With week 14 marking the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues, owners are more desperate than usual for production from the waiver wire. Here are some guys flying under the radar who could help you win your matchup in round 1 of the playoffs. At every position, I will include one guy who should be on rosters in most leagues, but isn’t necessarily a guaranteed start and another player who is owned in under 50% of leagues.
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins vs. Ravens
I know, I know. I hate having to start players against the Ravens in fantasy. But when it comes to your fantasy roster, you can’t let your rooting interests as a fan cloud your judgment. The Ravens have allowed the 5th most points to fantasy quarterbacks, including allowing 25+ points 3 times in their last 4 games. Tannehill is coming off just a 7 point performance against the Jets, but he put up 3 TDs to the Broncos the week before that. Unless you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning, you should be starting Tannehill.
Kyle Orton, Bills @ Broncos
The Broncos have allowed the 7th most fantasy points to quarterbacks through 13 weeks. Last week, they let up just 13 fantasy points to Alex Smith, but the week before that, they allowed 26 points to Ryan Tannehill. I fully expect Denver to jump out to an early lead at home, which leaves the opportunity open for Kyle Orton to gain a lot of passing yards late in the game trying to mount a comeback. Kyle Orton has only one 20+ point fantasy game this year (week 8 @NYJ). I expect he will come close to that number this week.
Running Back
Chris Ivory, Jets @ Vikings
Don’t let last week’s performance fool you, Chris Ivory is the better back in New York. While Chris Johnson appeared to have taken a heavier load against Miami, I expect that to end this week. Teams have been successful running the ball against the Vikings. Over the course of the season, backs have carried the ball 20 or more times in 9 out of 12 games. That’s good news for the Jets bruising running back who will get more carries near the goal line than his backfield counterpart.
Carlos Hyde, 49ers @ Raiders
This is a good start, especially for a guy that is owned in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues. Pick him up and put him in your lineup. The Raiders have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs, and Frank Gore’s production has been dropping on a weekly basis. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, but if he plays as expected, he should get at least 60 yards and a TD.
Wide Receiver
Brandon LaFell, Patriots @ Chargers
On the surface, this just looks like an okay matchup for the Patriot receiver. However, San Diego has allowed 25+ points to fantasy receivers in 3 out of the past 4 weeks, with the one lone 9 points allowed performance against the lowly Raiders. After getting 9 catches for 98 yards in week 12, LaFell scored twice against the Packers in Green Bay. I expect him to find the endzone at least once against a team that just allowed 2 TDs to Torrey Smith.
Jarvis Landry, Dolphins vs. Ravens
Yes, I know. I have two players going up against the Ravens as recommendations, but we all know the state of the secondary. For some reason unbeknownst to me, Landry is owned in just 43% of Yahoo leagues. Over the past 3 weeks, he has found the endzone 3 times. I expect him to score at least one against Baltimore on Sunday. Especially in PPR leagues (5, 7, 5, 7, 8 catches over last 5 games), Landry is worth your waiver priority (or free agent auction money if your league does that).
Tight End
Martellus Bennett, Bears vs. Cowboys
If you’ve had Martellus Bennett this year, you’ve definitely experienced the frustration that Bears fans have felt this year. After a great September (which he seems to do every year), Bennett’s production has dropped off steeply, recording only two 10+ point games since week 4 (the last game in September). I expect that to change this week against the Cowboys who have allowed 10+ points to TEs six times this year.
Jared Cook, Rams @ Redskins
For those of you who have trusted Jared Cook, you may be wary of this suggestion. I kind of am, too. The problem is that the tight end position is such a crap-shoot this year that you have to trust guys like Jared Cook. With an upcoming matchup against the terrible Redskins (28th against the TE), there are certainly worse options than the boom potential you have with Jared Cook.
