As always on Saturday, I'm going to walk through the biggest fantasy angle I'm focusing on for each Sunday team. Many of these angles highlight potential buy-low / sell-high opportunities.
Packers vs. Giants -- My favorite under-the-radar performer in this game is A.J. Dillon. As many of you know, I pushed Dillon as a pre-hype breakout RB early last season. This summer he was apparently post-hype. Now he's the overall RB28, and I doubt he falls much further. Tomorrow's positive game script should earn him more production. For the Giants, as always, is anyone worth starting besides Saquon Barkley?
Bills vs. Steelers -- Gabe Davis's injury stalled his inevitable push to weekly fantasy relevance. I'd buy low while you can. And for Pittsburgh, will Kenny Pickett be materially better than Mitch Trubisky? Can he feed more than one wideout -- and is there any chance that George Pickens could be "the guy"? Pickett's first start marks a tough test.
Browns vs. Chargers -- What do we do with Amari Cooper? High highs and low lows. That's what he's been known for, and seemingly little has changed now that he's in a sub-par passing offense. For L.A., is Joshua Palmer droppable in deep leagues? He was a trendy Best Ball pick this summer. For some reason, he hasn't been able to seize the opportunity with Keenan Allen out.
Vikings vs. Bears -- Dalvin Cook's TDs and receptions are down. That seems likely to change against Chicago. If it doesn't, I'd be concerned. But let's assume Cook has a Cook-like day. For Chicago, does Darnell Mooney belong on everyone's bench? I pushed him as a rebounder heading into Week 4. But his output last Sunday could be his new ceiling rather than a realistic average going forward.
Patriots vs. Lions -- The battle between Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson enters its fifth week. New England's in last place in the AFC East. Unfortunately, they have a fairly soft schedule before the NFL trade deadline. Then things get tougher. I say "unfortunately" from a fantasy perspective, because continued struggles could pave the way for them to trade Harris, which would make Stevenson a weekly must-start RB. But a win against Detroit could inch them closer to buying rather than selling before the deadline. As for Detroit, if Jamaal Williams keeps this up, could the team turn this backfield into a timeshare -- if for no better reason than to conserve the often-injured D'Andre Swift?
Saints vs. Seahawks -- Is Alvin Kamara still a top-10 RB? We're not talking elite anymore. Simply put, is he a weekly must-start in 10-team leagues when healthy? And for Seattle, I'm predicting a steep downturn in Geno Smith's fortunes. If he proves me wrong on the road against a tough Saints D, then I suppose he's for real.
Jets vs. Dolphins -- Who's the Jets' #1 WR? Based on chemistry, I would have said Elijah Moore last week. We'll see this week if Zach Wilson continues to target his favorite 2021 receiver more heavily, or if Garrett Wilson (or somehow Corey Davis, but probably not) is the 1A. And will Raheem Mostert continue to out-touch and out-produce Chase Edmonds?
Buccaneers vs. Falcons -- After losing Javonte Williams and not securing any trades, I'm forced to start Rachaad White in what I hope/expect will be a blowout Tampa Bay victory. I remain a big believer that White could challenge Leonard Fournette, just like what we saw last year in Green Bay. Given Fournette's injury history, it wouldn't be surprising. And can Tyler Allgeier match or even exceed Coradarrelle Patterson's numbers? Probably not this week. Possibly in more favorable matchups. But a decent showing on Sunday would elevate his rest-of-season value.
Commanders vs. Titans -- All (my) eyes are on Antonio Gibson. I keep beating the same drum. He was never a high-volume RB in college, but was thrown into it as a 2020 rookie. He regressed last year. Arguably he's regressed more this year. With Brian Robinson's return looming, this might be Gibson's last shot at securing a longer-term lead-back role. And for Tennessee, can we trust Robert Woods?
Jaguars vs. Texans -- When will Travis Etienne get going? Or is this what we should expect in his first full season? And can we trust Brandin Cooks as a streamer anymore?
Panthers vs. 49ers -- D.J. Moore = a younger Brandin Cooks. Easy 1,000+ yard production with better QB play. But for now, nothing more than a desperation fantasy starter. And for San Francisco, the same question as last week: can Jimmy G. feed more than one receiver per week -- where Deebo Samuel probably will be that receiver most weeks?
Rams vs. Cowboys -- Cam Akers vs. Darrell Henderson vs. . . . rookie Kyren Williams? Williams should come off I.R. by mid-November, or maybe a little earlier. Akers still doesn't look right. Henderson has struggled with injuries. The 2-2 Rams are no lock to make the playoffs. I'm interested in seeing if Akers and/or Henderson can break through against a tough Dallas D. And for the Cowboys, with the receiving corps finally healthy, what can we expect from Dalton Schultz? I'm buying low, but we'll see if that's warranted.
Cardinals vs. Eagles -- Can we trust James Conner? And is Miles Sanders the real deal in fantasy, or is his TD rate unsustainable in an offense with more weapons than ever?
Ravens vs. Bengals -- Will J.K. Dobbins be a top-20 RB this year? I still don't have a good sense. Maybe many of you do. But with Justice Hill ailing, this is a great opportunity for Dobbins to show he's ready to take on bell-cow volume. And the same question as always with Cincy: is Joe Mixon less efficient because of Mixon, or because of his offensive line, or both? Baltimore's yielding a healthy 5.0 yards per carry. If Mixon continues to struggle . . .
