As we start the second half of the NFL season, it is time for fantasy owners to finalize their rosters for the playoff drive. With the trade deadline approaching for many leagues, here are the players that are ready to win you a fantasy championship this season.
Fantasy Football Championship Winners
Player: Jordy Nelson
Team: Green Bay Packers
Positional Ranking: 14th
Rationale: It is incomprehensible how fantasy owners have forgotten about Jordy Nelson, the man who single handedly won fantasy championships in 2014 (98 receptions, 1,519 yards, 13 touchdowns). He has the most red zone receptions among wide receivers this year (8), and is tied for first in touchdowns (6). Some fantasy owners actually think Davante Adams is the better ROS player in Green Bay. Absurd. Nelson will be a top five fantasy wide receiver over the next eight games.
Player: Jeremy Hill
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Positional Ranking: 15th
Rationale: Every single fantasy owner should be trying to trade for Jeremy Hill. He is only 24 years old, and is the undisputed goal line running back for Cincinnati. Currently, Hill ranks eighth among all running backs in runs of 15 yards or more (playerprofiler.com). He has an extremely friendly schedule coming up, facing four teams (Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Houston) that allow at least 4.6 yards per carry. With Tyler Eifert‘s return, this offense will start to open up. He will drop well below his current 15th positional ranking after this bye week. Hill is a great buy-low candidate before he starts racking up the touchdowns.
Player: James Starks
Team: Green Bay Packers
Positional Ranking: 86th
Rationale: In a world of running backs by committee (RBBC), it is a huge advantage to have the goal line running back on a prolific passing offense. The key to this year’s fantasy draft was finding late round running backs that have major upside. With Eddie Lacy out for the season with a foot injury, the Packers have tried a myriad of options at running back during James Starks’ absence. The current tandem of wide receivers Ty Montgomery and rookie Don Jackson aren’t sufficient in the backfield, so Green Bay will be thrilled to have Starks as their lead back the rest of the way. His upcoming schedule includes the Redskins, Eagles, and Texans, all of which give up at least 17 fantasy points per game to running backs in standard leagues. Teams that need a solid RB2 for the playoff drive, need to look no further than on the waiver wire for James Starks.
Player: Carson Palmer
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Positional Ranking: 18th
Rationale: If you are struggling at the quarterback position, go pick up Carson Palmer. He is currently the 18th rated quarterback, and a mind blowing three spots behind Blake Bortles before having his bye. The Cardinals should be healthy after this week off, and return home vs. San Francisco (23rd vs. fantasy QBs). Palmer will face the friendly pass defenses of Atlanta, Washington, and a superb matchup at home vs. New Orleans in Week 15. With the best wide receiver group in the NFL and a monster running back behind him, Palmer is a great target to acquire via trade or the waiver wire.
Player: Rishard Matthews
Team: Tennessee Titans
Positional Ranking: 42nd
Rationale: Matthews was very much thought to be the best wide receiver in Titans camp before the season. A slow start for Marcus Mariota and the presence of Andre Johnson led to Matthews being dropped in most leagues. However, only the most astute fantasy owner may have realized that Matthews has three touchdowns in his last four games. With Johnson’s retirement, Matthews can now ascend to his rightful place atop the depth chart. He has some great matchups against the Chargers, Packers, Colts, and Bears upcoming, so Matthews makes a perfect WR3 play for the rest of the season.
