First off, I gotta admit when I'm wrong. Kirk Cousins went off, and I'm left wondering, "How?" Believed strongly that Philly would run the ball effectively, keeping their D off the field and moving the clock, while their D would pressure Cousins and force the normally away-game-turnover-prone QB into mistakes. Instead, their running game was a minor disaster, Washington had the ball for 34 minutes, and Cousins capitalized. Credit all of you who believed what I didn't. And credit to those who started Pierre Garcon in what was inexplicably his best game all season.
But all was not lost. Sam Bradford had his best game since Week 5--not a fantastic performance, but adequate from a fantasy perspective for those in dire straights (e.g. lost Andy Dalton). Jordan Matthews was once again a must-start. Zach Ertz came through with 10 points on 17 targets (though he paled in comparison to Jordan Reed). And my warning about DeSean Jackson was realized: not a guy you could count on if you had a WR3/4 option on your bench.
I'm writing this post late Saturday night. It's scheduled it to post two hours before Sunday's first kickoff--not in anticipation of Sunday-morning laziness, but because I'm driving all morning to get back home. So aside from a gas station stop somewhere on the Jersey Turnpike, I won't be in a position to answer questions.
As we get to the meat of Championship Week, here's the most overrated and underrated player at three core positions:
QB
Underrated: 16th-ranked Jameis Winston -- Winston has been the Eric Decker of quarterbacks: incredibly consistent across nearly all of his 14 games. But he's been a Decker-lite of sorts: not quite good enough to start most weeks, yet not bad enough to crush your chances of victory. I like him cracking 20 points for the second time this season today.
Overrated: I mentioned #1-ranked Cam Newton already. Beyond him, I'd say 9th-ranked Aaron Rodgers. Look beyond the name and you'll see a guy with Winston-like numbers since Week 14. I don't like his matchup or most of his receiving corps.this week.
RB
Underrated: A deep dive: 48th-ranked Kendall Gaskins might get a majority of backfield touches for the Niners today. I'm envisioning at least seven points--making him worth a start in very deep leagues. And as a bonus, Lovie Smith recently said he wants Doug Martin to win the NFL rushing title this year. You don't need me to promote Martin. But I think we'll see his best game since Week 5, making him an elite fantasy player today.
Overrated: 15th-ranked Frank Gore was supposed to help the Colts reach the Super Bowl. Instead, he's shown his age and then some, with only one score in his past give games--despite earning 90 touches during that span. Not even a friendly matchup against the Dolphins will save his--or Indy's--season.
WR
Underrated: It's a tie between the 54th-ranked Terrance Williams (Dez Bryant is out), the 77th-ranked Marc Mariani (Alshon Jeffery is out and Eddie Royal is hobbled), and the 47th ranked Jermaine Kearse (if Doug Baldwin sits). All three will be or are likely to be their team's leading receiver Sunday. I'm not suggesting starting any of these guys over your rock-solid talents. But if you're WR-needy, take a closer look at these three, all of whom have strong 8+ points potential.
Overrated: For the second week in a row, it's #2-ranked DeAndre Hopkins. Last week I warned that quarterback play made him a very risk WR3 in Week 15. Today it's more of the same: Start him if you absolutely have to, not because you feel you're supposed to. 10+ points would be a minor shock.
Good luck, everyone.
But all was not lost. Sam Bradford had his best game since Week 5--not a fantastic performance, but adequate from a fantasy perspective for those in dire straights (e.g. lost Andy Dalton). Jordan Matthews was once again a must-start. Zach Ertz came through with 10 points on 17 targets (though he paled in comparison to Jordan Reed). And my warning about DeSean Jackson was realized: not a guy you could count on if you had a WR3/4 option on your bench.
I'm writing this post late Saturday night. It's scheduled it to post two hours before Sunday's first kickoff--not in anticipation of Sunday-morning laziness, but because I'm driving all morning to get back home. So aside from a gas station stop somewhere on the Jersey Turnpike, I won't be in a position to answer questions.
As we get to the meat of Championship Week, here's the most overrated and underrated player at three core positions:
QB
Underrated: 16th-ranked Jameis Winston -- Winston has been the Eric Decker of quarterbacks: incredibly consistent across nearly all of his 14 games. But he's been a Decker-lite of sorts: not quite good enough to start most weeks, yet not bad enough to crush your chances of victory. I like him cracking 20 points for the second time this season today.
Overrated: I mentioned #1-ranked Cam Newton already. Beyond him, I'd say 9th-ranked Aaron Rodgers. Look beyond the name and you'll see a guy with Winston-like numbers since Week 14. I don't like his matchup or most of his receiving corps.this week.
RB
Underrated: A deep dive: 48th-ranked Kendall Gaskins might get a majority of backfield touches for the Niners today. I'm envisioning at least seven points--making him worth a start in very deep leagues. And as a bonus, Lovie Smith recently said he wants Doug Martin to win the NFL rushing title this year. You don't need me to promote Martin. But I think we'll see his best game since Week 5, making him an elite fantasy player today.
Overrated: 15th-ranked Frank Gore was supposed to help the Colts reach the Super Bowl. Instead, he's shown his age and then some, with only one score in his past give games--despite earning 90 touches during that span. Not even a friendly matchup against the Dolphins will save his--or Indy's--season.
WR
Underrated: It's a tie between the 54th-ranked Terrance Williams (Dez Bryant is out), the 77th-ranked Marc Mariani (Alshon Jeffery is out and Eddie Royal is hobbled), and the 47th ranked Jermaine Kearse (if Doug Baldwin sits). All three will be or are likely to be their team's leading receiver Sunday. I'm not suggesting starting any of these guys over your rock-solid talents. But if you're WR-needy, take a closer look at these three, all of whom have strong 8+ points potential.
Overrated: For the second week in a row, it's #2-ranked DeAndre Hopkins. Last week I warned that quarterback play made him a very risk WR3 in Week 15. Today it's more of the same: Start him if you absolutely have to, not because you feel you're supposed to. 10+ points would be a minor shock.
Good luck, everyone.