For the Week 18 championship grinders out there, here’s a list of players you can flex this week, with an emphasis on players who might actually benefit from some starters being rested in their matchup. As always, you can find these players listed outside the top 24 in the Fantasy Footballers rankings. Here they are:
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Let’s start right off with an obvious one. The infamous benching of Saquon Barkley this week is a prime example of why the smartest among us are not playing fantasy football championships this week. If you are playing, and if you were lucky enough to stash Gainwell for this very moment, it’s your time to shine. We’ve seen Gainwell in this position before when he handled a Week 18 start against Dallas in his rookie season of 2021. He capitalized on that opportunity taking 12 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown and adding four receptions on seven targets in a 51-26 loss to the Cowboys. The matchup with the Giants this week should present some scoring opportunities for Gainwell–whose legs should be fresh having seen limited action behind Barkley this year.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Allgeier is likely to start this game as the backup to Bijan Robinson, with Atlanta still having a chance at the playoffs with a win and a Buccaneers loss. Even so, I like Allgeier’s chances of finding the end zone in this game. He saw his season-high snap share of 41% last time Atlanta played Carolina, topping the 100-yard mark on the ground on 18 carries. Carolina’s run defense (and defense in general), can best be described as a sieve, which should leave plenty of scoring opportunities for both Atlanta running backs this week. I’d expect them to take it easy on their star running back in Robinson, especially if they’re doing some scoreboard-watching and see Tampa Bay jump out to a big lead over the lowly Saints.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
It’s been a while since we’ve taken a trip to Pitty City, but Joe Flacco is back for one last ride as Indianapolis’ starter this week, which means good things for his wide receivers. Last week against the Giants, it was Pittman who benefited the most from Flacco’s gunslinging tendencies, catching nine of 10 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Josh Downs to a backseat in the target pecking order. I expect the targets to continue for Pittman this week against a very weak Jacksonville secondary, and I think Downs could bounce back as well. Both are solid flex plays.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
To the surprise of some, Jeudy saw a career-high 18 targets last week from Dorian Thompson-Robinson in a 20-3 loss to Miami. The Browns are going to get blown out again, with Baltimore able to clinch the division on Saturday. The Browns enter the game as 19.5-point underdogs, which might be the largest spread I’ve ever seen for an NFL game. Regardless, that game script shouldn’t deter the Browns from hyper-targeting their number-one wide receiver as they did last week. You can roll with Jeudy one more time this week and feel confident about his high floor.
Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos
Deep league dart throw alert! Mims is the opposite of a volume play, having seen no higher than 47% of snaps all season, but he’s been a big play machine lately. He’s scored four touchdowns over his last six games, including two last week against Cincinnati. It’s win-and-in for Denver, so they should be emptying the playbook in this division game against Kansas City. The Chiefs also fall into the group of teams resting starters this week, which could leave their usually staunch defense vulnerable. Mims is a boom-or-bust flex option this week, but he’s definitely startable in this pivotal matchup that should be fun to watch.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/L65pSxN
No comments: