After dealing with a slew of injuries popping up when your depth mattered the least, here’s to hoping that you were able to make it through the Week 14 slate healthier than your opponent. If you traded away the depth on your team for starters and then lost those starters for the week (or the year), don’t be mad at yourself because you did everything you were supposed to. There are times where luck just doesn’t fall on your side.

For example, my soon-to-be 2-year-old now has pneumonia during the fantasy playoffs. He’s going to require some extra attention from me this week, so the intro will be short and sweet for this one. Just win, baby.

Matchup Links:
HOU at NYJ | CLE at DEN | ARI at ATL | OAKA at CIN | DAL at IND | DET at BUF | GB at CHI | MIA at MIN | WAS at JAC | TEN at NYG | TB at BAL | SEA at SF | NE at PIT | PHI at LAR | NO at CAR | LAC at KC

The secret to winning college bowl pick’ems

In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been going back into The Primer on Saturday morning trying to update you on the injury reports that impact your decisions. While I cannot write a whole new article, I do talk about a lot of these things on our Sunday morning live stream, which is FREE to everyone. It’s where I discuss all the latest injury news and then take your questions live from 11-12am EST. Click here to be taken to our YouTube page where you can get notifications when we go live.

If you’re new, here’s what you can expect out of this article every week: Numbers, facts, stats, opinions, and some shenanigans here and there. It’s my unbiased opinion about everyone on your roster. Whether it be season-long advice, DFS advice, or wide receiver/cornerback matchups, it’s all covered. The idea here is to give you as much information as possible and give you as much confidence as possible when you hit that ‘submit lineup’ button each week. Who should be in your lineup this week?

Houston Texans at New York Jets (Saturday Game)

Total: 42.0
Line: HOU by 6.5

QBs
Deshaun Watson: After watching Watson last week, it’s somewhat clear why the Texans had been having him throw the ball 25 times or less for much of the last two months. He’s holding onto the ball far too long and it’s leading to unnecessary sacks. Part of the issue is their pass-catchers, as outside of Hopkins and Thomas, it’s a bunch of backups. The Jets haven’t been a team where opponents have had to throw a bunch against, as there’s now been six straight quarterbacks who’ve totaled 35 or less pass attempts. They have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in eight of their last 10 games, with the only exceptions being Brock Osweiler and Josh Allen. The Jets have allowed four different quarterbacks rush for at least 43 yards against them, including 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground to Allen last week. The Jets don’t have a great pass-rush and have generated just a 5.7 percent sack-rate, which ranks bottom-10 in the league. The Texans are likely to try and run the ball down the Jets throats, as they’ve really struggled to stop opposing run-games this year. Watson should provide a stable floor and it helps that Coutee is due to return, but he’s not likely to throw a whole lot. Consider him a low-end QB1 for this game.

Sam Darnold: His return to the lineup didn’t do much for the Jets offense, though they did come away with a win. The Texans have now allowed 1,099 yards and five passing touchdowns over the last three games, so it’s not as if they’re a matchup you need to avoid with solid quarterbacks. Not to say Darnold may not be that one day, he’s failed to throw for more than 229 yards and/or one touchdown since way back in Week 6 against the Colts. The pass-rush of the Texans will likely be too much for the Jets offensive line to handle and Darnold doesn’t have that go-to option that most quarterbacks do. Darnold shouldn’t be considered a starter in any format.

RBs
Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue: The Jets run-defense is much softer than the Colts, as they’ve now allowed 1,041 yards over the last nine games, including seven rushing touchdowns in their last seven games. There have been seven different running backs who’ve totaled at least 15 carries against the Jets, and six of them have finished as top-24 options, while Frank Gore was the only one who didn’t which came way back in Week 9. He was also the only one of them who failed to score a touchdown. Miller has averaged 15.8 carries per game this year and has now scored in four of the last seven games. Knowing that running backs average 23.2 carries per game against the Jets should amount to good things for Miller. He should be played as a middling RB2 who should present a solid floor. Blue has been getting mixed-in quite a bit, as he’s averaged 11.7 carries per game over the last six weeks. If you’re looking for someone who’s likely to total 40-60 yards with a slight chance at a touchdown, he could be a last-ditch option at RB4.

