Late season explosion candidates who could win you a fantasy football championship

Hold onto these guys or find a way to acquire them.

Every fantasy season a few players emerge and have the ability to throw their owner’s fantasy team on their backs and carry them to titles. ’14 Odell Beckham Jr., ’15 Doug Baldwin and ’14 Jeremy Hill are prime examples of this, and we believe that the following players are capable of doing the same.

If you own these guys, hold onto them. If you don’t, find a way to acquire them.

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers

Remaining schedule: Dolphins, Bye Week, @ Texans, Buccaneers, @ Panthers, Raiders, @ Browns

This is the definition of a cake schedule for a quarterback. Rivers is owned in almost every single league (94%), but he could be dropped or be made available since he has a bye week coming up. There is going to be a lot of fuckin’ in the Rivers’ household during weeks 13-16, when he faces off against the Bucs, Panthers, Raiders and Browns porous secondaries. Expect a 15th Rivers child in 9-10 months.

Tyrod Taylor

Remaining schedule: Bye Week, @ Bengals, Jaguars, @ Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Dolphins

Tyrod Taylor has had himself an excellent fantasy season that no one is really talking about. Taylor has gone over 15 fantasy points in eight straight games and over 24 points in two of the last three games. He has an extremely favorable schedule coming up and there are rumblings that softy (yet talented) Sammy Watkins could return around Week 12. The bye week will also give Shady McCoy another week to heal. If you have a decent guy on your bench and are streaming at quarterback, try to snag T-Mobile for the stretch run — or maybe you play in one of the 39% of leagues where he’s chillin’ on the waiver wire.

Running backs

Doug Martin

Remaining schedule: Bears, @ Chiefs, Seahawks, @ Chargers, Saints, @ Cowboys@ Saints

Do what you can do to try and take advantage of a disgruntled Doug Martin owner. Martin hasn’t played since Week 2 due to a hamstring injury and didn’t look good in the two games he played in. With the Buccaneers running back depth chart depleted, Martin will be the man in the backfield and is a high ceiling RB2 from here on out. Also, he faces the Saints twice. Enough said.

Jonathan Stewart

Remaining schedule: Chiefs, Saints, @ Raiders, @ Seahawks, Chargers, @ Redskins, Falcons

With Cam Newton suddenly caring about the health of his brain, Jonathan Stewart is now the goal line back in Carolina. JStew has gone over 20 points in two of his last three games, including a 20.50 outing against the Saints. Stewart has four extremely positive matchups on the horizon and should find the end zone a ton during the stretch run.

Dion Lewis

Remaining schedule: Seahawks, @ 49ers, @ Jets, Rams, Ravens, @ Broncos, Jets

All signs are pointing to Dion Lewis making his season debut on Sunday night against the Seahawks. Lewis has been practicing the past few weeks and the Patriots would not activate him if he were not fully healthy. It might take a game to shake the rust off, but expect him to see a bunch of touches against the 49ers and beyond. If you had a brain and read our waiver wire pieces, you would have added him weeks ago and stashed him. Lewis is a solid PPR RB2 with a RB1 ceiling for the rest of the season.

Tevin Coleman

Remaining schedule: @ Eagles, Bye Week, Cardinals, Chiefs, @ Rams, 49ers, @ Panthers

Coleman is the pass catching back in the league’s most dynamic aerial attack. He’s been hampered by a hamstring injury that’s kept him out since Week 7, but he would be a great buy-low candidate for Week 12 and beyond. The Falcons cook at home and in nice weather, and they have three games at home, one in LA and one in Carolina, so don’t expect Matt Ryan‘s numbers to falter in the final five fantasy weeks. Get him on the cheap and keep him on the bench for the next two weeks, it’ll be worth it.

