2020. Week 16. Sunday night.
One more go-round.
We made it all the way to Week 16. I’ll be honest, it didn’t always feel like we would. It was weird, frustrating, and a little bit fascinating all at the same time. Through it all, you came back to this semi-emo waiver wire column every week looking for advice.
Sincere thanks for that.
Now we get down to the business of winning championships. Making it here isn’t a reason to stop trying to improve your roster. But you already knew that.
Just like you probably knew that somehow Le'Veon Bell would make a key cameo late in the season. You could never be sure when, but it was coming. Congratulate yourselves if you were among the 43 percent who kept him rostered. The rest of you should seek out a player who will have an RB1 role in the Chiefs offense.
Flying is just being able to throw yourself at the ground and miss. A lot of you soared with Jalen Hurts last week against Arizona. The masses will likely take that same leap-of-slightly-less-faith next week with the Eagles facing the Cowboys.
Jeff Wilson is like a good pen; you can’t always find it when you want it but it shows up when you need it. He had been running neck-and-neck in the 49ers’ offense with Raheem Mostert. If Mostert can’t go, Wilson absorbs more touches. Beware of Tevin Coleman touches which have been maddeningly ineffective but somehow continue to happen.
It will be interesting to see if (and how) the Cowboys continue to let Tony Pollard happen after his marquee game against the Niners. Some of that could hinge on the health of Ezekiel Elliott’s calf. If Pollard is back in the lead role, he’s hard to deny.
Monday afternoon.
A couple of weeks ago, I reached the “frozen burritos for lunch” stage of the season. The compromise is that I must cook them in the oven rather than the microwave. It’s classier that way. I call it Hollywood Style.
I don’t really call it that. Let’s talk about Browns wideout Rashard Higgins instead. Over the past several weeks, he’s been on par with Jarvis Landry in snaps and routes run, while not too far behind in targets. The fun news is that the Jets are on the schedule. Hopefully they left their defense in Los Angeles. If you’re in a deep or two-QB league or are just feeling bold, Baker Mayfield’s recent improved play should interest you.
And since we’re talking about the Browns, we’ve been suggesting for weeks to pick up and stream the Browns DST. This is your last – and best – chance to make that move. If you took advantage of their top 10 outing against the Giants in Week 15, enjoy your double up.
A similar encore could come from the Football Team’s Logan Thomas against the Panthers. The FT TE (footy?) has been part of a concentrated passing game and gets his go against a secondary that’s been in peril since Week 9. That same reason makes running back J.D. McKissic a nice flex play. McKissic is as much a wide receiver as a running back. Nearly 45 percent of his targets are while lined up in the slot or out wide.
Tuesday morning.
I still don’t have a superpower, unless you count my incredible ability to catch every red light within a five-mile radius of my home. It’s mind-bogglingly consistent. Almost otherworldly.
Mitchell Trubisky hasn’t been quite as consistent as my traffic travails. But surge in production for the Bears quarterback is just as much a curiosity. And whether it’s worth exploring in Championship Week depends on how you feel about the Jaguars defense.
It’s also likely you’ve shed any qualms about starting receivers against the Vikings secondary. That should make Saints receiver Emmanuel Sanders a good flex option – especially with Drew Brees back under center.
You may not feel as confident in either Nick Mullens or C.J. Beathard but there will be more opportunity again this week for San Francisco wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, though he should be considered a deep league flex. He resides in the same plane as Zach Pascal, who faces a suddenly humbled Steelers team.
We are still searching for empirical proof that humility has any impact on a team’s performance. Sounds like the kind of thing having a superpower could help figure out. Ah well, nevertheless.
Good luck in Championship Week! See you on the other side.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy analyst for NFL.com and a man who has run out of things to say. Lob him some conversation grenades or fantasy football questions on Twitter @MarcasG or Instagram at MarcasG.