PLAYOFFS!? PLAYOFFS!? Did you even win a game this season….? (If you read our suggestions, you very well should have…) It’s playoff time for most of us in the fantasy football world. What’s that mean? It means you’ve done well: you’ve set your lineups, stayed up-to-date on player statistics, spent hours doing data analysis, or just have shear luck (more often than not). Regardless of how you’ve gotten there, keep at it! And don’t get cute… start your studs-don’t start a sleeper unless you must! I have one motto in the fantasy world, and that is “play who brung ya.” If Adrian Peterson took your team to the playoffs, don’t you dare bench him, even if the matchup is bad. And if you have any lineup questions, be sure to ask! If you have Twitter, find us! I (Billy) am always on Twitter, keeping up on player statistics, and I definitely have time for you, too! I hope you all go far into the playoffs, and good luck to you all this week (unless you’re playing me, of course).
Here are our top players of the week for each position:
Analyst | QB | HB | WR | TE | Flex | Defense | Kicker |
Billy Sipes | Tyrod Taylor (Bills) | Doug Martin (Bucs) | Brandon Marshall (Jets) | Greg Olsen (Panthers) | Sammy Watkins (Bills) | Chiefs | Connor Barth |
Dylan Green | Carson Palmer (Cardinals) | Matt Forte (Bears) | Mike Evans (Bucs) | Jordan Reed (Redskins) | Allen Robinson (Jaguars) | Seahawks | Chris Boswell (Steelers) |
Sleepers of the Week:
Analyst | QB | HB | WR | TE | Flex | Defense | |
Billy Sipes | Alex Smith (Chiefs) | Theo Riddick (Lions) | Doug Baldwin (Seahawks) | Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Bucs) | Shaun Draugn (49ers) | Lions | |
Dylan Green | Johnny Manziel (Browns) | Shaun Draughn (49ers) | Rueben Randle (Giants) | Luke Wilson (Seahawks) | Marvin Jones (Bengals) | Bears |
Games to Watch:
- Vikings vs. Cardinals
- After a shocking blowout loss to the Seahawks last week, the Vikings will look to get back on pace this week, though their mission will be difficult because they are facing the red hot Cardinals, who find ways to win nearly every week this season. Behind the strong veteran arm of Carson Palmer, the Cardinals are looking towards the playoff, hoping to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
- Players to Watch: Adrian Peterson (Vikings), David Johnson (Cardinals)
- Steelers vs. Bengals
- The Steelers high octane offense, led by Big Ben and Antonio Brown, look to derail the #1 seeded (AFC) Bengals, and push to make the playoffs with a chance at the Wild Card rounds. However, seemingly the most complete team in the entire league, the Bengals will prove to be a tough matchup against any team for the remainder of the season.
- Players to Watch: Martavis Bryant (Steelers), A.J. Green (Bengals)
- Chiefs vs. Chargers
- The Kansas City Chiefs seem to be firing on all cylinders of late, as their offense has successfully put up points, and their defense only allowing very few. Having won the past three matchups against their division foe, the Chiefs look to continue their six game win streak. Having met a few weeks ago, the Chiefs held Phillip Rivers and the Chargers to only three points, defeating them 33-3.
- Players to Watch: Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
- Buccaneers vs. Saints
- Jameis Winston has evolved into one of the great young talents of the league, and as they are set to take on the Saints this week, ranking dead last in defensive production, this game seems to be a sure-fire scoring fest. Of course, the future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees (Purdue Alumni!), can put up points in a hurry, too. The Saints will be seeking revenge after suffering a last minute loss versus the undefeated Panthers.
- Players to Watch: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Brandin Cooks (Saints)
- Patriots vs. Texans
- Lacking offensive weapons, the Patriots struggled to get anything going against the porous defense of the Eagles, who had allowed five touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks. The Pats will look to get back on track this week, hoping to get their all-star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, back. As for the Texans, they are tied for first place in the AFC South, so this matchup is nearly a must-win if they want to overtake the Colts to win the division.
Players to Watch: James White (Patriots), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)