RADIO
Michael Florio's sneaky fantasy football starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 17. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.
Championship week is here! Whether you start preparing for your drafts in June, July, or January (for you sickos) – this is the week you dream of! You envision yourself playing and winning a fantasy title. But before you can win it all, you have to get there. And if you are still playing, that part is complete. Now all that is left is to go out and win the damn thing.
Hopefully, you are not in need of many sneaky start or pivot options, but if you are, you know we got you covered here at RotoBaller. That said, do not get too cute and start someone listed in this article over someone you have been starting each week. People tend to overthink things this time of year and it can cost them.
And before we fully get into the pivot options, I just want to thank everyone who read along this season! I hope this article provided some help for your fantasy teams and some entertainment for your week. That is the reason I write it each and every week and I would not have that opportunity if it wasn't for you – the reader. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this dream job of mine possible.
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Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If QBs Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa don’t play, you can pivot to…
Daniel Jones has been playing well as of late. Last week, he threw for 334 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 34. The running aspect has been nothing new, as Dimes has been adding value with his legs all season long. Since Week 10, he has topped 17 fantasy points in all but two games. The risk is that the Giants jump out early and just ride Saquon Barkley against a helpless Colts team. But given his recent play, Jones is certainly in play as a streaming option this week.
Brock Purdy has averaged 18 fantasy PPG in his three starts this season. He has scored at least 15.96 in each start, showing that he brings a reliable floor. But this week could be a week when he shows his upside as he faces the Raiders, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy PPG to QBs this season (18.86). If you are streaming QBs this week, you can do a whole lot worse than Purdy.
Mike White is once again starting for the Jets and he has a lot to prove in these final two games as he is a free agent at the end of the year. White scored 24.8 and 17.5 fantasy points in his first two starts for the Jets before getting injured in his third. Now, he gets a Seahawks defense that is in the top third in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to QBs. He is in play as a pivot option this week. After these three options, Teddy Bridgewater would be next in line as the top streamer.
Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If RBs Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Miles Sanders, Latavius Murray, and Antonio Gibson don’t play, you can pivot to…
Tyler Allgeier played nearly 60% of the snaps last week with 18 carries and five targets while going for nearly 120 yards and a touchdown. Allgeier was the preferred play over Cordarrelle Patterson when they split work, as he was the far more explosive runner. Now he is just the option to firmly trust here. Especially since he gets the Cardinals, who have allowed 26.5 fantasy PPG, the fifth-most in the NFL.
Zack Moss played 69 percent of the snaps last week, finishing with 70 yards on 12 carries and one target. The week prior, Moss played 67 percent of the snaps with 24 carries and one target. Moss is clearly the Colts' lead back now with Jonathan Taylor out. This is about the volume, but the matchup isn’t scary as the Giants rank exactly middle of the pack against the run. Moss is a strong pivot option.
James Cook has been up and down usage-wise, but he has consistently played around 40 percent of the snaps as of late. Last week, he carried the ball 11 times for 99 yards and a touchdown while seeing two targets in the passing game. He is more of a boom-or-bust option, but a lot of points should be scored in this one. I anticipate the Bills will try to get Cook going, as he is their most explosive option in the backfield. He doesn’t bring a safe floor, but he brings an upside.
Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If WRs Tee Higgins, Chris Olave, and Christian Watson don’t play, you can pivot to…
D.J. Chark scored 14.8 fantasy points last week, going for 108 yards. He has topped 90 yards and 14 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He doesn’t bring the safest floor, but he brings the upside. He faces the Bears, who are just outside the top 10 in fantasy PPG allowed to receivers. Plus, the Lions are home where they have been much better. He is a strong streaming option.
Hunter Renfrow is coming off his best game of the season, where he scored a touchdown and finished with 14.2 fantasy points. The Niners are an elite defense, but if there is a weakness, it is against receivers. The Niners have allowed the fifth-most yards to slot receivers and are in the top 10 in touchdowns allowed as well. Additionally, they have allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to receivers in general (36.0). He was more appealing with Derek Carr, but he remains in play as a deeper streaming option.
Jahan Dotson has scored a touchdown in three straight games. He has at least six targets in all of them and nine in two. Plus, he has topped 70 yards in each of his last two games. He also has fared better with Carson Wentz. He’s averaged 10.3 fantasy PPG with Taylor Heinicke compared to 13.1 per game with Wentz. While Curtis Samuel gets the biggest boost here, Dotson remains in play as a high-upside pivot option.
Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James are both in play for those who are in need. Hodgins saw 11 targets last week, catching eight of them for 89 yards and a score. He has at least six targets in three of his last four games. James caught eight of his 12 targets last week for 90 yards. He has seen at least nine targets in two of his last three games. These are deeper options for sure, but if you are looking for a plug-and-play starter off the waiver wire, the GMen got you covered.
Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If TE Hayden Hurst doesn’t play, you can pivot to…
Juwan Johnson may have busted last week, but do not forget how reliable he was averaging nearly 15 fantasy PPG in his seven prior games. He had scored seven touchdowns in that span and is always a threat to score. The Eagles are a tough matchup, but Johnson is a high-upside tight end play.
Greg Dulcich saw eight targets, catching four of them for 38 yards and a touchdown last week. He has now seen eight targets in the last three games that Russell Wilson has played. Now he gets the Chiefs, and there is a very strong chance the Broncos will be chasing points. That should once again lead to volume for Dulcich. He is very much in play as a streaming option this week.
Hunter Henry has shown us he can be useful in the right matchups and that is exactly what he gets this week in Miami. The Dolphins have allowed the third-most fantasy PPG to tight ends (15.4). If you are in need of grabbing a tight end off the waiver wire to start, Henry is in play.
Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.
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