We’ve arrived at Week 9 already if you can believe it. That means that the fantasy playoffs are just four weeks away for most owners and, if you’re reading this, that means that you’re in contention. Congratulations to you.
That being said, owners should start planning ahead for playoff matchups, starts, and sits. For many leagues, the fantasy trade deadline will be here in the coming weeks, so time is running out for owners to make critical moves. I’m going to highlight players you should target for the most crucial three weeks of the year. Fantasy playoffs typically run from Weeks 14 through 16, but I’ve also included two players at each position for those of you that will still be playing in Week 17 (my condolences). For advice on players to target for the fantasy playoffs, check out this article.
Full disclaimer: Don’t get cute with lineup decisions. Regardless of matchup, you’re not benching Todd Gurley, Antonio Brown, Zach Ertz, or any of your studs. This article will highlight players who you may view as “must-starts” or who you might not consider sitting because of name or production but who will struggle in the fantasy playoffs.
Scoring is half-PPR, four-point per passing TD.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice 
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
Playoff schedule: @SEA, MIA, @DET
Cousins has stuffed the stat sheet this year for fantasy owners, even though that production hasn’t translated to wins for the Vikings. Although he’s the QB6 at the mid-way point of the season, his playoff outlook isn’t rosy. He travels to Seattle to face the Seahawks and the 12th man in the opening week of the playoffs. Not only does Cousins have to play in one of the most hostile stadiums in football, but he has to do it against a team allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs. The Vikings then travel to Detroit during Championship Week, and they face a Lions secondary that has allowed only 223 yards per game passing through eight games. There are better options available.
Matthew Stafford (QB – DET)
Playoff schedule: @ARI, @BUF, MIN
Stafford has been a solid yet unspectacular fantasy QB this season. He’s thrown for multiple TDs in six games straight after a horrible Week 1 performance, and he offers a safe floor. Still, he’s facing some tough competition, traveling to Arizona and Buffalo in Weeks 14 and 15. Arizona is allowing the second-fewest FPPG to QBs, and Buffalo is allowing the ninth-fewest. Factor in the loss of reliable slot man Golden Tate and Stafford’s playoff appeal loses its luster.
Other QBs to avoid
Carson Wentz (QB – PHI): @DAL, @LAR, HOU
Alex Smith (QB – WAS): NYG, @JAX, @TEN
Week 17 only
Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU) vs. JAX, Baker Mayfield (QB – CLE) @BAL
Running Backs
Leonard Fournette (RB – JAX)
Playoff schedule: @TEN, WAS, MIA
I’m not trusting the sophomore stud after the Jags’ Week 9 bye, and I’m certainly not counting on him for the fantasy playoffs. The Jaguars get a prime Championship matchup against the Dolphins’ bottom-five run defense, but the two matchups leading up to that game are bad. Jacksonville will have to face the Titans and Redskins who are both top-six in the NFL in fantasy PPG allowed to RBs this season. This scenario will only be relevant if Fournette actually makes it to Week 14, and I’m very skeptical that he does. The move to sign Carlos Hyde signals that Fournette’s return is not a guarantee, and it’s fair to wonder how he does after not playing since Week 4. Fournette has missed nine games in his brief time in the NFL, so the chance of him aggravating this injury is high. I’m looking elsewhere for the fantasy playoffs.
Mark Ingram (RB – NO)
Playoff schedule: NYG, @JAX, @TEN
Mark Ingram let the fantasy world know that he was back from suspension in Week 5, going for 73 yards on 18 touches, including two rushing TDs. Since then, the Saints have played in Weeks 7 and 8, and Ingram has been far from effective with his work. On 30 total touches in those two games, he’s gained only 134 total yards and no TDs — yuck. Better days are surely ahead for Ingram (averaging only 3.6 YPC this year after averaging 4.8 YPC in 2017), but they won’t be in the fantasy playoffs. The Saints face the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Steelers, and they likely won’t be burning clock as they attempt to keep pace with three high-scoring offenses. The Panthers and Steelers are 24th and 30th respectively in points given up to opposing backs. Ingram continues to get work, but Alvin Kamara is far more efficient, and it looks like Ingram is on the wrong side of the Saints RB time share.
Other RBs to avoid
Adrian Peterson (RB – WAS): NYG, @JAX, @TEN
Kenyan Drake (RB – MIA): NE, @MIN, JAX
Week 17 only
Dalvin Cook/Latavius Murray (RB – MIN) vs. CHI, Wendell Smallwood/Josh Adams (RB – PHI) @WAS
Wide Receivers
T.Y. Hilton (WR – IND)
Playoff schedule: @HOU, DAL, NYG
His rest-of-season outlook is definitely a concern. From Weeks 1 through 4, Hilton averaged nearly 10 targets per game. After missing two games and returning to the lineup for Weeks 7 and 8, he’s been targeted a total of only nine times. In his two most recent games, “Eugene” has gone 5-59 and only saved his day against the Bills with two short TD grabs in Week 7. The Colts have a tough playoff schedule, traveling to Houston and facing the Cowboys and Giants in Weeks 15 and 16. No thanks.
