Hark, fantasy football championship contender: Vanquish your final foe with these picks

Tony Pollard vs Philadelphia Eagles

I don’t care if Ezekiel Elliott plays this week or not, I’m still slotting Pollard into my flex spot. If Zeke doesn’t play, Pollard has low-end RB1 upside. If Zeke does play, Pollard could still give you RB2 numbers. The season is all but done for the Cowboys, and it makes no sense for them to risk serious injury to their payroll-clogging, disinterested running back. Pollard, coming off a monster performance against the Cowboys (69 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 6 receptions, 63 receiving yards), will at minimum be in a timeshare this weekend, with a good possibility that Elliott won’t be cleared to play. Pollard passes the eye test as well, looking more explosive than Elliott at this point in the season. If I have him, I will find a way to get him in my lineup.

J.D. McKissic vs Carolina Panthers

The matchup against Carolina is a juicy one, whether Antonio Gibson plays or not. Gibson missed last week’s game with a toe injury, and should be “questionable” for this week’s performance. Much like Pollard, McKissic has standalone value, especially because of his work in the receiving game. With nine receptions on 10 targets last week, McKissic is incredibly valuable in PPR. If you think he only saw that work because Gibson was out, don’t. He has seen double-digit targets four of the last seven weeks. If Gibson sits, McKissic is an RB2. If he plays, he’s worth at least a flex spot.