With the fantasy playoffs coming and the byes over

https://www.coltsfanshop.com/hats , it’s time for your waiver wire approach to change.No longer are you stashing players for future impact. If you have a chance at the playoffs, you know your established starters. Unless injuries strike, you don’t want to take a player off of waivers and slide him right into your lineup.It’s also time to clear out guys you won’t ever start in favor of depth. If you are not going to use mediocre or unreliable players like Frank Gore or Michael Crabtree, cut them loose. What you need now is insurance at the all-important running back position. It’s the only position where your top player can suffer an injury and the backup becomes immediately relevant. You should be rostering the top NFL backups of your starting running backs if they are available. If your starting running back gets injured, you will not have to fight for his services on the waiver wire If you add him now.This approach, however, does not work at other positions. Backup NFL QBs are usually not the types you will want to start at all in fantasy, and the position is deep in one-QB leagues anyway. When a No. 1 NFL WR is injured, the No. 2 guy on the team is often already rostered if he is fantasy relevant. So focus on the preventative measures at RB for your playoff push.In some cases, such as New Orleans or the Chargers, two RBs are already useful and widely owned. Otherwise, here is a quick rundown of who you need to add or own as the handcuffs to your starting RBs if applicable. The backup to add is in parentheses. We list situations where the handcuff is clear, possibly unowned and the starter is usually or often a regular and important part of your lineup, even as a flex. Even if the backup is nowhere near as talented or productive as the current starter Indianapolis Colts Hoodie , an opportunity for adequate statistical output will be there if the starter gets injured.Rams: Todd Gurley (Malcolm Brown)Giants: Saquon Barkley (Wayne Gallman)Chiefs: Kareem Hunt (Spencer Ware)Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (Rod Smith)Panthers: Christian McCaffrey (Cameron Artis-Payne)Steelers: James Conner (Jaylen Samuels)Bengals: Joe Mixon (Giovani Bernard)Broncos: Phillip Lindsay (Royce Freeman)Patriots: James White/Sony Michel (Rex Burkhead)Cardinals: David Johnson (Chase Edmonds)Packers: Aaron Jones (Jamaal Williams)Texans: Lamar Miller (Alfred Blue)Seahawks: Chris Carson (Mike Davis)Redskins: Adrian Peterson (Kapri Bibbs)Falcons: Tevin Coleman (Ito Smith)Of course, that does not mean there are not any other adds to be made off waivers this week. There are indeed a few who have become relevant mostly because of injuries. Of the backup RBs listed above, Burkhead, who just came off injured reserve for New England, could fill in as either a runner if Sony Michel gets hurt again or as a receiver if James White goes down. Burkhead is only owned in 8.8 percent of leagues.Lions RB LeGarrette Blount (18.5) rushed for 88 yards and two TDs on Thanksgiving against the Bears defense, one of the best units against the run in the league. It is unclear when Kerryon Johnson may return from a knee injury and Blount has proven he is not quite done yet.Jaguars RB Carlos Hyde (38.8) could get significant work this week against the Colts with Leonard Fournette suspended for a week. In the same game, versatile Colts rookie RB Nyheim Hines (29.9) will be in line for quality duty if Marlon Mack is out with a concussion. He’ll be a respectable flex play in point-per-reception leagues.Tampa Bay WR Adam Humphries (28.2) is somehow being ignored in many leagues despite 26 catches and four touchdowns in his past five games. With some other WRs like Marques Valdes-Scantling and Golden Tate disappointing recently, Humphries can plug a hole if you need it.At tight end, Jonnu Smith (5.5) had a 61-yard TD reception on Monday night and has scored in three of his past four games. Jets rookie Chris Herndon (9.9) has double figure PPR totals in four of his past six games and is deserving of regular starting consideration. INDIANAPOLIS 鈥?Andrew Luck looks and sounds like his old self.He’s smiling, cherishing each snap. He’s throwing touchdowns and winning games, staying healthy and chasing the kinds of milestones so many expected when the Indianapolis Colts made him the top overall pick in the 2012 draft.Yes, at age 29, he’s again having fun playing football.“I was not in a good spot a year ago. I remember that. I am in a good spot now,” Luck said in his trademark low-key tone following Sunday’s 38-10 victory over Tennessee.