It’s the return of the Fantasy section on DNA of Sports, every Saturday find our tips, our favorites, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Last week for some, penultimate for others, this week 14 promises to be explosive and decisive. If some are already turned towards the playoffs and approach this serene weekend. The others play their qualification with a duel in the form of sudden death. And the NFL’s program has nothing better than resting six teams, giving managers headaches to look forward to.
Quarterbacks
The safe bet: Geno Smith. He’s THE in-form quarterback. Five games in a row with more than 22 points and a very uncertain number one runner, The surprise of the season should still be confirmed on Sunday.
The bet: Jared Goff. We stopped (almost) more the Lions, and even less their attack. His agreement with St. Brown already in good shape, the connection with Chark in progress and the return from injury of rookie Jameson Williams make Goff a moderate risk. Even more against an air defense of the Vikings which concedes a lot of yards.
Avoid: DeShaun Watson. Almost 2 years without playing is not trivial. After a first difficult math, the sequence against the booming neighbors of Ohio should not be less so.
Running back
The safe bet: Zeke Elliot. Faced with the poor opposition that the Texans will offer him, Elliot should find his standards of yesteryear. After a big game last week, he could do even better against the worst ground defense in fantasy.
The bet: Isiah Pacheco. Having become number 1 in the Chiefs’ backfield, he has proven for 3 weeks that we can count on him. Both in the field and in fantasy. In a bye week where many good runners are resting, Pacheco can be an interesting alternative.
Avoid: Devin Singletary. We talk a lot about the air defense of the Jets, but that on the ground is not left out either. An opposition which had made the runner suffer with only 3 yards on average in week 9. The tendency to see more and more of a more versatile James Cook should be confirmed to the detriment of Singletary
Receivers
The safe bet: Devonta Smith. It’s not just AJ Brown in the Eagles’ offense. The former Heisman also knows how to win points as he showed again last week. The Giants backfield doesn’t seem strong enough to muzzle the two receivers. A godsend for Smith.
The bet: Jerry Jeudy. Can we still believe in Denver’s offensive attack? No. But with a Sutton absent, Jeudy should magnetize the balloons. And while he certainly shouldn’t expect a rain of yards and touchdowns, a large number of receptions could boost his fantasy rating in the PPR leagues.
Avoid: Brandon Aiyuk. Uncertainty hangs over the ability of the 49ers to develop their offense with their 3rd quarterback. If the rookie Purdy was very honorable last week, it is better to avoid betting too big on the receivers and in particular Aiyuk. Shanahan should favor the ground game to advance his attack.
Tights end
The safe bet: Hunter Henry. Faced with the defense that concedes the most points to the tights end, the former Charger should be able to speak.
The bet: Cade Otton. He’s Tom Brady’s new friend. Essential during the comeback against the Saints, Otton is gaining importance in Tampa. And the uncertainty over the presence of sick Brate makes it interesting if your options at the positions are limited.
Avoid: Mike Gesicki. Zero balls captured in the last two matches, the statistics speak against Gesicki, quite simply.
Top 5 waivers of the week
1. Isiah Pacheco – RB
2. James Cook – RB
3. Jameson Williams – WR
4. Cade Otton – TE
5. Brock Purdy – QB
The Griz’League
The Griz’LeagueOne week before the end of the regular season, the playoff table is starting to take more and more shape. Tiffany and Antoine won their sesame last weekend by beating Romain and Xavier respectively. Another quarter-final is therefore looming for Antoine.
Behind them are 5 for three places, and 4 with the same results. Alain, yet so well placed a few weeks ago, chained a 3rd defeat in a row and put himself in a complicated position when playing his qualification against Elioth, 2nd and his insolent record. His executioner Victor is in the opposite dynamic. Picked up at the beginning of November, he is back in the money time with a trio Fields, Brown, Diggs which scares the competition. Romain, knocked down by Tiffany and Marc beaten by Alex are also still in the game. Marc will have the most complicated task to get his spot, because he will in turn face the formidable and dreaded Tiffany.
By beating Elioth, Brice gives himself the right to dream, but he will have to hope for a massacre in front of him to hang on to the playoff matches. Finally in the duel of the badly classified, Mathieu pushes a little more a Gregory already turned towards the 2023 draft.
