The fantasy playoffs are about to begin and with some fairly big injuries occurring this week, there is a significant chance to add some good depth to your roster as well as pick up some key handcuffs that could set you ahead of your opponents and give you an edge when the whole season is on the line.

Pickups

Marion Barber, RB, CHI – With Forte potentially out for 2-4 weeks, Barber is bound to be this week’s hottest pick up.  The schedule is really rough for the Bears over the next couple of weeks.  With Denver and Seattle in the next couple weeks, each having a solid rush defense, I think that Barber will be mediocre at best without a quality QB to stretch the field vertically. I wouldn’t bend over backwards to get him unless your now missing Forte going into the playoffs.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN – Thomas had a big game this week but I am not sure you should trust him as a starter yet.  Decker is still the guy I like the most to catch one of the few deep balls from Tebow and lets face it… there aren’t many of those to go around.  I  would scoop up Thomas anyways though.  You don’t want an opponent beating you off a goofy, freak performance.

Brad Smith, WR, BUF – Buffalo’s offense isn’t what it was over the first 6 weeks of the season and it isn’t going to turn back into that team either.  They have had a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball and no Fred Jackson obviously hurts the most.  With that said, they are finally playing competitive football and I think you can expect some decent production.  Buffalo goes against San Diego next week, who teams have definitely been able to move the ball against and Smith stepped up at WR with 7 grabs on 10 targets for 72 yards.  He could make a decent flex-play if you’re desperate but either way he is a quality player to have on your bench.

Kevin Smith, RB, DET – Detroit is going to have to turn the ship around quickly to make a playoff push this season.  Jahvid Best’s absence has made a big difference and Smith was able to bring back that dimension of the offense when he is on the field.  Injured or not, if he is active next week they will use him for as long as they can.  Smith was by far the Lions’ best offensive weapon in the first half and they simply can’t afford not to use him if he puts on his helmet next week.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, MIN – He didn’t overwhelm us with numbers this week (6 catches for 90 yards) but I was impressed with his performance none-the-less.  Aromashodu saw 15 targets this week and it feels as though there is a decent connection between him and Ponder.  Percy Harvin is going to draw a lot more attention after another monster game and with the Lions for opponents next week, you can do worse in a deep league.  Detroit had a lot of trouble getting to Brees last night and if Ponder has time, Aromashodu just might have a big game.

Dump List

Jackie Battle, RB, KC – Battle’s touches and production have been down over the past few weeks and since Thomas “old man river” Jones saw more carries and Dexter McCluster was more productive, you can let Battle go for a crack at Barber if you need to.  I would still hold him as the best Chiefs running back but with the playoffs starting next week, hopefully you aren’t desperate enough to need him!

Early Doucet, WR, ARI – Looking at the stat line, you might think that Doucet didn’t touch the ball on Sunday against the Cowboys.  That is simply not true.  He caught two passes for zero yards.  Doucet has has some OK games this season but he hasn’t had double-digit fantasy points since week 1 and there are likely some guys out there with more upside. Go get Brad Smith or even Golden Tate.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO - The Saints are as healthy as ever and the backfield is very crowded.  Thomas is essentially an after-thought for Sean Peyton and should be for fantasy owners too.  Little reason to have him on your team unless there are no better options or Ingram goes down to injury.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT – He is still owned in a third of leagues, believe it or not.  I don’t think I need to justify his spot on this list.

DJ Ware, RB, NYG – Bradshaw was back and saw some use on Sunday so I expect Ware is done seeing significant work.  If it wasn’t for converting on a 2 point conversion, he would have posted a goose-egg for fantasy owners. He is simply just a handcuff at best and even then, he will be sharing carries.

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Pickups

Vincent Brown, WR, SD – I believe that Brown will be at #2 on the depth chart the rest of the season after quite an impressive performance in a game where Vincent Jackson just didn’t even seem to be trying.  That might be a bit of an exaggeration but did you see that INT at the end of the game? Whether you lose track of the ball in the lights or not, you HAVE to jump up with the defenders and try to knock it down.  Brown has quite a bit of upside here in my eyes and I think he should be picked up in all leagues.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – When Miles Austin is not active for the Cowboys, Robinson has played like a low-end WR2 or flex play.  This week he only saw 3 catches but since he scored on two of them, it was a pretty great game for fantasy owners.  His value is tied to the health of Austin but for as long as he is out, Robinson is a #2 receiver.

