With the final bye week upon us, fantasy owners can now see the luminescent light at the end of the tunnel as roster changes after this week will be much less aggravating. However, while fantasy owners are no longer precluded by the aforementioned issue, waiver wire acquisitions and cerebral trades will still be as necessary as ever as the regular season (in fantasy football) comes to a close. The demotion of Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor alone is enough to frustrate desperate owners as the starting quarterback market just got that much more anemic. Yet, there is no need to fret as there are still a few somewhat notable passers that can be streamed week-to-week until we can see how rookie Nathan Peterman performs in his starting debut against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
Shocking right? Given how inept the Giants have been on both sides of the ball recently, it may seem like a fool’s errand to start Eli Manning on a poorly-coached and injury-ridden franchise. However, when you look at how well Manning has performed at against defenses that are in the top-10 at relinquishing points to opposing quarterbacks (27.72 points against Tampa Bay, 10th in points allowed; 16.92 points against San Francisco, 6th in points allowed; Kansas City is 5th in points allowed) and it becomes abundantly clear that the aging quarterback can still have moments of being fairly productive. If you’re one of the devastated owners that are reeling from the shocking news of Tyrod Taylor being benched, Manning is a solid stand-in option.
Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
If you have not jumped on the bandwagon, do so now while there is still a chance to do so (still not owned in 13% of Yahoo fantasy leagues). While you may be tentative to start Woods against a ferocious Minnesota defense, keep in mind that this same defense relinquished 327 passing yards and 30 points to the Washington Redskins offense last week. With 10 targets last week for 171 receiving yards and two touchdowns, Woods is clearly the number one wideout for the Rams and will continue to be prolific as long as quarterback Jared Goff continues to fearlessly sling the football.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints (vs. Washington Redskins)
Rarely have two running backs fared as well fantasy-wise on the same team as Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have consistently. As a dual-threat offensive weapon, Kamara is sensational as a pass-catcher and as a rusher, allowing what is already a talent-laden Saints team to flourish in a multitude of ways. While the Redskins have a solid run defense, Kamara and Brees have been clicking unbelievably well to the point where opposing defenses are unable to stop this sensational connection even when they see it coming. Even if you have Ingram on your roster, it’s more than acceptable to start both of them until one of them regresses, which does not like it will happen anytime soon.
Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
With six touchdowns in his last five games, Graham is easily one of the hottest tight ends to start this week. With no less than five targets coming is way during the last four weeks, Graham has been a favorite target for Russell Wilson in the red zone and is clearly still one of the best tight ends football when healthy. While the matchup against a Falcons team that has only given up a single touchdown to tight ends this season may seem a bit risky, it should not hurt Graham’s overall target share or his reliability when it comes to making huge plays in the red zone.
