On the Thursday edition of the Fantasy Flex podcast, my colleague Brandon Anderson and I play a fun game we're calling, "Play, Hold, Drop."
The rules are the same as a familiar game, FMK, which stands for — well, you know. Each week, we will review three players at each position — quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end — one of whom we have to play, one we have to hold and one we have to drop.
Let's dive into this week's edition!
Fantasy QBs To Play, Hold, Drop
- Kirk Cousins, Vikings (at Lions)
- Taysom Hill, Saints (vs. Cowboys)
- Russell Wilson, Seahawks (vs. 49ers)
Play: Russell Wilson
Wilson has the worst matchup of the list against 49ers, who have allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards per game this year. He has also struggled since returning from injury and looked horrendous on Monday Night Football against Washington. Still, he mustered 19 fantasy points in the contest and is hopefully on the mend. His recent performances have been alarming, but he still has the most talent and highest upside, which is probably what you need this deep into the season.
I am moderately concerned that Wilson won't finish out the season if the Seahawks completely slip out of the playoff picture. For this week, however, I am still rolling him out.
Hold: Taysom Hill
The Trevor Siemian Project may be over (again) after a horrendous performance on Thanksgiving during the Saints' 31-6 loss to the Bills. Hill — who just got paid a huge contract — is now taking first-team reps and while head coach Sean Payton was cagey about naming a starter, there is a strong possibility he starts on Thursday night against the Cowboys. Hill was QB13 through four starts last season and has great upside as a rusher. He is dealing with a foot injury, which is likely why Payton is hesitant to commit at this point and could put a damper on his fantasy production. He is a serviceable streamer this week, but if you have the luxury of waiting a week to play him, I think he's a good hold for now.
Drop: Kirk Cousins
Cousins has the best matchup of the trio against the Lions and has been solid all year as a fringe QB1. Through 12 weeks, he is QB11 on a per-game basis but lacks the week-to-week upside as the other two more exciting options. In the first meeting between these two teams, Cousins was without Dalvin Cook, who is expected to miss at least a couple of games with a shoulder issue. He completed 25 of 34 attempts for 275 yards, one touchdown and one interception during the contest and finished as QB21 for the week.
Fantasy RBs To Play, Hold, Drop
- Matt Breida, Bills (vs. Patriots)
- Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots (at Bills)
- Tevin Coleman, Jets (vs. Eagles)
Play: Matt Breida
Breida's sudden emergence has been a bit of a head-scratcher, but it seems to be working for the Bills. He scored for the third time in three games last week and has apparently leapfrogged Zack Moss in this backfield. Moss was inactive for the Bills’ Thanksgiving matchup against the Saints and Devin Singletary led the backfield with 15 carries for 44 yards. Breida saw nine carries for 26 yards and tacked on two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown and has finished as RB11, RB28 and RB17 in half PPR scoring since returning from injury. He is going to continue to play a role on this depth chart — at least until Moss gets out of the dog house. I think the Bills will continue to ride the hot hand, making Breida the play over Stevenson and Coleman.
Hold: Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson easily has the most talent and upside of the group, but his matchup is scary. The Patriots face the Bills this week, whose defense has been third-best against fantasy running backs this year. Stevenson is the most dynamic running back on the New England depth chart, but he is splitting carries with Damien Harris and losing work as a pass catcher to Brandon Bolden. I like the rookie's long-term value, which is why he is a hold for me.
Drop: Tevin Coleman
With Michael Carter on injured reserve, the Jets’ backfield is a murky split between Coleman and Ty Johnson. Coleman led the committee on the ground and saw 16 carries for 67 yards while Johnson saw six carries for 42 yards and caught two of three passes for three yards. He also out-snapped Johnson 30 to 23 in the contest but I have little to no faith in a Zach Wilson-led offense. He has limited upside in one of the worst offenses in the NFL and can be dropped if the roster space is needed.
Fantasy WRs To Play, Hold, Drop
- Van Jefferson, Rams (vs. Jaguars)
- Michael Gallup, Cowboys (at Saints)
- Courtland Sutton, Broncos (at Chiefs)
Play: Van Jefferson
Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. each saw 10 targets in the team’s Week 12 loss to Green Bay, but Jefferson wasn’t far behind. He posted season highs in targets and yards last week, reeling in three of nine for 93 yards and a touchdown. He and Beckham will likely vie for that No. 2 role behind Kupp each week with Robert Woods done for the year. Jefferson could even have the edge, given his familiarity with the Rams' system. He has the second-best matchup this week of this group against the Jaguars, who have given up the 11th-most fantasy points per game this year.
Hold: Michael Gallup
Gallup led the Cowboys in receiving on Thanksgiving and caught five of eight targets for 106 yards. This stat line may look good in a vacuum, but he was out-targeted by Cedrick Wilson — who also had a 100-yard game — and the Cowboys were without Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb for this game. Gallup is a talented No. 3 receiver when the team is at full-strength, which could be as soon as this Thursday. That said, I love having exposure to high-volume offenses like Dallas' and I expect Gallup would be a valuable fantasy asset should Cooper or Lamb miss any time.
Drop: Courtland Sutton
This one is painful. Sutton has taken a sharp fall from grace since Jerry Jeudy returned from injured reserve. He has so much talent and was WR17 in half PPR through the first seven games of the year; since Week 8, he is WR87. This matchup probably would have been juicier a few weeks ago when Kansas City's defense was playing like trash. Sutton et al. will continue to be hampered by Teddy Bridgewater and this low-volume Broncos passing offense. I am okay with moving on from him at this point.
Fantasy TEs To Play, Hold, Drop
- Dallas Goedert, Eagles (at Jets)
- Tyler Higbee, Rams (vs. Jaguars)
- Noah Fant, Broncos (at Chiefs)
Play: Dallas Goedert
Goedert has failed to crest the double-digit fantasy point threshold since Week 8. He has been a bit disappointing since the departure of Zach Ertz, who many felt was holding Goedert back from realizing his full potential. He bageled in Week 12 against the Giants and caught one of three passes for zero yards. His struggles are linked to those of Jalen Hurts, who had zero touchdowns, three interceptions and posted a dismal QBR of 17.3 in that game. He is in a great bounce-back spot this week against the Jets, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Hold: Noah Fant
Fant has been inconsistent and touchdown-dependent all year. He has five finishes inside the top 12 and five finishes outside the top 12 at the position. He was an afterthought last week and caught three of four targets for 12 yards. He is extremely talented and athletic which makes me inclined to hold onto him, but remains hampered by the Broncos' anemic passing attack. I'm not comfortable starting him this week, even against the Chiefs who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends this year.
Drop: Tyler Higbee
Some decisions are difficult, but dropping Higbee shouldn't be. He was drafted as a top-12 tight end, but has only two double-digit fantasy performances all season. Even with Robert Woods out of the picture, he caught just one of five targets for three yards last week while the trio of receivers were peppered with targets from Matthew Stafford. Higbee is nothing more than a touchdown-dependent play who I don't even trust playing Jacksonville this week.
