The majority of leagues are heading into the first round of their playoffs. So if you were lucky enough to make it and have those title aspirations, here are some huge pickups who just might help you bring home the glory. I like to do three things when deciding on players to play in your playoffs: you have to play your studs, look for the best matchups as the deciding factor, and opportunities the player will have in a game.
RB Ty Johnson New York Jets 4% Owned- 22CAR 104YDS 1TD 2TGTS 2REC 13YDS
It’s not often the start of playoffs will have a number one running back available for pickup on the waivers, but that is exactly what Johnson will be if RB Frank Gore will be sidelined for any amount of time. Johnson proved he could lead this dumpster fire of an offense as he helped carry the offense on Sunday and should be in line for another massive workload against the Seahawks’ porous defense. The main thing I worry about is the game script, and if the Seahawks offense explodes, Johnson could become a non-factor, but I think he can be used in the passing game. The minimum I see for Johnson this week is 15-20 touches with a chance even more.
TE Logan Thomas Washington Football Team 41% Owned-9REC 9TGTS 98YDS 1TD
The tight end spot has been atrocious this season aside from TE Travis Kelce, Thomas is coming on strong with two top-ten finishes in the past two weeks and is becoming QB Alex Smith’s favorite target. He has 13 receptions on 13 targets in the past two weeks and has a touchdown in both of these weeks. Thomas has an awful matchup coming up this week with the San Francisco 49ers, as they are the best team at stopping TE’s in the whole league, but with how bad this position has been all year.
WR Cordarrelle Patterson Chicago Bears 8% Owned- 1REC 1TGT 4YDS 10CAR 59YDS 1TD
I hate gadget players and rarely recommend them, but Patterson has firmly gone from gadget player to has become the second RB in the Bears offense with all the injuries to RB’s in the Bears offense. The Bears’ offense even looked good on Sunday against the Lions. That included a running game that, up until the past two weeks, was non-existent, with another cakewalk matchup against the Houston Texans. Patterson’s only downside is that he only rushes the ball; he is no factor in the passing game. I still like his matchup too much to not advocate for Patterson as a WR3 or flex play for teams this week.
QB Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles 4% Owned- 5-12 109YDS 1TD 1INT 5CAR 29YDS
After a painful week after painful week of pitiful offensive performances, the Eagles decided to bench their franchise QB, Carson Wentz, in the third quarter of their matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Rookie QB Jalen Hurts stepped into the fire and got the offense moving positively. Hurts has now been named the starter heading into their matchup with the surging New Orleans Saints, which is the only reason I’m not higher on Hurts for this week’s pickups. Hurts have the dual-threat ability and should be able to put up some fantasy numbers with the Eagles, as all their skill players are healthy, but the offensive line might be the worst in the league. His matchup is awful this week, so if you have the luxury of picking up Hurts and leaving him on the bench for this week, that would be ideal.
Extra Pickups-(QB Daniel Jones Giants, QB Sam Darnold Jets, RB Tony Pollard Cowboys, RB Peyton Barber Washington, RB Rashad Penny Seahawks, WR Gabe Davis Bills, WR
Cam Sims Washington, WR Jalen Reagor Eagles, TE Cole Kmet Bears, TE Tyler Higbee, K Greg Zuerlein Cowboys, K Michael Badgley Los Angeles Chargers, DEF Tennessee Titans, DEF Carolina Panthers)