Pivot Plays and Post-Waiver Pickups: Week 16

This is the week fantasy football managers are either gearing up for their league’s Super Bowl or preparing for their fantasy hockey drafts after the New Year.

If you made it to the final game in your fantasy football league, pat yourself on the back and feel free to call yourself the next Bill Belichick. You dodged more obstacles in 2020 than any fantasy football manager has ever needed to dodge before. You dealt with players missing games due to catching COVID, being in contact with players who caught COVID, or because the team they played had a COVID crisis and forced the NFL to postpone their game. All this on top of the usual problems fantasy players have to deal with, such as pulled hamstrings, scattershot kickers and diva receivers with off-the-field issues.

You must have healthy bodies in your lineup if you have an opportunity to win your league’s title. If your league allows playoff teams to pick up players on the waiver wire during the playoffs, you have no excuse to have an injured player active. Without further ado, here are my pivot plays and post-waiver pickups for Week 16 --- and the questionable stars who you might need to replace:

Potential Pivot Plays for Fantasy Lineups

If Atlanta’s Julio Jones (ankle) misses ANOTHER game on Sunday, you could go with…

Chad Hansen (HOU, WR) vs. CIN

What a surprise!  Another guy the New York Jets drafted and never developed. Not many fantasy footballers knew who the heck Hansen was coming into this season because he had not appeared in a game since 2017. Some fantasy GMs probably still do not know who he is. But if Hansen is languishing on the waiver wire in your league and you are allowed to pick him up, go ahead and do so if you need a one-week upgrade at one of your wideout spots.

All Hansen has done in his first three weeks back in the NFL after his three-year hiatus is catch 14 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown. With Houston decimated at receiver thanks to Will Fuller’s steroid suspension, Randall Cobb’s foot injury and Kenny Stills’ release, Hansen has seen more passes come his way than a Playboy Playmate. Hansen should have another good game against Cincinnati’s 20^th-ranked pass defense in a meaningless contest where the Bengals might let down after their huge upset win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If Las Vegas’ Derek Carr (groin) is not healthy enough to go on Saturday, you could go with…

Dwayne Haskins (WAS, QB) vs. CAR

I know Haskins is a numbskull. Pulling a James Harden and going to a strip club during the pandemic is about as dumb as having 100 chicken nuggets and washing it down with a case of beer --- the night before a Weight Watchers weigh-in. At this late of the football season, though, there is not much available on the waiver wire. Haskins might be the best option in many leagues where all that’s left out there is Ryan Finley, C.J. Beathard or Marcus Mariota.

Carolina’s secondary is harder to figure out than advanced calculus. One week the Panthers shut out the Detroit Lions. Another week they allow Denver’s Drew Lock to throw four touchdown passes. I think Haskins is going to connect with Logan Thomas and Terry McLaurin on some big gainers and make fans forget about his late-night nonsense. As long as Alex Smith does not make a heroic recovery from his calf injury and steal his spot, I think Haskins can give fantasy player 235 yards and two TDs this weekend.

If Los Angeles’ Keenan Allen (hamstring) is not ready to give it a go on Sunday afternoon, you could go with…

Jalen Guyton (LAC, WR) vs. DEN

If you think I sound like a broken record it is true. Last week we had the same situation. Allen was gimpy and limpy heading into a Thursday night game, and I said Guyton was the Chargers receiver to snap up if Allen could not get onto the field. Guyton responded with four receptions for 91 yards and made me look like a George Allen-like genius. He also drew several penalties on Las Vegas’ banged-up cornerbacks and almost scored a long touchdown.

Guyton is a greyhound averaging 18.7 yards per catch on the season. He does not get targeted like Allen does and is more of a track star than a route runner at times, but he can provide big plays for fantasy managers when given the chance. If Allen does not dress, Guyton will have plenty of chances against a Denver defense that has allowed quarterback to throw for over 900 yards in its last three games. Do not shy away from Guyton in this big spot if you need him. This explosive kid is only getting better every week.

If Pittsburgh’s Eric Ebron (back) cannot play on Sunday, you could go with…

Dawson Knox (BUF, TE) at NE

Don’t look now, but Knox and quarterback Josh Allen are building some chemistry together in Buffalo. It took a while for the two franchise cornerstones to get on the same page of their playbook, but Allen is beginning to find his talented tight end at the right times at the right parts of the field. Knox has hauled in three touchdown tosses over his last four games, easily representing the best stretch of his young career.

Knox has done surprisingly well against New England’s stingy secondary in his couple contests against the Pats. He has averaged almost 23 yards per catch on four grabs versus Bill Belichick’s defensive backfield. The Patriots are floundering and will likely be more worried about covering Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley this Monday night. That should leave Knox in single coverage and open doors for scoring plays for him. Do not be shocked to see Knox in the end zone for the fourth time in five games after this game.   

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