Elijah McGuire: At this point, it seems like a stretch for Isaiah Crowell to play through his shoulder injury (update: now on injured reserve), as he was already dealing with a toe injury that was keeping him from practicing with the team. McGuire looked good and fresh in relief of Crowell last week, totaling 83 yards and a touchdown on 20 touches, while Trenton Cannon chipped-in with six touches. The Jets surely don’t want a one-back system, so it’d be wise to expect a decline in the passing-game usage for McGuire if Crowell is out, as Cannon would take some of that role. It won’t matter much because the Texans are a brutal matchup for running backs. On the year, there’s been no team of running backs who’ve totaled more than 30 PPR points against them, while holding six of their last nine opponents to less than 20 PPR points. When trying to divvy up the touches in the backfield, they’re likely to be somewhat scarce, as the last five opponents have totaled less than 25 touches combined (averaged just 20.6 touches). The 3.35 yards per carry they allow ranks as the second-best mark in the NFL behind only the Saints. While McGuire’s likely in a starting role, he’s just a middling to low-end RB3 in this game.

WRs
DeAndre Hopkins: He saw 10 targets against the Colts, though not many of them were deemed catchable, which is tough to do when throwing to Spider-Man. The Jets have Morris Claiborne defending the spot on the field typically occupied by Hopkins, and while some have given Claiborne credit for his play this year, he’s not on Hopkins’ level. After allowing just 12-of-27 passing for 125 yards and no touchdowns over the first five weeks, Claiborne has now allowed 24-of-40 passing for 430 yards and three touchdowns over the last eight weeks. He’s been this cornerback his entire career, extremely hit-or-miss. The biggest concern for Hopkins is his quarterback play, as he just needs Watson to put the ball in his vicinity. You’re playing him as a WR1 and hoping that’s the case.

Demaryius Thomas: With the lack of receiving options, Thomas saw six targets against the Colts, netting a pedestrian four catches for 48 yards against the Colts. It’s almost as if he’s back in Denver with that stat-line. He draws the tougher matchup this week, as he’ll match-up with Trumaine Johnson in coverage. On the year, he’s allowed just a 55.6 percent catch-rate with two touchdowns on 45 targets, while interception four passes. It’s also important to note that three of his interceptions have come over the last two weeks. With Watson struggling with his accuracy, it’s probably wise for him to stay away from Johnson in coverage. Thomas should be considered a low-upside WR4/5-type option this week.

Keke Coutee: After getting in a lot of practices last week, Coutee couldn’t get onto the field. If he does this week, it’d be a treat for fantasy owners.

 
Despite Zay Jones‘ lackluster performance last week, we’ve seen this secondary perform poorly too often against slot receivers to take it to heart. Not only does Coutee give Watson another viable option, but he’s the safety valve that requires the least accuracy when throwing to him, as his average depth of target is 4.8 yards, less than half of Hopkins or Thomas. Provided he practices in-full this week, Coutee is someone who can be plugged-in as what should be a high-floor WR4 against the Jets. Update: He did not travel with the team and has been ruled out.

Robby Anderson: It’s been nice to see Anderson actually involved in the Jets offense lately, as he’s seen 14 targets over the last two weeks, netting eight catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Texans have now allowed five top-18 wide receivers in their last three games. Corey Davis, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, T.Y. Hilton, and Zach Pascal were all able to rack-up 16-plus PPR points against them while the Mariota/Mayfield/Luck combined for 1,099 yards passing. He’ll see a mix of Johnathan Joseph and Shareece Wright in coverage, and the Colts could’ve given them a recipe for success. Wright looks thicker and slower, while Joseph is 34 years old. Anderson’s speed should be utilized against them, provided the Jets offensive line can give Darnold time. If there’s one receiver who’s an option for the Jets this week, it’s Anderson. He’s not a set-it-and-forget-it type option, but Anderson is on the WR4 radar this week and someone who could surprise.