“My perspective is a little different toward this game. I appreciate things maybe a little bit more https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Le_Raven-Clark-Jersey , and I think that’s pretty consistent with anybody who’s been out for significant time with an injury.”Twelve months ago, Luck was questioning everything from whether a second surgical procedure might alleviate the pain in his right shoulder to whether he would ever play another NFL game.He had been shut down for the season by going on injured reserve and headed to Europe, where he continued rehabbing in relative anonymity.He spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Netherlands and when he returned home, just before Indy’s season finale, Luck recounted some of the emotional challenges he faced during his prolonged recovery from a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.Even then, things didn’t go according to plan.The only NFL coach Luck played for, Chuck Pagano, was fired a few days after his return. New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels accepted the Colts’ coaching job and then backed out, paving the way for Frank Reich to eventually take over while Luck’s recovery essentially started over.“We were throwing little 鈥?I don’t even know what kind of balls they were 鈥?weighted balls, but they didn’t have points on them,” Reich said when asked to recount Luck’s status when he first arrived in town.“He was patient. I give him a lot of credit. He was really patient and he just said he was going to stay patient and trust the process, and he did that. So that’s a lot of credit to him.”Luck didn’t start throwing footballs until May, didn’t start throwing at practice聽until mid-June and was kept on a strict pitch count at training camp.So when the Colts started 1-5 and Luck was throwing short, some naturally wondered if Luck would ever regain his pre-injury form.A month later Khari Willis Jersey , there are no more doubts.Luck is in the midst of his best pro season with his completion rate (67.3 percent) and rating (101.8) at career highs and his 29 TD passes ranked second in the league to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. Luck has reduced the number of interceptions and forced passes and hasn’t been sacked in five weeks, a total of 214 consecutive drop-backs.100View Gallery Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj MehtaThe closest Tennessee even came to touching Luck on Sunday was when Luck tried to catch a touchdown pass from tight end Eric Ebron.As a result, Indy (5-5) has won four straight to jump back into the playoff picture.If Luck throws three more TD passes this weekend against Miami, he will tie Peyton Manning (eight) for the second-longest streak of consecutive games in league history, trailing only New England’s Tom Brady (10). And the deep throws have returned, too.But the more people talk about Luck’s gaudy numbers, the more focused Luck becomes on enjoying football and life.“It’s nice that the results are positive for us, certainly, but I wouldn’t say that I’m having more fun,” he said. “I’m just enjoying it. It’s a great group of guys. It’s a great group of coaches (and a) great building.”If the injury taught Luck anything, it’s how quickly things can change in the NFL.He lost right guard Matt Slauson to a season-ending back injury after Week 5 and now, in the midst of this remarkable streak, he may be missing center Ryan Kelly, who left Sunday’s game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. Reich said doctors are evaluating Kelly’s knee.The loss of Kelly could be huge http://www.coltsfanshop.com/Bobby-Okereke-Jersey , given offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo recently said Kelly was playing at a Pro Bowl level and was one of the best centers in the league.“We feel like Evan (Boehm) is ready if he’s the one playing,” Reich said Monday. “Obviously, Ryan is playing at a super high level. So I am not going to suggest that there wouldn’t be any changes, but they would be very minimal.”Luck understands what it will be like for Kelly if he can’t play.After fighting through the physical pain and mental difficulty, the agony of defeat and the heartache of not being able to help out, Luck believes he has come out the other end as a better player.“Everybody’s got a story to tell. Certainly, as a quarterback in this league, if you play for a couple years you’re going to have gone through something,” he said. “I’d like to think that what happened, the result of that is probably the best thing for my career, the best thing that could’ve happened.”