The regular season has come to an end. It seems like just yesterday and we were in draft prep mode and here we are in the fantasy playoffs. Hopefully, you’re still alive and not streaming, but if you’re still rolling with the low owned quarterback, I’m hanging tough with you.
Week 13 saw Ryan Fitzpatrick do the unthinkable and lead the Dolphins to a victory for the third time in the last five weeks. This time he shredded the Eagles’ secondary for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Coming into the game, the Eagles had held the Seahawks and the Patriots to just 17 points apiece in Weeks 11 and 12, respectively. There was no hint of the defense that held the Russell Wilson and Tom Brady down, as Fitzpatrick found DeVante Parker seven times for 159 yards and two scores. Moving forward, the Eagles are now back on the “pick-on” list. Let’s take a look at the leader board:
| Quarterback | Week 13 Opponent | Fantasy Points | Percentage Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deshaun Watson | vs. Patriots | 28.9 | 100% |
| Aaron Rodgers | at Giants | 28.1 | 99% |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | vs. Eagles | 26.8 | 10% |
| Jared Goff | at Cardinals | 25 | 68% |
| Carson Wentz | at Dolphins | 24.4 | 88% |
| Tom Brady | at Texans | 24.3 | 95% |
| Mitchell Trubisky | at Lions | 23.9 | 19% |
| Josh Allen | at Cowboys | 23.5 | 80% |
| Kyle Allen | vs. Redskins | 23.3 | 19% |
| Dak Prescott | vs. Bills | 22.7 | 97% |
| Lamar Jackson | vs. 49ers | 22.3 | 99% |
| Patrick Mahomes | vs. Raiders | 19.5 | 100% |
Welp, I suppose the Sam Darnold breakout is over. The second-year QB finished the game against the Bengals but emerged with a knee injury, bruised ribs, and a very bruised ego. The Jets offensive line has been an issue all season and this week was no different as they allowed four sacks to the lowly Bengals. Darnold finished the week with a disappointing 10.5 fantasy points. This week the Jets get the Dolphins, so while I’ll be trying to avoid using him as a streaming option, desperate times call for desperate plays.
Holy moly. This was not a good week. Maybe I was tripping on tryptophan, but Nick Foles had an awful week against the Bucs. Coming into this week, the Bucs had allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the year but hit a new low by scoring -2 fantasy points. Foles played on the Jaguars six first-half series’ and here were their results – interception, sack/fumble lost, sack/fumble lost, three and out, three and out, three and out. Gardner Minshew played the entire second half and was better than Foles, but that’s the lowest bar of all time. We’ll be ignoring the Jaguars’ quarterback for the rest of the year.
Turns out my buddy Mark made the best call of the week in starting Mitchell Trubisky on Thanksgiving Day. Trubisky finished the game by topping the 300-yard mark and tossed three touchdowns to finish the week as the QB7 with 23.9 fantasy points. I’ll be checking in again with my personal swami for this week’s picks.
Here are your options for the fantasy playoffs.
Ryan Tannehill (39% Owned – Stream of the Week)
Since taking over as the starter in Week 7, Ryan Tannehill has finished at the QB14 or better in five of his six starts, including a QB7 and QB2 finish in Weeks 9 and 12, respectively. This week, the Titans head to Oakland for a matchup with the Raiders, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Tannehill struggled some in Week 13 against the Colts as they were able to sack him six times. However, this week, the Raiders feature a pass rush that ranks in the bottom-third in sacks per game. If you’re in a pinch, Tannehill should do enough to not ruin your team’s championship dreams.
Jacoby Brissett (38% Owned)
I’m not trying to get cute here and get revenge for Nick Foles in Week 13, but I’m heading back to the well with Jacoby Brissett against the Bucs defense. Even with last week’s performance, they’re tied with the Raiders for allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks on the year. Brissett is coming off a game with the Titans in which he topped the 300-yard mark and found the end zone once. Unfortunately, he also tossed two interceptions as he finished the week with just 12.7 fantasy points. The Colts have shown a tendency to lean more on the run game, but that’s where the Bucs defense has thrived all year. We should see Brissett have to open up the passing game to get the job done in Week 14.
(Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire)