TV & movies, Carvel ice cream cake and fantasy football.
Without a doubt, those are three of my favorite things in the whole entire world (I'm a very simple man). Fantasy football is fun for so many reasons: the camaraderie between you and your league mates, the friendly competition, extra reasons to watch football, etc. But you know what I love most about fantasy football? Winning. I love to win (I'm petty as well as simple).
Look, I get it, fantasy football is usually just a fun distraction from the grind of daily life; something entertaining you can do with your buddies. But deep down, none of us join a league with the expectation of losing. We all want to win. It's only human.
That is why I devote so much time to fantasy football. That is why I pour over stats and trends and rumors, to gain an advantage. I'm not always right, but I do my best to get close and share my thoughts with you. If you're still alive in the playoffs, I'm sure you want to win just as badly as I do.
To help with that, as always, here are a few players worth starting this week and some to avoid.
Worth it:
QB: Philip Rivers
This is a tough call. On one hand, Rivers has a 6:6 touchdown to interception ratio over the last five weeks. That's a far cry from the MVP level he was playing at during the first month of the season. But on the other hand, he's playing the Denver Broncos who have surrendered the eighth most fantasy points to opposing arms this season. Rivers had a solid game against Denver back in Week 8, 252 yards with three scores and two picks. San Diego is still very much in the wild card race and I expect this home game for Rivers to be a shootout. Could the San Diego offense "fold like the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl?" Absolutely. But I'm choosing to have faith.
RB: LeSean McCoy
There's a slim chance Shady doesn't have a good game this week...(see what I did there?). The Eagles and Cowboys are stuck in a heated battle for the NFC East crown. If we've learned anything from "Game of Thrones" it's that a crown is a powerful motivating factor. I think Dallas will miss the playoffs and this game will be the icing on the cake. McCoy torched the Cowboys for 159 yards and one score on Thanksgiving...in Dallas. My powers of observation tell me that the Eagles score more rushing touchdowns at home than they do on the road. Thus, McCoy will have a good game this weekend against a declining Dallas defense.
WR: T.Y. Hilton
Humans breathe oxygen, 2 + 2 = 4 and "Pulp Fiction" should have won the Oscar over "Forrest Gump." Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it isn't true. There was little chance you were benching Hilton this week, especially after his 10 catches for 150 yards and two scores last week. But, just in case you're a moron, let me give you some extra incentive to ride with Hilton. The Houston Texans have allowed the second most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Hilton exploded for nine catches and 223 (!) yards with one touchdown in their first matchup back in Week 6. The Texans defense has surrendered five receiving scores and four 90-plus yard games to opposing wide outs over the last month. Need I go on? Didn't think so.
TE: Delaine Walker
Walker has had a solid season this year, ranking eighth among TEs in standard fantasy scoring. The move back to Jake Locker at quarterback should help nudge Walker's value up even more, as his 66 percent reception rate with Locker under center is almost 20 points higher compared to Zach Mettenberger (47 percent). Also helping matters is this week's opposition, the New York Jets, who have allowed a league-high 12 touchdowns to opposing tight ends. This, as they say, should be good.
Avoid:
QB: Aaron Rodgers
Watch this video. It's completely nonsensical and ridiculous...yet also strangely hilarious and brilliant. Avoiding Aaron Rodgers seems to be completely nonsensical and ridiculous, but I promise you there is some logic to it (Side Note: Just because I say to "avoid" Rodgers doesn't mean I am saying bench him. I'm just saying I don't think he'll have as great of a game as fantasy owners might expect). The Buffalo Bills have a surprisingly stingy defense, fifth against the pass (212.8 yards per game) and eighth against the run (99.2 yards per game). Peyton Manning went just 14 of 20 for 173 yards with no touchdowns and two picks against them last week. That is eye opening. I'd temper my expectations a bit with the red-hot Rodgers against a defense that has allowed the second fewest fantasy points to QBs this year.
RB: Eddie Lacy
I swear I'm not a Packers hater. But, like I said, Buffalo has a good defense and Green Bay has won five straight. They're due for a letdown sometime soon. Lacy is also dealing with a small hip injury. He's not expected to miss any game time, but I wouldn't want to face the Bills front seven at anything less than 100%. Buffalo hasn't allowed a 100 yard rusher since Week 7. They're susceptible to passes out of the backfield, something Lacy has done very well this season, but outside of that I don't see a ton of upside here.
WR: Anquan Boldin
The San Francisco 49ers are suddenly collapsing like that portal or inter-dimensional gateway in every sci-fi film ever. They've lost two straight, including an embarrassing 24-13 defeat at the hands of the lowly Oakland Raiders. On top of that, the Seattle Seahawks have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this year. Don't get caught up in the narrative; the Legion of Boom lives!
TE: Jason Witten
This just hasn't been Witten's year. I think he's ended up on the "Avoid" list more frequently than any other player this season. Sorry, champ. But nothing changes this week against an Eagles defense (playing at home, remember) that has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends this season. Witten is averaging just 5.2 fantasy points per game and managed one catch for eight yards in the Thanksgiving Day matchup. Move along, people, nothing to see here.