Quincy Enunwa: The Jets continue to put Jermaine Kearse in the slot, which means Enunwa will go to waste on the perimeter. While playing the slot, Enunwa has caught 20-of-33 targets for 273 yards (8.27 yards per target) and a touchdown. While on the perimeter, he’s caught 18-of-36 targets for 176 yards (4.89 yards per target) and no touchdowns. Knowing that he’s running just 5-10 routes per game from the slot excludes him from fantasy consideration. Update: He’s been ruled out for this game. 

TEs
Ryan Griffin: We saw him used a bit more last week with the absence of Coutee over the middle of the field, and he looked good in the process, catching all five of his targets for 80 yards. It’s still a timeshare with Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins, but Griffin is the one who’ll be on the field for the whole game. You don’t want to play him this game, however, as the Jets have Jamal Adams essentially removing opposing tight ends from the game. On the year, tight ends have combined for just 37 receptions (fewest in the league) and 451 yards (third-fewest in the league) against the Jets. They have allowed five touchdowns, but Griffin has yet to score a touchdown this year, and splits the red zone targets with Thomas, who’s been much more effective in that area of the field. Griffin isn’t a preferred streamer in Week 15.

Chris Herndon: After two brutal matchups against the Titans and Bills, Herndon will look to get back on track against the Texans, who have now allowed four tight end touchdowns in their last five games. Even though he’s coming off a two-target game, Herndon has the 11th-most targets and 10th-most yards among tight ends since Week 7. It also doesn’t hurt that Darnold is back, as he’s the quarterback who threw all three of Herndon’s touchdowns in Weeks 6-8. Knowing that the volume should be there and that the Texans allow the sixth-most fantasy points per target to tight ends, Herndon is in the streaming conversation as a high-end TE2 this week.

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (Saturday Night)

Total: 44.5
Line: DEN by 3.5

QBs
Baker Mayfield: It wasn’t a massive fantasy performance out of Mayfield last week, though he was very efficient while completing 18-of-22 passes for 238 yards (10.8 yards per attempt). Teams have had trouble running the ball against the Broncos as of late, so we should see the attempts rise a bit this week. After losing Chris Harris Jr. in the secondary, the Broncos are suddenly a matchup to target for opposing quarterbacks. Nick Mullens took full advantage last week when he piled up 332 yards and two touchdowns on just 33 attempts, while missing his starting running back and possession receiver. Truth be told, the Broncos have been on a downward spiral for quite some time now, as they’ve allowed 324.5 pass yards per game and 9.0 yards per attempt over the last six weeks. They’ve also allowed 12 passing touchdowns in that time but have intercepted seven passes as well. They’ll be without Harris Jr. and potentially Tramaine Brock as well, so we should see Mayfield back on the streaming radar for this game. They’re projected for just 20.5 points but that feels a bit low. He should be considered a high-end QB2 this week against a Broncos team trending in the wrong direction.

Case Keenum: He’s played against two of the worst secondaries in the league over the last two weeks and has finished with 151/1 and 186/1 in those games. It’s actually been three straight games where he’s totaled less than 200 yards through the air and he’s thrown one or less touchdowns in five of his last seven games. The Browns were without Denzel Ward last week but it didn’t matter all that much against Cam Newton, as they held him to just 6.3 yards per attempt and no touchdowns on 42 pass attempts. The Browns do face more pass attempts than any other team in football (41.2 per game), so it’s easy to see why you’d think about playing Keenum, but knowing he’s failed to throw for 300 yards since Week 6 and that he’s failed to throw for more than two touchdowns since Week 1, it’s not going to be recommended. The loss of Demaryius Thomas was one thing, but the loss of Emmanuel Sanders was another. Keenum is nothing more than a low-end QB2 who should throw the ball at least 35 times, though his 42 attempts last week didn’t matter much to his stat-line. He’s failed to complete more than 59 percent of his passes in each of the last four weeks.