Packers vs. Giants -- My favorite under-the-radar performer in this game is A.J. Dillon. As many of you know, I pushed Dillon as a pre-hype breakout RB early last season. This summer he was apparently post-hype. Now he's the overall RB28, and I doubt he falls much further. Tomorrow's positive game script should earn him more production. For the Giants, as always, is anyone worth starting besides Saquon Barkley?
Bills vs. Steelers -- Gabe Davis's injury stalled his inevitable push to weekly fantasy relevance. I'd buy low while you can. And for Pittsburgh, will Kenny Pickett be materially better than Mitch Trubisky? Can he feed more than one wideout -- and is there any chance that George Pickens could be "the guy"? Pickett's first start marks a tough test.
Browns vs. Chargers -- What do we do with Amari Cooper? High highs and low lows. That's what he's been known for, and seemingly little has changed now that he's in a sub-par passing offense. For L.A., is Joshua Palmer droppable in deep leagues? He was a trendy Best Ball pick this summer. For some reason, he hasn't been able to seize the opportunity with Keenan Allen out.
Vikings vs. Bears -- Dalvin Cook's TDs and receptions are down. That seems likely to change against Chicago. If it doesn't, I'd be concerned. But let's assume Cook has a Cook-like day. For Chicago, does Darnell Mooney belong on everyone's bench? I pushed him as a rebounder heading into Week 4. But his output last Sunday could be his new ceiling rather than a realistic average going forward.
Patriots vs. Lions -- The battle between Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson enters its fifth week. New England's in last place in the AFC East. Unfortunately, they have a fairly soft schedule before the NFL trade deadline. Then things get tougher. I say "unfortunately" from a fantasy perspective, because continued struggles could pave the way for them to trade Harris, which would make Stevenson a weekly must-start RB. But a win against Detroit could inch them closer to buying rather than selling before the deadline. As for Detroit, if Jamaal Williams keeps this up, could the team turn this backfield into a timeshare -- if for no better reason than to conserve the often-injured D'Andre Swift?
Saints vs. Seahawks -- Is Alvin Kamara still a top-10 RB? We're not talking elite anymore. Simply put, is he a weekly must-start in 10-team leagues when healthy? And for Seattle, I'm predicting a steep downturn in Geno Smith's fortunes. If he proves me wrong on the road against a tough Saints D, then I suppose he's for real.
Jets vs. Dolphins -- Who's the Jets' #1 WR? Based on chemistry, I would have said Elijah Moore last week. We'll see this week if Zach Wilson continues to target his favorite 2021 receiver more heavily, or if Garrett Wilson (or somehow Corey Davis, but probably not) is the 1A. And will Raheem Mostert continue to out-touch and out-produce Chase Edmonds?
Buccaneers vs. Falcons -- After losing Javonte Williams and not securing any trades, I'm forced to start Rachaad White in what I hope/expect will be a blowout Tampa Bay victory. I remain a big believer that White could challenge Leonard Fournette, just like what we saw last year in Green Bay. Given Fournette's injury history, it wouldn't be surprising. And can Tyler Allgeier match or even exceed Coradarrelle Patterson's numbers? Probably not this week. Possibly in more favorable matchups. But a decent showing on Sunday would elevate his rest-of-season value.
Commanders vs. Titans -- All (my) eyes are on Antonio Gibson. I keep beating the same drum. He was never a high-volume RB in college, but was thrown into it as a 2020 rookie. He regressed last year. Arguably he's regressed more this year. With Brian Robinson's return looming, this might be Gibson's last shot at securing a longer-term lead-back role. And for Tennessee, can we trust Robert Woods?
Jaguars vs. Texans -- When will Travis Etienne get going? Or is this what we should expect in his first full season? And can we trust Brandin Cooks as a streamer anymore?
Panthers vs. 49ers -- D.J. Moore = a younger Brandin Cooks. Easy 1,000+ yard production with better QB play. But for now, nothing more than a desperation fantasy starter. And for San Francisco, the same question as last week: can Jimmy G. feed more than one receiver per week -- where Deebo Samuel probably will be that receiver most weeks?
Rams vs. Cowboys -- Cam Akers vs. Darrell Henderson vs. . . . rookie Kyren Williams? Williams should come off I.R. by mid-November, or maybe a little earlier. Akers still doesn't look right. Henderson has struggled with injuries. The 2-2 Rams are no lock to make the playoffs. I'm interested in seeing if Akers and/or Henderson can break through against a tough Dallas D. And for the Cowboys, with the receiving corps finally healthy, what can we expect from Dalton Schultz? I'm buying low, but we'll see if that's warranted.
Cardinals vs. Eagles -- Can we trust James Conner? And is Miles Sanders the real deal in fantasy, or is his TD rate unsustainable in an offense with more weapons than ever?
Ravens vs. Bengals -- Will J.K. Dobbins be a top-20 RB this year? I still don't have a good sense. Maybe many of you do. But with Justice Hill ailing, this is a great opportunity for Dobbins to show he's ready to take on bell-cow volume. And the same question as always with Cincy: is Joe Mixon less efficient because of Mixon, or because of his offensive line, or both? Baltimore's yielding a healthy 5.0 yards per carry. If Mixon continues to struggle . . .