So you’re dominating your fantasy league and already have a playoff in hand? Congrats! Now it’s time to turn that regular-season roster into a championship one. Not sure what that means? I’ve got you covered. During the regular season, you drafted and scoured the waiver wire knowing you needed depth and hoping for breakout candidates. In the 2019 fantasy playoffs you’re looking more towards matchups and insurance. Let’s break it down position by position.
How to Gear Up for the 2019 Fantasy Playoffs
Quarterback
Unless you’ve been streaming your quarterback this season, you’ve likely got a top 12 signal-caller locked in. Don’t get fancy. Most of the major quarterbacks are past their bye so it’s time to cut bait on your backup. If you were one of the lucky souls who ended up drafting two top-10 quarterbacks, this doesn’t apply to you. Everyone else – one quarterback from here on. If your starting quarterback is hurt, your best bet in most leagues is streaming based on matchup.
Best quarterback playoff schedules, weeks 14-16: Tom Brady (KC, @CIN, BUF), Nick Foles (LAC, @OAK, @ATL)
Running Back
I’m not a big believer in handcuffing your running back during the season. However, as the playoffs approach, every elite running back should be handcuffed. If anything were to happen to Ezekiel Elliott or Dalvin Cook, guys like Tony Pollard and Alexander Mattison immediately slide into top-10 roles. At this point feel free to clear out the bottom of your bench for an elite backup. If something unfortunate were to happen to Cook, would you rather have Mattison or someone like Raheem Mostert starting for you in the playoffs?
Best running back playoff schedules: Phillip Lindsay (@HOU, @KC, DET), Dalvin Cook (DET, @LAC, GB)
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Two very different positions but I usually handle them the same way. You play your studs and look for advantageous matchups beyond that. There usually aren’t handcuff wide receivers or tight ends but I’ll give you a couple of names that might fit into that category- tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (both under 20 percent owned according to Yahoo Fantasy Football). If anything were to happen to Zach Ertz, Goedert has already shown elite potential. Dorsett is currently the third wide receiver in New England but would see an uptick in targets in Julian Edelman or Mohamed Sanu were to miss time.
Best wide receiver playoff schedules: T.Y. Hilton (@TB, @NO, CAR), Kenny Golladay/Marvin Jones (@MIN, TB, @DEN)
Defense / Special Teams
I’m playing the matchups all the way here. Only two fantasy defense/special teams have been elite this season (SF and NE) and both have tough Week 14 matchups. New England faces Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and the 49ers have the New Orleans Saints with a healthy Drew Brees. While I’m not advocating dropping or benching either of these defense/special teams, the Cleveland Browns get the Cincinnati Bengals that week and the Dallas Cowboys get the Chicago Bears. I wouldn’t blame anyone for making the decision to go with either of them.
Best defense/special teams playoff schedules: Baltimore Ravens (@BUF, NYJ, @CLE), Pittsburgh Steelers (@ARI, BUF, @NYJ)
Now that we’ve broken down my thoughts on each position, get your roster playoff ready. Cut the dead weight and add some insurance. If you don’t think you’d ever be comfortable starting a player, why are you holding on him heading into the playoffs? Maximize the space you have available. Need a tie-breaker? Look at the playoff matchups. Lastly, have fun. Fantasy football can be a stressful game. If you’ve made it this far into the season you’ve put together a good team. Do your homework, go with your gut, enjoy the games, and dominate the 2019 Fantasy playoffs.