RBs
Nick Chubb: It’s now been seven weeks of pure shutdown run-defense from the Broncos, as they’ve held the combination of David Johnson, Kareem Hunt, Lamar Miller, Melvin Gordon, James Conner, Joe Mixon, and Jeff Wilson to just 3.58 yards per attempt with zero touchdowns on 142 carries. Chubb has seen a dip in his workload over the last two weeks, as he’s tallied just 22 carries. Keep in mind he saw 28 carries against the Bengals three weeks ago. The Browns have only run 57 and 52 plays in those games, while the Broncos opponents average 65.4 plays per game. Outside of a three-week stretch from Weeks 4 through 6, the Broncos have been an elite unit against the run. They have allowed quite a bit through the air as of late, though. Over the last four games, they’ve allowed 27 receptions for 256 yards to running backs, and Chubb has received 15 targets over the last four games, including at least three in every game. He needs to be in lineups as someone who should see 20 touches in this game, though the efficiency isn’t likely to be through the roof against this run-defense. Consider him a high-end RB2 who is impossible to sit when you consider his volume.

Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman: After coming back down to earth with a 14-carry, 30-yard performance against the 49ers last week, Lindsay should have a much easier time finding room on the ground against the Browns. They’ve allowed 4.70 yards per carry on the season and have lost one of their starting linebackers (Christian Kirksey) for the season last month, which hasn’t helped. The 14 rushing touchdowns they’ve allowed rank as the second-most and it’s not just due to volume, as they’ve allowed a rushing touchdown every 21.7 carries, which ranks as the third-most often in the league. There have been seven different occasions where they’ve allowed multiple rushing touchdowns this year, which sets up well for Lindsay. It’s also nice to know that the Browns opponents average 71.8 plays per game, which ranks as the most in the league (next closest is 69.4). Lindsay should be locked into lineups as a low-end RB1 right now, while there should be enough carries this week for Freeman to get into the 8-10 touch territory. He’s always a threat in the red zone, so he’s not the worst RB4 option.

WRs
Jarvis Landry: He’s popped back up on the fantasy radar the last two weeks with 214 total yards and two touchdowns, but we can’t suddenly forget that he’s totaled just 23 targets over the last four weeks. He may not be an every-week start, but this week, he needs to be in lineups. The Broncos had Chris Harris Jr. go down in Week 13 and he won’t be available for this contest, which means they’ll have safety Justin Simmons covering the slot. While in coverage this year, he’s allowed 40-of-48 passing for 505 yards and three touchdowns. Over their last three games, the Broncos secondary has allowed two pass-catchers to go-off for 189-plus yards. While JuJu Smith-Schuster and George Kittle are much bigger than Landry, they both operate over the middle of the field. The Broncos injuries are going to make it difficult to defend Landry, who should be more involved in the gameplan this week. He’s a solid WR2, though we can’t forget he hasn’t seen double-digit targets since Freddie Kitchens took over as the offensive coordinator.

Antonio Callaway: He’s still playing the No. 2 receiver role on the team (in snaps), but his one target in Week 14 doesn’t do much for your confidence in him. He was coming off two games where he totaled 146 yards and a touchdown, so we don’t want to overreact, but this offense clearly spreads the ball around. The Broncos secondary is not playing very well right now, but the rotation of the Browns receivers isn’t something you want to mess with in the fantasy playoffs. What do I mean? Here’s the snap counts among Browns receivers in Week 14: Landry 42, Callaway 38, Rashard Higgins 26, Breshad Perriman 19, Damion Ratley 2. The Browns wide receivers have combined to total just 82 targets since Freddie Kitchens took over, which amounts to just 16.4 targets per game. With Landry’s plus-matchup, it’s hard to see Callaway seeing enough targets to be a viable option. He’s in a good matchup, but he’s nothing more than a WR5 this week.

