An "upgrade" at quarterback
may be all that Hopkins needs to the end the season on a high
note.
Grab a Helmet
DeAndre
Hopkins vs JAX: With Brian Hoyer back (you know Hopkins
is a tremendous talent when getting Brian Hoyer back is good news)
and the Texans looking to close the door on the Colts and seal their
first playoff berth, look for Hopkins to be the main man. After
a mid/late season lull, Hopkins has two straight 11-target games,
and he’s turned those chances into fantasy points. Last week against
the Titans he busted loose for only his second 100-yard game since
Week 7. This week he gets a Jacksonville defense that is fresh off
a roasting by Brandin Cooks and the Saints. Volume has been Hopkins’
best friend this year, and if it continues this week, expect strong
WR1 numbers.
Demaryius
Thomas vs SD: Speaking of volume, Thomas has 14, 12,
and 12, targets over his past three games. Despite some rough drops,
he’s still been able to find solid production as Osweiler’s No.1
option. With Pro Bowl corner Jason Verrett out, or at the very least
hobbled by a recent hamstring injury, Look for Thomas to be get
plenty of looks in a game Denver needs for a 1st round bye. His
yardage and touchdown totals are way down from last year, but you
may get one more dose of big production before 2015 come to a close.
DeVante
Parker vs. NE: Held back by a preseason foot injury,
Parker has come out and made the most of his limited looks, giving
the Dolphins passing game a deep threat. Toss out a 2-catch 16-yard
day against the Giants, and Parker is averaging well over 20 yards
per catch to go along with two touchdowns. The Patriots are probably
going to be taking their foot off the gas at some point in this
one, leaving Parker with plenty of chances to showcase his skills
and cement his role for 2016. The floor might be low, but the ceiling
could be high, so why not take a chance in the last fantasy week
of the season?
Grab Some Pine
Doug
Baldwin @ ARI: Riding a historic hot streak, to say
Baldwin is having a career year is an understatement. But I can’t
help but wonder where this production came from. After cracking
double digit fantasy points just twice in the first ten weeks,
Baldwin has five straight games above 15 fantasy points. Was it
the combined loss of Lynch and Jimmy Graham? The opponents? (including
a very undermanned Vikings defense, Seattle hasn’t exactly faced
a murderer’s row of secondaries lately) I do think this is the
week the hot streak comes to an end. Arizona has the personnel
and motivation to make life rough for the Seattle passing game,
much like last week against the Rams. Baldwin did go off for 7-134
in their earlier meeting, but that was at home in serious comeback
mode. He is an impossible sit right now, but treat him more like
a WR2 in this one.
T.Y.
Hilton/Donte
Moncrief vs. TEN: Nothing against Hilton or Moncrief,
but the Colts quarterback situation has me running far away from
these guys. When you’re down to your 4th and 5th quarterbacks
on the year, things are impossibly bleak. A heavy dose of the
ground game, and a very vanilla passing attack leaves these two
with an extremely low ceiling in this one.
DeSean
Jackson/Pierre
Garcon/Jordan
Reed @ DAL: Very much like Kurt Cousins, it’s
nearly impossible to trust any of these guys for the meaningless
season finale. It’s a shame too, because Jackson and Reed
have probably been integral to many playoff pushes. If they play
it will only be a quarter or less, and that simply isn’t
enough time to make a fantasy impact. This group is 2015’s
prime example why all fantasy champions should be crowned by Week
16.
