Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings: Bench Justin Jefferson Rest-of-Season?

The fantasy regular season (for most leagues) is in the books, but that doesn’t mean the grind stops. Waivers still need to be tended to, and we have to make sure our rosters are in fighting shape for the battle ahead.

That makes this a great time to dive into the newest batch of our Rest of Season Rankings. Which players have moved up, which have moved down, and which are outright droppable? Let’s dive right in.

Rest-of-Season Rankings For The Fantasy Football Playoffs | Weeks 15-17

No Need to Rush Back, Marv

Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals (ADP: 193.6, ROS: 28)

Apparently, Marvin Harrison Jr. was the only thing holding Wilson back from fantasy superstardom. Wilson crushed in two games while Harrison was out with a concussion, racking up 21.8 and 33.5 PPR points. He racked up at least 15 targets in both contests, good for a 32% target share overall, and he finished as a top-10 scorer at the position in both weeks.

Harrison was out of the lineup once again in Week 14, this time with a heel injury. Wilson picked up right where he left off. He garnered a 37% target share vs. a tough Rams defense, and he responded with 11 catches, 142 yards and two touchdowns. The result was 37.2 PPR points against a defense that ranks second in pass defense EPA for the year.

Wilson has now played three games with Harrison, and he’s finished as the WR1 in two of them. He’s averaged more than 16 targets per game for one of the most pass-heavy offenses in football, so the sky is the limit as long as Harrison is sidelined.

We’re still waiting on the details about Harrison’s status for Week 15, but with absolutely nothing to play for, there’s no need to rush him back. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has described the injury as “similar” to the one sustained by cornerback Max Melton, who has missed the team’s past two games. It means there’s a good chance that we’ll get at least one more week of Wilson operating as the Cardinals unquestioned top receiver.

The bad news is that the Cardinals have a pretty unfavorable schedule down the stretch for receivers. Their Week 15 matchup vs. the Texans is particularly brutal. Still, with the way that Wilson has produced sans Harrison, it’s hard to consider him anything but a WR1 for fantasy purposes for as long as Harrison is sidelined.

Don’t Sleep on Toyotathon

Jordan Love, QB, Packers (ADP: 131.6, ROS: 132)

Apparently, Love is a big fan of fine Japanese craftsmanship. If you haven’t been paying attention, Love has posted wild stats during “Toyotathon” throughout his career. He’s now thrown 36 touchdowns to just two interceptions for his career during Toyota’s premier holiday sale, and he’s averaged nearly 284 passing yards per game. Outside of Toyotathon, Love has 44 touchdowns to 27 picks.

Does this have anything to do with Toyota? Probably not, but it’s fun to talk/write about. It’s more likely that Love just tends to heat up as the year progresses, but regardless, he’s playing as well as any QB in the league at the moment.

Love has thrown seven touchdowns over his past two starts, despite attempting just 55 total passes vs. the Lions and Bears. He’s averaged a ridiculous 10.24 adjusted yards per attempt in those contests, and he’s finished as QB2 and QB10 in those outings.

Something will have to give next week. Love and the Packers travel to Denver to take on the Broncos, who have one of the best defenses in football. They’ve allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing QBs, so maybe they’re the team that can finally end the Toyotathon magic. That said, I’m not betting against Love at this point.

You’re Dead to Me

Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings (ADP: 6.7, ROS: 46)

There has been a lot of talk about the Vikings’ offense this season. Their decision to move on from Sam Darnold was clearly a mistake, with the combination of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer all struggling in Kevin O’Connell’s system. Minnesota is down to 28th in yards per game and 26th in points after ranking in the top 12 in both categories last season.

However, the offense wasn’t a huge issue in Week 14. They took full advantage of a juicy matchup vs. the Commanders, racking up 313 yards and 31 points in a shutout victory. McCarthy wasn’t asked to do all that much, but he finished with an efficient 163 passing yards with three touchdowns.

Unfortunately, McCarthy was unable to bring Jefferson along for the ride. The superstar receiver finished with just four targets, and he caught just two passes for 11 yards. He finished with single-digit PPR points for the fourth time in the past five weeks, and he checked in WR74 overall.

