Anthony Brown, QB, Baltimore Ravens: To be honest, I’m listing him first only because we are in Baltimore. With both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley likely questionable, there is a possibility that Brown is the starter at Cleveland in Week 15. The offense was run-heavy before the injury to Huntley and figures to be the same if Brown has to start. There are much better options at the quarterback position, starting with the man below.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars: There is going to be a lot of Jaguars in this piece, and it all starts with the former No. 1 overall pick. Lawrence hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 8, has completed better than 70 percent of his passes in four of his last five games and is coming off his best game of the season. Tough matchups await with the Cowboys and Jets up next, but that type of efficiency travels against any team.
Zonovan Knight, RB, New York Jets: It’s time to take Knight’s play seriously. He’s racked up 298 total yards in his three games for the Jets and has finished with double-digit scoring in each. Michael Carter only saw eight touches against the Bills, compared to 19 for Knight. He is going to be a factor moving forward and could be an unexpected league winner down the stretch.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: I’ve been hesitant to add any Chiefs running back because of how much of a committee that backfield has been for much of the season. It’s been Pacheco getting the majority of the carries as of late, including a bruising run to seal the win against the Broncos. He’s also become the preferred option near the goal line, making him FLEX-worthy.
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I’m going to keep stressing every week for the rest of the campaign to roster as many handcuff running backs as possible. Even players such as Kareem Hunt and AJ Dillon, who haven’t lived up to their draft status, need to be held on to despite their disappointing seasons. Dillon, Hunt, Alexander Mattison, Semaje Perine, James Cook, Deon Jackson, Matt Breida, Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Dontrell Hilliard and Jordan Mason all need to be rostered in the event of an injury to the player ahead of them in the pecking order. You absolutely should roster your own handcuffs at this time of the year and stash a few others instead of multiple quarterbacks, tight ends and defenses.
Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Jones was mentioned a few weeks back after a terrific game against the Ravens in Week 12 but is still widely available in most leagues. He saw another 12 targets against the Titans this week. That’s now 43 targets in his last four games.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns: He typically doesn’t get the large target share, Peoples-Jones had his best game of the season with eight receptions on 12 targets for 144 yards against the Bengals. He has finished with double-digit points in five of his last six games, and that trend should continue with Deshaun Watson now at quarterback.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars: He has been mentioned in this piece throughout the season, and he’s here once again after his best performance of the season. Engram led all position players in scoring in the 1 p.m. window with 11 receptions for 162 yards and two scores. He saw a whopping 15 targets against the Titans and has scored in back-to-back games. I’ve said for weeks now that it’s hard to trust most tight ends, but it’s hard to argue against any player seeing that number of targets.
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST: The Raiders collapsed once again in the fourth quarter as they let Baker Mayfield drive down the field in the final minute for another disappointing loss. But for much of the game, the defense played well, and the upcoming schedule — Patriots, Steelers and a banged-up 49ers team — is enticing.
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