Week 13 is nearly in the books, which means we're officially in fantasy playoff season. Hopefully some of the below players are available in your league, as they could provide a needed push as the stakes get raised. Most of the below players are plug-and-play options for Week 14, though some have some added appeal as stash candidates. As usual, if these players are all owned in your league, be sure to check back for Matt Harmon's deep dive and Matt Franciscovich's streaming articles that will be posted on Monday afternoon.
After Doug Martin went down with a concussion last week, all signs pointed to Jacquizz Rodgers stepping in as the next man up. Well, that wasn't the case. It was Peyton Barber, who played nine snaps last week (and scored two touchdowns), who came in to lead the Buccaneers backfield. He handled 27 touches for 143 total yards, and was on the field for 69 percent of the offensive plays. Martin might return next week, but even if he does, the Bucs could keep Barber heavily involved based on this performance. He's the first Bucs back to rush for 100-plus yards this year, and he did it against a Packers run defense that'd been playing pretty well of late. (Percent owned: 0.3, FAAB suggestion: 20-25 percent)
Have the Seahawks finally found a running back? It looks like that could be the case after the performance Mike Davis delivered against the Eagles. The Seahawks promoted Davis from their practice squad in Week 11, where Davis flashed briefly against the Falcons before leaving with a groin injury. This was his first game back from that ailment and he showed more than any Seahawks back has all year, contributing as both a hard-nosed runner and receiver. If he maintains this leading back workload down the stretch, he could be a difference maker for fantasy playoff teams. (Percent owned: 0.5, FAAB suggestion: 35-40 percent)
Look, I get it, Rex Burkhead is probably owned in your league. But if he isn't, he needs to be a priority add this week. He's the 1b to Dion Lewis' 1a in the Patriot's high-scoring offense, and he has five touchdowns in his last four games. He's an every-week play at this point and should be much more widely owned as the fantasy playoffs approach. (Percent owned: 24.3, FAAB suggestion: 35-40 percent)
Aaron Jones returned to action for the first time since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 10, but didn't receive a touch until overtime. Fortunately for Jones (and anyone who started him) he made the most of it, rumbling in 20 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Jamaal Williams looks to have a hold on the lead back duties for now and is improving as a runner with each passing week, but Jones certainly needs to be added as a handcuff/potential committee back.
Aaron Rodgers can return in Week 15, which would potentially turn this offense into a much more potent, high-scoring unit, raising the fantasy ceiling of all parties. (Percent owned: 27.6, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
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As I mentioned last week, now is the time of the year to add handcuff running backs across the league. Rather than make this article 20 players long and put 10 of them in here, let Chris Ivory's inclusion serve as a reminder. Players like Ivory, James Conner for the Steelers, Malcolm Brown for the Rams, Austin Ekeler for the Chargers, Kerwynn Williams for the Cardinals, and so on and so forth. Especially look to target backs on high-scoring offenses (say, Corey Clement on the Eagles). Odds are, these handcuffs will never come into play for your squad. But, in the event that a lead back does suffer an injury, you'll be potentially prepared to reap the benefits during the most important stretch of the fantasy season. (Percent owned: 9.0, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
All week the Browns coaching staff promised that Josh Gordon would play a lot and be heavily involved with the offense. Plenty of analysts (myself included) wanted to see it before believing it, as it had been over 1,000 days since Gordon last played in an NFL game. Well, so far, so good for Gordon's comeback. He was on the field for 77 percent of the offensive plays and received a team-high 11 targets, catching four of them for 85 yards. Hopefully you added Gordon a week or two ago, but he's still available in plenty of leagues and has a pristine matchup in Week 14 against a Packers secondary that has been beaten routinely for big plays by wide receivers. He'll likely be at least a top-30 consensus ranked wideout next weekend, and could be a crucial add for contending fantasy teams. (Percent owned: 24.2, FAAB suggestion: 15-20 percent)