Alshon Jeffery (WR – PHI)
Playoff schedule: @DAL, @LAR, HOU
Jeffery has actually been a solid WR since his return in Week 4, ranking as the WR9 in standard and the WR11 in PPR since then. Still, I’m just not comfortable with him in the fantasy playoffs with a slate of tough matchups queued up. The Eagles face rival Dallas in Week 14, a team allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to WRs on the season. They then face the Rams in the fantasy semi-finals and, with the offensive line banged up, I would expect Carson Wentz to be harassed all day by the Rams’ elite defense which recently added edge-rusher Dante Fowler. He won’t have much time to make accurate throws. Finally, the Eagles face Houston in Week 16, and the Texans have been stingy to opposing WRs all season long. Jeffery faces three teams in the top-11 fewest points allowed to WRs, and his target share will decrease with the recent addition of Golden Tate to the roster. His playoff outlook isn’t good.
Other WRs to avoid
Corey Davis (WR – TEN): JAX, @NYG, WAS
Josh Gordon (WR – NE): @MIA, PIT, BUF
Week 17 only
Demaryius Thomas (WR – HOU) vs. JAX, Larry Fitzgerald (WR – ARI) @SEA
Tight Ends
Jordan Reed (TE – WAS)
Playoff schedule: NYG, @JAX, @TEN
He hasn’t been an appealing option at TE all season, and his appeal is diminished further by his awful playoff schedule. So far this season, Reed has accounted for 29-306-1 in seven games. Last week, he saw 12 targets, easily his most of the season, but he turned them into a paltry 7-38-0 line. He’s been barely useable in PPR and dreadful in standard. For the playoffs, he’ll face the Giants, Jags, and Titans, who are all top-10 in fewest points allowed to the position. In fact, the Titans allow the fewest FPPG to TEs this season, and Reed will have to face them in the most critical fantasy game of the year in Championship Week. If his poor play and bad schedule aren’t enough to scare you off, his injury history should, as Reed has played in only eight of 15 games from Weeks 14 through 16 in his career, barely over half. Even if he’s available, he’s a TE to avoid at the end of the season.
Eric Ebron (TE – IND)
Playoff schedule: @HOU, DAL, NYG
Ebron is a top-five TE at this point in the season, but that pace won’t continue with Jack Doyle back in the picture. After a six-game absence, Doyle came back in Week 8 to play more than triple the snaps of Ebron (57 – 17 Doyle advantage). Both are valuable moving forward, but Ebron’s value takes a big hit now. If you can sell high after he scored his seventh receiving TD in Week 8 (second in the NFL), do so. His playoff schedule is trash with an opening week matchup at NRG Stadium and home games against the Cowboys and Giants, the latter two surrendering the 22nd and 23rd fewest FPPG to opposing TEs on the season.
Other TEs to avoid
Evan Engram (TE – NYG): @WAS, TEN, @IND
Jimmy Graham (TE – GB): ATL, @CHI, @NYJ
Week 17 only
Kyle Rudolph (TE – MIN) vs. CHI, Rob Gronkowski (TE – NE) vs. NYJ
D/STs
Carolina Panthers
Playoff schedule: @CLE, NO, ATL
It will be tough sledding for this defense in Weeks 15 and 16, facing two high powered offenses (NO – 33.4 PPG, ATL – 27.1 PPG), but the Week 14 matchup against the Browns won’t be a cakewalk either. Carolina currently gives up the 19th most points to opposing QBs, and the game in which they gave up the most fantasy points this year came against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. The Panthers have faced the likes of Eli Manning, Dak Prescott, and Alex Smith already, so they should be far more giving to the much better QBs they face down the stretch. This defensive unit isn’t a recommended play for the fantasy playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Playoff schedule: @OAK, NE, @NO
The Steelers face similar circumstances in their playoff matchups, facing elite passing attacks in Weeks 15 and 16 and decent matchups in Week 14. The Steelers rank in the top-three in fewest FPPG allowed to opposing RBs, but they give up the fifth-most points to opposing QBs — uh oh. Pittsburgh faces Tom Brady and Drew Brees in the two most important games of the fantasy season, and I wouldn’t count on this secondary to turn it on so late in the season. You can find a better D/ST on the waiver wire.
Other D/STs to avoid
Arizona Cardinals: DET, @ATL, LAR
Minnesota Vikings: @SEA, MIA, @DET
Week 17 only
New York Jets @NE, Denver Broncos vs. LAC
Get a free analysis of your team with My Playbook
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS
Zachary Hanshew is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
