Jacksonville Jaguars undrafted rookie and largely undrafted fantasy football commodity James Robinson was the player that appeared on the most fantasy football playoff rosters in 2020. And it makes sense, too, considering, a) he was undrafted frequently, or acquired using a very late draft pick and, b) he is currently ranked the No. 4 running back in all of fantasy football, ahead of names like Aaron Jones, Josh Jacobs and Nick Chubb.
But in Week 15, a large percentage of playoff teams watched the player who got them to that point leave his matchup with the Ravens after suffering an ankle injury. And though his status for Week 16 is nowhere near determined, it still set a panic through the fantasy football community.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I do what I do. Even in the fantasy championship, featuring the two most successful and stacked (and/or lucky) rosters in the league, team owners might even need to desperately make a waiver wire pickup at the end of the year in order to see their wallets/Venmos/bank accounts stuffed with a bit more cash.
And unlike other weeks of this column, where I consider the long-term impact of each acquisition, this... is it. It's one and done. You play 'em this week, hope for the best, and it doesn't matter what else happens. Drop guys you've wanted to keep the whole year for ones who maybe, just maybe, could be a starter in Week 16. Pick up multiple defenses and agonize over which to play. And choose carefully, because these are the choices that separate winners from runner-ups.
All players owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues. All stats retrieved from Fantasy Pros and Pro Football Reference.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts' speed is on display against the Cardinals.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Yahoo: 39% owned | ESPN: 32%
Who'd a thunk it? The man who never expected to see the field in 2020, let alone 2021, has now been thrust into a massive role and is performing better than just about anyone would have expected. He was not only the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy football in Week 15 against the Cardinals but the highest-scoring player. Period. 338 yards, three passing touchdowns, 63 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and 37.82 fantasy points later, Hurts established himself as a legitimate fantasy weapon.
And if the fantasy fairy tale couldn't get any better... Hurts gets the Swiss cheese defense of the Dallas Cowboys in a must-win divisional matchup for Philly. Let's be real. You're not going to start him over guys like Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson in the fantasy championship. But how many better options truly are there?
Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard rushes past the 49ers' defensive line.(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Yahoo: 45% owned | ESPN: 22% owned
If you had been watching the Cowboys the past few weeks and wondering who was truly the more effective running back — Ezekiel Elliott or Tony Pollard — you weren't alone. But a surprising scratch to Elliott left us not wondering whether or not Pollard was better, but scrambling to make sure he was available on the waiver wire so that we could use him in our championships.
Granted, we don't know for sure that Elliott will be inactive, and seeing as the Cowboys still have a fighting chance to win the NFC East and that Zeke is nearing the 1,000-yard boundary, he may do everything in his power to suit up and take one home for Dallas against the division rival Eagles. But if he can't go — and this isn't news we'll know by the time your FAAB submission for Pollard will have been decided — you'll really want Pollard at your disposal.
Salvon Ahmed, Miami Dolphins
Salvon Ahmed stumbles for the score against the Patriots.(Mark Brown/Getty Images)Yahoo: 34% owned | ESPN: 23%
Let's say hello to our old waiver wire friend Salvon Ahmed, who returned from a three-week absence and went off for 127 total yards and a touchdown against the Patriots. There's one key factoid to monitor here, and that's the status of fellow running back Myles Gaskin, who has missed the past two weeks on the COVID-19/Reserve list. He will be eligible to return to play should he clear all protocols and feel well enough, but that's something we may not know by Wednesday morning when waiver moves will need to have been submitted. Thus, if Ahmed is available, you should jump on him with all the FAAB you've got, seeing as he just torched the Patriots defense and posted top-ten numbers at his position and will face an even more torchable defense in Week 16 in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons
Russell Gage attempts to shrug off a tackle against the Buccaneers.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Yahoo: 24% owned | ESPN: 21% owned
For the third and final suggestion, let's give the wide receiver position a little bit of love and roll with Russell Gage of the Atlanta Falcons. Over the past five weeks, Gage has averaged over 8 targets per game from Matt Ryan, in large part due to the fact that Julio Jones has been sidelined for most of that stint. There's a very real chance that pattern continues in Week 16, though Julio says he wants to get back on the field, but that will likely be a decision made much later in the week, and with nothing to play for, it might not be worth the team risking his health. What the team will do for sure in Week 16 is throw the ball a ton to keep up with the high-octane offense of the Kansas City Chiefs, putting Gage in a great position for a lot of work. He's sneakily the No. 9 wide receiver in fantasy football over the past three weeks but is fairly minimally owned as you can see above. Pick him up and plug him in for the ship if you're needy at the WR position.
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