💪 Dominate the Fantasy Playoffs

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It's The Touchdown Press Newsletter. Your #1 source for all things fantasy football, DFS, and sports betting, along with 15,000+ fellow degenerates.

The fantasy football playoffs are here! It’s where friendships are tested, dreams are shattered, and the only thing consistent is your team’s ability to break your heart.

Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

• The studs and duds of this past Sunday 📈 

• Who to target on this week’s waiver wire 🎯 

• The BEST Tuesday fantasy links 💥 

• Up-to-date news and notes 🏈 

My Football Prop Drop newsletter is still cooking on the year despite a relatively uneven Week 14. Remember to subscribe and be on the lookout as I rollout Prop Drop for other sports, starting with the NBA!

STUD RB: Ezekiel Elliott (NE)

We knew Zeke was going to get the bulk of the work for the Patriots with Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined, and he did not disappoint. Zeke gained a respectable 68 yards on the ground, but really made his bones in the Pats’ passing game taking 7 receptions for 72 yards and a TD.

If you’re a Tony Pollard owner, close your eyes for this next tidbit: Zeke’s 27 PPR points are more than Pollard has been able to manage in a game this whole season.

DUD RB: Dameon Pierce (HOU)

Are the Texans’ offensive coaches trolling us?

Pierce was relegated to the backseat again in Week 14, earning just 4 carries for 9 yards along with 1 reception for negative yardage. Houston turned to Devin Singletary to handle the load in the big loss to the Jets. He got 13 carries for 65 yards and a TD.

Going forward it will be tricky to predict how game flow and coaching decisions will affect the Houston backfield in the fantasy playoffs. Be diligent!

STUD WR: Deebo Samuel (SF)

I really love being right. Deebo was one of my starts of the week in Friday’s newsletter because of the way he performs against zone coverage. He and teammate Brandon Aiyuk both ate up the Seahawks’ version of zone with both going over 100 yards.

Deebo was the clear winner though, hauling in 7 receptions for 149 yards and finding the end zone for the Niners.

DUD WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET)

Sun God, why have you forsaken me? Amon-Ra had his lowest fantasy output of the year in the Lions’ disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. He scored just 5.7 PPR points which represented his first time all season failing to score double digits.

Fantasy Life’s utilization report doesn’t indicate that his target shares were down, but he did have his lowest percentage of team air yards as he’s had all season, so maybe there was something about the game plan. I still think you can trust him in the fantasy playoffs.

STUD QB: Lamar Jackson (BAL)

For as great an athlete and QB Lamar is, he tends to be frustrating to his fantasy owners with up and down performances. Luckily, Week 14’s overtime thriller against the Rams was a big up.

Jackson threw for 316 yards, 3 TDs, and one unfortunate INT. But he was also the Ravens’ leading rusher on the afternoon, going for 70 ground yards. As the December weather kicks into high gear, he’ll need to stay on the ball with these types of high-level performances.

DUD QB: Jalen Hurts (PHI)

It could be that the Cowboys are just legit, but Hurts needs to rise to the occasion against these stronger opponents.

It isn’t as though he was bad on Sunday. He completed 2/3rds of his passes for 197 yards and tacked on another 30 rushing. He didn’t throw a pick but he did lose a fumble, and his fantasy score ended up at a season-low 8.9 points.

The Eagles seem to be playing their worst ball at the worst possible time. That starts with Hurts, who will need to pick it up for the actual team and all his fantasy owners.

STUD TE: Evan Engram (JAX)

Engram seems to be heating WAY up lately. After finishing as the PPR TE2 in Week 13 (23.2 points), he exploded for 32.5 on Sunday, catching 11 of 12 targets for 95 yards and 2 TDs. Even though the Jaguars lost a tough one to the Browns, Engram is proving himself a key piece of the Jacksonville attack, regardless of who steps in at QB.

DUD TE: Sam LaPorta (DET)

From 29 PPR points all the way down to 4.7 in one week isn’t the way most fantasy players wanted to end their regular seasons. LaPorta has established himself as a set-it-and-forget-it tight end, but Detroit’s poor showing against the Bears was enough to keep him down on Sunday.

I still think you can trust the overall PPR TE3 to produce going forward, but he may be more tied to Jared Goff’s ups and downs than we thought.

#5: QB Jake Browning (CIN)

An unusual number of starting-caliber fantasy QBs have been injured lately (Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud being the latest). Others have been inconsistent. Even playoff-bound fantasy squads are looking for QBs, and that’s where Browning can save the day.

He’s not Joe Shiesty, but Browning can play. He’s completed nearly 80% of his passes over the past 3 games, and has 25.7 and 24.1 fantasy points over the last 2. As a bonus, he’s also got rushing TDs in 2 straight games.

For the fantasy stretch, taking a shot on a guy who’s shown top-10 potential could really pay off.

#4: RB Ty Chandler (MIN)

The Vikings really had it rough in Sunday’s 3-0 (!) win over the Raiders. Josh Dobbs got benched, Justin Jefferson got hurt again, and Alexander Mattison seems to have suffered a high ankle sprain.

Mattison had been the lead back for Minnesota, but his departure and any subsequent absence would leave Chandler to take over those duties. While he wasn’t hyper-efficient when he came in this week, the volume bump and his ability to be explosive could make him well worth the pickup.

#3: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (BAL)

A few weeks ago it looked like Zay Flowers was the unquestioned favorite WR of Lamar Jackson, but that tide seems to have turned in OBJ’s favor. He’s now scored a TD in 3 of his last 5 games, while averaging 6.2 targets per game over that stretch. In fact, his targets per route run has exploded lately too, going over 40% in Weeks 11-12.

For fantasy playoff purposes, Fantasy Life’s defense vs. position tool shows us that the Ravens’ next 2 opponents, the Jaguars and the 49ers, rank in the bottom 3rd of the league vs. WRs.

#2: RB Chase Brown (CIN)

Brown seems like more than just a Joe Mixon handcuff at this stage of the season. He showed some playmaking ability on Sunday by taking a reception 54 yards to the house for his first TD of the year.

While he isn’t getting a ton of carries, his 17 over the last 2 weeks represent a bump, and his 3 catches for 80 yards means the Bengals are starting to recognize his receiving skill. You can use Brown as a flex option toward the end of the season, and if something happens to Mixon, you’ll have a real asset on your roster.

🐬 Tyreek Hill Hurts Ankle During Monday Night Game

👍 Vikings’ Star WR Likely OK; Status Day to Day

🤦‍♂️ Despite Gaffe, Andy Reid Supports WR

🤕 Texans’ Provide Update on Stroud’s Head Injury

😳 Saints’ QB Has Had HOW MANY Broken Ribs??

⚡️ Chargers’ QB Likely Out for Thursday Night Game

🏈 Steelers Continue Quarterback Shuffle 

🩼 Browns Lost Another Player to Season-Ending IR

❤️‍🩹 Ravens’ Safety Hamilton’s MCL Status

One thing you can’t do in fantasy football is blame the refs for your mistakes. Good luck this week!

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