An important detail to remember as the season unfolds and we approach the money weeks is that, very soon, roster depth won’t be meaningful at all. For most of you, fantasy playoffs are beginning in less than a month. There will be no more byes to navigate. If one of your key players suffers an in-game injury, your team is probably cooked. Depth won’t save you.
Last week, we mentioned the declining importance of roster depth in the context of the approaching default fantasy league trade deadline, but it’s also an essential thing to keep in mind as we make pickups in the closing weeks. Ideally, by the time Week 15 rolls around, your starting lineup will basically set itself and your bench will consist exclusively of high-ceiling lottery tickets.
Most of these lottery tickets, of course, will be players with exceptional contingent value — guys who are just one injury/suspension/benching from breaking out in a massive way.
This, for example, is the sort of December bench you’re trying to build:
Tyler Allgeier, RB, 35% rostered: He has a standalone role in his team’s offense, which is nice, and he would immediately rank as an every-week top-12 fantasy RB if Bijan Robinson missed time for any reason. Allgeier already has a 1,000-yard rushing season on his résumé, and he’s averaging 5.0 YPC so far this year.
Blake Corum, RB, 14%: To be clear, we are not trying to wish an injury into existence. Instead, we are merely pointing out that if Kyren Williams were to miss time, Corum is the clear replacement. He was the only other Rams running back to receive a touch last week. Williams was a true league-winner last year, so we know the RB1 role in L.A. is outrageously valuable.
Jordan Mason, RB, 48%: We already have proof-of-concept with Mason, who averaged 107.6 total yards per game and 5.2 YPC over the first seven weeks of the season with Christian McCaffrey sidelined. Mason is an easy, obvious fantasy RB1 whenever CMC can’t go.
Tutu Atwell, WR, 3%: It’s been a minute, so maybe you don’t even remember this guy. Atwell is a big-play-or-bust receiver under normal circumstances, but he was drawing huge target totals back in September and October, in the weeks without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. He actually still ranks near the top of the NFL in yards per route run (2.41), immediately ahead of Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase.
Keon Coleman, WR, 45%: Coleman was thriving before the wrist injury knocked him out in Weeks 10-11, and he’s a good bet to return following Buffalo’s bye. The trade for Amari Cooper certainly didn’t have a negative impact on Coleman’s usage; he delivered his two best fantasy performances with Cooper in the mix.
Isaiah Likely, TE, 29%: At this point, we have abundant evidence that Likely is an upper-tier fantasy tight end in any week without Mark Andrews (a seven-year veteran with an injury history). Likely is the only tight end who deserves end-of-season stash status. It’s otherwise not a position at which you need a backup in the closing weeks.
|