Here are a list of players to consider adding as you look ahead to the fantasy football playoffs!
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K.J. Osborn (WR – MIN): 23.0% Rostered
Osborn notched his highest snap count of the season in Week 13 (92%) and should be in weekly consideration as a flex play as long as Adam Thielen is inactive. Even when he’s the number three option, Osborn has proven he can flash fantasy value and is averaging 4.5 targets per game.
Ronald Jones (RB – TB): 20.6% Rostered
I am baffled Jones is rostered in fewer than a quarter to ESPN leagues. No, he has never been worthy of a start, but neither were guys such as Alexander Mattison or Chuba Hubbard … until they were. Jones is a textbook handcuff and needs to be rostered. This season, in games where Jones has taken more than one carry, he has averaged fewer than four yards per carry just twice. The Buccaneers are an offense capable of making nearly any running back in the league fantasy-relevant, and if Leonard Fournette goes down, Jones could be your ticket to a fantasy championship.
Kene Nwangwu (RB – MIN): 1.6% Rostered
This is a speculative addition, as Dalvin Cook‘s return from a dislocated shoulder appears to be coming sooner rather than later. However, Nwangwu has proven he’s immensely talented with the football in his hands as a kick returner. I’d be shocked if the Vikings didn’t want to involve their breakout rookie a bit more as the season winds down. If either Cook or Mattison miss time, Nwangwu could be a boom-or-bust flex play. If both of them miss a game or the Vikings decide they want to spare their top two RBs injuries in the last four weeks, he’s in RB1/RB2 territory.
Tre’Quan Smith (WR – NO): 12.4% Rostered
Let’s call last weekend the training wheels game for Saints quarterback Taysom Hill. Smith was tied for the second-most targets on the team with seven but only hauled in two for 15 yards. Per the FantasyPros Strength of Schedule tool, the Saints have the fourth-easiest remaining schedule for wide receiver matchups. Smith hasn’t seen fewer than five targets in each of his last four games, giving him a pretty solid floor, something extremely valuable if you’re short-handed in the playoffs.
Matt Prater (K – ARI): 41.8% Rostered
A kicker?! What?! A kicker?! Well, we’re talking about the fantasy playoffs, baby and you need an edge anywhere you can find it. Weeks 15-17, Prater plays at Detroit (indoors) at home in Arizona (weather usually not a factor) and at Dallas (indoors). As someone who lost by ONE point last week because I rolled out Tyler Bass kicking into a monsoon, I know the importance of minimizing risk. Prater is kicking for one of the NFL’s best offenses in ideal weather conditions. Go scoop him up.
Sony Michel (RB – LAR): 57% Rostered
Need I say much more here? After last weekend’s Darrell-Henderson-is-active-wink-wink game, fantasy managers should have run to the waiver wire if Michel wasn’t already rostered. Michel has the highest roster exposure of anyone on this list, so I don’t anticipate his being readily available, but this is a reminder to do your due diligence when it comes to handcuffing running backs.
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