WHAMMY WATKINS
Bills WR a wild card in fantasy playoffs
BIG NAMES always are a tempting lure for fantasy owners, particularly when it involves a star returning from injury late in the season. We see the name, recall big production in the past, or nice projections yet unmet.
Alas, these holiday wishes often go unfulfilled. To wit, all those who h ave added Adrian Peterson hoping he returns during the fantasy playoffs and immediately provides a boost, well, be prepared for some coal in your stocking.
Normally it takes a week or two for players to get back to full speed. But it is fantasy playoff time. You don’t have a couple of weeks. Unless those couple of weeks already have happened, as they have for Sammy Watkins. Watkins was out until two weeks ago (after a Week 2 foot injury), so he has had his recoup period.
What we expect is to see Watkins at near 100 percent this week. That should be great news for his fantasy owners, right?
Well, it’ s not that simple. What is does is complicate matters. Watkins and the Bills h ave the type of matchup we would look to avoid. Watkins hasn’t lit it up yet since returning, and before he went down, he wasn’t at a level we would consider matchup-proof.
The Steelers are one of the stingiest against opposing fantasy receivers (fourth in standard leagues, seventh in PPR). This is not a great spot to use him with your season on the line.
Instead of Watkins, use Jamison Crowder. Ignore the matchup and play Packers receivers. Forget last week’s forgettable performance and play your Saints. Roll with Kenny Britt, Malcolm Mitchell or, in PPR, Tyler Boyd or Jarvis Landry.
But if your next best option is Dontrelle Inman, Rishard Matthews, Sterling Shepard or the like, then take your chances with Watkins.
But we do have good tidings. Watkins could deliver some holiday goodies the following weeks, with giftwrapped matchups against the Browns, Dolphins and Jets. Sammy Claus is coming to town, just not this week.