The fantasy playoffs are underway, so it’s time for us to obsess over our lineups and try to digest every detail we can about how usage and trends are changing with each game. Here are some of the most important quick takeaways from Sunday.
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Ian Thomas is a “win your league” type of tight end.
Earlier last week, I posted about the inevitable breakout of Ian Thomas found here:
Ian Thomas is currently owned <1% in leagues….
With Greg Olsen likely out, here are Thomas’ stats in 2018 when he got the start:
Wk 14: 11-9-77-0
Wk 15: 4-2-14-0
Wk 16: 5-4-48-1
Wk 17: 7-5-61-1Where TE is thin as ever, he could be the perfectly timed playoff streamer.
— David Zach (@DavidZach16) December 5, 2019
As sure as the sun rises, he delivered. Five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. The tight end has been one of the most volatile positions of the season, but having a guy come in and demand the type of targets like Thomas does could give you the final piece in your championship run. Time will tell on Greg Olsen returning, but until then, Thomas is the man to own.
Joe Mixon is consistently back to his high-level usage from 2018.
Similar to forgiving someone who had betrayed you, owners are finally able to trust Mixon in their lineups. In three of his last five weeks, he has finished as the RB10 or better. Seemingly only a month ago, Mixon was very difficult to trust as your top running back. With his repeated increase in snaps, usage, and production over the last few weeks, we can finally safely file him back in as your RB1.
Devin Singletary takes control as a workhorse back.
Singletary hasn’t just taken the majority role in Buffalo, he is now operating as a workhorse running back for the Bills. He out-touched Gore 23-4 in this one and outproduced him even more still with 118 all-purpose yards. The fear of him splitting time is over. He’s a high-end RB2 considering the fantasy production even without finding the end zone.
Drew Brees ignites against the 49ers’ top defense.
Throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for another is nothing short of incredible. Sprinkle in the fact that it happened against one of the best defenses in the league and it turns into miraculous. That’s exactly what Brees was on Sunday, shredding the 49ers’ heralded defense time and time again. Although his defense couldn’t close out the win for him, Brees just made history yet again in one of the best games of the year. He is trending toward being matchup-proof for these last few weeks.
Raheem Mostert remains phenomenal with another 20+ fantasy point outing.
His 109 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns combined with his performance the week before puts Mostert into must-start territory. He was the recipient of an elaborate wide receiver reverse pass for a score to close the gap against the Saints. He was reliable, used heavily, and fed in the red zone. There are few things like a late-season waiver-wire running back performing at this kind of level to propel you above your competition.
Jameis Winston scores five times and plays through a fractured hand.
In classic Winston fashion, turnovers were nearly as abundant as touchdowns. He threw for 456 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions, and he also ran for another score. He received a small fracture in his hand that he said made him weak early in the game, but he regained strength as time went on. We don’t know if he’ll be healthy enough to go next week, but if he is, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will remain high-end WR1 options. If he misses, the entire Bucs’ offense can be downgraded.
Devonta Freeman makes the most of an expected strong week.
Scoring his first rushing touchdown of the season, Freeman had a nice week in a gorgeous matchup against the Panthers. Last week, I wrote about how although he under-performed last week, his volume usage was promising for fantasy going forward. That came to fruition this week with a 17-84-1 rushing line and you can expect the same volume going forward. He will be a usable RB2 for the rest of the fantasy playoffs depending on matchups.
Drew Lock makes a statement by dismantling the Texans.
Throwing for 309 yards and three touchdowns, Lock asserted his claim to the franchise role going forward. The Texans were a decent matchup on paper, but the Broncos’ offense has been far from stellar. That all changed as they paved the way to 38 points under the guidance of Lock in a big victory. Although his remaining matchups aren’t very friendly, he raises the scoring potential of those around him.
Thanks for reading and stay golden!
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David Zach is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from David, check out his archive and follow him @DavidZach16.
