Many questions have been coming in on David Johnson. A bunch of you are looking to acquire him. Unless you're in a dynasty league, don't.
Some of you are pointing to the latest news that he could return by Week 12. Let's suppose he does. Let's suppose he exceeds all realistic expectations and returns to the field right after Thanksgiving against the Jaguars. What kind of team will be awaiting him? At best, a 4-6 team with essentially no shot at the postseason.
Ever since signing Carson Palmer four years ago, the Cardinals haven't signed an adequate backup. With Palmer, Arizona was near the bottom of the league in points-per-game as well as net turnovers. Their normally solid defense has been atrocious, yielding the second most points-per-game.
The team won't suddenly get better these next few weeks with Drew Stanton at the helm. No, the Cardinals are headed for the same abysmal showing exhibited the last time Palmer was sidelined in 2014--except this time, their defense can't keep them in games.
So imagine Johnson somehow defying the odds and returning Week 12. He'll re-join a team hurtling toward a 5- or 6- win season. And we should assume the Cardinals would toss their franchise running back--coming off a serious injury--back onto the field for a bunch of meaningless games? No, Arizona needs Johnson starting September 2018, not late-November 2017. The organization would be flat-out stupid to rush him back for irrelevant games.
Head coach Bruce Arians insists Week 12 is the "earliest" Johnson could return. The plan was always to get him back for the playoffs. Now that the playoffs are largely out of reach, don't think Johnson will help your fantasy squad this season.
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I've had a good read on recent Thursday Night Football games. But tonight's contest is a tough one to crack. Consider this: Miami is last in the NFL in yards per game and second-to-last in points per game. They're facing a Ravens team that's lost four of five and can't stop the run--but their pass defense has stepped up: 7th best in passing yards per game and a league-high 10 interceptions.
Then there's Matt Moore filling in for Jay Cutler. Surely an upgrade, right? I'd like to think so, given the fact I've been pushing for Moore to replace Cutler all season.
But back to pass defense. Here's one of those interesting stats that's completely misleading. Why has Baltimore's pass D been so dang good? The answer: its opponents QBs have been awful. Sure, they completely shut down Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton. But that's not saying much in a year when neither of these guys is posting QB1--or even QB2--numbers. The other four QBs they've faced? DeShone Kizer, Blake Bortles, E.J. Manuel, Mitch Trubisky, and Case Keenum.
Oh, and three of those QBs outperformed Joe Flacco in those games.
So can Moore have a good game? Of course. Are the Ravens a trustworthy fantasy DST? Hardly. Yes, they're at home. Yes, Miami's offense has struggled. But this is one of those games where past stats can be thrown out the window. Because at best they're misleading, and at worst they're meaningless.
Some of you are pointing to the latest news that he could return by Week 12. Let's suppose he does. Let's suppose he exceeds all realistic expectations and returns to the field right after Thanksgiving against the Jaguars. What kind of team will be awaiting him? At best, a 4-6 team with essentially no shot at the postseason.
Ever since signing Carson Palmer four years ago, the Cardinals haven't signed an adequate backup. With Palmer, Arizona was near the bottom of the league in points-per-game as well as net turnovers. Their normally solid defense has been atrocious, yielding the second most points-per-game.
The team won't suddenly get better these next few weeks with Drew Stanton at the helm. No, the Cardinals are headed for the same abysmal showing exhibited the last time Palmer was sidelined in 2014--except this time, their defense can't keep them in games.
So imagine Johnson somehow defying the odds and returning Week 12. He'll re-join a team hurtling toward a 5- or 6- win season. And we should assume the Cardinals would toss their franchise running back--coming off a serious injury--back onto the field for a bunch of meaningless games? No, Arizona needs Johnson starting September 2018, not late-November 2017. The organization would be flat-out stupid to rush him back for irrelevant games.
Head coach Bruce Arians insists Week 12 is the "earliest" Johnson could return. The plan was always to get him back for the playoffs. Now that the playoffs are largely out of reach, don't think Johnson will help your fantasy squad this season.
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I've had a good read on recent Thursday Night Football games. But tonight's contest is a tough one to crack. Consider this: Miami is last in the NFL in yards per game and second-to-last in points per game. They're facing a Ravens team that's lost four of five and can't stop the run--but their pass defense has stepped up: 7th best in passing yards per game and a league-high 10 interceptions.
Then there's Matt Moore filling in for Jay Cutler. Surely an upgrade, right? I'd like to think so, given the fact I've been pushing for Moore to replace Cutler all season.
But back to pass defense. Here's one of those interesting stats that's completely misleading. Why has Baltimore's pass D been so dang good? The answer: its opponents QBs have been awful. Sure, they completely shut down Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton. But that's not saying much in a year when neither of these guys is posting QB1--or even QB2--numbers. The other four QBs they've faced? DeShone Kizer, Blake Bortles, E.J. Manuel, Mitch Trubisky, and Case Keenum.
Oh, and three of those QBs outperformed Joe Flacco in those games.
So can Moore have a good game? Of course. Are the Ravens a trustworthy fantasy DST? Hardly. Yes, they're at home. Yes, Miami's offense has struggled. But this is one of those games where past stats can be thrown out the window. Because at best they're misleading, and at worst they're meaningless.