QUARTERBACK:
- Tom Brady (vs BAL)
- Drew Brees (@ TB)
- Aaron Rodgers (vs SEA)
- Russell Wilson (@ GB)
- Ben Roethlisbeger (@ BUF)
- Andrew Luck (vs HOU)
- Matt Ryan (@ LA)
- Matthew Stafford (vs CHI)
- Kirk Cousins (@ PHI)
- Jameis Winston (vs NO)
- Philip Rivers (@ CAR)
- Derek Carr (@ KC)
- Cam Newton (vs SD)
- Tyrod Taylor (vs PIT)
- Dak Prescott (@ NYG)
- Carson Palmer (@ MIA)
- Marcus Mariota (vs DEN)
- Joe Flacco (@ NE)
- Andy Dalton (@ CLE)
- Robert Griffin III (vs CIN)
- Alex Smith (vs OAK)
- Eli Manning (vs DAL)
- Sam Bradford (@ JAC)
- Trevor Siemian (@ TEN)
- Jared Goff (vs ATL)
Tom Brady is the #1 fantasy quarterback in points per game despite battling some injuries to himself and his weapons; New England will throw on Baltimore this Monday night… Especially at home, Aaron Rodgers remains an elite option against the Seahawks, and Russell Wilson is a top-five option as he tries to match Rodgers… Andrew Luck has had a lot of success against the Texans in the past, and cornerback Jonathan Joseph is dealing with an injury… Derek Carr has earned QB1 treatment despite a tough matchup in Kansas City this Thursday night… Kirk Cousins the #5 fantasy quarterback this season, and although the Eagles have been better at home, they played like their season was over last week… Marcus Mariota is only so low because of the matchup, but it is at home and there’s no problem with starting your studs, especially in the fantasy playoffs… Cam Newton isn’t even a QB1 as the fantasy playoffs get underway.
RUNNING BACK:
- David Johnson (@ MIA)
- Le’Veon Bell (@ BUF)
- Ezekiel Elliot (@ NYG)
- LeSean McCoy (vs PIT)
- Melvin Gordon (@ CAR)
- Latavius Murray (@ KC)
- Jordan Howard (@ DET)
- Spencer Ware (vs OAK)
- DeMarco Murray (vs DEN)
- Thomas Rawls (@ GB)
- Tevin Coleman (@ LA)
- Devonta Freeman (@ LA)
- Mark Ingram (@ TB)
- Lamar Miller (@ IND)
- Doug Martin (vs NO)
- Jeremy Hill (@ CLE)
- Matt Forte (@ SF)
- Carlos Hyde (vs NYJ)
- Devontae Booker (@ TEN)
- Frank Gore (vs HOU)
- Todd Gurley (vs ATL)
- Jay Ajayi (vs ARI)
- Dion Lewis (vs BAL)
- Jonathan Stewart (vs SD)
- LeGarrette Blount (vs BAL)
- Ty Montgomery (vs SEA)
- Robert Kelley (@ PHI)
- Kenneth Dixon (@ NE)
- T.J. Yeldon (vs MIN)
- Zach Zenner (vs CHI)
- Ryan Mathews (vs WAS)
- Terrance West (@ NE)
- Duke Johnson (vs CIN)
- Derrick Henry (vs DEN)
- Tim Hightower (@ TB)
- Darren Sproles (vs WAS)
- Christine Michael (vs SEA)
- James White (vs BAL)
- Jerick McKinnon (@ JAC)
- Dwayne Washington (vs CHI)
- Jalen Richard (@ KC)
- Rashad Jennings (vs DAL)
- Mike Gillislee (vs PIT)
- Wendell Smallwood (vs WAS)
- Rex Burkhead (@ CLE)
- Bilal Powell (@ SF)
- Isaiah Crowell (vs CIN)
- Chris Thompson (@ PHI)
- Matt Asiata (@ JAC)
- Shaun Draughn (vs NYJ)
Take your pick of David Johnson or Le’Veon Bell as the top option; we’ll give it to Johnson with the better matchup… Jordan Howard could quietly go over 1,000 rushing yards this week versus Detroit, and he’s a top-10 fantasy running back this season despite not being the starter until Week 4—where he rushed for 111 yards against the Lions… DeMarco Murray is out of the top-five because he looked a little worn out in recent weeks; hopefully he’s fresh for the fantasy playoffs after the Week 13 bye… Latavius Murray leads the AFC in rushing touchdowns with 11 despite missing two games and being hurt in another; he’s averaing 16.3 fantasy points per game since returning… Thomas Rawls looked pretty good last week as he shredded the Panthers… Keep an eye on Mark Ingram’s status after he re-aggravated his toe last week, but he needs to be in lineups if he’s active… Jeremy Hill will keep seeing heavy workloads and have good scoring potential… Tevin Coleman will break out of one these games