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – With Moreno on IR now, Ball is the clear #2 guy in Denver.  Furthermore, Willis McGahee has a hamstring issue.  With a Thursday game coming up I think it is very likely that Ball receives the lion’s share of carries or starts.  If he does, he should make for a decent flex play against a Jets defense that has been weak against the run.

Earl Bennett, WR, CHI – Bennett was the only Chicago Bear with more than one reception in their win against the Lions. He IS Cutler’s go-to-guy and should be owned in 10 team or larger leagues.  Who gets the TDs is definitely random in this offense but Bennett has considerable value, especially in a PPR format.

Damian Williams, WR, TEN – Tennessee is going to be pretty competitive in the wild card race and Nate Washington has not gotten it done on the top of the depth chart.  Williams was expected to play the role of possession receiver but has been pretty effective deep down the field lately.  There isn’t as much upside as Brown has here but owners in deep leagues should look to stash Williams on their bench for a week or two to see how this pans out.  There is a decent shot that Williams takes over as the #2 and this would help both his and Washington’s value quite a bit.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – Don’t worry much about this guy unless your hurting for someone NOW.  He will disappear when either Hardesty or Hillis comes back and he won’t be great regardless.  Don’t bend over backwards to get him by any stretch and don’t expect him to be a long-term option.

Dump List

Jabar Gaffney, WR, WAS – Rex can’t get him a decent stat line and Beck can’t either.  Santana Moss’ talent is what makes him productive, NOT the system. Dump Gaffney now for one of the many high-upside receivers on the list above!

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – None of the Saints RBs were productive vs the Falcons rush defense, which has been really good all season.  Ingram will see the bulk of the traditional carries and Sproles will still be a focus of the offense. There just isn’t much room left for Thomas to get anything done.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – I would even drop Wayne if it got you Vincent Brown.  This offense is terrible and since they remain winless, there is just no way that you can trust a Colts QB to get Wayne OR Garcon the ball.  Drop them both if there is an even remotely better option.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Still no considerable production from Williams.  I know the entire Panthers offense finally struggled in this game but Williams used to be the guy that turned them around.  Now they look to Jonathan Stewart to do the most of the running and especially on the goal line.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – I still can’t quite figure out why, but Hey-Bey appears to be 5th on the depth chart for the Raiders now.  Even Houshmandzadeh sees more playing time.  Cut your losses and move on.

Delone Carter, RB, IND – Now it looks like Donald Brown is going to be the guy when Addai can’t go… What a mess Indy’s offense is.  You can’t start any Colts running backs, so why own one?

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Pickups

Earnest Graham, RB, TB – Graham did a great job filling in for Blount this week and solidified his spot in this article today by gaining 131 yards Sunday. I expect Blount back, but even as a backup Graham has value in PPR formats. Graham is 4th in the NFL in receptions among RB’s, which puts him above Chris Johnson, Fred Jackson and Ray Rice. Take note PPR players.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Houston is not the same team without Andre Johnson but as I thought, Jacoby Jones is the guy you want to take a chance on in Johnson’s absence. This week Jones was able to haul in 4 catches on 7 targets for 73 yards and a score. This is more than acceptable for a flex play.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Clark was targeted 7 times in this game and managed 53 yards and a score. Losing a fumble kept him out of double digit points, but I think he still needs to be owned. Without Manning he is no better than a top 10 guy, but last I checked that makes him a weekly starter and a lot of people dropped him too soon.

Danario Alexander, WR, STL – I’ve made my choice for which Rams receiver I would want to start should I need to. It’s nothing more than apparent trust with Bradford either. While three different receivers were targeted exactly 10 times, Alexander hauled in 6 of them for a team-high 91 yards receiving.

Arrelious Benn, WR, TB – The Buccs made a statement when they beat the Saints in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. After being dismantled by the 49ers last week, many people (myself included) were questioning whether they would have what it takes to be a playoff contender late into the season. The answer is in: maybe. Tampa is a young and dangerous team, they beat an NFC powerhouse with a total team effort. Back up RB Earnest Graham proved he has fantasy value, especially in PPR leagues by doing a great job filling in for LeGarrette Blount. The defense intercepted Brees 3 times and Tampa put themselves on top of the NFC South. Benn has made some explosive plays and is worth a roster spot to me in some deep formats.

