Week 14: at Carolina
Week 15: vs. Oakland
Week 16: at Cleveland
Getting ready to face Denver for the second time in the past three weeks, Philip Rivers is currently in the midst of the brutal portion of his schedule. It's going to lighten up at the end of the year, and Rivers -- who is playing some great football despite losing Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead -- will be in an ideal position to put up some gaudy numbers.
Per our metrics, the Raiders, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns all boast pass defenses that rank in the bottom 11 against the pass. By now, it's pretty clear that this year's Panthers are nowhere near as lethal defending the pass as the 2015 edition. Cleveland is allowing the second-most points to quarterbacks while Carolina (third-most) and Oakland (sixth-most) are also among the best teams to target when looking for passing-game production.
A schedule as heavenly as this makes Rivers, Hunter Henry and Tyrell Williams great options down the stretch. Henry and Williams have been balling out -- Henry leads tight ends in Reception NEP per target while Williams is second among receivers -- but they could take it to another level in the playoffs. Even Antonio Gates could be a decent streaming option, provided he is still healthy and dad-running two months from now.