Greetings and welcome to week 14! This crazy season has almost come to an end. Let’s all raise a glass to all of those that failed to make the playoffs this year. Now let’s raise an even fuller glass to all of those that did make the playoffs and are still thriving. Hopefully that’s what brings you here. With that being said, let’s dive right in!
Chris Godwin
With DeSean Jackson out this week against the New York Giants. When Jackson has missed time this season, Godwin has absolutely feasted! Godwin caught 15 of 24 targets for 310 yards and two touchdowns in his three games without Jackson this season. Since Jameis Winston has returned as the starting quarterback after being benched early this season, Godwin averages around five targets per game. With Jackson out, Godwin averages eight targets per game. Jackson has an average depth of target (aDot) right at 11 yards per target.
Pro Football Focus projects Godwin to spend most of this game matched up against Giants Eli Apple. Apple hasn’t surrendered a ton in fantasy since joining the Saints. Apple also is likely going to be looking to extract revenge on the team that traded him too. Still, Apple has surrendered 1.96 yards per route covered (Y/RC) while Godwin has averaged 2.12 yards per route run (Y/RR). Regardless, the Saints secondary is an oasis for fantasy goodness and Godwin is in line for a huge target bump. Godwin is a strong flex option and in deeper leagues wouldn’t make a bad second wide receiver this matchup.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Okay, so Smith-Schuster is most likely an auto-start in most leagues. I get it. Still, this is the playoffs, every decision is that much more important. JuJu has an excellent matchup against a highly exploitable secondary in Oakland. The main concern with the Raiders, admittedly, is they are usually an excellent run funnel option. The Raiders rank 31st on the season stopping the run, allowing 153.3 yards per game. In fact, they have allowed just one yard less than the Bengals for worst in the league this season.
JuJu doesn’t really have to worry all that much about the Raiders being a heavy run funnel this week, given James Conner is out with an ankle injury. The biggest concern JuJu owners should fear is being game scripted out late due to a Steeler blowout. Still, if that transpires, JuJu should have contributed enough in fantasy to satisfy owners. Going up against Daryl Worley certainly doesn’t hurt either. Worley doesn’t have the straight line speed to keep up with JuJu. Worley also allows a catch on 72% of his targets. This game is setting up for JuJu ripping off chunk play after chunk play.
Davante Adams
My start of the week is Adams by a landslide. Mike McCarthy is gone Adams owners. Rejoice!
This week, Adams is going against the Falcons dumpster fire defense. Aaron Rodgers got what he wanted and got rid of McCarthy. Adams has been dominant this season in spite of McCarthy’s ancient playbook. Adams has caught 85 passes for 1,115 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s only through 12 games! That puts Adams on pace for almost 1600 yards and 16 touchdowns on a whopping 120 receptions.
To make Adams more appetizing, he averages 2.17 Y/RR and 0.51 fantasy points per route run. Atlanta ranks 25th in the league against the pass, averaging 263.5 yards per game. Adams is likely to spend most of his time contending with Robert Alford. Alford averages 1.84 Y/RC and allows a catch on 69% of his targets. Adams doesn’t need a lot of targets to rip off big fantasy outings.
Adams has 1480 air yards on the season and has an aDot of 11.7 yards per target. Adams has an explosive fantasy matchup vs Alford with a Rodgers thirsting to prove that McCarthy was the problem. That is a recipe for a fantasy explosion. Adams is my top WR/CB matchup on the week.
