Health/Life Update
Hey all. This will be a very short article this week. On Tuesday, I started having excruciating headaches to the point that it had me (and still bedridden). I went to the ER on Friday/Saturday, and have been dealing with Cluster Migraines for the last five days and likely will be for a few more. Essentially, I’m not supposed to be looking at any screens, but I've been trying to write for two minutes and then take a 20-minute break.
Needless to say, there comes a point where I have to call it for this week and recognize that, after 10 years of doing this article, this will be the first one that does not get finished. I’ve put together a mostly completed player chart, but there’s not going to be much more than that this week.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at knotts@footballguys.com or on x at x.com/devinknottsfbg
I hope to be back and fully healthy next week.
I'm sorry
Devin
| Quarterback | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Comment |
| 1 | Joe Burrow | Targeting quarterbacks against Arizona has been a successful strategy over the back half of the season. They've allowed three passing touchdowns in four of their last seven games, and now take on a Bengals team that still seems to be motivated at home. This could be a game where Joe Burrow puts up big stats that can not be matched through the air by any other quarterback this week. |
| 2 | Drake Maye | For Maye, the key question is whether the Jets will keep this game close enough to force the Patriots to keep throwing the ball. With the Jets seemingly not caring at all at this point, it would not be surprising to see a defensive score, or multiple short fields in which a rushing touchdown could kill his upside. There is still an outside chance of an MVP case for Maye, but it likely won't be the team's priority as they look to get closer to clinching the AFC East title in their first season under Mike Vrabel. |
| Running Back | ||
| Rank | Player | Comment |
| 1 | Ashton Jeanty | The Raiders at this point seem to care about just one thing left in their season, which is to try to get Ashton Jeanty to 1,000 rushing yards. Brock Bowers is now out, the team has told Maxx Crosby that his season is over, and they're entirely focused on tanking and developing Jeanty. At $7,500, he's going to be the highest rostered player this week and should be close to 100% rostered in a matchup against the Giants, who are allowing 5.8 yards per carry. |
| 2 | Travis Etienne Jr. | The Colts' motivation at this point appears lacking, as they've been eliminated from playoff contention and have placed DeForest Buckner, their primary run-stopper, on IR. Meanwhile, the Jaguars' offense is operating at peak capacity, and at $7,600, you're getting a player in Travis Etienne Jr. who has scored six touchdowns over the last three games, including two against this same Colts team back in Week 14. |
| 3 | Tony Pollard | Tony Pollard continues to try to prove he's worth a team investing in him for 2026. He now has three consecutive 100+ yard performances, including two against San Francisco and Kansas City. This is a Tennessee team that is still playing hard despite having nothing to play for, as they've won two of their last three games. The only drawback for Pollard is that he's not producing anything in the passing game, which does hurt his upside as he has just one reception over the last three games, but the price is very good for a player who has topped 20 carries in two of their last three games. With this game being competitive against the Saints, expect a heavy workload once again for Pollard |
| 4 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | The upside for Tracy is somewhat limited, but you get that with the price. However, outside of a difficult matchup against the Patriots, he's topped at least 70 yards in five straight games. This week, facing a Raiders defense with serious motivation questions, Tracy has something to prove as he looks to carve out a role on the Giants heading into 2026. |
| 5 | Kenneth Gainwell | With no DK Metcalf or Calvin Austin III, the Steelers will likely turn to Gainwell as their primary receiver out of the backfield. Last week, he had 78 yards and a touchdown receiving, and he has had at least five receptions in each of his last three games. He's also shown productivity as a runner, averaging 11.5 carries per game over the last two weeks for a total of 5.9 yards per attempt. This Browns game should be low-scoring, with a projected total of 34.5, but Pittsburgh is in a must-win situation after Baltimore's victory over Green Bay on Saturday. |
| 6 | Saquon Barkley | We're starting to see Saquon Barkley round into form after a horrendous start to the season by his standards. Over the last three games, Barkley has scored a touchdown in all three games, has run for over 100 yards in two of those three games, and this week gets to face a Bills defense that has struggled most of the season against the run. The only drawback for Barkley is that his involvement in the passing game has declined, with just two receptions over his last four games. However, if there is a player who has 150+ yards rushing and 2-touchdown upside, Barkley needs to be near the top of the list. |
| 7 | James Cook | Cook is coming off back-to-back 100+ yards, two-touchdown performances against Cleveland and New England. It's somewhat surprising that he's ranked No. 7 this week. The reason is that Philadelphia's run defense has been strong for most of the season, aside from one inexplicable breakdown against the Bears. The Eagles have the talent defensively to contain Cook, and at $9k, the price is just a little bit too high for a player who has not been involved in the passing game as much as some of the other top-end running backs this season. |
