Whether you’re buying or selling, here’s a list of players to consider making a move on before it’s too late.
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Players to Buy
Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
Don’t worry about rust, as Elliott was working out the entire time he was away from the team. The Seahawks were just embarrassed at home by Todd Gurley, and the Cowboys will be looking to finish the year on a high note. There are just four running backs who I’d rather have for the fantasy championship.
Kenyan Drake (RB – MIA)
It was frustrating to watch Drake share carries with Damien Williams, but once Williams went down with a shoulder injury, Drake was an easy buy. He’s also looked extremely good when given opportunities, as he had totaled 704 total yards and four touchdowns on his last 122 touches. Knowing how much Drake is involved in the passing game, the game-script doesn’t worry you as a fantasy owner. He’ll close out the year against the Chiefs.
Dion Lewis (RB – NE)
It seems like Rex Burkhead is likely to miss Week 16, making Lewis a must-play borderline RB1 against the Bills. They’ve now allowed 14 rushing touchdowns in their last seven games, a number than can cause you to salivate. The Patriots accounted for two of them back in Week 13, though both were Burkhead. Unless you think they’re going to just allow Mike Gillislee back into the circle of trust, Lewis is ‘the guy.’
Josh Gordon (WR – CLE)
Against the Bears to close out the fantasy season? Oh yeah. Of the nine wide receivers to finish as the WR17 or better against the Bears, just one of them wasn’t the opposing No. 1 wide receiver. It’s because the Bears have trusted Kyle Fuller in coverage, who has lapses at times. He’s not a physical specimen in any way, meaning Gordon should have his way with him. The only thing that can hold him back is DeShone Kizer.
Alex Collins (RB – BAL)
It’s all about schedule at this point and Collins has one of the best matchups in Week 16. Last week was the first one he struggled with in quite some time, as he’d finished with at least 13 PPR points in four straight games coming into Week 15. The Ravens are at home and a heavy favorite against a Colts team that has allowed nearly 200 yards rushing in each of their last two games. Collins should close out the year strong as he heads into free agency.
Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT)
There are just two games left this fantasy season, and Roethlisberger should be a QB1 in both weeks. While the Patriots defense has been better as of late, you want to play him when at home, which he will be in Week 15. Then, he’ll go out to play in Houston against a Texans team that’s allowed 18 passing touchdowns in their last nine games without J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus.
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – PIT)
He’s been the No. 2 option behind Antonio Brown all year, so now that Brown is going to miss the remainder of the regular season, Smith-Schuster should be primed for a big Week 16 against the Texans, who are fresh off a game in which they allowed Blake Bortles to throw for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
Cam Newton (QB – CAR)
Now that we know Newton is going to run on a consistent basis, we can consider him a must-start in Weeks 15 and 16. He will go up against the Packers defense that just allowed Brett Hundley look like Aaron Rodgers while throwing for three touchdowns, and then play against the Bucs defense that has held just three quarterbacks outside the top-15 all season. Newton is a high-end QB1 for the remainder of the season.
Martavis Bryant (WR – PIT)
It looked like Bryant got some of his mojo back last week, and he’ll now be the No. 1 perimeter wide receiver for the Steelers against the Texans, while in a dome. He’s essentially Tyreek Hill this week, but with a better matchup. The Texans have allowed nine wide receivers finish top-12 against them this year, including two Jaguars last week.
Players to Sell
Lamar Miller (RB – HOU)
When game-script doesn’t go well for Miller, he’s going to let you down. Going against the Steelers offense that has been putting up video game numbers isn’t going to change that negative game-script. We saw Alfred Blue come in and out-carry Miller last week, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see that happen again. He’s not someone you’re excited to own going into the fantasy championship.
Carlos Hyde (RB – SF)
Since the start of Week 7, the Jaguars have been one of the best run defenses in the league. We saw what a good run defense can do to Hyde when he finished with just 25 yards on 16 carries last week against the Titans. If you think the Jaguars are going to be any easier, you’re wrong. He’s a boring RB2 for Week 16.
Jamaal Williams (RB – GB)
The Packers offense is simply different with Aaron Rodgers under center, and although he’ll have more scoring opportunities, the days of seeing 25-30 touches is gone. This week is a brutal matchup against the Vikings, who have allowed the fewest amount of fantasy points to running backs. He’s just a flex-option for Week 16.
T.Y. Hilton (WR – IND)
It’s now been 8-of-9 games with 51 yards or less for Hilton, including six games with less than 30 yards. It’s gotten to the point where Hilton is a matchup-play, and this isn’t necessarily one to target, though it looks better than it did just a few weeks ago. With Jimmy Smith out, the Ravens are without their best cornerback, but they’ve held every receiver not named Antonio Brown in check over the last two weeks, and that’s while Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball 66 times for 506 yards. Just last week, we saw Josh Gordon get 11 targets, but turned them into 5/47/0. Hilton is the type of player who can pay off in one play, as he did against the Jaguars a few weeks ago, but I’m not betting on it while outdoors in Baltimore in late December.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
