It's crunch time. Very little time to turn things around, and we're all looking to make one final push to try to finish strong.
That's right - it's playoff time for fantasy footballers. Time to stop talking to friends for two weeks, put your life on hold and gear your focus on finishing numero uno. I hope your mom will understand if you forget to call her, as you will be too busy checking and rechecking your lineup.
This is the time of year when boys become men and men become boys. Not sure how that works, but it's the time of year when anything can happen.
I'll put it this way: there's better chance that I will wake up to the smell of burnt toast Saturday morning than you have of getting all your players to outscore their projections.
So here's my advice for the playoffs:
Time to stick with the studs
It's not the time to get risky with sleeper picks, so go with the guys who know how to get it done, unless his name is Larry Fitzgerald. At this point, only God knows who will be throwing him the ball. He's got dumb and dumber on his bench, and who knows if it'll be Beavis or Butthead playing quarterback this week.
Keeping in contention
It's a pretty basic concept: if a team is in a dogfight for a playoff spot, you can bet your 5-dollar footlong your guy will play with heart and has a better shot at having a great game. Conversely, you get a team like the Falcons who are locked in, players like Matt Ryan and Michael Turner could see decreased snaps, even in week 16. Unfortunately, that is championship week for many.
Everybody's poop smells
This is probably the best advice my father ever gave me. No matter how awesome someone seems, whether it be Carrie Underwood or Tom Brady, they don't poop flowers. It smells like the rest of ours. They are human, too. So just beware that in the playoffs, you might have someone who stinks a little that week. That's the way it goes.
If you are in need of a spot, here are some guys who might be available, but don't get risky with these guys.
DeAngelo Williams(RB/CAR) - Confidence Rating: 8/13
I know he's been unreliable lately. Actually, all year. But going against the Falcons this week, I'm going to be bold and say they are a little relaxed, having already locked up the division. Also, when Carolina loses, the games have actually been really close. This gives Williams more opportunities to run late in the game.
Montell Owens(RB/JAC) - C.R.: 7/13
The Jags are a battered team. Keep updated the health status of MJD and Jennings', but Owens will probably get the nod this week. And if you are desperate for an RB, he's got some potential, and I almost guarantee he's available in your league.
Chris Givens(WR/STL) - C.R.: 7.8ish/13
Amendola didn't play last week, and Givens had a good game with Bradford. I don't think Amendola is a go for this week, so Givens and Bradford have only had more time to work as a primary combo. Expect his effectiveness to go up this week. Again, highly available in leagues.
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