The loss of Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison was supposed to clear the way for Mike Boone--a 91st-percentile SPARQ athlete coming off a productive fantasy day against a capable Chargers run D. Admittedly, I thought he'd outperform Aaron Jones last night, though not for obvious reasons. It had less to do with Boone's explosive potential and more to do with Jones's boom-bust history and a Minnesota defense yielding a league-low five rushing touchdowns.
After Jones's early fumble, I thought it would play out as expected. The Packers' lead back entered Monday averaging only 59 rushing yards per contest. His strength--an NFL-high (tied with Christian McCaffrey) 14 rushing touchdowns--was also the Vikings' strength. In five of his six road games he failed to score on the ground while averaging only 38 rushing yards. Five times he'd scored eight or fewer fantasy points. A through-the-roof ceiling, but a painful floor for those seeking a title.
Meanwhile, Boone carried plenty of risk, too. But as the lead back of a capable offense, he appeared to be a better bet for 8+. I entered last night with two concerns, presented in response to Kevin Buckley's pre-game question yesterday: "Will Ameer Abdullah steal some looks? Will Boone get goal-line carries?" My prediction was a 14-51 with two catches. In other words, roughly 8-9 points plus whatever TDs he could muster.
On two early attempts inside Green Bay's five-yard line, Kirk Cousins threw to C.J. Ham. At that point it seemed clear it wasn't going to be Boone's night. And when the formerly hyped Abdullah stepped in and performed well, it became clear Boone was done. I'm annoyed that I steered so many people away from Jones. At the same time, the logic I used on this call was similar to the logic I use on others. Both sides had risks. Boone seemed safer. The relatively low-yardage Jones did what he's rarely done all season. Boone didn't do enough on the opening drives to maintain his role. It's that simple and that complex.
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On an entirely different note, I'm hoping to significantly expand the FF4W website by 2021: daily guest columns, special features, . . . you know, a "normal" website where people can go and collect useful fantasy info (hopefully) not found elsewhere.
Over the years, some of you have lent your time to FF4W, whether to create the logo, or to fix the layout of my preseason rankings spreadsheet, or to help oversee the Premier Fantasy Football League.
The website overhaul will be the biggest undertaking so far. I'll be trusting someone with my fantasy life: turning over the keys so that this page can move into the 21st century.
If you have the time and interest these next 18 months, please message me.
After Jones's early fumble, I thought it would play out as expected. The Packers' lead back entered Monday averaging only 59 rushing yards per contest. His strength--an NFL-high (tied with Christian McCaffrey) 14 rushing touchdowns--was also the Vikings' strength. In five of his six road games he failed to score on the ground while averaging only 38 rushing yards. Five times he'd scored eight or fewer fantasy points. A through-the-roof ceiling, but a painful floor for those seeking a title.
Meanwhile, Boone carried plenty of risk, too. But as the lead back of a capable offense, he appeared to be a better bet for 8+. I entered last night with two concerns, presented in response to Kevin Buckley's pre-game question yesterday: "Will Ameer Abdullah steal some looks? Will Boone get goal-line carries?" My prediction was a 14-51 with two catches. In other words, roughly 8-9 points plus whatever TDs he could muster.
On two early attempts inside Green Bay's five-yard line, Kirk Cousins threw to C.J. Ham. At that point it seemed clear it wasn't going to be Boone's night. And when the formerly hyped Abdullah stepped in and performed well, it became clear Boone was done. I'm annoyed that I steered so many people away from Jones. At the same time, the logic I used on this call was similar to the logic I use on others. Both sides had risks. Boone seemed safer. The relatively low-yardage Jones did what he's rarely done all season. Boone didn't do enough on the opening drives to maintain his role. It's that simple and that complex.
---
On an entirely different note, I'm hoping to significantly expand the FF4W website by 2021: daily guest columns, special features, . . . you know, a "normal" website where people can go and collect useful fantasy info (hopefully) not found elsewhere.
Over the years, some of you have lent your time to FF4W, whether to create the logo, or to fix the layout of my preseason rankings spreadsheet, or to help oversee the Premier Fantasy Football League.
The website overhaul will be the biggest undertaking so far. I'll be trusting someone with my fantasy life: turning over the keys so that this page can move into the 21st century.
If you have the time and interest these next 18 months, please message me.