League Winning Stashes: Six Widely-Available Players With Great Fantasy Playoff Matchups
Which little-rostered players can we add now and benefit from in Weeks 15-17 thanks to their sweet playoff matchups?
Mustache (noun): facial hair grown above the upper lip. Often sported by men who ride motorcycles, sing in barbershop quartets, or have a damsel in distress tied to a set of train tracks somewhere.
Examples: The Horseshoe, The Handlebar, The Pencil.
Must stash (noun): a player in fantasy football who should be added to your bench because there’s a good chance they become extremely useful in the future. Often picked up off waivers by discerning readers of Fantasy Life before their league mates even know what hit ‘em.
Examples: Well, just keep reading…
One quick note before we dive in, though. With the fantasy playoffs steaming toward us like a locomotive, much of my focus will be on players with favorable matchups in Weeks 15-17. AKA literal “league winners.”
High Upside Stashes
Brenton Strange, TE - Jaguars
Upside Potential: 8.5/10
The third-year tight end got off to a very respectable start before getting derailed by a hip injury in Week 5. Among qualified TEs, Strange ranked 15th in Route % and 12th in Targets Per Route Run. And that was even before Travis Hunter got hurt and we realized Brian Thomas Jr had made fun of his quarterback’s hair in a group chat. (It’s the only plausible explanation for whatever the hell is going on between those two.)
But ya know what they say: When the Jaguars close a door (sorry BTJ managers) they open a window. Specifically, Strange’s 21-day window to return. Which means we’ll see him back at least by the fantasy playoffs, where he’ll be treated to a thoroughly depleted Jets defense as well as the Colts, who’ve allowed the sixth-most PPR points to tight ends.
Jayden Reed, WR - Packers
Upside Potential: 8.0/10
I mentioned Reed in last week’s column, but I’m bringing him back to the forefront for a special encore. The hope is that he makes it back in time for Green Bay’s Thanksgiving matchup with Detroit, and boy [Chandler Bing voice] could he BE more needed right now?? If you, too, endured the primetime matchup with the Eagles, you were probably shrieking at your TV to “JUST TAKE WHAT THE DEFENSE IS GIVING YOU AND COMPLETE SOME SHORT PASSES, YOU ABSOLUTE DONKEYS.” (No? Just me? Got it.)
LaFleur’s refusal to utilize the quick passing game could just be a maddening “quirk,” or it could indicate a personnel issue. With the injured Tucker Kraft now free to toss back some Spotted Cows on game days, Reed should see a massive target share upon his return. If he’s not in your IR spot already, he needs to be.
Isaiah Likely, TE - Ravens
Upside Potential: 7.5/10
If you get the opportunity to start a tight end against the Cincinnati Bengals, you do it. I don’t care if that tight end is four feet tall and has ballsacks for hands. You do it! Because in their last seven games, Cincinnati’s given up an outstanding 12 touchdowns to the position. Some of which went to such stars of the game as Josh Oliver, Brock Wright, and Darnell Washington.
Likely gets to face them twice in three weeks. Not only that, but he’s seen a drastic uptick in Targets Per Route Run the last couple games. Yes, Mark Andrews has been a touchdown machine for the Ravens, but we saw them co-exist in the end zone down the stretch last year. Likely still has a good chance to prosper, especially if Rashod Bateman is forced to miss time with his ankle injury.
Deeper Stashes
Chris Rodriguez, RB - Commanders
Upside Potential: 7.0/10
Washington has scored five rushing touchdowns over the last four weeks. Three of them belong to Rodriguez. The other two belong to Jayden Daniels, who’s had a Ross & Rachel-esque “will he/won’t he” relationship with the injury report. In an uninspiring backfield, I want the one guy with the best chance to score on a weekly basis. (And I have zero faith the team thinks Jacory Croskey-Merritt should be that guy.)
The Commanders will see the full carousel of NFC East division rivals in the fantasy playoffs, which is great news for us. The Giants and Cowboys combine for a +11.7 fantasy boost for opposing running backs, while the Eagles defense is tied for 6th in most rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs.
Justice Hill, RB - Ravens
Upside Potential: 6.5/10
If this man’s namesake rang true and there was, in fact, any justice in the Ravens organization, Hill would see more snaps down the stretch. Apologies to Derrick Henry, who could still splatter my flesh into a Jackson Pollack painting if he got a full head of steam, but the 31-year-old has been wildly unpredictable this season. Henry is registering the lowest Yards After Contact of his career and has as many sub-45 yard outings and he does 100+ yard games.
Hill typically provides a nice little spark to the offense when called upon, and if Henry is truly declining, he and Keaton Mitchell could be called upon more often. The difference between Hill and Mitchell, though, is that Hill is heavily utilized as a pass-catcher. That makes Baltimore’s playoff schedule a sneaky good spot for him, as not only does it kick off with Cincinnati (pardon my drool), but it also features the Patriots, whose defense has allowed the fewest rushing yards but the most receptions to running backs. Hill could very well be the PPR scam you need!
Week 11 Big Brain Stash
Jalen Nailor, WR - Vikings
Upside Potential: 7.5/10
It’s not just that Nailor had a big game this past week (5-124-1) and outperformed the Vikings’ top receivers. It’s that J.J. McCarthy has little to no chemistry with Justin Jefferson. It feels like they were randomly paired together for a freshmen dorm room assignment and, instead of getting to know each other, they constantly wear headphones so they don’t have to interact.
In Nailor’s last two games with McCarthy under center, he matched Jordan Addison’s target share and traded off red zone usage. There’s an argument that we’re looking at a 2A and 2B situation in the pecking order. Oh, and five of Minnesota’s remaining games are against a Top 10 matchup for opposing WRs. So while I hope you don’t need to trust Nailor in your lineups too often, there are certainly worse flex options to have at your disposal in the coming weeks.
