(Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Activision)
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. As the NFL regular season and the fantasy postseason near ever closer to hopefully epic finishes, fantasy owners that are still alive in the playoffs should be determined in making essential albeit very slight tweaks to their elite rosters. While it may be easy to overthink certain matchups and make risky changes to get those few extra projected points, it cannot be overstated that if your current lineup has helped you get far that you should confidently and unequivocally stick with it. Barring injuries, your prolific lineups should only be tampered with if and only if there is a particularly juicy matchup that is too intriguing to pass on.
Case Keenum, QB, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)
Given what happened to Case Keenum against the defense of the Carolina Panthers (two touchdowns, two interceptions), it would be easy to postulate that the once red-hot passer is trending downward. However, when you see what Keenum is at his worst and realize that it actually was not that horrible of a performance (rushed for 40 yards and still completed 61.4% of his passes), it becomes clear that the Vikings signal-callers struggles were more of an anomaly than a sign of regression. Although the Bengals defense has looked better of late at stopping the pass, the weapons and defense of the Vikings should provide Keenum with plenty of opportunities to redeem himself.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Despite the incredibly poor quarterback play of the Broncos this season, Demaryius Thomas has still managed to be a fairly productive fantasy weapon, particularly against some of the more porous defenses in the NFL (has scored double-digit fantasy points against all but one of the bottom ten defenses he has faced in the NFL). Better still, Thomas’ target share has dropped below eight just once since the Broncos bye week in week 5. Against an injury-ridden and undisciplined Colts secondary, Thomas should have a solid point floor regardless of who is throwing passes his way.
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders (vs. Dallas Cowboys)
Although there were times earlier in the season where it appeared that Lynch had lost his mojo, he has been vital in keeping the Raiders competitive in their last three games (scored no less than 12 points during the recent three-game stretch). Although Lynch’s recent success is admittedly due to an insanely high number of given rushing attempts, he has also been featured much more prominently in the Raiders passing game, an aspect that was practically non-existent for the veteran rusher during the initial weeks of the season. Against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has been inconsistent upfront throughout the season, Lynch should see an immense amount of carries and may even go off as a pass catcher in what should be a relatively high-scoring affair.
Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Denver Broncos)
Arguably, Jack Doyle has been an incredibly productive albeit wildly inconsistent fantasy weapon this season (highest point total: 24.10, lowest point total: 1.90). Still, Doyle has been one of best pass-catchers when it comes to snagging contested passes (contested catch rate of 56.2%, fourth amongst tight ends) and has averaged an impressive 11.4 fantasy points per game (seventh amongst tight ends). Although there are certainly safer options out there, Doyle is in an ideal position to score big against a Broncos defense that is 29th in yards allowed per game to opposing tight ends (63.2 yards per game).
