For those of you still competing in Fantasy Leagues through Week 18, below is a collection of recommended pickups. Obviously, fantasy football seems particularly insignificant right now. Our thoughts are always very much with those of Buffalo Damar Hamlin as well as his family, friends and teammates. Everything else related to football (and certainly fantasy) is much less important today.
Wide receivers and tight ends
Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans (42% registered)
Tennessee ran something like a normal passing offense in Thursday night’s loss to Dallas, and it resulted in Burks’ most productive receiving outing since November. The rookie delivered 66 yards on four catches, plus he added a 20-yard rush. It also produced one of the game’s few notable highlights:
With Joshua Dobbs Behind center, the Titans got the ball in the air 39 times, a development that gave Burks a huge boost. He’s back on the fantasy radar ahead of this week’s deciding game against Jacksonville, a team that ranks near the bottom of the league against passing.
Another week, another score for James. He now has four touchdowns in his last seven games and he’s caught 37 of his 44 targets during this recent streak, feasting on the slot machine:
James caught eight balls for 90 yards on 11 targets just two weeks ago and then followed that up with seven catches for 76 and a peak, so he’s clearly emerged as a preferred option for Daniel Jones. It is a priority in any type of PPR format.
Patrick Mahomes completed passes to 11 different chiefs on Sunday, himself included, en route to his usual 320+ yard performance. Tony led the team in receiving distance, carrying his four targets for 71 yards. He’s obviously not an all-around player for KC, but when he’s healthy he’s an electric playmaker. Here is a sample from week 16:
If he can find 4-6 touches in an attack led by Mahomes, good things can happen. The Chiefs travel to Vegas in Week 18.
With all due respect to Travis Kelseystart of season Mark Andrews and end of season George Kittle, the tight end has mostly been a one-position wasteland in 2022. So when a talented rookie finds the end zone in a 10-target game, it feels like a national holiday should be declared . McBride was excellent on Sunday, carrying seven balls for 78 yards and a face-plant score against Atlanta. He’s been targeted 25 times over the past four weeks and given the various injuries in Arizona’s receiving corps, he’s likely to get another 6-10 chance in the season finale against the Niners.
attacking half
matt breidaRB, New York Giants (4%)
The Giants have no obvious reason to put key offensive weapons at risk in Week 18 as the team is locked in its playoff position. Brian Daboll offered a blur will-do-what-is-best-for-the-team-response on Monday when asked about idle starters which probably means minimal usage for Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. Breida and Gary Brightwell He could see an unusual number of touches this week, albeit in a tight spot against Philadelphia.
Harris didn’t have the loudest afternoon in terms of fantasy on Sunday, but his return to action thrust New England’s backfield back into a committee arrangement. Harris played 29 snaps against Miami, gaining 50 total yards on 12 touches with three receptions included. It is a clear problem for Rammondre Stevenson, who played 34 snaps and totaled 51 scoreless yards. The upcoming game at Buffalo is ugly, but a healthy Harris is generally a decent bet to reach the end zone.
Moss has been undisputed as the Colts’ star rusher the past three weeks, averaging 17.3 touches and 75 yards from scrimmage per game. He cannot hope to deliver the output we would see from a healthy person. Jonathan Taylor, but he’s at least able to enjoy a friendly game. Moss ends his season at home against Houston’s league-worst defense, setting the stage for an RB2-ish production. If he’s left alone in your league, go get him.
The Bears were ruthlessly trampled by Detroit on Sunday and, understandably, Justin Fields led the team to rush. But it should be noted that Herbert played 20 snaps for David MontgomeryHis 28 in the loss, carrying five times for 31 yards. He is now averaging a healthy 5.7 YPC on the season.
If Herbert gets a fair share of backfield touches against Minnesota’s friendly defense this week, he’s going to produce some highlights.
Quarterbacks
We’re running out of superlatives for this guy, an unlikely end-of-season star. Purdy just delivered his fifth consecutive multi-touchdown passing performance and it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that Kittle was involved again:
The weapons at Purdy’s disposal are, of course, of the highest quality. Deep Samuel is set to return to an offensive talent collection that already includes Kittle, CMC and Brandon Aïyuk. Purdy was a gift to anyone with year-end QB needs.
Whatever your expectations for Stidham on Sunday against the Niners, he surely exceeded them. He relied on the talents of his various offensive playmakers and delivered a performance of 365 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has one of the greatest receivers in the game at his disposal, so he fed it:
Stidham is very much on the Superflex radar ahead of his season-ending game with Kansas City, a game with obvious shootout potential. Another fantastic performance over 20 points is an obvious possibility.
J/ST
If for some reason the Jacksonville defense hasn’t been added by anyone in your league before Sunday’s game against Houston, go get that group for the regular season finale. The Jaguars have now delivered fantastic double-digit points in four straight games, producing a dozen sacks and nine takeaways during their December winning streak. This group should remain useful for fantasy purposes against the Tennessee QB’s sketchy situation in Week 18.
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