If Jefferson can’t get going in a week where the Vikings’ offense is successful, it’s fair to wonder if it’s ever going to happen. The Commanders rank dead last in pass defense EPA, so it’s one of the best possible matchups. Jefferson does have an elite schedule of opponents down the stretch, but if he can’t succeed vs. the Commanders, why should we expect anything different vs. the Cowboys, Giants or Lions?

At this point, trusting Jefferson is basically impossible. The stakes are too high in the fantasy playoffs, and Jefferson’s floor is absolutely cavernous. I’d rather roll the dice on a waiver wire pick-up, as crazy as that may sound.

Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals (ADP: 137.7, ROS: NA)

There are plenty of candidates for the Fantasy Least Valuable Player this season. Jefferson is certainly in contention, along with guys like Saquon Barkley, Brian Thomas Jr. and Jayden Daniels.

Benson obviously isn’t in the same tier as those guys, but he's been a sneaky kind of disappointment. He went on IR in Week 5, and fantasy managers have been stashing him on their rosters since then in anticipation of his return. That means they’ve essentially been playing down a roster spot for most of the year, hoping that Benson’s potential return would be worth it.

Unfortunately, it looks like that’s not going to happen. Benson wasn’t activated before the team’s Week 14 matchup vs. the Rams, and he needs to be activated by Wednesday to avoid being shut down for the year. With the Cardinals playing for nothing, it seems more likely than not that Benson won’t be suiting up.

If you have been holding Benson, there’s no harm in waiting another couple of days for things to be official. Just don’t be surprised when it happens. It seems like we’re going to be stuck with Bam Knight and Michael Carter plodding for three yards a carry for the rest of the year in Arizona.

It Was Fun While It Lasted

Adonai Mitchell, WR, Jets (ADP: 219.3, ROS: 119)

Mitchell was a breakout stud in Week 13, finishing with 24.2 PPR points and a massive 37% target share. It was his third straight game at 25% or higher, so it seemed like he’d at least provide some upside at receiver down the stretch.

Unfortunately, quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a groin injury in Week 14, which forced Brady Cook into action. He unsurprisingly struggled, completing less than 50% of his passes for 163 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He averaged just 2.43 adjusted yards per attempt, so it represented a significant downgrade for the team’s pass-catchers.

It’s possible that Taylor returns for Week 15, but it’s also possible that Cook or Justin Fields start in his absence. The Jets are playing merely for draft positioning at this point, so seeing (read: tanking) what they have in Cook is completely justifiable. If that’s going to be the case, it’s impossible to trust anyone in this offense outside of possibly Breece Hall.

Oronde Gadsden, TE, Chargers (ADP: 179.5, ROS: 105)

At one point this season, Gadsden looked like a clear TE1 for fantasy purposes. He finished as a top-12 scorer at the position in four straight games from Weeks 6 through 9, with two top-three finishes during that stretch.

However, Gadsden has come crashing back to reality since then. It’s not entirely his fault. The Chargers have dealt with some big offensive line injuries of late, and Gadsden has had to do more blocking as a result. He’s had a route participation of 71% or lower in three of his past four games, which is not going to get the job done.

Gadsden has finished outside the top 25 at tight end in four straight weeks, and he had a season-low 1.7 PPR points on Monday night vs. the Eagles. Philly is definitely a tough matchup, but Gadsden simply cannot be trusted for the fantasy playoffs.

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts (ADP: 197.4, ROS: 68)

Pierce has been an excellent value for most of the year, but you have to downgrade him pretty significantly with the news that the Colts are signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers to their practice squad. While Daniel Jones had no issues pushing the ball downfield to Pierce, can we really say the same for Old Man Rivers? Arm strength wasn’t exactly his calling card in his prime, and he hasn’t suited up since 2020.

With Anthony Richardson uncertain to return this season and Riley Leonard suffering a knee injury in Week 14, the Colts may have no choice but to try to turn back the clock with Rivers. I want zero part of that experience.