The holiday slate of games brought us a couple Saturday games along with three Monday night games. One thing I like and could certainly get used to is having NFL football three days in a row. Certainly nice when sitting at home drinking eggnog and opening presents. What I don’t like is having a game exclusively run on Peacock or any other streaming service. An important game with playoff implications should not be gate kept in the vain attempt for more money. NFL Sunday Ticket is already overpriced. Consider this my formal complaint on the issue.
Games came and went all weekend but one game had the attention of myself and fan bases across the league. In what was dubbed a superbowl preview, the Baltimore Ravens faced off against the San Francisco 49ers. With arguably the two best teams in each of their respective conferences and two potential MVPs, It doesn’t get much better than that. In a bizarre start, Lamar Jackson tripped over an official in the endzone causing a safety that put the 49ers up 2-0. Their lead would be short lived as Brock Purdy would go on to throw three interceptions in the first half. He looked to be a shell of himself against the talented Ravens defense. Even with the multiple turnovers, the 49ers were kept in the game by a touchdown from MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. The Ravens would go into the half up 16-12. The second half belonged to the Ravens. After scoring 17 third quarter points and another pick on Brock Purdy, the Ravens were firmly in control of the game. A late touchdown drive from Purdy would only help the score look a little less bleak. Ravens take home the win 33-19 and Lamar Jackson improves to 20-1 against NFC teams. An absolutely insane stat for an insanely talented player. Friendly reminder that many were hating on this guy before the year started and that he was allowed to talk to other teams about a new deal. Wishing the best for him and I hope he continues to prove people wrong.
The fantasy football championships are here! Congratulations to those who have made it all the way to the final round. Whether you are playing for pride or playing for the championship, here are my top waiver wire targets heading into week 17.
P.s. I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!
Waiver Wire Targets:
Zamir White (Rostered in 12.6% of ESPN leagues)
In the absence of Josh Jacobs, Zamir White rushed 22 times for a commanding 145 yards in the Raiders victory over the Chiefs. It is still unclear if Jacobs will play in week 17 but if he remains sidelined, White is a must add.
Tyjae Spears (Rostered in 41.4% of ESPN leagues)
The Titans are really only playing for pride at this point. At 5-10 and at the bottom of the AFC South, the Titans are firmly out of any playoff contention. Derrick Henry is set to be a free agent next year it makes sense that the Titans may not play him as much in the last remaining games. As a result Spears has been seeing a higher workload. Against the Seahawks, Spears scored 11.7 fantasy points rushing 9 times for 40 yards while reeling in 5 catches for 27 yards. Spears is a quality addition as a handcuff and flex play.
Noah Brown (Rostered in 42.3% of ESPN leagues)
Brown came down to Earth against the Browns in week 16. He only managed 38 yards on 3 catches although he was targeted 7 times. The absence of CJ Stroud certainly hurt his production but that could change in week 17 with his QBs potential return as well as a much softer opponent. With remaining games against the Titans and Colts, Brown could do some serious damage as the teams number 2 receiver behind Nico Collins.
Joshua Palmer (Rostered in 26.5% of ESPN leagues)
Palmer didn’t have the biggest day possible this past weekend in what turned out to be an exciting game against the Bills. Palmer caught the ball 5 times for 47 yards. He was targeted 8 times which was a team high tied with Gerald Everett. With Keenan Allen out, Palmer will remain as the team’s top passing option. Worth picking up due to target share alone.
Romeo Doubs (Rostered in 40.7% of ESPN leagues)
Doubs went for 4 catches 79 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers on Sunday. Jayden Reed is a bit banged up with a toe and chest injury and Christian Watson is still dealing with a hamstring injury which could mean the Packers will need to rely on Doubs a bit more to carry the load.
K.J. Osborn (Rostered in 22.5% of ESPN leagues)
Jordan Addison is day to day at the moment with an ankle injury. If he misses the week 17 matchup against the Packers, Osborn is a likely benefactor who will have fantasy relevance. He finished the game against Detroit with 7 targets 95 yards and a touchdown. A lot of this work came after Addison excited the game. Keep an eye on the status of Addison before making any moves.
Demario Douglas (Rostered in 29.6% of ESPN leagues)
Not much has changed on my outlook for Douglas. The Patriots offense is not an appealing one but has seemed to pick up a bit of steam down the stretch. Douglas is a target machine (Saw 8 targets in week 16) and is just about the only guy that seems to get open. Worth picking up in PPR leagues but managers should be careful as he plays against the Bills and Jets to close out the year.
Hunter Henry (Rostered in 18.9% of ESPN leagues)
Henry missed the team’s week 16 matchup against the Broncos with a knee injury. Over the 2 games prior to his injury, Henry scored 19 fantasy points in both outings. Zappe seems to like to throw to this guy in big time situations and in the red zone. Keep an eye on his injury status heading into week 17 but Henry could provide some value and a barren TE position.
Derek Carr (Rostered in 22.4% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Last week I said you might think I was crazy for saying you should add Derek Carr. This week I bet you are saying, “this guy might know what he is talking about”. One can only hope that is the case. Carr threw 3 touchdowns and 319 yards against the Rams in a game that started not so great for the Saints. Matchups against the Buccaneers and Falcons to close the year make Carr an enticing option for fantasy managers looking for QB help.
Joe Flacco (Rostered in 12.8% of ESPN leagues)
Speaking of great advice from last week’s list, I love this for the Browns and Joe Flacco. Every old QB sitting on the couch at home hopes they could come back and do what Flacco is currently doing. Through 4 games, Flacco has a TD/Interception rate of 10/7 and has thrown for 300+ yards in 3 out of 4 games. Flacco faces a tougher defense against the Jets this week but the Browns are firmly in the playoff picture and playing for seeding. If you are in need of a QB, don’t be afraid to look Flacco’s way.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
Want to tell me who I left off or needs to be added? Follow me on twitter at @The_FFGenius and let me know!