Gearing Up for the Fantasy Playoffs: Week 14

Dec 08, 2021

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The trade deadline has come and gone in most leagues and now you’re on your own to procure the best possible roster heading down the final stretch towards the fantasy postseason.

With just one or maybe two weeks left depending on the league until the start of the playoffs, it’s imperative to make sure you are ready for the win-or-go-home portion of the season. Below you’ll find a few suggestions that could help in your quest for a championship because that’s what this is all about, right? We also can’t forget the money, prizes and bragging rights that come along with that sweet, sweet title.

Editor's Note: 21 Players to Stash for the Fantasy Playoffs

Look to Playoff Matchups

Glancing past this week to matchups during Weeks 15, 16 and 17 is a beneficial way to gain an edge over your potential opponents. Our Hot Spot tool lays it out in a color-coded, easy-to-read format, and you can filter it by specific players or the teams as a whole.

While someone like Mac Jones has been a decent, usable quarterback for fantasy purposes up until last week’s two-completion outing, we see in Weeks 15, 16 and 17 he faces the Colts, Bills and Jaguars, who rank 13th, first and 10th, respectively, in QB aFPA—schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to the quarterback position—in 2021.

In a single-elimination playoff format, playing the matchups can be a difference-maker in whether you move on, win it all, or go home empty-handed and are forced to stew for another offseason on how close you were at ultimate victory.

While matchups are a great way to gain an advantage, they aren’t everything. Looking at Vegas odds, along with the location of contests a la DFS, can also be useful in predicting how players will perform in those final weeks. For example, we see the Saints are at home in Weeks 16 and 17, and New Orleans has historically put up an obscene amount of points at home during the latter part of the NFL season.

Checking out which teams play where and how those teams have scored in their contests this season could also provide a leg up on your competition come playoff time.