The holiday weekend has come and gone, and with it came a TON of football. Were you rewarded with a nice performance from your fantasy studs, or did your players end up on the naughty list? If you had some duds on your roster this week, you weren’t alone. There were several players who showed up to the party without any gifts, including studs like Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins, but players like Leonard Fournette, Cam Akers, and DeVonta Smith picked up the slack. After a long season, we can finally see the finish line, but the race isn’t over yet. You’ve got to make the right lineup decisions and navigate injuries to get you across that line because every play matters. Luckily, we’re here to help you with that!


But, if you’ve been following this series throughout the season, you know we don’t go about getting those wins the traditional way. While others are bringing run-of-the-mill casseroles to the party, we’re bringing the heat with the spicy meatballs. Taking a nontraditional approach doesn’t always pan out, but we’ve seen success with several of our takes, and we’re looking to continue that streak going into championship week. Go ahead and get the milk and cookies ready. You’ll need it to enjoy a few more fantasy football hot takes!

Cam Akers Takes You to a Fantasy Championship

Holding on to Cam Akers this season was like holding on to those little scraps of wrapping paper that never quite fit anything; they're just taking up space without serving any purpose. However, if you started him against the Broncos Sunday, you were rewarded for your loyalty. Akers had the game of his career, posting 118 yards and tacking on three touchdowns, far surpassing any stat line he’s had up until now. But can you trust him next week for the fantasy playoffs? I think the answer is a resounding yes. The Rams have a new lease on life since adding Baker Mayfield to their roster, and next week, they get a matchup against the Chargers. The Bolts haven’t been able to stop anyone on the ground, allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing yards per attempt, so Akers should continue to show off what he’s got in the tank. Despite not having anything to play for, Sean McVay continues to use these games as a sort of in-season exhibition game, and with so many question marks surrounding Akers and his future in Los Angeles, you can guarantee that he will continue to be utilized heavily while they figure out what to do with him. If he’s on your roster, you may have just punched your ticket to a fantasy championship.

Josh Jacobs Only Gets Single Digit Points During Fantasy Championship Week

There’s no denying that Josh Jacobs has had an outstanding season this year, currently sitting as the RB3 in PPR leagues, but you may want to be thinking about another option to include in your lineup for championship week. Over the past two weeks, Jacobs has been held scoreless, and what’s worse? His receiving upside has been nonexistent. He only finished with 44 yards on Saturday against the Steelers, and next week's matchup is significantly more difficult against the 49ers. San Francisco’s defense is a juggernaut, ranking first in points allowed per game, rushing yards, and rush yards per attempt, and with the Raiders’ offense looking anything but high-powered against the Steelers this week, it’s difficult to see how Jacobs comes away with any fantasy points at all. I know it’s incredibly difficult to bench your studs who have helped you get this far, but this is not the matchup you want to play around with when the championship is on the line. 


Miami Dolphins Crumble and Miss the Postseason

It rarely gets cold in Florida, but it looks like this week’s cold snap rubbed off on the Dolphins, as they looked flat and out-of-sorts on offense this Sunday. Tua bombed, throwing three interceptions and only one touchdown, and the run game was basically nonexistent. The once red hot ‘Fins have now turned ice cold, losing their last three games, and with so many teams turning it on down the stretch, Miami is in real risk of missing out on the playoffs all together. They face the New England Patriots and New York Jets in the next two weeks, and next week’s game is on the road in frigid Foxborough. The only way Miami is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs is to win both games, and with the way they’ve been playing lately, it’s looking more and more unlikely. It was good while it lasted, Dolphins fans, but I’d be making other postseason plans if I were you.


Drake London Has a Career Game Against the Cardinals

We all had high hopes for Drake London in the preseason, but a combination of bad play-calling and bad quarterback play has capped his upside throughout the year. However, with Desmond Ridder at the helm, there seems to be a little light at the end of the tunnel for London fantasy managers. In the two weeks that Ridder has been under center, London has averaged ten targets per game and has managed to make some highlight reel catches with those targets. Next week, the Falcons face the Cardinals who, up until this week, have allowed the most points per game of anyone in the league, and with nothing to play for, I see Atlanta pulling out all the stops to see just what they have in their rookie. Don’t be surprised when London finishes with over 100 yards and a score for the first time in his young career.

Green Bay Packers Win Out and Make the Playoffs

Let’s save the sugar coating for the cookies; the Packers have not looked good this year. However, they have managed to cobble together some wins in recent weeks, and with the state of the NFC as a whole, it looks like they could be able to sneak into the playoffs. Green Bay is on the bubble of a wild card berth, tied with the Seahawks and the Lions, but the road looks much easier for Green Bay than it does the other two. They do have to win out against the Vikings and the Lions, but given how close the Vikings have been to losses the past two weeks and how the Lions looked against Carolina, it seems very possible. Aaron Rodgers also has some uncanny ability to make things go his way in December, so if Green Bay can get their run game going and avoid making boneheaded mistakes, they have a very real shot of sneaking into the postseason once again.

 

 

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