Courtland Sutton: Have the Broncos made a mistake by trading away Demaryius Thomas? While I don’t think so (they weren’t going anywhere and he was going to be released after this year), it’s a real question when it comes to handing Sutton the torch. Since Thomas left, he’s totaled just 13 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown in the five games, including a pathetic two-catch, 14-yard performance against the 49ers last week. The Browns are likely to get Denzel Ward back from his concussion this week, and he’s the one who’d be covering Sutton. While shadowing No. 1 receivers, Ward has allowed just a 70.0 QB Rating in his coverage this year, which includes just a 53 percent catch-rate. Combining that with Sutton’s sub-par 46.2 percent catch-rate and you don’t exactly have a recipe for success. With just one game that’s netted more than three receptions, it’s hard to rely on Sutton in this matchup. He’s always a threat for a touchdown, but so are a lot of receivers. What’s the difference between him and Mike Williams right now? Sutton plays more snaps but hasn’t delivered the touchdowns that Williams has. Consider Sutton a mediocre WR4 this week and not one you should feel the need to play. Update: Denzel Ward is out for this week’s game, making Sutton a much more attractive fantasy option. He can be played as a middling WR3 who should have a good shot at a touchdown. 

DaeSean Hamilton: He walked right into the slot role that was vacated by Emmanuel Sanders last week, totaling nine targets, seven receptions, 47 yards, and a touchdown against the 49ers. It was his first start, so it was natural to be a bit weary of starting him, but after seeing the targets rack-up, he’s now on the radar. The Browns have Briean Boddy-Calhoun covering the slot again due to the injuries on the roster, and he’s been consistently below-average this year. He’s allowed a 78.7 percent catch-rate and 12.0 yards per reception but has also yet to allow a touchdown in his coverage. The Browns have faced 312 wide receiver targets this season, which ranks as the second-most in the league. That amounts to 24.0 targets per game, so knowing that Sutton will be tied up with Denzel Ward, he may be heavily targeted once again. I’m not ready to say Hamilton is a must-play because we’ve seen Jeff Heuerman get double-digit targets and we’ve heard that Matt LaCosse would be more involved, but if the Broncos were smart, Hamilton would be one of the focal points this week. He should be considered a semi-risky WR4-type option, but one who has a higher floor than maybe even Sutton. The issue with saying he’s anything more than that is because his quarterback has thrown one or less touchdowns in five of his last seven games.

TEs
David Njoku: It’s been a maddening year for Njoku owners, as he appeared to be on his way to a breakout season through seven weeks, totaling 31 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the first seven games. In the six games since then, he’s totaled just 16 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown. He’s still seeing 4-6 targets per game, so you can’t forget about him, but you’d like to imagine he’d be posting much better numbers with the way Mayfield is playing. Just like Landry, he’s too talented to not perform for too long of a period, so you must continue playing him. The Broncos are coming off a game where they allowed George Kittle 210 yards… in the first half. Just a few short weeks ago, they allowed Antonio Gates to rediscover the fountain of youth and post 5/80/1 against them when he hasn’t totaled even 30 yards in any other game. With Chris Harris Jr. on the shelf, they’re forced to move Justin Simmons down into the slot, which in-turn creates some issues with the safety play and communication. Njoku has been frustrating, but there aren’t many tight ends who haven’t. He’s a TE1 play this week.

Matt LaCosse: Despite Keenum throwing the ball 42 times last week, LaCosse totaled just one target. While his teammate Brian Parker saw more targets than him last week, LaCosse played four times the snaps, so he’s still the guy. He also ran a season-high 31 pass routes last week, so it’s possible they just wanted to attack other matchups. The Browns have allowed a league-high 84 receptions to tight ends, though it’s important to note that they’ve also seen a league-high 123 targets (no other team has seen more than 105 targets). They’ve also allowed just 9.5 yards per reception, which ranks as the third-fewest in the league. In the end, LaCosse needs volume to deliver, something he hasn’t seen in his time as the starter. While it shouldn’t shock you to see him more involved this week, you shouldn’t be banking on a player who’s seen just two targets the last two weeks. He’s just a weak TE2.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons

