Five Players to Meet on your way to the Fantasy Playoffs.
Want to win your fantasy football league? Okay, dumb frickin' question. Who doesn't want to win? Now is the time to put your playoff team together. This is somewhat like your regular team but your playoff team are the players who might succeed in the last few weeks of the season... the fantasy football playoffs. Some may be on your team... some might not. This is the time to trade for them. Yes, some of these trades may not work in your favor, at least on paper. And some might bring the ire of the rest of the league tumbling on your head (remember, death threats are only a concern if they know where you live). But winners make bold moves and losers watch their team crumple as if in a slow motion car wreck. At the end they wonder why they lost and the owner who was 8-6, got into the playoffs on a tie-breaker, then kicked everyone's butt with a team that he traded for a couple weeks back is cashing the big check.
With that in mind, here are five players I'd take a serious look at (good and bad) for the fantasy playoffs:
Drew Brees - New England and Indy have tougher passing schedules down the stretch and the possibility of them pulling Brady or Manning for a game sits like the Sword of Damocles (my apologies to Damo if I spelled his name wrong) over their heads. Brees has a very neutral schedule but he does have a passing game that's on fire and a team that needs to win every game. Move Brady of Manning for Brees and something else... you like the way that looks.
Brian Westbrook - Little Big Man of the Eagles has a big, bad rushing schedule... really bad. And the QB sucks rocks right now, too. Not that Westbrook is all about the rushing yards but if they can't get rushing yards they will be throwing the ball downfield a lot more. He does catch a lot of passes but we'd be careful with him. Is Reggie Bush available? Similar players, but Reggie has a nice schedule and his team is on the move. And you'll likely get a throw-in.
Anquan Boldin - Before we talk Boldin, let's shed some crocodile tears for all the people that drafted Matt Leinart. Okay, I'm done. The Cardinals have a great passing schedule the rest of the way, especially running up to the playoffs. The schedule during the playoffs isn't that great, it's not bad, just not Teri Hatcher spectacular. Boldin has one issue: Kurt Warner. Warner, god-squading QB with the talky wife is more brittle than your great grandma off her calcium pills. If Kurt plays, Boldin will come up big.
Tony Gonzalez - Rejuvenated, Gonzo has had a great year and he plays some very weak defenses, including Denver twice (mmmmm... Denver defense). The QB position is a little sketchy but the Chiefs are missing Larry Johnson meaning the air attack will have to get further in gear. Expect to see Gonzo, likely in his last hurrah, to slam a few more footballs over the goalposts in the coming weeks.
Mason Crosby - Have to love good kickers on good teams. And really love them on teams that have good defenses. Good defenses mean shorter fields, which means more opportunities to score. More opportunities to score means more opportunities to score. Crosby scores. This doesn't mean you go out of your way to trade for a kicker but if you can get him as a throw-in or pick him up on waivers... sweet. Oh yeah, those thinking that he plays in bad weather, the Packers have one home game in their last five and two dome games.
There are plenty of other players you should consider grabbing or dumping. Take the appropriate action on these five and revel in the joy that is fantasy football success.
