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This is the week fantasy football managers are either in the playoffs or planning for their fantasy basketball drafts.
Congratulations if you made your fantasy football league’s playoffs! Now just make sure you do not become the laughingstock of the league because you played a guy who sat while someone on your bench or your league’s waiver wire would have helped you advance to the title game. You need a pivot play at every position of your fantasy lineup for this week.
Without further ado, here are my pivot plays and post-waiver pickups for Week 15 --- and the questionable superstars who you might need to replace:
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Potential Pivot Plays for Fantasy Lineups
If Los Angeles’ Keenan Allen (hamstring) is not ready to give it a go on Thursday night, you could go with…
Jalen Guyton (LAC, WR) at LV
Philip Rivers is not with the Chargers anymore, but that has not helped their pass catchers stay any healthier. It always seems like Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, or whomever the Chargers trot out has a penchant of showing up as “questionable” on the weekly injury report. That is the case again this Thursday as both Allen and Williams are question marks for their game against the Raiders.
Guyton has only averaged three targets per game this year, but he is averaging 18 yards per catch and has a better TD-to-reception ratio than Allen, Williams or Henry. Guyton will run routes against a Las Vegas defense missing four starters and that is ranked 25th against the pass this season. If Allen is out, pick up and play Guyton and hope he pulls a Mike Trout and hits a couple home runs.
If San Francisco’s Raheem Mostert (ankle) cannot be cleared in time for Sunday’s game, you could go with…
Jeff Wilson Jr. (SF, RB) at DAL
Speaking of injury-prone factions, the 49ers have had more injured running backs than healthy ones all season long. Mostert has been the poster child for the backfield’s numerous injuries as he has dealt with seemingly 100 himself this year. Even though San Fran has veterans Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman ready to go, Wilson has been the one as of late getting the snaps and touches when Mostert is hurt.
Wilson is the perfect red-zone runner. He puts his helmet down, squares his shoulders and plows ahead until he is brought down, even though he does not have a big body. Wilson has five rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown on the year and gets to run versus the worst run defense in football when he takes on Dallas. Pick up Wilson if Mostert cannot play, but just know that head coach Kyle Shanahan is fickle with his RB rotations. One or two bad series and Wilson might be benched for Coleman for the rest of the game.
If Atlanta’s Julio Jones (ankle) misses another game on Sunday, you could go with…
Russell Gage (ATL, WR) vs. TB
Gage has gotten more work and targets than ever in 2020 due to Jones and top-target teammate Calvin Ridley missing time with their fair share of injuries throughout the campaign. The undersized receiver has parlayed his increased role into better fantasy numbers lately, catching 19 passes for 225 yards and one score over his past four contests.
Tampa Bay was defending the pass pretty well during the early part of the season, but their young secondary has been slumping in recent weeks and has been victimized for over 800 passing yards combined in Weeks 12 and 13 by Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles’ Jared Goff. Gage also has done well against Tampa Bay as his two best reception and yardage efforts of 2019 came against the Bucs. Gage should have another solid game against his division rival this weekend if Jones is sidelined again.
If New York’s Daniel Jones (hamstring) is not healthy enough to go on Sunday, you could go with…
Gardner Minshew (JAC, QB) at BAL
Minshew is back under center heading into Week 15, which only means good fantasy-related things for his skilled position players. I know it is difficult for fantasy managers to trust Minshew in a big spot when he fails and flops as often as his prevails and prospers, but he is probably the best option at quarterback on waiver wires this late in the season. And it was not like Minshew was as horrible as Akili Smith when he was benched. He had a 14-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio and was averaging 250 passing yards per game.
You would think Baltimore’s pass defense would be more stout considering they have Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith at cornerback. It is ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL, however, and just allowed Baker Mayfield to rip them apart for 343 yards and two touchdown tosses. In a game where Jacksonville will likely be trailing in the second half, Minshew will throw lots of passes late and rack up meaningless yards that will not be meaningless for fantasy managers. Bet on Minshew and his moustache this weekend.
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