It shouldn't have been that close. Credit the Bills' D for keeping Buffalo in this one. If they had even a middling offense, this could be a DST1. Entering Week 8 they were second-best in opposing yards per pass attempt (a measly 6.7) and interceptions (12). But two fourth-quarter turnovers by Derek Anderson proved to be the difference, which shouldn't be all that surprising. Buffalo now sits at 2-6 with the league's worst receiving corps, a pair of 30-year-old running backs, and a bottom-barrel offensive line. There's arguably no NFL team with a worse two-year outlook than the Bills.
On the other side of the ball, New England escaped thanks largely to James White. More than half of his receptions this year have gone for 8+ yards. Kenjon Barner was a non-factor. Instead, the Pats employed an all-hands-on-deck backfield consisting of a large chunk of Cordarrelle Patterson and a small role for Julian Edelman. Nobody ran it particularly well, but they didn't need to. When Sony Michel returns -- probably this week -- New England will be at full strength heading into the second half of the season, which is a scary thought. Aside from their Week 9 matchup against the Packers and a Week 15 contest in Pittsburgh, it should be smooth sailing for a team whose biggest obstacles for earning another #1 AFC seed are the Chiefs, Chargers, and perhaps the Steelers.
One interesting note is the pre-game report about Josh Gordon, who supposedly was going to be benched to start this one after showing up late at least twice this past week -- including for the trip out to Buffalo. There are two Josh Gordon camps. Some believe he's a great bet for a return to fantasy stardom. Others, like me, continue to believe he won't re-discover his 2013 glory -- and frankly, that he won't come close. Gordon is a special talent. He's also not too many (one? two?) infractions away from getting canned. The Patriots have a Super Bowl to win, and as we saw in last year's championship game, even an every-down starter can be benched for breaking the rules (Malcolm Butler). Don't think Gordon is in any way protected.
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And now a look at some of the best (and most available) waiver adds for this week:
At QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick (94% Available in ESPN Leagues) is the most obvious pickup after being named the Week 9 starter. If he can overcome Carolina's fairly stiff D, his outlook will gradually improve with very winnable (and potentially high-output) matchups against the Giants, Niners, and Saints. In other words, in two-QB and very deep leagues, he's worth a high-FAAB gamble if you're desperate for a QB1; it's hard to envision the Bucs turning back to Jameis Winston. Also, Dak Prescott (71% Available) gets a boost with the addition of modern-day Jeckyll-and-Hyde Amari Cooper. After Tennessee in Week 9 he'll get Philly and Atlanta, putting him on the top 10-16 QB map in both.
At RB, Doug Martin (48% Available) almost passed the eye test Sunday with 72 yards on 13 carries, as well as a couple catches for 17 yards. He also twice failed to punch it in from the one-yard line -- something Marshawn Lynch probably would have executed on the first try. Certainly he needs to be rostered in most leagues, though he'll remain a situational streamer based on opposing defense. And Aaron Jones (52% Available) continues to look bellcow-ready; he needs to be rostered universally in case Green Bay decides Jamaal Williams isn't even a partial answer.
At WR, Courtland Sutton (88% Available) will pop if Denver trades Emmanuel Sanders and/or Demaryius Thomas before the deadline. He's a must-add if you want to take that chance. Chris Godwin (51% Available) scored three times in Ryan Fitzpatrick's first three starts and was one of my bargains back in training camp. With Fitz back at the helm, Godwin has weekly streaming potential in deeper leagues. DeVante Parker (88% Available) is a must-add if Kenny Stills misses more time. Even if he doesn't, Parker should be rostered in more leagues. Keke Coutee (81% Available) is also a must-add with Will Fuller out for the year. And both David Moore (97% Available) and DJ Moore (90% Available) are looking like solid weekly flyers despite their unpredictable usage.
At TE, a healthy Jack Doyle (68% Available) will compete with Eric Ebron for looks, elevating Doyle to, at worst, streaming level.
On the other side of the ball, New England escaped thanks largely to James White. More than half of his receptions this year have gone for 8+ yards. Kenjon Barner was a non-factor. Instead, the Pats employed an all-hands-on-deck backfield consisting of a large chunk of Cordarrelle Patterson and a small role for Julian Edelman. Nobody ran it particularly well, but they didn't need to. When Sony Michel returns -- probably this week -- New England will be at full strength heading into the second half of the season, which is a scary thought. Aside from their Week 9 matchup against the Packers and a Week 15 contest in Pittsburgh, it should be smooth sailing for a team whose biggest obstacles for earning another #1 AFC seed are the Chiefs, Chargers, and perhaps the Steelers.
One interesting note is the pre-game report about Josh Gordon, who supposedly was going to be benched to start this one after showing up late at least twice this past week -- including for the trip out to Buffalo. There are two Josh Gordon camps. Some believe he's a great bet for a return to fantasy stardom. Others, like me, continue to believe he won't re-discover his 2013 glory -- and frankly, that he won't come close. Gordon is a special talent. He's also not too many (one? two?) infractions away from getting canned. The Patriots have a Super Bowl to win, and as we saw in last year's championship game, even an every-down starter can be benched for breaking the rules (Malcolm Butler). Don't think Gordon is in any way protected.
--
And now a look at some of the best (and most available) waiver adds for this week:
At QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick (94% Available in ESPN Leagues) is the most obvious pickup after being named the Week 9 starter. If he can overcome Carolina's fairly stiff D, his outlook will gradually improve with very winnable (and potentially high-output) matchups against the Giants, Niners, and Saints. In other words, in two-QB and very deep leagues, he's worth a high-FAAB gamble if you're desperate for a QB1; it's hard to envision the Bucs turning back to Jameis Winston. Also, Dak Prescott (71% Available) gets a boost with the addition of modern-day Jeckyll-and-Hyde Amari Cooper. After Tennessee in Week 9 he'll get Philly and Atlanta, putting him on the top 10-16 QB map in both.
At RB, Doug Martin (48% Available) almost passed the eye test Sunday with 72 yards on 13 carries, as well as a couple catches for 17 yards. He also twice failed to punch it in from the one-yard line -- something Marshawn Lynch probably would have executed on the first try. Certainly he needs to be rostered in most leagues, though he'll remain a situational streamer based on opposing defense. And Aaron Jones (52% Available) continues to look bellcow-ready; he needs to be rostered universally in case Green Bay decides Jamaal Williams isn't even a partial answer.
At WR, Courtland Sutton (88% Available) will pop if Denver trades Emmanuel Sanders and/or Demaryius Thomas before the deadline. He's a must-add if you want to take that chance. Chris Godwin (51% Available) scored three times in Ryan Fitzpatrick's first three starts and was one of my bargains back in training camp. With Fitz back at the helm, Godwin has weekly streaming potential in deeper leagues. DeVante Parker (88% Available) is a must-add if Kenny Stills misses more time. Even if he doesn't, Parker should be rostered in more leagues. Keke Coutee (81% Available) is also a must-add with Will Fuller out for the year. And both David Moore (97% Available) and DJ Moore (90% Available) are looking like solid weekly flyers despite their unpredictable usage.
At TE, a healthy Jack Doyle (68% Available) will compete with Eric Ebron for looks, elevating Doyle to, at worst, streaming level.