Wide receivers

Doug Baldwin

Remaining schedule: @ Patriots, Eagles, @ Buccaneers, Panthers, @ Packers, Rams, Cardinals

Doug Baldwin’s fantasy life relies on a healthy Russell Wilson, and if Monday night’s game against the Bills told us anything, Wilson looks healthy again. Since the bye week, Baldwin has averaged about 15 PPR points per game and is a solid WR2. With Christine Michael exiled and CJ Prosise the man in the backfield, the Seahawks will look to throw more than they did earlier in the season when Wilson was hampered by multiple injuries. If you own Baldwin, do not move him. If you do not own him, try to get him on your roster.

Alshon Jeffery

Remaining schedule: @ Buccaneers, @ Giants, Titans, 49ers, @ Lions, Packers, Redskins

I might have a little bias here because I just swindled a trade for Jay Cutler’s WR1. I traded Allen Robinson and Christine Michael for Alshon and Thomas Rawls. It was basically Robinson for Jeffery, and I couldn’t be more happy to get that Jaguars’ cancer off my team, while adding a receiver with a borderline WR1 ceiling. Anyways, enough about me. We all know Cutler loves Jeffery and he is about to explode. He found pay dirt for the first time this season against the Vikings’ ferocious secondary and has five favorable matchups on the horizon. I think my big fantasy brain won that trade and you should make a similar one for yourself.

Tyrell Williams

Remaining schedule: Dolphins, Bye Week, @ Texans, Buccaneers, @ Panthers, Raiders, @ Browns

If you skipped over the Philip Rivers‘ section above, scroll up and read it. Williams will be the biggest beneficiary of this schedule and is arguably the best and most affordable option on this entire list.  Williams has a legit chance to find the end zone four-plus times over the next six games and is a borderline must-acquire. Make it happen.

JJ Nelson

Remaining schedule: 49ers, @ Vikings, @ Falcons, Redskins, @ Dolphins, Saints@ Seahawks

The Cardinals don’t have the most favorable schedule looming, but they do play in nice weather or indoors in five of their next seven games. With Michael Floyd buried in his fantasy grave, Nelson was named a starter by the man with the Kangol hat. In his first game getting double-digit targets, Nelson registered 8 receptions for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s only owned in 41% of leagues, so you have a chance to add a potential Flex starter this late in the season.

Stefon Diggs

Remaining schedule: @ Redskins, Cardinals, @ Lions, Cowboys, @ Jaguars, Colts@ Packers

The Vikings and Sam Bradford have proved themselves fraudulent and incompetent, but Stefon Diggs has proven that he’s a legit startable fantasy wide receiver. Since he’s been healthy, he’s registered back to back 20-plus PPR point performances and is a decent buy-medium candidate due to his shitty quarterback and his un-sexy name. He’s the type of player who can put up big numbers but his owners don’t even realize it. Take advantage of a sleepy Diggs owner and watch your WR3/Flex position soar.

Tight Ends

C.J. Fiedorowicz

Remaining schedule: @ Jaguars, @ Raiders, Chargers, @ Packers, @ Colts, Jaguars, Bengals

We have talked about Fiedorowicz ad nauseum and there’s a reason for it. Brock Osweiler has proven that he can’t complete balls to his receivers outside of the numbers, so his tight end gets the majority of his targets. In two of his last three games, he racked up 20.50 PPR points and 15.30 PPR points. In fact, I dropped the sieve that is Gary Barnidge for the corn-fed former Hawkeye. He has a shitload of positive matchups coming up and I’m rolling the dice on the Texan tight end.

Eric Ebron

Remaining schedule: Bye Week, Jaguars, Vikings, @ Saints, Bears, @ Giants, @ Cowboys

Eric Ebron is criminally underrated by the ‘fantasy experts’, and it needs to stop. He’s Matt Stafford‘s red zone target, and when healthy, Ebron puts up points. In his five healthy games this season, he put up 10-plus points and four of those he went over 14. Like the other pussy dome teams, the Lions have four games in nice weather or indoors, which should keep the Lions’ offense rolling. Ebron is only owned in 58% of leagues and if you don’t own one of the stud tight ends, he should be on your roster.

 

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