bears getting 10 against the Vikings on Monday Night Football and now the Vikings playing on a short week the Lions become a solid fantasy streaming option.