The Fantasy Football Playoffs are moving on to a second week as the most adrenaline rushing moments of the season are upon us.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Are you geared up for the championship in your league or were you in the consolation bracket as we are approaching Week 16 of the NFL season?
In whatever situation you are in, the newest installment of Burn City Fantasy Football Flavor of Week 16 is here to help you identify players on waivers that should be rostered immediately or others on your roster that need to go now.
Here were the suggestions I had from last week and how they performed:
Waiver Wire Pickup:Â Minnesota Vikings RB Ty Chandler vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 16 – 23 carries, 132 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards, 3 receptions, 1 touchdown = 21.7 Fantasy Points
Drop:Â New York Jets RB Dalvin Cook vs. Miami Dolphins on Dec. 17 – 1 carry, 4 yards = 1 Fantasy Point
Following the past two weeks where my recommendations for free agent pickups failed, Chandler dominated despite Minnesota losing 27-24 in overtime to the Bengals.
Last Monday, I said that since the Vikings starter RB Alexander Mattison was injured, Chandler may have a bigger impact than usual.
“[Alexander] Mattison (ankle) is dealing with an injury once again, which means Chandler may receive an upgraded role.”
Well, not only did Chandler get more playing time, but he achieved 21.7 fantasy points last week as this suggestion was a hit.
Also, Cook only had one carry against the Dolphins and proved my other guess correctly that he needs to be dropped due to no fantasy value anymore.
Now, progressing to the next week of playoffs in Fantasy Football, here are my brand new recommendations.
Free Agent Pickup: QB Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Dec 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
If you want to stick with star quarterbacks like Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts, then you skip past this part.
For others that are in desperate need of a reliable QB and have to rely on the waiver wire with trade deadlines far gone, look no further than Cleveland Browns’ Joe Flacco.
After departing the New York Jets as a free agent in the offseason, Flacco signed with the practice squad for the Browns.
Deshaun Watson (shoulder) had to go under the knife to repair his throwing shoulder through surgery, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
In his place, the soon-to-be 39-year-old Flacco has been under center for Cleveland and is defying all expectations.
Fluctuating inside the top-10 for fantasy football quarterbacks, Flacco has stacked up 939 yards from completing 77-133 passes, thrown seven touchdowns, and averages 19.5 fantasy points per-game.
What is even more crazy is that the NFL veteran is only on teams of fantasy owners in 24% of Yahoo and 11% of ESPN leagues.
Jump on picking Flacco up quick before it is not too late because someone else in your league will eventually catch on to the “Wacko for Flacco” hype.
Upcoming for the Browns, they got the Houston Texans who are still chugging along despite their rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) sideline and injured.
Then, Flacco is in line to play his former team in the Jets and get revenge on them not bringing him back last offseason.
Browns Remaining Games During FF Playoffs
- at Houston Texans (8-6), Dec. 24
- vs. New York Jets (5-9), Dec. 28
Drop: WR Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) looks on before the game against the New York Giants at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
With New Orleans Saints wide receivers Michael Thomas (knee) on IR and Chris Olave (ankle) out, Rashid Shaheed was the ideal option to be the No. 1 WR for QB Derek Carr.
But that hasn’t been the case.
Carr has thrown the ball to other options in his offense and Shaheed’s numbers are not only minimal fantasy-wise, but they have dipped below his season average.
In 47% of fantasy leagues on Yahoo and 22% on ESPN, Shaheed has 4.5 fantasy points in three weeks.
Even though he has been dealing with a thigh injury himself, he did make a comeback to play against the New York Giants.
With 36 receiving yards from three catches, Shaheed had 3.6 fantasy points this week, far lower than his average of 6.3 per-game.
If you want to hold onto him and see what happens with the Saints next two games during fantasy playoffs, that is up to you.
Right now, he is a boom or bust candidate, someone that can do really well out of nowhere or do absolutely nothing.
Saints Remaining Games During FF Playoffs
- at Los Angeles Rams (7-7), Dec. 21
- at Atlanta Falcons (6-8), Dec. 31
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Alec Cipollini is a journalist covering the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
