It’s getting late in the fantasy season and it’s time to claim your postseason spot. Your team has been sitting right around average but has managed to rattle off a couple of wins in a row. Now it’s time to keep your foot on the pedal and cruise right into the postseason.
That is definitely not going to be easy, especially with six teams – Arizona, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, San Francisco and the New York Giants – having the week off, limiting your options. Here are five players that could prove helpful if your bench is running a little thin or your star player is off.
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
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Week 9 Sleepers
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Dexter McCluster WR - Kansas City
The Chiefs face off against Buffalo this week, a team that has allowed more points to wide receivers than any other team. McCluster might be their third passing threat, but last week he had seven catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. We expect at least that much this week, considering the Chiefs mix a good amount of running and passing.
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Lance Moore WR - New Orleans
Like the Bills, the cross state Jets have a defense just as bad and are top 10 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. More than half the leagues have Moore on the free agent list and with Drew Brees at the helm, he could be a good addition. Last week Moore caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. Proceed with caution on this one.
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Jake Locker QB - Tennessee
After putting up solid fantasy numbers the last two weeks, Locker is becoming a hot commodity in many fantasy leagues – and with less than one-third of leagues owning him, he might still be available if you need a quarterback. The Titans face a St. Louis team that has not allowed a ton of points to the quarterback position but we thought the same last week against San Francisco. He should be good for about 15 points or so, especially with that run game.
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Mike Tolbert RB - Carolina
The last two weeks Tolbert has put up solid numbers, so starting him against Atlanta could be a wise choice. The Falcons have given up an average of 114 yards on the ground per game and have given up just as many fantasy points to running backs. Tolbert might not be their only running back but he will definitely get some big points this week.
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Terrelle Pryor QB - Oakland
Given the way Philadelphia’s defense has performed – and the amount of points it has given up – this season, it’s smart to take the opposing quarterback. In fact, the Eagles are top 10 in points allowed to fantasy quarterbacks. Pryor looked solid against Pittsburgh last week, despite throwing for just 88 yards. But he ran for over 100 and a touchdown, so it’s clear that his legs will likely do most of the work. He’ll get a touchdown and 150 total yards at least.