If you remove Marqise Lee's game against Arizona last week (when he was essentially erased by Patrick Peterson), over his last six games he's averaging nearly 10 targets, six catches, 70 yards, and .5 touchdowns per game. The Jaguars have relatively favorable upcoming schedule for wide receivers, with home matchups against the banged-up Seahawks and Texans defenses before a road trip to face the 49ers. Lee's volume is consistent even in the Jags run-first offense, giving him weekly WR3/flex appeal. (Percent owned: 18.7, FAAB suggestion: 15-20 percent)
As we've been saying for weeks, a breakout game is coming for Josh Doctson. In the meantime, those starting him will be OK with a touchdown a week, as the talented young wideout has scored in back-to-back games, but has just 28 and 26 receiving yards in those contests. He's the team's top big-play and red-zone threat thanks to his size and ball skills, giving him a huge weekly ceiling. Next up for Doctson is a tough match against the Chargers, but Josh Gordon showed how a big, physical receiver can succeed against this squad. Doctson is a must-add before the seemingly inevitable breakout game comes. (Percent owned: 8.0, FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent)
Rather quietly, Marquise Goodwin has been posting solid fantasy numbers for several weeks. He has 68-plus yards in five of his last seven games, but has just one touchdown in that span. His first game with newly minted quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was an encouraging sign, though, as he hauled in four of his six targets for 78 yards against a frisky Bears defense in Chicago. Up next for the 49ers is a date with the Texans and their vulnerable secondary, which could be a good chance for Garoppolo and Goodwin to really start cooking. After that, they'll face the Titans, so Goodwin could be a plug-and-play flex option for the next two weeks (he faces the Jaguars in Week 16, which is a no-go for fantasy wideouts). (Percent owned: 4.4, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
I wasn't sure what to make of Jermaine Kearse's seven-catch, 105-yard, one-touchdown outing last week, especially since he'd managed just eight catches for 87 yards in his three games prior. However, perhaps the team made some adjustments during their bye (Week 11), as Kearse followed up that performance with a nine-catch, 157-yard day against the Chiefs. He's been on the field for 81 and 83 percent of the plays in these two games, and total has commanded nearly 30 percent of the team targets. The Jets passing offense is on fire and next gets to face a Denver team in free fall. Kearse will be a solid flex play next week, and potentially beyond. (Percent owned: 7.5, FAAB suggestion: 15-20 percent)
After a hot start to the season, Austin Seferian-Jenkins has cooled off a ton and could be available in plenty of leagues. He has crossed 29 receiving yards just once in his last five games, and hasn't caught a touchdown since Week 7 (though he seemingly has one overturned via replay every week). If a fantasy manager in your league cut ASJ, make the move to add him before a great matchup this week with the Broncos. They've allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends this year, tied for the second-most in the league, giving ASJ a perfect scenario in which to break free from his statistical slump. (Percent owned: 24.5, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
Cameron Brate still has a pretty high ownership percentage, but judging by the volume of tweets I received about people cutting him after a massive slump (four catches for 37 yards over the last four weeks), there's a good chance he's available in your league. And if he is, he's a great add and play this week as the
Buccaneers host the
Lions. Brate returned from the fantasy grave against the
Packers, thanks in large part to the return of
Jameis Winston under center. Brate's four-game stretch with one catch per game came all with
Ryan Fitzpatrick primarily under center. Winston loves targeting Brate, especially near the end zone, giving the Harvard grad plenty of upside against a
Lions defense that has been beaten by tight ends several times this year (including
Kyle Rudolph in Week 12, who went 4-63-2 on four targets and
Benjamin Watson in Week 13, who went 3-24-1 on five targets). (Percent owned: 15.5, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
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The Jimmy Garoppolo era in San Francisco is off to a solid start, but he'll have a chance to really show the fan base what he's made of this coming week when he travels to face the Houston Texans. Only two quarterbacks have failed to produce a top-10 fantasy week against the Texans since Week 5: Kevin Hogan and Joe Flacco. Garoppolo should find plenty of spaces to work through this banged up secondary that's also missing key pass rushers ( J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus). Those in need of a quarterback in deeper leagues or are looking for a streaming should give Jimmy G. a call. (Percent owned: 7.2, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)
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