Week 12 of the regular season is not too early to start thinking about how to best position your roster for your league playoffs. For most of us, that means taking a look at the matchups for Weeks 14 thru 16, making sure we get the most from the guys currently on our roster, or looking to add the players that can help bring home the Championship.
It goes without saying that if you have Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson or Jimmy Graham on your team, they will be in your lineup unless hurt, regardless of who their NFL opponent is. But, if you don't have a stud and have been playing matchups all season, now is the time to see if you've got the right players on your team.
Let's take a look at the top two non-stud players with the best playoff schedule at the QB, RB, WR and TE positions (statistics thru Week 11). First up are the quarterbacks:
Nick Foles, Philadelphia
Foles has completed 63.6|PERCENT| percent of his passes with 16 TDs and 0 INTs for a QB rating of 128.0. His 9.6 yards per attempt is best in the league and he's also run for two TDs, despite standing on the sidelines for all or part of the Eagles first five games this season.
In Week 14, Philadelphia hosts the Detroit Lions, whose 30th ranked pass defense has yielded 19 TDs this season, and allowed 284 yards per game, while recording just 16 sacks through 10 games (only the Jaguars and Giants have less).
Week 15 offers an equally attractive opponent for the Eagles, who head to Minnesota and their 29th ranked pass defense. The Vikings have allowed a league-high 23 TDs to opposing quarterbacks and an average of 280 yards per game.
Should you advance to your league Championship game in Week 16 the matchup is a bit tougher, with Philadelphia hosting Chicago. While the Bear pass defense, ranked 16th overall, is allowing just 239 yards and 1.5 TDs per game, their pass rush has been non-existent with only 17 sacks. And, considering both the Eagles and Bears will likely be playing a meaningful game in terms of their own playoff chances, combined with Philadelphia?s 32nd ranked pass defense, this has all the signs of being a shootout.
Foles has several solid receiving options in DeSean Jackson, Riley Cooper and LeSean McCoy and, while he may be hard to acquire at this point in the season, if he is currently on the roster of a team looking ahead to 2014, now may be a good time to get him.
Case Keenum, Houston
I know what you're thinking... he was pulled in Week 11 for Matt Schaub. True, but head coach Gary Kubiak has already named Keenum the Week 12 starter, and with the Texans having nothing to play for this season, he should get an extended look the rest of the way. Like Foles, Keenum has had limited playing time this season, playing just three and a half games, but has made the most of it with eight TDs and just one INT for a QB rating of 99.0. His 7.9 yards per attempt is ranked 8th in the league among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts.
In Week 14, Houston travels to Jacksonville, whose 24th ranked pass defense has allowed 20 TDs while having a league-worst four INTs and just 15 sacks (only the Giants have less). Need I say more?
In Week 15, the Texans head to Indianapolis. By no means is the Colts pass defense soft, but Keenum torched them for 350 yards and three TDs with no INTs earlier this season, and Houston will likely be looking at this game to salvage pride for the season.
Week 16 presents a far more attractive option, when the Texas host the Broncos and their 29th ranked pass defense. Considering Denver's potent offense, opponents have been forced to attempt over 40 passes per game (3rd most in the league), giving Keenum ample opportunity to put up big fantasy numbers.
Keenum may still be available on the waiver wire in your league, and has Andre Johnson, Garrett Graham and Ben Tate as targets, making him worth stashing on your roster until playoff time.