We begin with Demaryius Thomas. The best receiver in one of the best passing attacks in NFL history. His legacy speaks for itself.
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Last night felt like two Thursday Night Football games. In the first one, Minnesota played as well on both sides of the ball as any team this season. I thought Ben Roethlisberger might retire at halftime. Dalvin Cook returned, and returned to greatness. Justin Jefferson was one or two near-catches away from matching Cook's dominance. The defense was on its way to 20+ fantasy points.
Then the Kirk Cousins regression began, Ben started heating up, and the Steelers looked to be only about 30 seconds short of a miraculous comeback.
It's been a strange season for both of these teams. Pittsburgh started last year 11-0 and, while not many people expected them to win the AFC North, they've underperformed in part due to Ben's relatively poor play. On paper, they're a good football team. On the field, they struggle for consistency. The Steelers' last four games are against the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens. They'll probably need to go 3-1 to reach the playoffs, and it's hard to like their odds.
For the Vikings, surely a season that could have gone differently. All seven of their losses were decided by eight points or less. Week 1 was an overtime loss. In Week 2, a missed 37-yard field goal on the final play. In Week 8, a Cooper Rush-led touchdown with less than a minute left. In Week 9, another overtime loss. And of course, the Lions' last-second touchdown this past Sunday. This team easily could be 10-3 or better instead of 6-7. But they're not. With the Bears (twice), Packers, and Rams on deck, they'll probably need to run the table.
Fantasy-wise, we all saw what happened. Minnesota's backfield isn't like Green Bay's. Cook is the starter. Mattison is the backup. That's that. A huge play near the end turned K.J. Osborn from a 4-point bust to a fantasy hero. A desperation comeback transformed Najee Harris and Chase Claypool from benchable to heroic. And through it all, Big Ben somehow has rescued a disastrous fantasy season with four competent-to-excellent performances in his last five games.
And for the closest score competition (36-28 was the final), I had to put on my math hat to add everything up. "Closest" can't just be random, right? So the honorable mentions go longtime to Justin Huffman (33-24) and Mike Hoff (31-26). And the winners are . . . David Garcia (35-24) and Tyler Malone (31-28). Both were five points away. So that's how ties work.
A big congrats to David and Tyler, and looking forward to connecting with any of you who have burning waiver or start/sit questions.
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- PFN fantasy site -- www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/
- PFN fantasy podcast -- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-mood-for-fantasy-football/id1580114372
- Free fantasy advice newsletter -- www.getrevue.co/profile/pfnfantasy
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Last night felt like two Thursday Night Football games. In the first one, Minnesota played as well on both sides of the ball as any team this season. I thought Ben Roethlisberger might retire at halftime. Dalvin Cook returned, and returned to greatness. Justin Jefferson was one or two near-catches away from matching Cook's dominance. The defense was on its way to 20+ fantasy points.
Then the Kirk Cousins regression began, Ben started heating up, and the Steelers looked to be only about 30 seconds short of a miraculous comeback.
It's been a strange season for both of these teams. Pittsburgh started last year 11-0 and, while not many people expected them to win the AFC North, they've underperformed in part due to Ben's relatively poor play. On paper, they're a good football team. On the field, they struggle for consistency. The Steelers' last four games are against the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens. They'll probably need to go 3-1 to reach the playoffs, and it's hard to like their odds.
For the Vikings, surely a season that could have gone differently. All seven of their losses were decided by eight points or less. Week 1 was an overtime loss. In Week 2, a missed 37-yard field goal on the final play. In Week 8, a Cooper Rush-led touchdown with less than a minute left. In Week 9, another overtime loss. And of course, the Lions' last-second touchdown this past Sunday. This team easily could be 10-3 or better instead of 6-7. But they're not. With the Bears (twice), Packers, and Rams on deck, they'll probably need to run the table.
Fantasy-wise, we all saw what happened. Minnesota's backfield isn't like Green Bay's. Cook is the starter. Mattison is the backup. That's that. A huge play near the end turned K.J. Osborn from a 4-point bust to a fantasy hero. A desperation comeback transformed Najee Harris and Chase Claypool from benchable to heroic. And through it all, Big Ben somehow has rescued a disastrous fantasy season with four competent-to-excellent performances in his last five games.
And for the closest score competition (36-28 was the final), I had to put on my math hat to add everything up. "Closest" can't just be random, right? So the honorable mentions go longtime to Justin Huffman (33-24) and Mike Hoff (31-26). And the winners are . . . David Garcia (35-24) and Tyler Malone (31-28). Both were five points away. So that's how ties work.
A big congrats to David and Tyler, and looking forward to connecting with any of you who have burning waiver or start/sit questions.
---
- PFN fantasy site -- www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/
- PFN fantasy podcast -- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-mood-for-fantasy-football/id1580114372
- Free fantasy advice newsletter -- www.getrevue.co/profile/pfnfantasy