Every year there are the players we don't see coming—they emerge in the fantasy playoffs and become memorable contributors who win us titles and we toast for millennia. 

Enter Kenneth Gainwell. 

Since Week 11, Gainwell has become a major component of the Steelers passing game. Gainwell delivered another big performance, with nine carries for 50 yards and five catches for 78 yards and a TD on seven targets in a 29-24 win over the Lions.

Gainwell had 23.8 PPR points. He has at least 16.2 PPR points in five of the last six games. Gainwell has at least seven targets in three straight games and 38 targets over the last six. Only DK Metcalf has more, with 45 in that span, and there’s a chance Metcalf could miss Week 17 after striking a fan. In Week 17, Gainwell faces a Browns defense that has struggled against running backs the last few games. Gainwell needs to be in lineups for Week 17.

Let's dive into some other observations!

1. Trevor Lawrence Takes Another Step

Trevor Lawrence has been a punching bag in fantasy circles. The hope was Liam Coen could get him back to the level he played at in his second season. Lawrence had one TD pass or fewer in eight of his first 10 games this season and he was labeled a bust. Over the next four games, Lawrence had 12 TD passes, a rushing TD and at least 25 rushing yards in three of the games.

Coming off five TD passes and a rushing TD last week, he was an automatic start, right? Many doubted he could deliver on the road in Denver after his last four games came against the Cardinals, Colts and Jets. Lawrence went into Denver and led the Jaguars to a 34-20 win. 

Lawrence passed for 279 yards with three TDs and rushed for 20 yards with a TD. Lawrence is only the second QB to pass for three TDs against the Broncos this season (Jaxson Dart was the first). Lawrence is a QB1 for Week 17 against the Colts—this is the best Lawrence has looked in a long time.

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2. Emeka Egbuka Dream Fades to Darkness

Well ... it was fun while it lasted. Emeka Egbuka got off to a strong start this season and was in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He remained in the WR2 conversation weekly due to the target share and lack of other receivers in Tampa Bay. But Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returned in Week 15 and Egbuka played 64% of the snaps, his lowest mark since Week 5. Egbuka was third among receivers in snaps played in Week 16 and was on the field for two more snaps than McMillan, who ran four more routes than Egbuka. Egbuka had one catch for 40 yards and can’t be in lineups for championship week.

3. Bucky Irving Gets Sniped … Again

Fantasy GMs with Bucky Irving on their teams must be livid. Since Irving returned from injury, he has yet to get a goal-line carry. Sean Tucker has received all of them, except one. And Tucker struck again on Sunday, with 4 carries for 3 yards and a 1-yard TD (although, to be fair, that run was after a Mike Evans end zone target was flagged for defensive PI). 

Irving scored a rushing TD in his first game back and had a receiving TD the next week before going scoreless in the next two games. The trend continued in Week 16, as Irving had 19 carries for 71 yards against the Panthers, but no targets. And no TDs.

He has received 19, 17, 17 and 19 touches in his last four games. Any running back getting that much volume is a start, but the ceiling is way lower for Irving with his lack of involvement in the passing game PLUS losing the goal-line touches.

Related: Week 17 waiver wire adds from my SXM co-host Kendall Valenzuela

4. Ashton Jeanty Delivers ... Finally

Fantasy teams with Ashton Jeanty likely aren’t even playing right now... and if they did, he probably was on the bench. The recent conversation around the rookie was starting to shift to where he should be drafted next season after a disappointing rookie year. Anyone who has watched Jeanty this season knows it’s not about him, though. The Raiders' offensive line has been abysmal and crushed Jeanty this season. 

Against the Texans, who have boasted the best defense in the NFL, Jeanty rushed for 128 yards on 24 carries with a TD and caught a 60-yard pass for a score. 

With the Giants up next in Week 17, you have to start Jeanty. Just imagine what he could do behind an average offensive line.

5. The Chiefs' Outlook Gets Bleaker

It was already bad enough that the Chiefs were without Patrick Mahomes and Rashee Rice against the Titans. The team's backup QB, Gardner Minshew, likely suffered a torn ACL and the Chiefs host Denver on Christmas. Chris Oladokun took over at QB and he went 11-for-16 for 111 passing yards and took four sacks. Travis Kelce had one catch for six yards. 

Only Rice and Kelce can be considered starts (until Week 18 when we obviously will have Oladokun as a DFS sleeper) — and even they are risky.

6. Quinshon Judkins Suffers A Gruesome Injury

Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins had his season come to an end with a brutal injury. He fractured his fibula, dislocated his ankle and injured his knee. Judkins was becoming more involved in the passing game with Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford out with injuries. Ford is on IR and Sampson has missed two games with a hand injury. If Sampson could return in Week 17, he would be the preferred option. If he can’t go, it would be a split between Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams. Sanders mainly played the early downs and Williams the passing downs.

Ronis Bonus: One QB Up, Another QB Down

Sunday night the big news was the continuation of a tough, injury-riddled season for Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP came out of the Sunday Night game against the Patriots just before halftime with a back injury. Surely the Ravens would have liked to have Jackson playing at even close to full power the final two games of the season that are must-win situations for their playoff hopes. A QB at full power is not in question in New England, as Drake Maye passed for 380 yards and a pair of TDs in the 28-24 victory. He finished with 23.7 fantasy points. That was his first 300-yard game of his career, and the Patriots remained a game ahead of the Bills in the AFC East standings.

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