Total: 44.0
Line: ATL by 9.0

QBs
Josh Rosen: He’s thrown one touchdown pass over the last three weeks and hasn’t thrown for more than 252 yards the entire season. Is this a case where bad meets worse? The Falcons defense has held just one quarterback to less than 16.4 fantasy points over the last 12 games, and it was Dak Prescott who took a backseat to Ezekiel Elliott‘s 201-yard performance, though Prescott still finished with 14.8 points. An odd note, though, is that they’ve held five straight quarterbacks held to 216 yards or less against them. That comes after they allowed 300-yard passers in six of the previous seven games. Something has changed, though it likely has to do with their suddenly very-bad run-defense that’s allowed 136.2 rushing yards per game over the last five weeks. Rosen hasn’t thrown for more than 6.8 yards per attempt since Week 6 and has thrown 11 interceptions over the last eight games. He’s not someone you want to trust with your fantasy lives, though he should be able to at least reach low-end QB2 numbers for those in 2QB leagues.

Matt Ryan: Is there a team out there who’s done less with great quarterback play than the Falcons have this year? He’s completed 70.5 percent of his passes, has averaged 8.1 yards per attempt, and has thrown 26 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He has a tough matchup on his hands here, though, as the Cardinals have still yet to allow a quarterback finish better than the No. 10 quarterback during any given week. Keep in mind they’ve played Philip Rivers, Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson. It’s not as tough as the matchup against the Ravens a few weeks ago when Ryan posted just 131 yards and one touchdown, but the Cardinals have allowed just two quarterbacks to throw for 260 yards and have allowed just one quarterback to throw for more than two touchdowns. It helps to see the Falcons as big favorites, but it’s tough to see him post elite numbers in this game. He should be considered a high-end QB2 this week and not someone who absolutely needs to be played knowing how well the Cardinals have limited quarterbacks this year.

RBs
David Johnson: Over the last five weeks, we’ve seen the Falcons fall apart against the run, as they’ve allowed 681 yards on 125 carries (5.45 yards per carry) with three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Johnson hasn’t been able to find much room on the ground this year, as he’s topped 3.7 yards per carry in just two of the last 12 games. The positive from last week is that the Cardinals targeted Johnson 10 times, though it netted just eight catches for 12 yards. The Falcons have been terrible at defending pass-catching backs under Dan Quinn, as they allowed the 2nd-most receptions to running backs in 2016 and have allowed the most receptions to running backs in both 2017 and 2018. They’ve allowed opposing running backs 15.2 PPR points per game through the air alone this season, which ranks second to only the Chiefs. We know that Johnson’s success depends on his involvement in the passing-game, so knowing that Rosen should drop back to pass a bit more in this game, we should see five-plus targets. He should be considered a high-end RB2 who should be able to find the end zone against a team that’s allowed 15 running back touchdowns through 13 games.

Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith: It’s no longer just a one-game sample, but a trend where Smith is out-touching Coleman. Over the last two weeks, Smith has totaled 22 touches (18 rush, 4 receiving) while Coleman has 18 touches (16 rush, 2 receiving). Smith has outperformed him, too, as he’s totaled 96 yards while Coleman has just 52 yards, though neither of them have scored. It’s a shame because we now have a matchup against the Cardinals, who have allowed 16 rushing touchdowns to running backs, which ranks as the most in the league. They’ve also allowed an average of 124.5 rushing yards per game, which again ranks as the most in the league. They don’t allow much through the air to running backs in their zone-heavy scheme, but it’s not as if the Falcons have used them much there anyway. With the way things are trending, it appears that Smith would be the preferred option in this game, though it’s clearly a timeshare. Smith and Coleman are both in the high-end RB3 conversation this week despite their recent struggles, as they’re nine-point favorites at home against a team that’s the worst in the league against the run.

