The bad news: there's no Thursday Night Football tonight. If this were the mid '80s, I'd be hunkered down for two straight hours of electric network television: Charles in Charge, E/R (the one-season comedy starring the underrated Elliott Gould, not the 15-season drama that out-lived its usefulness), The Facts of Life, and It's Your Move.
By the way, does anyone else remember George Clooney on the '80s E/R? The next year he'd move 30 minutes back to co-star on Facts of Life. Yes, before Clooney was a global icon, he practically ruled Thursday night television.
But I digress.
Building off of yesterday's column on which teams might play their starters and which teams might not, here's some potentially useful news:
(1) Highly touted rookie Patrick Mahomes will get his first NFL start Sunday. In Denver. Presumably surrounded by backup linemen and receivers. And handing the ball off a lot of Akeem Hunt. This is looking like a 27-3 Denver rout. Avoid Mahomes, and fire up the Broncos DST as a top-5 unit.
(2) Speaking of DSTs, the Patriots were only the 12th best fantasy unit last week (I publicly promised a top-5 showing and was clearly off). That said, I'm doubling down this week against a Jets team that reportedly might bring in Christian Hackenberg mid-game. New England has locked up the #1 seed.
(3) Aaron Jones is sitting out Week 17, meaning Jamaal Williams (assuming he starts) could finally get back on track. That is, unless Green Bay decides to see what they have in their other rookie RB, Devante Mays. You might recall that Mays was one of three backs the Packers drafted this year. Those desperate for a potentially high-volume RB3 should monitor this situation closely.
(4) Randall Cobb could be a must-start wideout if Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams are sidelined. Cobb's per-game production is the worst we've seen since his rookie year (2011). Yet he can still help fantasy managers if he's Brett Hundley's #1 target Sunday.
(5) Joe Mixon still isn't practicing. If he starts, neither he nor Gio Bernard will be playable in Baltimore. If Mixon sits, Gio will be a high-volume RB2/3.
(6) Finally, Derrick Henry has not met my preseason expectations. But he's looking like a 20+ touch starter Sunday. Armed with a healthy 4.7 YPC, he'll be an RB2 against a beatable Jags run D and is probably 50/50 for RB1 production. And heading into next season, he'll be an RB2+ once Tennessee realizes the 30-year-old DeMarco Murray is not the right guy to lead or even co-lead this backfield.
By the way, does anyone else remember George Clooney on the '80s E/R? The next year he'd move 30 minutes back to co-star on Facts of Life. Yes, before Clooney was a global icon, he practically ruled Thursday night television.
But I digress.
Building off of yesterday's column on which teams might play their starters and which teams might not, here's some potentially useful news:
(1) Highly touted rookie Patrick Mahomes will get his first NFL start Sunday. In Denver. Presumably surrounded by backup linemen and receivers. And handing the ball off a lot of Akeem Hunt. This is looking like a 27-3 Denver rout. Avoid Mahomes, and fire up the Broncos DST as a top-5 unit.
(2) Speaking of DSTs, the Patriots were only the 12th best fantasy unit last week (I publicly promised a top-5 showing and was clearly off). That said, I'm doubling down this week against a Jets team that reportedly might bring in Christian Hackenberg mid-game. New England has locked up the #1 seed.
(3) Aaron Jones is sitting out Week 17, meaning Jamaal Williams (assuming he starts) could finally get back on track. That is, unless Green Bay decides to see what they have in their other rookie RB, Devante Mays. You might recall that Mays was one of three backs the Packers drafted this year. Those desperate for a potentially high-volume RB3 should monitor this situation closely.
(4) Randall Cobb could be a must-start wideout if Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams are sidelined. Cobb's per-game production is the worst we've seen since his rookie year (2011). Yet he can still help fantasy managers if he's Brett Hundley's #1 target Sunday.
(5) Joe Mixon still isn't practicing. If he starts, neither he nor Gio Bernard will be playable in Baltimore. If Mixon sits, Gio will be a high-volume RB2/3.
(6) Finally, Derrick Henry has not met my preseason expectations. But he's looking like a 20+ touch starter Sunday. Armed with a healthy 4.7 YPC, he'll be an RB2 against a beatable Jags run D and is probably 50/50 for RB1 production. And heading into next season, he'll be an RB2+ once Tennessee realizes the 30-year-old DeMarco Murray is not the right guy to lead or even co-lead this backfield.