Week 14: Wild Card Weekend

 

Don’t look now, but Mitch Trubisky is a top-10 QB over the past three games played. Rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues and 19% of ESPN leagues, Trubisky went 24 of 33 on Sunday for 267 passing yards and 3 TDs. He also added 23 rushing yards on 4 rush attempts. Although he may rank near the bottom of the league in terms of on-target throws (57%), Trubisky does push the ball down the field with an average depth of target (aDOT) of 8.1 yards (16th). With a decent match-up against the Vikings next week and phenomenal match-up against Jacksonville in your title game, Trubisky might be 2020’s version of playoff-winners Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tannehill (minus the “Ryan”).

 

 

Hopefully, you CMC owners held on to Mike Davis (me!) and started him in Week 14 (not met…). Against the Broncos, Davis saw 18 total touches for 93 total yards and 2 TDs, including 5 catches on 6 targets. Coming into Week 14, Davis had the 6th most broken tackles among RBs (17, tied) and the 5th most yards after contact per attempt (2.5 yards). If, and that’s the biggest IF in fantasy football, the Panthers keep CMC on the bench in Week 15, Davis should feast against Green Bay’s bottom-4 run defense.

 

Honorable Mention: Unfortunately for Ezekiel Elliott owners, Tony Pollard has gradually seen more playing time, including 40% of snaps in each of the past two weeks. This week, he had 13 total touches versus Zeke’s 15 touches. Zeke just doesn’t look like the running back he was. However, neither Zeke nor Pollard may be a viable starter against a touch San Francisco run defense. 

 

With Deebo Samuel likely sidelined for at least one week, Brandon Aiyuk may be a league-winner. Catching 10 balls on 16 targets for 119 yards against a tough Washington secondary, Aiyuk broke the game. In the past 5 games that he has played, Aiyuk has scored at least 16 fantasy points (half-PPR scoring). With snap shares of at least 88% in each of those 5 games, Aiyuk has benefited from the absence of Deebo and George Kittle. With Dallas and Arizona on the docket, look for Aiyuk to continue racking up targets in your fantasy playoffs.

 

Honorable Mention: If you’re looking for a waiver wire desperation play, K.J. Hamler is…not your guy. Sure, he had 86 yards receiving and 2 TDs. But that was on 2 catches and 3 targets. Hamler also was only on the field for 61% of snaps. Don’t be drawn into the rocks by the siren’s song of TD catches. Stay far away from Hamler.

 

Irv Smith Jr. remains a mystery to me. With no Kyle Rudolph to compete for target, Smith did reel in all 4 of his targets for 63 yards and 1 TD. For a tight end, that’s not too shabby. But I’m not confident it’s repeatable. Smith was only on the field for 35% of snaps against Tampa Bay. The one beacon of hope is that the Vikings play the Bears next week, who, despite having a stout defense, are 3rd-worst against tight ends this year. If you’re still streaming tight end next week, you could do worse than Smith.

 

Honorable Mention: Logan Thomas continues to be a consistent tight end target machine. Against San Francisco, Thomas caught 6 of 7 targets for 43 yards. Sure, the yardage wasn’t impressive and he didn’t score a touchdown. Next week, Washington faces Seattle, which has been middle-of-the-road against tight ends. If Antonio Gibson remains out of the line-up, look for Thomas to continue seeing a healthy dose of targets.

The Falcons have put things together on defense, including rookie A.J. Terrell Sr., the next cornerback #TackleMachine. Over the past two games, Terrell has 22 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Except for one game, he has been on the field at least 97% of snaps. Next up, the Falcons face Tampa Bay and Kansas City, two teams that love to throw the ball. If you’re looking for an IDP option at DB, Terrell may still be on your waiver wire.