Holidays are here..Sing with me now!!
On the fifth day of Christmas, fantasy gave to me..
Five champion rings..
400 yards on the Seabirds,
three picks by Brady...
two Pitta touchdowns..
and 200 yards from AP!
Back again with Part 2 of our fantasy playoff Most Valuable Players receivers edition. The guys below found it in their hearts not to be Scrooges during the fantasy football playoff run and they represent the dreams of sugar plums dancing and all that good stuff for fantasy diehards. Enjoy and indulge the following...
WR- Michael Crabtree (Average first 12 games: 7) (Average Weeks 13-15: 14.3)
- No Coal Under This 'Tree
Since the 49ers don Christmas red, we'll start with them first. That Jim Harbaugh is a pretty smart guy. He didn’t draft Michael Crabtree but he did draft Colin Kaeparnick; and the Kaeparnick-to-Crabtree show has been fun to watch for fantasy owners of both players. Crabtree has had pedestrian production tied to the Alex Smith wagon and the up-and-down seasons of Vernon Davis, the 49ers most potent aerial threat. Crabtree has made himself the preferred option in the 49ers downfield-leaning offense. A showdown with division rival Seattle awaits, making him a decent WR2 play, considering he’s had 36 targets the last three and Seattle at home, will put points up. Their corners play a physical style of defense that will force this combo to be creative in getting Crabtree open seeing how he’s not a burner.
WR- Brandon Lloyd (Average first 12 games: 14.4) (Average Weeks 13-15: 27)
In case anyone hadn’t noticed, the Patriots can put up points in a hurry and aren’t hesistant to run up the score on the ne’er do wells of the National Football League. Lloyd, for some reason, couldn’t get the targets that analysts has thought would come when he signed as a free agent. His lack of production was more game plan than anything else, but he’s come around for the playoff run for faithful owners who stashed him on the bench. Lloyd has put together two back-to-back 20 point masterpieces against the Texans and 49ers, hardly two craptastic defenses. He’s got the Jaguars on the road in a game the Patriots should win handily; but will they get Lloyd involved? He seems to be their ace-in-the-hole lately and they may not need to go to him. A risky start as a WR2, but a pretty decent flex play.
TE- Aaron Hernandez (Average first 12 games: 2.3*) (Average Weeks 13-15: 13.7) *Missed 7 games due to injury
- Aaron It Out
Shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Hernandez would be the most valuable fantasy tight end after Rob Gronkowski went down to injury. What is surprising is how many owners dropped him after a few weeks into the season. Hernandez has been productive in every games he’s played, grabbing 5 catches or more in every game except Week 12 against the Jets, his first game back.
TE- Heath Miller (Average first 12 games: 7.1) (Average Week 13-15: 12)
- Pittsburgh's Favorite Candy Bar?
The 412’s favorite tight end has quietly become the third-highest scoring tight end in all of fantasy football saving his two top yardage games for Weeks 13 and 15, just as fantasy owners were questioning his startability (16 points in his previous 4 games.) Miller has performed despite some questionable quarterback play. His fantasy utilization will always depend on his ability to get in the red zone; speedster teammates Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown have had off seasons. The Steelers even brought back Plaxico Burress to aid them in red-zone scoring. He’s a good (but not great) start in Week 16. The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t allowed a TE to score in six straight.
TE- Dennis Pitta (Average first 12 games: 5) (Average Week 13-15: 12)
The deciding case for Pitta here is a 25-point outburst against the Broncos, as he turned a relatively routine catch into big yards, mushing would-be tacklers, and laughing all the way! His season has been a sleigh ride up and down all year with a previous high of 13 fantasy points in Week 1 against Cincinnati, making him a big add early. He then turned in performances of 6, 11, 0, 2, 3, 3, and then 3 again against Cleveland in Week 9 that had many owners benching/dropping him even in a thin TE market. Since Week 10 he’s had two clunkers and four double digit outings. The Ravens offense has slogged through an identity crisis all season and the porous Giants defense awaits. Ed Dickson, his speedier tight end counterpart didn't get any targets last week, so Pitta is a great start in Week 16 with a bright future in 2013.
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