| 8 | Jonathan Taylor | The only thing that the Colts have left to play for is to try to get Jonathan Taylor the NFL rushing title, as he's now fallen behind James Cook by 43 yards. Expect a heavy workload for Taylor despite the matchup being difficult against Jacksonville, who boast one of the league's best run defenses. This is likely more of a GPP play than it is a cash game play, just because Jacksonville is allowing the fewest fantasy points to the position, but to get a running back who can have 20+ touches is incredibly valuable on this weak running back slate. |
| Wide Receiver | ||
| Rank | Player | Comment |
| 1 | Kyle Williams | This is a spot where you probably just play Kyle Williams simply because of how popular he is going to be. At $4,600, he should be the number two receiver in New England with Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins both ruled out for this game and DeMario Douglas questionable. Williams is a deep threat for New England, so all it will take is one or two receptions for him pay off his $4,600 price point against a Jets defense that has seemingly quit on first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. |
| 2 | Stefon Diggs | Based on industry consensus as of Saturday, it appears that both Williams and Stefon Diggs will be in the majority of lineups this week. At $6,500, the price is too low for a player who is coming off a 9-reception, 138-yard performance against Baltimore. However, there is a significant risk with Diggs: He has topped 100 yards in two of his last five games, but in the other three, he failed to top 30 yards. Still, with no Mack Hollins or Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots are going to significantly narrow their targets, and Diggs should see a lot of volume this week. |
| 3 | Ja'Marr Chase | The Bengals made a statement last week: This is a team that will play out the remainder of the season rather than pack it in as they prepare for their offseason vacation. Ja'Marr Chase posted another 100-yard performance, bringing his total to three in his last four games. The issue for Chase is that he has not scored a touchdown in his last seven games, which is keeping his price lower than it otherwise should be. In a game that the Bengals should be able to move the ball and potentially score 40+ points against Arizona, which has the league's worst defense, expect a big game from Chase and this passing attack this week. |
| 4 | Chris Olave | With the Saints so limited in players, the passing offense has been largely focused on Chris Olave on nearly every play. The price is getting steep, but after his 10-reception, 148-yard, 2-touchdown performance last week, and a 6-reception 85 85-yard, and a touchdown performance in Week 15, his floor should be relatively high against a Titans defense that is much easier to throw against than run the ball. |
| 5 | Jaylen Waddle | |
| 6 | Wan'Dale Robinson | |
| 7 | Alec Pierce | |
| 8 | Jakobi Meyers | The idea of Jakobi Meyers is typically going to be better than the actual results that you get when you play him. Expect him to be somewhat popular this week, as he fits into a lot of different builds at his $6,800 price point, but the reality is that this is a player who, most weeks, is going to have between 40-60 yards and is unlikely to score a touchdown, as he has just three on the season. The problem is that he scored in three consecutive games with Jacksonville in Weeks 12-14, which altered perceptions. But I'm not ready to change mine; he's just not a regular contributor in scoring touchdowns. |
| Tight End | ||
| Rank | Player | Comment |
| 1 | Trey McBride | In terms of potential, Trey McBride has slate-breaking upside when it comes to putting up a score that is 10-15 points higher than every other tight end on this slate. However, over the last several weeks, we've discussed that, over the long run, taking $8k+ tight ends is not a historically winning strategy. The matchup could not be better, as they're underdogs against the team that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, so it's scary if you fade him in this spot, but if you do take him, it will limit you at other positions. |
| 2 | Juwan Johnson | Johnson remains undervalued. At $5,200, he's coming off of an eight-reception, 89-yard performance against the Jets, and this week gets another favorable matchup against the Titans. The Saints are down three of their top four starting receivers, and Johnson has had to fill in as the number two option, especially with the Saints also being out their top three running backs. At $5,200, if he can get 50+ yards and find the end zone, you're in a great spot, but even if he doesn't, his floor should be high enough that he won't kill you this week. |
| 3 | Michael Mayer | If you had to go to the bottom of the barrel at tight end, you could do worse than Michael Mayer this week. With Brock Bowers out, we've seen Mayer have production as he had 5 receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown in one of the two appearances without Bowers earlier this season. The problem is that in his other start without Bowers, he had just 1 reception for 10 yards in a 31-0 loss to the Chiefs, a game in which they threw just 67 total yards. They should have more opportunities this week against a Giants team that has major issues at the linebacker position. If they try to sell out to stop Ashton Jeanty, that could create opportunities for Mayer in the passing game. |
| Team Defense | ||
| Rank | Player | Comment |
| 1 | New Orleans | |
| 2 | Pittsburgh |
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