Dump List

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – I do a lot of warning about Raiders receivers lately. I am OK with picking one up after a big game if you have an open roster spot, but don’t not pick up someone on my pickups list to save room for any Raider receiver not named Jacoby Ford.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Sproles has been the surprise stud of the Saints’ running backs and with Ingram handling most of the traditional carries, Thomas just doesn’t have enough work left over to be much of a factor. Unless someone gets hurt, you can’t risk starting Thomas.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He’s still owned in almost half of leagues. Really? When will you guys finally give up!? It’s definitely time to drop this once great receiver.

Thomas Jones, RB, KC – Still owned in a quarter of all leagues. Jackie Battle is the guy and Jones is done. McCluster has the 3rd down back duties and I wouldn’t even start Jones if Battle went down for the season next week.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Cutler actually had time to throw this week and Knox STILL couldn’t get it done. I’m more than OK with dropping Knox at this point… I recommend it.

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This year, the elite running back talent is deeper than it has been in recent years.  While most teams are still relying on a duo or trio of backs, there is a surprising number of feature backs to choose from in round one this year. Also, don’t forget to check out my updated RB rankings.

The First Seven

As I see it this season, the first round of every draft should start with seven RBs.  Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, Ray Rice, Frank Gore and Michael Turner are all established featured weapons in their offense and are too reliable and productive to NOT take as your RB1 if you have the chance.  Minnesota is bound to lean on Peterson while McNabb gets acclimated in his new offensive scheme and even afterwards, I expect AP to be a serious contributor in the receiving game as well because without Sidney Rice the receiving talent is lack-luster at best, making their success depend almost entirely on Peterson. Chris Johnson benefited from the signing of Matthew Hasselbeck because now there is a veteran QB capable of extending drives and converting on third down.  Hasselbeck will need to be respected by defenses and this will open up running lanes for one of the fastest and most elusive playmakers in the league.  I could easily craft an argument in favor of drafting Jamaal Charles number one overall.  Logic is bound to prevail  I feel the loss of Vonta Leach creates an added incentive for the Texans to revert back to a pass-first offense and considerably hurts Foster’s value.  This still leaves him as my #4 back so obviously I am still pretty confident he can be a consistent producer in that offense.  Speaking of Vonta Leach, he is clearing rushing lanes for Ray Rice now and with McGahee in Denver, I expect Rice carrying the ball out of an I-formation will be the goal line plan this season.  In my opinion people are way off on Frank Gore’s value.  New Coach Jim Harbaugh has already said he plans to heavily feature Gore and this includes the passing game, which is significant news for any of you playing in a PPR format.  Lastly, Michael Turner gets just about all the carries in Atlanta’s offense and with Julio Jones helping Roddy White stretch the field, fewer safeties will be able to move up to help slow down Turner.  I do not expect the Falcons to use Turner any less because of the new receiving threat, teams will just be forced to respect the big play more.

The Top 20

Rashard Mendenhall sits at 8^th on my rankings and is the first player I would pass on in favor of Aaron Rodgers or Andre Johnson.  Mendenhall will see quite a few carries but with Big Ben having Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders I expect them to attempt more big plays this season.  MJD slid to 9^th because of the number of miles on his knees and the possibility of a Blaine Gabbert led offense allowing defenses to focus most of their attention to stuffing the run.  LeSean McCoy also cracks the top 10 and would receive a bump up past MJD and Mendenhall for PPR leagues.  Darren McFadden is a little risky as an RB1, but he is at 11^th because of his big play ability and lack of other options for the Raiders offense.  Ahmad Bradshaw is at 13^th after re-signing with the Giants this offseason. Jacobs is still expected to see the goal line and short yardage work, but Bradshaw is the most important player to the Giants offense.  Ryan Grant is being under ranked by most people in my opinion.  I have him at 16^th.  He was a late first round pick in a lot of leagues last season and suffered a fluke injury.  All that time off means he must be dropped some but after a slow start, I think he has a serious chance at becoming a top 10 back again by the end of the season.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is in a significant time-share with Danny Woodhead, but the Law Firm is clearly the one you want to own as he is who will see the goal line work.  Knowshon Moreno was up a few spots before Willis McGahee came into town, but will still see the majority of the carries.  Definitely not on the goal line though.

