I cannot believe we are almost done with our fantasy season. All the scouting, drafting, and trading you have done to this point is all for this critical part of the year. Unfortunately, as always, injuries have complicated things. In the past week we have had guys like Justin Herbert, Josh Jacobs, and Nico Collins go down. Guys you have depended on week-to-week to get you to this point. Now completely unavailable. If you play in leagues with no trade deadlines, you can still make some moves to remedy this situation at the back end of the season. Here are some guys that can help fill those holes.
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR)
I mentioned Stafford in the Week 11 edition of the article and my reasoning remains the same. The mention of poor touchdown efficiency has positively regressed the last few weeks with Stafford throwing 10 TDs in the past three games. His schedule down the stretch remains pretty good with games against the Commanders and Saints at home, followed up by the Giants on the road. There is a real chance that the Rams have a new starting quarterback at some point but that is baked into his Dynasty value and perhaps gives us a bit more of a discount. If he is still starting and playing well next season then this value is gonna pay dividends into next season.
 Tyrod Taylor (QB – NYG)
Taylor is now off the IR and costing someone in your league a roster spot. There is a chance that Tommy DeVito has earned the starting job for the conclusion of the season, but that risk is baked into his price tag similar to the risks with Stafford for next season. While a bit older, Taylor has still shown a willingness to run, logging at least 20 yards on the ground in every game that he played all the snaps. Someone may be willing to trade him for literally anything, and it could be useful if your QB2 goes down.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
I am not sure we will ever get the same consistency out of Barkley we had in his rookie year, but he still has a single-game upside as high as any back in football. The floor is held up a bit by his pass-catching work, receiving at least 3 targets in every game this season that he has played, but has still had a few clunkers. It will be tough to pry him off another playoff team so this transaction may only occur if the Barkley manager of that league is eliminated from the playoffs but certainly still worth a shot.
Ezekiel Elliott (RB – NE)
Like every season, there is someone we didn’t expect to need down the stretch getting work due to an injury. In the first week with Rhamondre Stevenson out with injury, Zeke managed to put up numbers good enough for RB1 in PPR scoring. Aided by his 7 receptions on 8 targets, he was able to put together a 27-point outing. Someone in your league will be willing to move off of him. A friend of mine was able to pull off a trade for Zeke using two future-round picks. RB1 upside for the cost of two 4ths is obscene.
Any Handcuff RB, especially for your RB1/2
At this point in the season, the best depth at running back is your running back’s direct backup if there is an obvious backup. Some of these guys may be cheap like Matt Breida or D’Ernest Johnson while others may cost more for future implied value like Tyjae Spears or Chase Brown. Try to get the cheap veterans as throw-ins on trades and use younger ones with more value instead of 2nds as targets for the guys you are selling. While your RB’s backup is preferred, you would be surprised how often you can piece together a running back room out of guys filling in. I won a championship last year in a high-dollar league where I had to play D’Onta Foreman in my flex. It can get gross out there.Â
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN)
While he may not have the floor he had in the past, Nuk Hopkins still has a massive ceiling, especially since Billy Jeans (Will Levis) has taken over as the starting quarterback. If you are a bit of an underdog in the playoffs as it is, I love taking the chance on high-ceiling guys like DeAndre Hopkins that give you a puncher’s chance against some of the more loaded teams in your Dynasty playoffs. Play to win, not to avoid losing.
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
While the last few weeks have been Deebo weeks, Samuel has still put up some very respectable finishes and has the same kind of ceiling thanks to being in the most fantasy-friendly offense in football. While Week 16 might be against a tough Ravens defense, the bookends of that matchup include the Cardinals and the Commanders, two defenses that do not have the horses to keep up with the San Francisco offense.Â
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – BAL)
I thought early in the season that the best days for OBJ were in his past, while that still may be true, he does have a bit left in the tank still. In the last 5 weeks, he has managed to get double-digit fantasy points in 4 of those games. He even showed some upside with a 19.7 FPTS performance last week against the Los Angeles Rams. Similar to some of the running backs, somebody in your league has maybe wanted to get out from under him for a while so he may be able to be yours for dirt cheap. His remaining schedule is also fantasy (@ JAC, @ SF, vs. MIA)
Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)
Cooks is a cheap option that may not have the highest floor. You may get a performance like last week out of Cooks where if he perhaps got that touchdown where he went down at the 1-yard line, you may feel differently about his production so far. His game log is wild with 1.7 FPTS right above 32.3 FPTS but sometimes you gotta take some chances to give yourself a shot at winning the whole thing. If you have better options then Cooks is likely not necessary but if you are desperate for one more piece to get through the back end of the season, Cooks does have some big game upside in his bag.
Tight End
Darren Waller (TE – NYG)
Similar to his teammate Tyrod Taylor, someone may be willing to trade him just to keep the roster spot they are losing from him coming off of the IR. Tight end is a complete mess so give me the guy with a bit of touchdown upside with his frame that I can likely pick up for either a 3rd or a 4th round pick. I have already shown I am willing to take on some risk for the upside, that philosophy is really in place at the tight end position where things are swingy week to week anyway unless you have Travis Kelce.
I wish you all good luck through your fantasy playoffs. It has been fun bringing our members the best Vet Values every other week to help you all bring home championships. I hope you have found this season entertaining and helpful throughout your fantasy season. Enjoy these last few weeks before we begin our Dynasty offseason!
Thanks so much for reading. If you want to discuss more, you can reach me on Twitter. You can find me @DougHarrelson on there. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our Dynasty Football Factory Membership to get all things Dynasty, DFS, Sports Betting, Devy, and IDP. Annual Subscribers also get access to our discord server where you can get access to our entire staff!
