If you had told me three years ago that in 2018, Le'Veon Bell would hold out for most/all of the season after rejecting a $70 million contract, while 32 NFL teams would pass on three-time top-7 fantasy WR Dez Bryant, I'm not sure what would have shocked me more (probably Bell).
Well yesterday one of these two dominoes fell, as the Ted Ginn-less 7-1 Saints looked at their once-impressive (at least on paper) receiving corps and decided they needed another piece. Dez Bryant probably will serve as Drew Brees' #2 target going forward, with Tre'Quan Smith reverting to his former mini-boom / big-bust role. And the nearly invisible Cam Meredith will reportedly have knee surgery and miss the rest of the season. On the field, this is a no-lose situation for a team eyeing an NFC title game against the Rams. In fantasy, this is yet another midseason opportunity to grab a WR3/4 with nice upside. The Dez of 2012-2014 is long gone. But make no mistake: if Dez can earn a mere 5+ targets a game, he'll be fantasy relevant in this offense.
Elsewhere, Sam Darnold is reportedly week-to-week with a sprained foot. Remember what Josh McCown did last year? Can the 39-year-old offer streaming value yet again? While Buffalo's D has been solid, statistically they are far from exceptional against the passing game. I like McCown in two-QB leagues this week.
And Sammy Watkins could miss Week 10. Chris Conley simply isn't reliable as a starter. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce -- already obvious must-starts -- have even greater elite appeal. And my favorite unheralded backup, Spencer Ware, could get more work if Kansas City puts the game away by the third quarter.
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Tonight's marquee matchup features two likely playoff teams. For Carolina, Cam Newton is one of the most defense-proof QBs. The fourth highest QB fantasy scorer this year, he's a safe QB1 start. His receiving corps is more muddled. Devin Funchess, D.J. Moore, and Greg Olsen aren't getting enough consistent love with Cam averaging only 237 passing yards per game. Olsen is the safest positional start of the three because the TE position is so weak beyond the top 4-5 guys. Funchess and Moore are merely risky streamers if you don't have a more reliable top-25 option to toss out there. And in the backfield, Christian McCaffrey is playing well beyond my admittedly subdued expectations this summer. Kudos to those who completely ignored me.
On the flip side, Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. I warned this summer that he'd exceed his QB-12 ADP value; he's currently the #8 fantasy-scoring QB and will slide past Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson (both on bye) early tonight. His consensus #11 ranking this week is also off-base; he'll finish in the top 8 and has blow-up potential if James Conner doesn't dominate near the goal line. Speaking of Conner, he's fourth among all RBs in fantasy points inside the opposing 5-yard line and is sixth inside the 10. If you're wondering whether Le'Veon Bell will cut into his usage, stop wondering. The Bell saga isn't worth mulling over. Even if he returns next week, it'll take several weeks to get into game shape -- and that's if Pittsburgh takes him back (they probably won't). And at receiver, more of the same: of course you have to start Antonio and JuJu. But the latter's targets have dropped some, making him more of a WR2/3 than a flat-out WR2. He enjoyed 49 targets the first four games, but only 29 the last four.
Picking the Steelers to win this one 23-17.
Well yesterday one of these two dominoes fell, as the Ted Ginn-less 7-1 Saints looked at their once-impressive (at least on paper) receiving corps and decided they needed another piece. Dez Bryant probably will serve as Drew Brees' #2 target going forward, with Tre'Quan Smith reverting to his former mini-boom / big-bust role. And the nearly invisible Cam Meredith will reportedly have knee surgery and miss the rest of the season. On the field, this is a no-lose situation for a team eyeing an NFC title game against the Rams. In fantasy, this is yet another midseason opportunity to grab a WR3/4 with nice upside. The Dez of 2012-2014 is long gone. But make no mistake: if Dez can earn a mere 5+ targets a game, he'll be fantasy relevant in this offense.
Elsewhere, Sam Darnold is reportedly week-to-week with a sprained foot. Remember what Josh McCown did last year? Can the 39-year-old offer streaming value yet again? While Buffalo's D has been solid, statistically they are far from exceptional against the passing game. I like McCown in two-QB leagues this week.
And Sammy Watkins could miss Week 10. Chris Conley simply isn't reliable as a starter. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce -- already obvious must-starts -- have even greater elite appeal. And my favorite unheralded backup, Spencer Ware, could get more work if Kansas City puts the game away by the third quarter.
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Tonight's marquee matchup features two likely playoff teams. For Carolina, Cam Newton is one of the most defense-proof QBs. The fourth highest QB fantasy scorer this year, he's a safe QB1 start. His receiving corps is more muddled. Devin Funchess, D.J. Moore, and Greg Olsen aren't getting enough consistent love with Cam averaging only 237 passing yards per game. Olsen is the safest positional start of the three because the TE position is so weak beyond the top 4-5 guys. Funchess and Moore are merely risky streamers if you don't have a more reliable top-25 option to toss out there. And in the backfield, Christian McCaffrey is playing well beyond my admittedly subdued expectations this summer. Kudos to those who completely ignored me.
On the flip side, Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. I warned this summer that he'd exceed his QB-12 ADP value; he's currently the #8 fantasy-scoring QB and will slide past Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson (both on bye) early tonight. His consensus #11 ranking this week is also off-base; he'll finish in the top 8 and has blow-up potential if James Conner doesn't dominate near the goal line. Speaking of Conner, he's fourth among all RBs in fantasy points inside the opposing 5-yard line and is sixth inside the 10. If you're wondering whether Le'Veon Bell will cut into his usage, stop wondering. The Bell saga isn't worth mulling over. Even if he returns next week, it'll take several weeks to get into game shape -- and that's if Pittsburgh takes him back (they probably won't). And at receiver, more of the same: of course you have to start Antonio and JuJu. But the latter's targets have dropped some, making him more of a WR2/3 than a flat-out WR2. He enjoyed 49 targets the first four games, but only 29 the last four.
Picking the Steelers to win this one 23-17.