Backups and Flex Options

This is where I do not want to pick many running backs.  The guys just outside the top 20 are very risky and unproven.  The one young talent with the best chance to succeed is Shonn Greene.  He has a great line in front of him and if he plays well, LT will see a very limited role.  I have significant injury concerns about Jahvid Best and to a lesser extent Ryan Mathews, but they are 23^rd and 21^st in my ranks none-the-less. Daniel Thomas is the top ranked rookie as his physical between the tackles style will be needed and well complimented by Reggie Bush.  Beanie Wells is another injury risk but with Hightower gone, he will get first crack at the lion’s share of the workload.  I don’t expect him to play in all 16 games, but you don’t need him to in order to use him as a flex option or matchup play.  Marshawn Lynch is going to see a lot of carries this season and has a chance to be a solid RB2.  I have watched his career closely as I am a Bills fan and think he is too inconsistent to count on for much, but there was a time when he was a 1,000 yard rusher and it is possible he pulls it off again.  Pierre Thomas is a value-pick at 29^th in the rankings.  I am not a believer that Ingram will be much more than an effective goal line back this season with the awkwardness of the limited offseason and complexity of Sean Payton’s offense.

Sleepers

Frank Gore, Ryan Grant, Fred Jackson, Beanie Wells, Pierre Thomas, Mike Tolbert, Willis McGahee

Busts

Maurice Jones-Drew, Peyton Hillis, Jahvid Best, Cedric Benson, Felix Jones, Mark Ingram

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Aaron Hernandez, TE, NE – Inactive

Brett Favre, QB, MIN – Inactive

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – Active

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – Inactive

Deion Branch, WR, NE – Inactive

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, NYJ – Inactive

Marques Colston, WR, NO – Inactive

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – Active

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Inactive

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – Inactive

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ – Inactive

Sidney Rice, WR, MIN – Inactive

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – Inactive

Todd Heap, TE, BAL – Active

Wes Welker, WR, NE – Inactive

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Question 1: Asked by @NYLivinCAMind

Can’t believe im asking but: pick 3 NON-PPR: Arrelious Benn, Sidney Rice, Joe Webb(no joke), Greg Jennings or Larry Fitzgerald.

Answer

Well KJ, being playoff time… it is not a good idea to take a big risk on this decision.  It looks more and more like Rodgers is not going to be able to go in this game, so I will assume he does not for this answer.  I would start Sidney Rice, Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald.  I have seen a lot of chatter about using Joe Webb in leagues that allow him to be started as a WR.  I want to caution everyone about this: DON’T DO IT! It seems like a really good idea, but mostly because it feels like you are cheating the system.  It’s just not worth it worth the risk. In last week’s game Webb was 2 for 5 with just 8 yards passing, despite adding a 16 yard scramble we did not see enough good to think he can be a valuable fantasy-option and the playoffs is the worst time to get “cute” and make a mistake.  Same thing with Arrelious Benn, despite a big game he just hasn’t proven he can provide value on a consistent basis… maybe after this week if he does well he will be worth the risk.

Question 2: Asked by @Beave623

RB help..I have Turner, Hillis, Foster & DMac…can play 3…heard Foster having hip issue. Advice?

Answer

To my other readers, me and Clyde talked some on twitter about his lineup.  He also has Andre Johnson and Roddy White! I made a comment about trading one of these stud RBs for a WR.  In most cases, this is the right decision.  It is very difficult to make the right call when trying to decide between 3 of 4 running backs all ranked in the top 5 and trading one for a WR will help you spread out your talent to the other positions you may be weaker.  Clyde however has elite talent at every position and has no need for a trade, so on to the tough decision! I would sit Hillis here and I will be updating my rankings to show this later today or tomorrow morning.  The reason is, with Colt McCoy at QB the Browns have extra options for their offense.  McCoy was a very smart game-manager in his previous starts and I expect him to play at a high level again.  The Bengals are their opponents for the week and their secondary is what is ailing at this time and through the air is how I expect the Browns to challenge them.

Question 3: Asked by Chevis420

What 2 should I start out of these 4: Benson, Goodson, Hightower, PT. Really torn between benson and goodson…

Answer

Well, I actually like Hightower here!  It is tough to make a gutsy call and shy away from someone that got you this far, but the Panthers have the 25th ranked rush defense and are allowing 132 yards per game.  After such a dominant performance last week, I think it is reasonable to expect something in the area of 80 yards and a TD.  Wells clearly is not the x-factor that I thought he would be this season.  It has become clear that Hightower is the guy they trust the most as people try and save their jobs. You can see my answer and the answers of others on Fandemic.

