<Puts on Jim Mora voice> Playoffs! Playoffs!? Like Jim Mora, fantasy owners “just wanna win a game” right now, as the majority of fantasy leagues operate a single-elimination tournament style playoff bracket, so it’s win-or-you’re out. With that in mind, the approach I outlined in last week’s column about being more aggressive in pursuing my upside waiver wire targets, remains.
Defensive Lineman
Finding consistent scoring defensive lineman on the wire this late in the season is almost an impossibility. Finding players who have flashed some scoring potential is even difficult in Week 14, for all but the shallowest of leagues. In that case the best type of defensive lineman to identify during these next few weeks are those with great matchups.
I’ve talked several times in this column about how the Bills (@ Broncos, vs Packers, @ Raiders) and 49ers (@ Raiders, @ Seahawks, vs Chargers) have been great matchups, but the Jaguars (vs Texans, @Ravens, vs Titans) and Jets (@ Vikings, @Titans, vs Patriots) have been exploitable games over the second half of the season and are worth keying in on too.
The two teams that jump out as being worth scouring the roster of are the Raiders and Titans, who will face favourable matchups in two of the last three weeks, unless you’re in one of those unforgivable leagues which count Week 17.
The Raiders overhauled their pass rush in the offseason by signing the veteran duo of Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley, the later of the two is now on IR following a torn biceps muscle. Tuck has played some solid football in Oakland (+12.0), but has only recorded three sacks on the season, currently ranking at the 26th highest scoring defensive end, with just two double-digit fantasy point days all year. He did however record a sack in Week 13, and this coming gameweek sees Oakland face off against their Bay rivals, who have allowed a double-digit fantasy day to a defensive end in six consecutive games. Teammate Antonio Smith has played 139 more snaps than Tuck, yet has scored less than half his points, and shouldn’t be started in any circumstance.
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Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter – @RossMilesNFL Need more specific advice, start/sit help or expert opinions on trades? Let us know on Facebook by joining the conversation
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