Welcome to the Holiday Championship Edition of Dreamers & Streamers! If you are reading this it’s likely because you are competing for a championship in your fantasy football league, or trying to finish strong in a consolation matchup. As always, we’ll offer up some spot starters for this all important week in addition to cheap plays to consider in your DFS lineups. By now you know to play Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery, so we will focus on the other positions: quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end. Your readership this season has been greatly appreciated, but remember that the PlayerProfiler party don’t stop during the offseason. Now, let’s get that paper!
Quarterback
Matt Barkley (5% Y!, 2.5% ESPN) – Over the last six games, Washington has allowed five different quarterbacks (including Sam Bradford) to throw for 300 or more yards against them. Five scored multiple touchdowns, if you include a rushing score. Four attempted 40 or more passes.
Matt Barkley has now made four consecutive starts. Two of those games resulted in a lot of passes: 54 attempts in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans, 43 attempts last week against the Green Bay Packers. Both contests also resulted in multiple touchdowns and multiple turnovers from Barkley. Despite his issues giving the football away, Barkley is setup nicely for another shootout in which the pass volume cup will runneth over.
Last year’s road game against the Rams marked the tipping point for a well deserved benching of Colin Kaepernick (33% Y!, 35% ESPN), due in large part to this embarrassing moment. Kaepernick is off the radar for many after cooling off considerably following a strong month of fantasy production in November. He now heads to Los Angeles to face a defense that has allowed three or more passing touchdowns in three of the last four weeks. Oddly enough, the one QB that didn’t crushed the Rams was Tom Brady.
Wide Receiver
Malcolm Mitchell (50% Y!, 49% ESPN) & Chris Hogan (19% Y!, 24% ESPN) – Brady is attempting passes against the New York Jets and two of his targets are available in a lot of leagues.
Pierre Garcon (47% Y!, 47% ESPN) – 70+ receiving yards and/or a touchdown in seven of his last 10 games.
Tyler Lockett Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Tyler Lockett (47% Y!, 34% ESPN) – Lockett is finally starting to past Jermaine Kearse as Seattle’s No. 2 wideout, something that would have likely happened a lot sooner had Lockett been healthy all year. He’s now been targeted six or more times in five of the last six games, and is coming off a career-high 130 receiving yards. Arizona has been lit up by Dolphins and Saints wide receivers over the last two weeks.
Dontrelle Inman (41% Y!, 47% ESPN) – Inman’s last four game: 26 targets, 19 receptions, 307 yards, 3 TDs, meanwhile Tyrell Williams posted 32 targets, 16 receptions, 205 yards, and 2 TDs over that same period.
Corey Coleman (40% Y!, 33% ESPN) – Terrelle Pryor is playing with ligament damage in one of his fingers and set to lock up with Casey Hayward — our No. 10 cornerback — fresh off his domination of Amari Cooper. Strictly a GPP play as Coleman has only managed six receptions for 50 yards with Robert Griffin III as the quarterback.
Cameron Meredith Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Cameron Meredith (40% Y!, 28% ESPN) – The quintessential PlayerProfiler darling of 2016 produces when Jay Cutler is not the quarterback for the Chicago Bears. Averaging 8.5 targets in Barkley’s four starts. Josh Norman is set to tangle with Alshon Jeffery on the outside while Meredith continues to be the best safety valve for Chicago in the slot.
Quincy Enunwa (28% Y!, 34% ESPN) & Robby Anderson (9% Y!, 9% ESPN) – New England can be beat in the slot, which Enunwa did in Week 12. He caught all five of his targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Anderson was non-factor in that game but has since come to life, rekindling his preseason spark with Bryce Petty. Anderson’s last three games: 29 targets, 14 receptions, 240 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Adam Thielen (28% Y!, 25% ESPN) – Knocked out early into last week’s contest with a neck injury and evaluated for a concussion. Practiced in full all this week. Green Bay is one of the friendliest fantasy pass defenses around, having allowed 70+ yards to 13 different wide receivers this year.
Ted Ginn Jr. (29% Y!, 23% ESPN) – Ginn has scored four touchdowns over the last five games.
Eli Rogers (9% Y!, 11% ESPN) – Ladarius Green is dealing with a concussion and trending toward sitting out this week. His absence should reinstall Rogers as the secondary target. Six targets, five receptions, 75 yards, and a touchdown last week.
Jeremy Kerley (9% Y!, 8% ESPN) – The lone survivor among San Francisco pass catchers. Quinton Patton (foot) and Torrey Smith (concussion) have both been placed on IR one week after Vance McDonald (shoulder) was also shutdown for the season.
Tight End
Hunter Henry (28% Y!, 35% ESPN) – Henry is shutting down the Antonio Gates touchdown record narrative with four touchdowns over the last five games.
Vernon Davis Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Vernon Davis (24% Y!, 39% ESPN) – It made no sense for Washington to play Jordan Reed (shoulder) last week and they should be smart enough to rest him against Chicago. Last week, the Bears gave up 85 yards to Jared Cook. Assuming Davis is indeed the starter, he’s a terrific value in DFS for an ugly main slate for the tight end position.
Charles Clay (16% Y!, 14% ESPN) – His best two games of the season have come since missing Week 13 for the birth of his child. Dennis Pitta scored his only two touchdowns of the season when he faced Miami in Week 13.
