The injury bug hit hard the week before fantasy playoffs. If you are still reading this, congratulations, because it probably means you made your league’s playoffs. If you are still reading this and you did not, then you are probably just a sicko like me who plays in eight to ten leagues a year. Some major injuries happened this week that are going to affect championships. This also means lower-level guys are about to see increased roles, and some unexpected league winners will emerge.

David Njoku suffered a knee injury and did not return. Daniel Jones tore his Achilles and will be out for the year, possibly into next season. I feel terrible for the guy and hope he still gets a solid contract because he deserves it. Geno Smith went down with what he called an “old man injury,” saying his right shoulder just locked up. Another great sign as the Raiders pray for the number one pick. De’Von Achane suffered a nasty rib injury that sent him to the hospital, and his Week 15 availability is in question. Tyrod Taylor left with a groin injury and could not return. Darnell Washington suffered a concussion that looked pretty bad against a struggling Baltimore team. Jayden Daniels re-injured his left elbow, which makes you wonder why he even came back this year. Zach Ertz suffered one of the most gruesome ACL tears you will ever see, and hopefully we get to watch him play again.

With all that, waivers are going to be wild this week, so buckle up.

 
Quarterbacks
J.J. McCarthy (30% Rostered, Yahoo)

I am scared, you are scared, we are all scared. If you want to take your entire fantasy season to the roulette table, start J.J. There is actually a pretty compelling case, especially if you are a large underdog, for why this could be a reasonable bet. McCarthy balled out against Washington, finishing with 163 yards and three touchdown passes. This week he gets Dallas, who rank dead last in the NFL against opposing quarterbacks.

There have been some extremely bad moments, but for context, he has finished inside the top fifteen quarterbacks in four of his seven starts. I also think he knows he is playing for his job, which means more effort and harder running. The Dallas offense is really good, which means even if they blow them out, there will be plenty of garbage time for J.J. to finish as a top ten fantasy quarterback.

I do not recommend actually watching the game unless you have a bucket near you, but he can absolutely propel you into the next round if you are willing to take the risk.

Marcus Mariota (10% Rostered, Yahoo)

We did not think Jayden Daniels would be back, and the Commanders made what might be the stupidest decision I have seen in a long time. Regardless of that, it looks like Mariota will most likely get the nod for next week. It is an absolutely delicious matchup against a New York Giants team that ranks thirtieth against opposing fantasy quarterbacks and twenty-ninth against wide receivers.

If you have Deebo Samuel or "Scary Terry" McLaurin and do not have a top twelve quarterback, this is your week to build a stack that can propel you straight into the fantasy semifinals. To give you a sense of the range, I am starting him over Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff. This is the time of year where it is win or go home, so do whatever you have to do to survive and advance.

 
Running Backs
Blake Corum (33% Rostered, Yahoo)

I guess he has to be in here for another week. Twelve rushes for 128 yards and two touchdowns from a backup is insane. I am officially no longer using the word “backup.” This is a committee backfield, and Kyren Williams’s ankle is worse than they are letting on. Corum looks like he is shot out of a cannon every time he touches the ball. The advanced analytics support it as well. According to PlayerProfiler, Corum ranks fourth in the entire NFL in explosive rating.

I do not love the matchup against Detroit because they have been very good at stopping the run. Fortunately for the Rams, I do not think it matters. This is an NFC heavyweight showdown, and whoever is the most explosive is going to get the ball in their hands. Right now that is Corum. I am playing him with full confidence as an RB2, and I think his floor is simply falling into the end zone.

Kyren managers, I am sorry, but if he plays I would probably go down with the ship that brought you this far. If you have both players, I think I would still play Kyren, but that is an agonizing decision that could cost you your season either way.

Jaylen Wright (3% Rostered, Yahoo)

We all thought it was going to be Ollie Gordon. We all overlooked the Southeastern Conference stud who is 22 years old and looked like Christian McCaffrey in the passing game. Wright took over the game after De’Von Achane exited, carrying the ball 24 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also added three targets, although Tua Tagovailoa could not connect with him. The route running looked sharp.

Let’s look back at his scouting report from Rocky Top in 2024. He scored a 99 in the athleticism category. Here is the insane detail we ignored: he ran a 4.38 forty at 211 pounds. The guy was a monster in college, but the class was loaded so he slipped through the cracks.

Mike McDaniel’s high-flying offense is gone. This team is going to ground and pound and then break a slant to Jaylen Waddle. If Achane does not play, Wright gets a matchup with the Steelers. They have been decent against the run, but plenty of running backs have had fantasy success.

Pick him up everywhere you need a starting option and wait for the news on Achane.

Wide Receivers
Kayshon Boutte (33% Rostered, Yahoo)

Welp, here I am again asking you to pick up Boutte. Before the bye week, Kayshon balled out against the Giants and grabbed a touchdown in the process. This week will be a great measuring-stick game for the Patriots. They look like a number one seed, but they have played nothing but weak competition so far. Now they meet Josh Allen in December.

On a more serious note, I think Drake Maye is going to have to throw to keep up with the Bills. Boutte offers strong touchdown upside, and we have already seen him reach as many as eight targets this year. Play him with confidence if you need a flex.

Darius Slayton (35% Rostered, Yahoo)

He is as healthy as Darius Slayton can ever be coming off a bye week. Jaxson Dart needs more people to throw to besides Wan’Dale. This is the game where I really think you may see Dart’s throwing ability on full display. The Commanders rank twenty-seventh against opposing wide receivers. This game also has real shootout potential. Both defenses are depleted and generally bad.

If Mariota plays, they are going to score points, and Dart will have to throw to keep up. Slayton is also an end zone threat, and I think the Giants will see plenty of opportunities in the red zone. I still believe Wan’Dale Robinson is the better player and will command the targets, but if you want to take a shot on Slayton finding the end zone, there are worse plays this week.

 
Tight Ends
Harold Fannin (39% Rostered, Yahoo)

Harold Fannin is going to win championships this year. Shedeur Sanders has figured out how to throw, and David Njoku now looks like he could miss time. We have all known Fannin was a stud. It was always about opportunity. Most people do not realize he was one of the most productive tight ends in college football history at Bowling Green.

He commanded 11 targets and caught 8 passes for 114 yards and a score. In this tight end economy, that is most likely going to be a top-eight performance when rankings come out this week. If he is still on your waiver wire, go get him as soon as possible. The schedule is good enough for Fannin to become the number one receiver on the team over this three-week stretch.

This is exactly the type of player worth taking a risk on.

Isaiah Likely (6% Rostered, Yahoo)

For those of you in extremely deep leagues, I wanted to give you an option. Likely has been a roller coaster, but there is no doubting his freak athleticism. This week he hauled in four receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown. It should have been two touchdowns and a win, but the officials decided to choose violence against Lamar and the boys in purple. Likely also commanded six targets, which outpaced Mark Andrews.

If the Ravens want to win, I feel like both of these guys need to be running routes at the same time. The receivers are struggling, and it is tough to watch otherwise. Likely gets one of the best tight end matchups in the league against a Bengals team that could not stop your grandma from crossing the street. Burrow and Lamar can always turn a game into a shootout.

I would rather start Likely than Cade Otton or T.J. Hockenson. This is the playoffs, and three points is not going to win you a championship.