Trust a NE RB: With Burkhead out, Dion
Lewis becomes a safer Flex play during Championship Week.
Grab a Helmet
C.J.
Anderson vs WAS: After logging a whopping 52 carries
in his last two games, it’s clear Anderson is once again the leader
of this backfield. With Denver playing out the season, and quarterback
play leaving much to be desired, look for the Broncos to feed
the ball to Anderson against a Washington defense that is 28th
against the run. This is one of the few games this week without
playoff implications so emotions won’t be nearly as high as normal.
This usually bodes well for offenses, as Denver has scored 23
and 25 points the last two weeks. Look for Denver to set the tone
with the running game, and use it to support the pass, making
Anderson a high volume RB2 with upside.
Dion
Lewis vs BUF: Here is what you’ll get with Lewis: About
12-15 touches, 80-100 yards, and a possible score. These aren’t
numbers that will win you the league title, but coming from a
FLEX spot, they are points you can bank on, and that could be
enough. Lewis gets a Bills defense that’s been atrocious against
the run, and against whom he had 92 yards on the ground the last
time they played. With Rex Burkhead out, Lewis should see more
chances in the red zone, meaning his opportunities for a touchdown
go up. Like I said, he’s not the most exciting play in the world,
but in your title games, where points are at a premium, Lewis
is as reliable as a FLEX as they come, with upside for more.
Jay
Ajayi vs OAK: Despite their offensive success this
year, starting an Eagle runner in fantasy has mostly been a huge
gamble. Each of their players seems gameplan/matchup dependent,
and can vulture scores from each other at a moment’s notice. But
I truly think this is the best spot for Ajayi since he’s been
with the Eagles. He’s seen his snap percentage increase each week,
and his own coach said he’d be worked into the offense more as
the weeks went on. Oakland is dead in the water after their crushing
loss on Sunday night, and have been prone to big runs. Ajayi has
rushed for 6.8 yards per carry since coming over from Miami, and
has seen double digit carries in back to back games. I still think
this offense is better off pounding the ball to protect their
quarterback and defense, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ajayi
carry the ball 15+ times for 80 yards and a touchdown, making
him an upside RB2 play for the finals.
Grab Some Pine
Wayne
Gallman, Orleans
Darkwa @ ARI: I know it’s a stretch to even consider
Gallman or Darkwa, but fantasy is a war of attrition and you might
be considering starting one of them. I’m here to tell you not
to. Galman has displayed some serious pop and sizzle, but this
is still a two-man crew on a bad team. Arizona has little to play
for, but they do have vets who want to at least fight for .500.
The G-men mailed it in long ago, so search another scrap heap
for starting options this week.
Carlos
Hyde vs JAX: Since the Jimmy G. experiment started
three weeks ago, and the Niners discovered their passing game,
one would think the running lanes would be loosened up for Hyde.
That simply hasn’t been the case, as the former Buckeye went 16-25
last week against the Titans. The targets have nearly dried up
as I predicted a few weeks ago, with less checkdowns and outlet
passes. San Fran is going to face their toughest defensive test
of the year at home against Jacksonville, but I believe they can
still have some success in the air. This might be the game Hyde
is featured, as he’s a mismatch for the Jaguar linebackers, but
I don’t feel good starting him as anything more than a FLEX. The
floors against Jacksonville have been frightening, and Hyde hasn’t
had a great showing since early in the year.
DeMarco
Murray/Derrick
Henry vs LAR: The Titans offense is what happens when
“exotic smashmouth” meets “old and busted”.
Why try and pound the ball on the ground when you have top-10
picks invested at quarterback and receiver? I’ve been cackling
all season about the lack of direction this Titan offense has,
and even the players have starting chirping this week as their
season falls apart. The passing game is vanilla, they don’t
use Mariota on designed runs/rollouts, and they take few shots
down the field. Defenses can stack the box, and since Murray and
Henry aren’t the most elusive runners, they run into brick
walls for most of the game. The Rams blitzed the Seahawks last
week, but they can susceptible to the run. That’s why this
is the week where the Titans throw the ball 35 times just to make
you angry. Sit both runners and be glad you did.
