In light of all the excitement that is Sunday football, I’ll try
something new this morning: each team’s most notable fantasy storyline:
Giants – Eli Manning’s mediocrity knows no limits. Fortunately for him and fantasy owners (and
would-be fantasy owners seeking a buy-low opportunity), this is not the year he
produces the worst offensive numbers of his career. Overrated this summer, he’s as underrated as
any QB out there.
Rams – Todd Gurley keeps trudging along. His YPC is worse than backup Benny
Cunningham’s and the multi-tooled Tavon Austin.
This isn’t strictly an o-line issue; it’s a Gurley issue. His saving grace will be increased involvement
in the passing game, which so far is keeping him on the RB2 radar.
Browns – Cody Kessler’s in-game injury ushered in Cleveland’s sixth QB
of the season. It’s still too early to
know, but if the versatile (just look at his rushing line) Kevin Hogan
continues to start, Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson will take hits, while Terrelle
Pryor, Corey Coleman, and Gary Barnidge could be unstartable most weeks.
Bengals – Calling all Jeremy Hill fans: while two good games thru Week
7 is nothing to brag about, the part-time Cincy running back will play enough
soft defenses this season to be relevant at least a few more times. Risk-averse managers should look elsewhere.
Bills – Tyrod Taylor has surprised me with low-end QB1 numbers, despite
being without Sammy Watkins for most of the season. Hats off to those who scooped him up late;
with LeSean McCoy hobbled, he thrived as the centerpiece of an otherwise broken
offense.
Dolphins – I’m dumbfounded. Is
this why Miami let Lamar Miller walk?
Unexceptional throughout his brief career, Jay Ajayi now has
back-to-back blow-up games. Literally,
blow-up. I passed him by on waivers last
week thinking he’d settle into RB2/3 territory.
Well, at least for one week, he proved me flat-out wrong.
Redskins – Matt Jones’ fumbling problems were evident last year. Now they’re staring his Redskin career in the
face. Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley are
ready to pick up the slack if Jones is benched.
Already unstartable most weeks, Jones is now on a very short leash.
Lions – While Golden Tate caught only six of 12 targets, he was clearly
Matthew Stafford’s go-to option, translating into a healthy 93 yards. For all intents and purposes, he’s back, and
is a solid WR2/3 the rest of the way.
Vikings – Remember Sam Bradford’s first game of the season? Nearly 300 passing yards and two scores. Many hailed him as just what the Super Bowl
contender needed. But he’s still Sam
Bradford: a mediocre NFL QB with mediocre fantasy potential.
Eagles – Carson Wentz likes to spread the ball around, which is
soul-crushing for fantasy managers. Only
three times in the past five games had a Philly WR surpassed 43 yards. Week 7 brought more of the same, rendering
only one WR (Dorial Green-Beckham) moderately useful.
Colts – With Donte Moncrief still on the shelf, Dwayne Allen out, and
the underwhelming Phillip Dorsett sidelined, T.Y. Hilton continued his glorious
run at elite WR1 status. Yes, he’s this
good, and no, he won’t remain this dominant when Andrew Luck’s full complement
of receivers return to the field.
Titans – Indy has yielded 22+ points each game this season, so it’s not
surprising Marcus Mariota and DeMarco Murray took care of business. Yesterday, it was also Delanie Walker’s turn
to get into the action. But bear in mind:
Tennessee’s fantasy playoff schedule (Denver, Kansas City, Jacksonville) make
guys like Walker terrific sell-high candidates.
Saints – I was slow on the uptick with Michael Thomas, believing
Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead, Coby Fleener, and Mark Ingram would limit the
rookie’s appeal. After four
double-digit fantasy performances in a row, I can no longer ignore him.
Chiefs – I told a reader this past week that even in a dream matchup,
Jeremy Maclin was too big a risk. That
says a lot about how we should view Maclin this season—the de facto #1 receiver
in a run-first offense. I can’t think of
a game going forward where I’d want to start Maclin vs. a boom-bust WR3/4.
Raiders – Latavius Murray dominated backfield touches, which is either
a great sign or an outlier. We’ll know
next week which way it leans.
Jaguars – Blake Bortles’ regression is downright bizarre. Last year’s fourth highest scoring fantasy QB
has more weapons than ever, yet isn’t even a sure bet for top 16 production
each week. Playing terribly against the
NFL’s worst passing D is icing on the crap cake.
Ravens – Joe Flacco is a close second to Bortles in the “most
disappointing QB” group. Two passing TDs
in his past five games? That’s a stat
you find for a QB who gets benched.
Jets – While I’m tempted to talk about the always-dramatic QB
situation, Matt Forte owners deserve accolades for sticking with him,
especially in facing a stout Ravens D.
Yet it’s hard to be happy about 34 more touches—including 30 carries—for
the nearly 31-year-old. Yesterday was
Forte’s day. But I’m no higher on him
than I was on Saturday.
Chargers – Antonio Gates tied for the team lead with 10 targets, yet
hauled in only five for 38 yards. While
Hunter Henry took a clear backseat, don’t mistake this outing as a new trend
line. Gates is not the same player at
this phase of his career and should not be trusted in any week in most fantasy
leagues.
Falcons – Devonta Freeman picked up 100 yards on 21 touches Sunday, and
with Tevin Coleman knocked out with a hamstring injury, he could draw the
bell-cow role next Sunday, making him a must-start RB in essentially every
league.
Patriots – Sell high on Julian Edelman?
Seems ridiculous with the usually stalwart WR2 limping through the first
half of the season. If an opponent still
views him as a WR2/3, bail. There are
too many good options for Brady and Belichick in this offense.
Steelers – Le’Veon Bell carried the Steelers on his back to the tune of
149 yards on 31 touches. Until Big Ben
returns, Bell will continue to be a high-volume RB1 with only a low risk of
downside.
Buccaneers – If not for Jacquizz Rodgers and Mike Evans combining for
259 yards and two TDs, Peyton Barber would have been the main story in Sunday’s
contest in San Francisco. The rookie
might not be startable the rest of the season, but if Rodgers gets hurt—and with
Doug Martin seemingly indefinitely shelved—Barber jumps into the “RB handcuffs
to monitor” conversation.
49ers – Colin Kaepernick reinforced two characteristics yesterday: he’s
better than Blaine Gabbert, and he’s worse than nearly every other starting
QB. His rushing yardage has kept him
relevant in two-QB leagues. And that
remains the only reason to start him.
Seahawks – Doug Baldwin’s disappointing fantasy season continued with a
scoreless 69-yard performance. But a
poor offensive line (and perhaps Russell Wilson’s injury) aren’t the only
things to blame. If you look closely at
least year’s numbers, most of Baldwin’s incredible production came after Jimmy
Graham was lost for the year. It’s hard
to envision Baldwin as a reliable top 20 WR unless Graham gets hurt.
Cardinals – J.J. Nelson is a guy I’ve lightly pushed in dynasty leagues
since this summer. With John Brown out
and Jaron Brown getting hurt mid-game, Nelson assumed the #3 receiving role in Arizona,
catching three of seven targets for 84 yards.
If the Browns don’t return for a while, Nelson is in the WR3/4
conversations.