It's getting heated - and teams are running out of time to make the big decision of going ALL IN or selling the farm for next year. Where do you stand? Or are you gearing up for a Post-Season Run? Here's a list of who is still out there:
QUARTERBACKS
Taylor Heinicke Atlanta Falcons vs Minnesota Need a QB? Atlanta may be leaning towards starting Heinicke this week. He's a guy who outperformed expectations in Washington (for himself), and then again under center last week after Coach Smith benched Desmond Ridder. If that's what happens, definitely go after Heinicke. He scored points in four of his six drives last week - while Ridder has turned the ball over 12 times this season. There are lots of mouths to feed on the Falcons - Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Bijan Robinson... there's no reason this team should be struggling to create offense. Taylor may be the short-term answer to get things moving, but he will have a tough matchup against a halfway-decent Vikings defense.
Zach Wilson New York Jets vs Los Angeles (A) We can't seem to get away from Zach Wilson on this list. Last week against the Giants, he went 17/36 for 240yds and a TD. Not great, especially against the Giants D. Part of that could be directed at the constantly changing O-Line in front of Wilson... Regardless, he can still ball. Unless you want to take a chance on Mac Jones or Aidan O'Connell, the only other QBs on the list are "potential" starters...
RUNNINGBACKS
Jerick McKinnon Kansas City Chiefs vs Miami Miami's offense is electric - so KC will need to pull all their tricks out to keep pace with the high-scoring Fins. McKinnon may see expanded use unless Mahomes starts connecting with his WR's on a more regular basis - an expected hurdle for this inexperienced WR core the Chiefs are trying to rally around. Kelce will still get the most action, but those swing passes can really change your offense - especially when you have someone quick like McKinnon. Odds are the work will go to Pacheco, but that's why this is a streaming option and not a "MUST HAVE", right?
Rico Dowdle Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Dallas hasn't pushed their RBs to the limit yet this year - but that hasn't stopped Rico from taking sole possession of the RB2 job for the Cowboys. Philly is playing some of the best football in the NFL right now, so don't be surprised if they throw the rock a ton this week. Pollard can't play all the snaps, meaning Dowdle would be a low-end flex-play, if you want to take the risk.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Treylon Burks Tennessee Titans vs Atlanta It's been done. Tennessee benched QB2 Malik Willis, and gave the keys to a beat-up classic convertible to Will Levis - and he made that baby shine. Levis went 19 for 29, 238yds and 4TDs - meaning the Titans are tossing the pigskin once again. DeAndre Hopkins couldn't be happier - and Treylon Burks should be the next guy in line to get some serious Fantasy Boosts in the coming weeks if Levis remains under center. He's returning from a three-game absence, and slotted above Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the depth charts. Might not be a bad swing.
Juju Smith-Schuster New England Patriots vs Washington Kendrick Bourne's season is over after suffering a torn ACL on Sunday - and DeVante Parker is in Concussion Protocol. The Patriots WR room is about as empty as our waiver wire list - so Juju might find relevance again. This would most-likely be a streaming option for this week alone - it all depends on the health of Parker moving forward. Don't expect much beyond a low-end flex play, if you're lucky.
TIGHT ENDS
Tyler Conklin New York Jets vs Los Angeles (A) Monday Night, the Jets take on the Chargers and the winner of this game will make up crucial ground in their playoff push. Both teams are not happy with the way they've started the year, and Conklin had a rough game last week against the Giants. For what it's worth, the entire stadium had a bad time - so don't make this about JUST Conklin - the former Chippewa is currently ranked TE26. The positives: the LAC Defense has given up the 12th most points this year - while the Jets have the fifth-fewest points scored. Should be another "barn burner"... but expect Conklin to get worked back into the gameplan this week.
Trey McBride Arizona Cardinals vs Cleveland Arizona is bad, and they just traded their backup QB to Minnesota. Clayton Tune is now expected to start this week for the Cardinals, and a TE is a QB's best friend. Especially with James Conner still on IR for one more week, this is a desperation play at best.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta The Vikings are ranked 12th in the AJFFL in points, but are right in the middle of the league when it comes to points allowed. On the bright side, they've scored 10+pts in four of the last five weeks. Looking against a struggling Atlanta team, this should be a favorable matchup for the purple and gold.
Las Vegas Raiders vs New York (N) Vegas looked bad last week, and every week prior. They decided it was best to fire Josh McDaniels and their GM on Tuesday, and I don't blame them. Recent NFL trends show the teams who experience a coaching change mid-season see a surge in production for a few weeks before falling off - and that's all I'm banking on here. The Raiders have a solid defensive unit - but their schemes don't align with their talent. A new voice might be all that's needed, but they're on the verge of a total rebuild this offseason. Stream them against a weak NYG team for points, and drop them to the wire for the rest of the year.
KICKERS
Brett Maher Los Angeles Rams vs Dallas The Rams are not playing good football. They're struggling to score points, and it's even worse when you look at how well they keep their opponents off the board. That being said, Maher is still a wonderful kicker. He's got the distance and the accuracy to hit anything inside 50yds - but the Rams need to get to the other side of the field to score points. Unless the offense starts clicking, you may see Maher's name slip from relevancy...
Nick Folk Tennessee Titans vs Pittsburgh Folk stock is surging as the Will Levis hype continues. Folk is one of the few kickers left who is 100% on FG's, and 100% on XP's this season. Now that Tennessee could be scoring more, he can get you more points on your scoreboard too!
Six weeks left to make a statement... don't get caught with a Bye in the Lineup when it matters most!
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