Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

The fantasy playoffs are in full swing, and hopefully your team is still alive and kicking. If you didn’t make it this far, you can commiserate with Mike and figure out what to do next. For the rest of us, we have to replace our Daltons, Blounts and Yeldons and move on to week 15.

Philip Rivers stands out this week as a bounce back prospect in 2 QB leagues. If only for pride, the Chargers should be able to take care of business at home against Miami, a team that can’t get much right at all.

The flipside of that same coin, or game, if you will, is Ryan Tannehill. Up against one of the worst passing defenses in the league last week, he only managed 236 yds and 1 TD. Keep him on your bench if you have any hopes of playing in week 16.

Danny Woodhead is a sneaky flex start this week, based on the terrible Miami rushing defense. Woodhead should be able to gain at least 100 yards from scrimmage and will find the end zone against a bad Dolphins defense.

Shaun Draughn is a guy who keeps finding himself high up in the ECR (expert consensus rankings), but doesn’t produce much at all. In a great matchup last week in Cleveland, he had a measly 43 rush yards. Keep him on the bench this week against the Bengals.

My numbers say that you should start a guy like Travis Benjamin this week as a low-end WR3, but I’m just going to remind everyone that that game will have Manziel facing the Seahawks defense in Seattle. Don’t bother starting any Browns unless you have to. Stick to your guns and the guys who got you there!

Make sure that John Brown finds his way into your lineup. He’s fully healthy again and the Cardinals defense has been one of the most consistent in the league all year. It doesn’t hurt that they play the Eagles this week, the team that gives up the most points to opposing WR’s.

We're right into the thick of the fantasy playoffs now. If you've had a bye week, your rest is over and it's time to play! If you won last week, congratulations, but you need to win two more games before we're all impressed! This week, make sure you keep up to date on the best waiver wire pickups as well as the news and updates from around the league.

 This week, both Dave and I agree that Philip Rivers needs to probably ride your bench, unless you have no other options. If you need a fill-in this week at RB, look at Kenneth Farrow who should get the start of Melvin Gordon can't play. Also, keep an eye on AJ Green - if he starts, you probably want him helping you win playoff games. Good luck!

Week 12 is just around the corner, which means that there are precious few weeks left (2 in most leagues!) to make or solidify your place in the fantasy playoffs. Every decision at this point could be your most important! Listen to or watch the Fantasy Finish Line podcast to stay on top of the latest news and analysis - we broadcast live on YouTube weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm CT.

Guys that jump out to me this week to overperform expectations: Philip Rivers, Devin Singletary, Brandin Cooks, Tyler Eifert, and the Green Bay Packers.

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the season, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player analysis. Have any specific lineup questions? Feel free to tweet us @drinkfive with any of your questions or comments!

Here we go! For many leagues, this is the last week of the regular season. Make it or break it time! This week, there are a few newcomers to the rankings, and some guys that I expect to perform at a higher level than other fantasy football experts are: Philip Rivers, Tarik Cohen, Kenny Golladay, and Allen Robinson. Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck in Week 13 and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!