By MIKE HERNDON
It’s championship week! If you’ve made it this far, congratulations – let’s get you that trophy. If you’re playing in a consolation round, let’s finish strong.
This may not need to be said, but there’s no tomorrow. There’s no reason for stashing anymore, unless you’re in a keeper league and holding on to a player you want to keep for next year. Use your bench to give yourself alternatives for questionable starters, or to keep players away from your opponent.
If you played Jerome Ford or the Cleveland defense on Thursday night, congratulations on the fine start. If you’re looking to fill a couple holes in your roster, maybe this can help.
Here are our championship week starts and sits:
QB:
Start:
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: He’s posted 19-plus fantasy points in each of his last three games and the Saints secondary isn’t anything to shy away from with Marshon Lattimore on the shelf. Mayfield threw three touchdowns in the Superdome the last time these teams met – this time he gets them at home.
Sit:
Gardner Minshew, Colts: The Raiders have been playing some stingy defense lately (ask Patrick Mahomes), and Maxx Crosby is a game-wrecker. Minshew isn’t likely to have a whole lot of time to set a throw in this one, even if Michael Pittman, Jr., returns.
RB:
Start:
DeAndre Swift, Eagles: After three down weeks in a row, Swift broke out in the second half of last week’s win over the Giants. The Eagles may have learned to lean on their run game a little more, and this week’s opponent, Arizona, allows the most fantasy points in the league to running backs.
Josh Jacobs/Zamir White, Raiders: Whichever one plays, get into your lineup . The Colts allow the third-most fantasy points in the league to running backs. We know what Jacobs can do when healthy. If he sits another week, White gashed Kansas City for 145 yards last week. Whichever one starts will get the rock.
Sit:
Austin Ekeler, Chargers: I know you spent a first-round pick on him, but he’s had double-digit points in standard just once in his last six games. His usage has gotten a boost since the firing of Brandon Staley, but the Chargers are going nowhere and are just playing out the string.
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers: He’s been a revelation in this backfield lately, but he’s trying to play through a hamstring injury this week. A hobbled running back in a bad offense is not someone you want starting on championship week.
WR:
Start:
Chris Olave, Saints: He’s still limited at practice, but he was last week too and he dropped 123 yards on the Rams. He’s had double-digit fantasy points (standard) in five of his last six games and the Tampa Bay secondary has been a turnstile for most of the season.
Nico Collins, Texans: This is assuming that C.J. Stroud plays. Houston faces Tennessee, another very generous secondary, and Collins appears fully recovered from the injury that kept him sidelined the last time these two teams played two weeks ago. Noah Brown had 82 yards and a score in his absence.
Sit:
Terry McLaurin, Commanders: He’s had an up-and-down season. While Jacoby Brissett will likely be a boost to his fantasy potential, a date with the 49ers probably isn’t the time to test that theory.
Jordan Addison, Vikings: Nick Mullens may have thrown picks, but he was great for fantasy production. Now that Minnesota has benched him for rookie Jaren Hall, we don’t know what to expect. We’re going to ride with Justin Jefferson no matter what, but ancillary pieces like Addison are too risky for championship week.
TE:
Dance with the one who brought you. If T.J. Hockenson brought you and now occupies your IR spot, some potential fallback options might be the Giants’ Darren Waller, who has gotten much better production this year with Tyrod Taylor behind center, and the Saints’ Juwan Johnson, who has scored in his last two games.
Categories: Fantasy Football
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