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Kenny Britt, WR, TEN - Inactive
Percy Harvin, WR, MIN - Inactive
Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA - Inactive
Santana Moss, WR, WAS - Active
Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN - Active
Steve Smith, WR, NYG – Inactive
Pierre Thomas, RB, NO - Inactive
Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Inactive

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Cowboys @ Vikings

This is going to be one hell of a football game.  Both the Vikes and the Cowboys were popular Super Bowl picks and are now 1-3 struggling to stay alive for playoff consideration.  Neither team has really been able to establish a balanced offensive attack before last week.  The Cowboys have been among the worst rushing teams in the NFL but were finally able to get Felix Jones up over 100 yards last week vs the Titans on just 15 carries.  The Vikings made a high-profile trade to acquire Randy Moss to help them stretch the field and open up the passing game. On his 5th day back with his old team he was able to find the end zone in a losing effort to the Jets.  With some more time to learn the offense and scheme for their new weapon the Vikings should be able to get a big home victory to put them selves right back into the race for the NFC North.  They will be effective with an aerial assault against a secondary that looked foolish last week against the Titans.  Look for the usual studs to live up to their expectations. (Moss, Peterson, Harvin, Austin and Romo)  Stay away from Jones and Barber vs the front seven of the Vikes.

Ravens @ Patriots

I love playoff re-matches that occur in the first half of the season!  The Ravens ended the Patriots season last year and they will want their revenge.  The problem they will have won’t be the lack of Moss, but the inability of their defense to cover anyone down the field. Ray Rice had his best game of the season last week and if they are able to maintain that balance in their offense then I would expect a big game from Rice, Flacco  and Boldin.  The Patriots offense replaced Randy Moss with Deion Branch and will need to re-invent themselves.  Brady and Welker are the only fantasy players I trust against this great Ravens defense.  Many people have speculated that Welker is likely to see a lot of double coverage and his production should decrease as a result, but I don’t see that happening.  Welker is a possession receiver that runs his routes flawlessly every time.  You cannot double someone that is running a slant route because typically the double team would come from a safety and not someone lined up on the line of scrimmage.  If you put two people on Welker at the line, then you have one person on someone else and Brady will abuse this and get the deep play without Randy.  I like the Ravens in a very tough road game.

Saints @ Buccaneers

I am a sucker for divisional match-ups but with the Buccs beating the Saints last year and currently being higher in the standings, this game will show us the future of this division.  If the Saints fall this week then everyone will become a Buccaneers fan and for good reason.  Josh Freeman has been playing with poise and maturity that players his age don’t typically have.  Mike Williams rose ahead of a fellow (higher drafted) rookie, Arrelious Benn, on the depth chart and has scored in three of his first four games.  Smart money is on the Saints in this game and you can feel confident about starting any Saints you may have on your fantasy team (Thomas, Colston and Brees).  As for Buccaneers, Williams is too consistent to ignore at this point and is on his way to being a top 20 WR and if you are in a 2QB format you should be fine using Freeman as well.

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Early Games

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – Active

Steven Jackson, RB, STL – Active

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – Active

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Inactive

Late Games

Joseph Addai, RB, IND -

Austin Collie, WR, IND -

Owen Daniels, TE, HOU -

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK -

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU –

Louis Murphy, WR, OAK –

Clinton Portis, RB, WAS -

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1. Chris Johnson
2. Frank Gore
3. Arian Foster
4. Michael Turner
5. Maurice Jones-Drew
6. Cedric Benson
7. Darren McFadden
8. Rashard Mendenhall
9. Steven Jackson
10. Pierre Thomas
11. LeSean McCoy
12. Ray Rice
13. LaDanian Tomlinson
14. Ahmad Bradshaw
15. Ryan Mathews
16. Ronnie Brown
17. DeAngelo Williams
18. Beanie Wells
19. Jahvid Best
20. Matt Forte
21. Joseph Addai
22. Justin Forsett
23. Ricky Williams
24. Shonn Greene
25. Peyton Hillis
26. Brandon Jackson
27. Clinton Portis
28. Laurence Maroney
29. Tim Hightower
30. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
31. John Kuhn
32. CJ Spiller
33. Jonathan Stewart
34. Marshawn Lynch
35. Ryan Torain
36. Jerome Harrison
37. Willis McGahee
38. Donald Brown
39. Jason Snelling
40. Michael Bush
41. Sammy Morris
42. Mike Tolbert
43. Chester Taylor
44. Brandon Jacobs
45. Darren Sproles
46. Rashad Jennings
47. Fred Jackson
48. Bernard Scott
49. Correll Buckhalter
50. Javon Ringer

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