in the fantasy playoffs, and you’re going to want him in your lineup when it happens… Devontae Booker is ranked as an RB2 because everyone else is hurt. Literally. Denver just signed Justin Forsett and he could be a threat to the rookie’s workload (he would be #51 in our rankings with uncertain playing time in his first game with the Broncos)… This Monday night will probably be a Dion Lewis and James White against the Ravens elite run defense; it’s hard to bench LeGarrette Blount though… We have some unsolved backfield situations, including Green Bay, where James Starks has been ineffective for weeks and Ty Montgomery has consistently looked like the best runner on the team; our guess is that Christine Michael will split work with Montgomery against his former team.
WIDE RECEIVER:
- Antonio Brown (@ BUF)
- Jordy Nelson (vs SEA)
- Julian Edelman (vs BAL)
- Mike Evans (vs NO)
- Odell Beckham Jr. (vs DAL)
- Brandin Cooks (@ TB)
- Amari Cooper (@ KC)
- T.Y. Hilston (vs HOU)
- Dez Bryant (@ NYJ)
- Michael Thomas (@ TB)
- Larry Fitzgerald (@ MIA)
- Demaryius Thomas (@ TEN)
- Doug Baldwin (@ GB)
- Donte Moncrief (vs HOU)
- Tyrell Williams (@ CAR)
- Golden Tate (vs CHI)
- Jamison Crowder (@ PHI)
- Stefon Diggs (@ JAC)
- Sammy Watkins (vs PIT)
- Jeremy Maclin (vs OAK)
- Davante Adams (vs SEA)
- Michael Crabtree (@ KC)
- Steve Smith (@ NE)
- Tyreek Hill (vs OAK)
- Ty Montgomery (vs SEA)
- Kenny Britt (vs ATL)
- Taylor Gabriel (@ LA)
- Dontrelle Inman (@ CAR)
- Emmanuel Sanders (@ TEN)
- Mike Wallace (@ NE)
- Malcolm Mitchell (vs BAL)
- Randall Cobb (vs SEA)
- DeAndre Hopkins (@ IND)
- DeSean Jackson (@ PHI)
- Brandon Marshall (@ SF)
- Corey Coleman (vs CIN)
- Willie Snead (@ TB)
- Kelvin Benjamin (vs SD)
- Terrelle Pryor (vs CIN)
- Jarvis Landry (vs ARI)
- Allen Robinson (vs MIN)
- DeVante Parker (vs ARI)
- Chris Hogan (vs BAL)
- Michael Floyd (@ MIA)
- Jordan Matthews (vs WAS)
- Adam Thielen (@ JAC)
- Rishard Matthews (vs DEN)
- Brandon LaFell (@ CLE)
- Marvin Jones (vs CHI)
- Pierre Garcon (@ PHI)
Julio Jones needs to be in lineups as a top-two option despite dealing with a turf toe injury [UPDATE: it doesn’t look like Jones will play this week]… Fantasy owners would be crazy to bench Jordy Nelson against the Seahawks; the game is in Green Bay, and they won’t be able to guard him anyway… Julian Edelman cracks the top-five for the first time this season, as he is the focal point of the offense and has at least seven catches in each of his past four games… Even away from home, Brandin Cooks and Michael Thomas are both WR1, as the Bucs corners probably won’t be able to guard them… Larry Fitzgerald is the only reliable option out of the Arizona wide receivers, but Michael Floyd could have a big day against Miami… Marcus Peters typically plays left cornerback, which means he will see more of Michael Crabtree than Amari Cooper; Crabtree is just a low-end WR2, while Cooper is a top-five play. In the first game versus the Chiefs, Crabtree caught two passes for 10 yards and Cooper caught 10 for 129… Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are ranked as if Paxton Lynch won’t be starting again; they need to be downgraded big-time if Trevor Siemian is out for the second straight week… Donte Moncrief has caught a touchdown in every game since returning from injury. It’s been five weeks now… Detroit’s offense now revolves around Golden Tate… Jeremy Maclin is immediately a good play in the fantasy playoffs if he’s active on Thursday night; Tyreek Hill remains a FLEX, as he will still get touches manufactured for him… For various reasons, DeAndre Hopkins, Brandon Marshall, Kelvin Benjamin, and Allen Robinson are not worth starting… Neither is DeVante Parker against Patrick Peterson.
