Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week 16; Matchups To Watch For: Playoffs Pt. 2


Welcome in week 16 of the football season and week 16 of your fantasy season. For some of you this is the second round of the playoffs, and for others it’s the consolation round. Alas, for some of you this is the week to show your fantasy football dominance in your league in the Championship Game.



Like I have all season, I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.



The first player I see jumping off the boards this week is Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who is owned in just over 56 percent of leagues. Cutler is back and he picked up right where he left off. Cutler obviously was the day one starter, but injuries sidelined him for Josh McCown, now Cutler is back and he will try to help the Bears make the playoffs. I like Cutler as a starting quarterback in one or two quarterback leagues this week if you have a chance to grab him.



The second player I like this week is Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is owned in just over 17 percent of leagues. I haven’t been keen on Tannehill since the beginning of the season by any means, but his showing last week makes me think he will be in for a repeat performance against the Buffalo Bills this week. I like Tannehill as a second quarterback in deeper leagues.



The third player I see coming off the boards this week is Tennessee Titans tight end Delaine Walker, who is owned in just over 26 percent of leagues. Walker has had his ups and downs this season, but recently he is coming off an up-type game where he had eight catches for 53 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. While I wont count on Walker to replicate those numbers, there are numbers to suggest he might. I like Walker in deeper formats, or if you need a replacement at tight end.



The fourth player I like this week is Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, who is owned in just over two percent of leagues. I was high on Ertz out of Stanford, but he didn’t show me much to start the season, as he averages just two catches through week eight. But his recent play in weeks 13 and 15 that included three touchdowns and 11 receptions has me grabbing Ertz as a replacement for an injured tight end. His fantasy matchup this week against the Chicago Bears is not a great one, but he could still manage to help a team looking for a tight end in a very deep format.



The fifth player I would take a shot on this week is Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater, who is owned in just over 11 percent of leagues. The Kansas City Chiefs blew the Oakland Raiders out last week last week, but Streater was able to pull down four passes for 59 yards. While that is not a huge fantasy impact by means, Streater has the ability to have a bigger game; such as the one he had against the New York Jets just a week previous when he had seven receptions for 130 yards, a career high. I like Streater in deeper formats with three wide receivers or as a flex in deeper formats as the Raiders take on the San Diego Chargers this week.



Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire pickups I will go over the top three matchups I think you could benefit from starting players in to get a jump on your opponent this week.



The first matchup I like this week is the Denver Broncos at the Houston Texans. This is an interesting matchup as the Broncos are still hoping to keep their No. 1 AFC seeding alive for the playoffs, while the Texans are just hoping to give their fans a morale boost on their treacherous season. I expect the Broncos to win by a landslide. On the Broncos side of the ball I like Peyton Manning, Knowshon Moreno, Montee Ball, Julian Thomas and Eric Decker. On the Texans side of the ball I like Matt Schaub, Dennis Johnson and Andre Johnson.



The second matchup I like this week is the Indianapolis Colts at the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a great matchup between two playoff bound teams as a pair of No. 1 drafted quarterbacks faceoff. The Chiefs are coming off a huge win over the Oakland Raiders where they put up more than 50 points; while the Colts are coming off a very one-sided win over the Houston Texans. I like the Chiefs to prevail in this game, which should see both teams score in the low to mid 20s. On the Colts side of the ball I like Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson and Griff Whalen. On the Chiefs side of the ball I like Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.



The third matchup I like this week is the Atlanta Falcons at the San Francisco 49ers. The final regular season game at Candlestick is upon us next Monday night when the 49ers host the Falcons. This game is a far cry from where the two teams were this time last year, as the Falcons have really dropped the ball on the 2013 season. The 49ers are still in the midst of the playoff hunt, and looking to lock up the top wildcard position. I like the 49ers in this game, but wouldn’t put the win on a silver platter as the Falcons do still have quite a talented squad and will be looking to knock off the 49ers if they get a chance. On the Falcons side of the ball I like Matt Ryan, Steven Jackson, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White. On the 49ers side of the ball I like Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Anquan Bouldin and Michael Crabtree.



That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.

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