Longtime FF4W participant Wade Dantinne made a great suggestion yesterday: Assembling a list of players to target for the playoff run (weeks 14-16). Who's best positioned to dominate in those critical games?
Let's start with DSTs. Yesterday, a month ago, and during the preseason I highlighted the Seahawks. Their schedule (@Ravens, Browns, Rams) makes them a must-start option throughout the fantasy playoffs. They proved yesterday that they can beat up on teams with bad offensive lines and below-average QBs. Well, we'll see more of that down the stretch.
In four of their games this season, the Chiefs DST has scored 7, 8, 10, and 12 fantasy points. In their other two--road matchups vs. the undefeated Packers and undefeated Bengals--they've scored -5 and -6. But they could be a nice streaming option in the playoffs--and even leading up to it. Their final games--including Week 17--are Bills, @Raiders, Chargers, @Ravens, Browns, Raiders. If they can figure out their running game and keep their defense off the field for at least 30 minutes a game, the Chiefs are a fairly likely DST1 for a good chunk of those games.
The Vikings were a trendy DST pick this preseason; I missed the boat, despite several readers urging me not to overlook them. They've given up more than 20 points only once this year--23 in a road game vs. the Broncos. Still unowned in more than 50% of ESPN leagues, they have home tilts vs. the Bears and Giants in weeks 15 and 16. If you have room to stash them, they should be a mid-range DST1 for those two games.
Incredibly, the high-flying Eagles DST has three home games during the fantasy playoffs: Bills, Cardinals, Redskins. They're getting snatched up in leagues after back-to-back stellar performances. I think they're a bit overrated as a unit. But you can't argue with home matchups against at least two teams with moderately dysfunctional offenses.
Finally, making a cheap trade for the 8th ranked Rams DST should bolster your team in weeks 14 and 15, when they play at home against the Lions and Bucs. If Matthew Stafford is struggling, if Detroit still doesn't have a running game, and if Jameis Winston hasn't progressed, they're worth trading, say, an expendable WR3/4 if you don't have another DST with favorable matchups to plug in there.
On the flip side, while the 7th ranked Panthers D seems like a no-brainer going forward, their upcoming schedule consists of Philly, Indy, and Green Bay. The fantasy playoffs include a home-and-home vs. the high-flying Falcons, sandwiched around a road game against the Giants--favorable if Eli & company are struggling, but formidable if the Giants' offense is clicking. Trade Carolina now, before they descend into droppable territory.
The same goes for the 2nd ranked Cardinals, for which nearly half of their fantasy points (30) came in Week 3. They've scored only one point three times. And their fantasy playoff schedule includes Minnesota, @Philly, and Green Bay. I don't want to rely on them to help me take home the title.
Let's start with DSTs. Yesterday, a month ago, and during the preseason I highlighted the Seahawks. Their schedule (@Ravens, Browns, Rams) makes them a must-start option throughout the fantasy playoffs. They proved yesterday that they can beat up on teams with bad offensive lines and below-average QBs. Well, we'll see more of that down the stretch.
In four of their games this season, the Chiefs DST has scored 7, 8, 10, and 12 fantasy points. In their other two--road matchups vs. the undefeated Packers and undefeated Bengals--they've scored -5 and -6. But they could be a nice streaming option in the playoffs--and even leading up to it. Their final games--including Week 17--are Bills, @Raiders, Chargers, @Ravens, Browns, Raiders. If they can figure out their running game and keep their defense off the field for at least 30 minutes a game, the Chiefs are a fairly likely DST1 for a good chunk of those games.
The Vikings were a trendy DST pick this preseason; I missed the boat, despite several readers urging me not to overlook them. They've given up more than 20 points only once this year--23 in a road game vs. the Broncos. Still unowned in more than 50% of ESPN leagues, they have home tilts vs. the Bears and Giants in weeks 15 and 16. If you have room to stash them, they should be a mid-range DST1 for those two games.
Incredibly, the high-flying Eagles DST has three home games during the fantasy playoffs: Bills, Cardinals, Redskins. They're getting snatched up in leagues after back-to-back stellar performances. I think they're a bit overrated as a unit. But you can't argue with home matchups against at least two teams with moderately dysfunctional offenses.
Finally, making a cheap trade for the 8th ranked Rams DST should bolster your team in weeks 14 and 15, when they play at home against the Lions and Bucs. If Matthew Stafford is struggling, if Detroit still doesn't have a running game, and if Jameis Winston hasn't progressed, they're worth trading, say, an expendable WR3/4 if you don't have another DST with favorable matchups to plug in there.
On the flip side, while the 7th ranked Panthers D seems like a no-brainer going forward, their upcoming schedule consists of Philly, Indy, and Green Bay. The fantasy playoffs include a home-and-home vs. the high-flying Falcons, sandwiched around a road game against the Giants--favorable if Eli & company are struggling, but formidable if the Giants' offense is clicking. Trade Carolina now, before they descend into droppable territory.
The same goes for the 2nd ranked Cardinals, for which nearly half of their fantasy points (30) came in Week 3. They've scored only one point three times. And their fantasy playoff schedule includes Minnesota, @Philly, and Green Bay. I don't want to rely on them to help me take home the title.