TIGHT END:
- Travis Kelce (vs OAK)
- Jimmy Graham (@ GB)
- Delanie Walker (vs DEN)
- Tyler Eifert (@ CLE)
- Greg Olsen (vs SD)
- Kyle Rudolph (@ JAC)
- Ladarius Green (@ BUF)
- Cameron Brate (vs NO)
- Martellus Bennett (vs BAL)
- C.J. Fiedorowicz (@ IND)
- Eric Ebron (vs CHI)
- Vernon Davis (@ PHI)
- Antonio Gates (@ CAR)
- Zach Ertz (vs WAS)
- Vance McDonald (vs NYJ)
- Hunter Henry (@ CAR)
- Dwayne Allen (vs HOU)
- Coby Fleener (@ TB)
- Dennis Pitta (@ NE)
- Jared Cook (vs SEA)
Jimmy Graham has been an integral part of the Seahawks offense this season… Greg Olsen has been slumping with the Panthers offense, but Cam still looks his way… Ladarius Green has made a huge impact the last two weeks for the Steelers—exactly what they expected when they signed him this offseason… Earlier this season, C.J. Fiedorowicz had one of his best games of the year against the Colts… Vance McDonald should bounce back against a Jets team that just got torched by tight ends for over 100 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts… The Panthers have been vulnerable against tight ends, making Hunter Henry a decent play.
DEFENSE:
- Minnesota Vikings (@ JAC)
- Arizona Cardinals (@ MIA)
- Detroit Lions (vs CHI)
- Denver Broncos (@ TEN)
- Cincinnati Bengals (@ CLE)
- Kansas City Chiefs (vs OAK)
- Washington Redskins (@ PHI)
- Atlanta Falcons (@ LA)
- Tennessee Titans (vs DEN)
- Miami Dolphins (vs ARI)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (@ BUF)
- New England Patriots (vs BAL)
- Seattle Seahawks (@ GB)
- San Francisco 49ers (vs NYJ)
- Indianapolis Colts (vs HOU)
Minnesota scored 10 fantasy points against the Cowboys, who were handing out negatives like they were nothing all season; what will they do to Blake Bortles and the Jaguars?… Detroit just held Drew Brees and the Saints the 13 points at home, and now get to go home and face Matt Barkley… Washington is a good streaming option against the falling apart Eagles… So is Atlanta versus Jared Goff and his bad supporting cast… Seattle should be benched without Earl Thomas and playing in Green Bay.
KICKER:
- Justin Tucker (@ NE)
- Matt Bryant (@ LA)
- Adam Vinatieri (vs HOU)
- Stephen Gostkowski (vs BAL)
- Matt Prater (vs CHI)
- Cairo Santos (vs OAK)
- Brandon McManus (@ TEN)
- Dan Bailey (@ NYG)
- Sebastian Janikowski (@ KC)
- Dustin Hopkins (@ PHI)
- Stephen Hauschka (@ GB)
- Mason Crosby (vs SEA)
- Will Lutz (@ TB)
- Josh Lambo (@ CAR)
- Caleb Sturgis (vs WAS)