Ellis Johnson

You may think you know that McBride is having a good year, but here are a few stats that put his performance in perspective. Currently, McBride has 41 more targets, 28 more receptions, and 274 more yards than the next highest TEs. The gap in fantasy points between McBride and the next best fantasy TE (Travis Kelce) is equivalent to the gap between Kelce and the TE 25 (Darren Waller). As a result, the fact that he plays the Falcons this week shouldn't matter. Even though the Falcons have been the third-best defense against fantasy TEs on the season, they drop to the 12th-fewest over the last five weeks. Don't worry about any of that. McBride is a true fantasy X factor this year.

George Kittle is back to doing Kittle things. With four receptions in every game he has played but one, not only does he have a consistent fantasy floor, but he is back to being a fantasy difference maker. With a top 8 finish in six games of his eight games, and 60 or more yards in five consecutive games, he is the second-best fantasy option behind only Trey McBride. Even though the Colts are averaging the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the TE position over the last five weeks, Kittle remains a great option. If you have managed to hang onto Kittle in the fantasy playoffs, feel confident in riding him the rest of the way.

Kyle Pitts scored 7% of his career fantasy points last Thursday Night against the Buccaneers. He also scored 28% of his career touchdowns last week. All these points define what it means to have an outlier game. Having said that, in the absence of Drake London, Pitts has taken a step forward for his fantasy production. Although early in the week, it appears that the Falcons are hoping to have London back against the Cardinals. If he does return, Pitts' managers will be left in Limbo, wondering the impact of his involvement. That said, with the stretch of games Pitts is on, he is locked into all lineups.

Usually, I don't have an issue sharing my opinion on who to start in these outlooks. However, I'm going to make a point of leaving this call up to you and providing all the information you need. Goedert has had a good season overall; however, it has been dominated by feast or famine. With six weeks inside the top eight at the position, and seven weeks outside of the top 15 (four outside the top 30), it's been hard to predict. Thankfully, we have two straight weeks of 70 plus yard games, along with two goalline scores last week. That said, he failed to score over 6.5 fantasy points between Weeks 10 and 13. This week, he faces the Commanders, who are allowing the sixth most fantasy points to the TE position over the last five weeks. There is enough evidence to ride the hot hand into a great matchup this week, but I also wouldn't blame you for starting a more reliable option.

This has been the tale of Bowers' season all year. With the Raiders as a team holding him back, he is a name that is cemented into your lineups, despite having a low floor. Thankfully, he has overcome his situation with a top 10 finish in five of the last seven games. However, in the other two games, he finished outside of the top 20 at the position. Last week, with Kenny Pickett under center, he had one of those weeks outside the top 20. With their QB for Week 16 still uncertain, managers need to hope Geno Smith can return for a very difficult game against the Texans. On the season, the Texans are allowing the eighth fewest fantasy points to the position. Having said that, they just allowed 134 yards and two scores to Trey McBride. I'm not going to be the one to tell you to bench Bowers in the fantasy playoffs, but I also wouldn't be the one chastizing you for doing so. All I ask, it consider what other options are available before locking him into your lineup for the biggest week of the season so far.

Dak Prescott, having his worst weekly finish since Week 1, was not what fantasy managers needed at this point of the season. Unfortunately, this week's matchup isn't any better. Last week, he faced the Vikings, who are allowing the fewest fantasy points to QBs over the last five weeks. This week, he faces the Chargers, who are allowing the second-fewest points. Thankfully, the Cowboys' secondary can't stop anyone, and likely force Dak to throw all game. However, it wouldn't be wild to consider other options over Dak this week. Even if he has another down week, it'll all be worth it if you get to start him against the Commanders in Week 16.

Playing only six games so far this season, Purdy has been impressively consistent. With four games between 16 and 20 points, one game under 10 points, and last week's performance of 26 points, is everything you want from your fantasy QB. This week, they face Philip Rivers and the Colts, who have allowed the 10th fewest fantasy points to the QB position over the last five weeks. Thankfully, with Ricky Pearsall looking healthy, alongside Jauan Jennings, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey, Purdy is always a safe bet at the position. If you are relying on Purdy, he should have another decent week, but hopefully, you have other options that can produce week-winning upside.

Self-admittedly, Joe Burrow said that no team in the NFL would have won last week with him at QB. Considering they failed to score a point at home, he may have a point. Thankfully, Zach Taylor has already made it clear that Burrow will play through the end of the season, and the Bengals will try to end the season on a positive note. For fantasy, the Bengals have a great two-matchup coming up against the Dolphins and Cardinals. On the season, the Dolphins are allowing the 10th most fantasy points to opposing QBs. With the Dolphins QB still up in the air, the Bengals defense will likely allow points regardless of who is under center. As a result, we have two strong offenses in a potential shootout this week.