WRs
Larry Fitzgerald: There’s been just two games this year where Fitzgerald has topped 55 yards and he’s now totaled just 12 receptions over the last four games. The struggles of Rosen have obviously leaked into his production, though Fitzgerald does have a plus-matchup this week. The Falcons slot cornerback Brian Poole has allowed a decent 67.9 percent catch-rate in his coverage this year and had allowed four touchdowns on the first 35 targets this season but hasn’t allowed one over his last 18 targets. There have been three slot-heavy wide receivers to be able to rack-up at least eight receptions against the Falcons this year. In a game where the Cardinals are projected to throw the ball 30-plus times, Fitzgerald should see eight-plus targets and should be played as a high-end WR3 in this game. He has limited upside but should deliver a solid floor.

Julio Jones: We saw what happens when a team trusts a cornerback one-on-one with Jones last week, as he demolished Jaire Alexander. It’s going to be a different test this week with Patrick Peterson, though he’s not shadowing the way he used to. While they’ve moved him around, Jones will evade his coverage at least 30 percent of the time. There have been four different wide receivers who’ve been able to post 100 yards against the Cardinals this year, though three of them have been slot-heavy players. Peterson has been great when targeted, though teams tend to avoid throwing his way very often, as he’s faced just 46 targets through 13 games. You aren’t going to sit Jones, so keep him in lineups and hope he can break loose. He’s not someone you should aim to play in DFS cash games this week.

Calvin Ridley: After a ridiculous start to his season, Ridley has been a disappointment over the last few months. He’s topped 50 yards just twice since Week 4 and has caught just four balls for 32 yards over the last two weeks. With Julio doing what Julio does, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of production for the other wide receivers, especially when Sanu gets his fair share of targets as well. The matchup against the Cardinals hasn’t been kind to wide receivers, either, as they rank as the eighth-best team at defending the position. They’re allowing just 11.3 yards per reception (2nd-lowest mark) and 7.52 yards per target (8th-lowest), so you’re likely left looking for a touchdown from Ridley. The Cardinals secondary has allowed just 12 wide receiver touchdowns through 13 games and five of them have gone to the slot, which is where Ridley runs just 20-25 percent of his routes. He shouldn’t be considered a must-play in this matchup and is more in the middling WR4 territory this week.

Mohamed Sanu: If there’s one Falcons wide receiver who has a plus-matchup this week, it’s Sanu. He’ll match-up with Budda Baker, who’s allowed 44-of-53 passing for 460 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage this year, with both touchdowns coming over the last three weeks. We’ve seen four wide receivers top 100 yards against the Cardinals and three of them have been slot-heavy players. With Patrick Peterson on Julio Jones and Bene Benwikere covering a struggling Calvin Ridley, we could see Sanu targeted more than usual, though it’s notable he saw eight targets last week. He’s now totaled at least 45 yards in eight of the last 10 games, and though he’s topped 74 yards just once during that span, his safety is something to be coveted. He should be considered a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 for this game.

TEs
Ricky Seals-Jones: With the lack of receiving options in the Cardinals passing-game, we saw Seals-Jones get back on the target radar in Week 14. After seeing just eight targets in the previous three games combined, he saw five targets against the Lions and played 44 snaps, a number he hadn’t hit in the previous two games combined. The issue is that the Falcons have been pretty good at limiting tight end production this year, as they haven’t allowed more than 16 PPR points to any of them. No tight end has totaled more than five receptions against them and just four have scored. While it’s unlikely that they completely shut Seals-Jones down completely, he’s a low-upside, high-risk play at this point in the season. He should be considered a middling TE2 whose arrow is pointing up after last week.

Austin Hooper: He was injured during the loss to the Packers, so you’ll want to pay attention to his status later in the week, but this matchup isn’t one where you should be expecting a lot of production. The Cardinals are similar to the Falcons in that they haven’t allowed a big ceiling to opposing tight ends. No tight end has been able to post more than 14.8 PPR points against them, but they have allowed at least 37 yards and/or a touchdown to eight different tight ends. With the way the Falcons have used Hooper more in matchups with a soft-spot for tight ends, this game doesn’t make sense to expect a top-tier performance. Combining Hooper’s knee injury with the semi-tough matchup, he’s not a recommended streamer for Week 15. Update: It appears Hooper will play this week.