From Deebo Samuel to James Conner to Allen Lazard, there's a lot happening ahead of tomorrow's games. As always, here are the biggest fantasy storylines I'm following for each contest (one per team).
Jaguars vs. Broncos -- Another London game. Woo-hoo. For Jacksonville, I want to see if JaMycal Hasty becomes fantasy relevant. Travis Etienne handled plenty of big workloads in college. But do the Jags want him to hit 20+ on Sunday and in future weeks? The answer will be actionable. And will Melvin Gordon or Latavius Murray take over the 1A role? Gordon's technically the starter. But as fantasy managers, of course we want clarity.
Falcons vs. Panthers -- Will Drake London or Kyle Pitts rebound? And if Atlanta loses, could we hear rumblings of Desmond Ridder taking over? For Carolina, is D.J. Moore back to being a weekly starter, or was last Sunday a fluke?
Cowboys vs. Bears -- If Tony Pollard dominates, it will be harder than it was two years ago to re-install Zeke Elliott as the starter. Given what the team owes him, they might feel obligated. But if Pollard shines, he'll be the better bet to outproduce Zeke the rest of the year. And for Chicago, will Justin Fields continue to develop? There are shades of Jalen Hurts in his game. Fields is a true wild card as we approach the back end of this season.
Lions vs. Dolphins -- Which wideout will step up besides Amon-Ra St. Brown? There are streaming possibilities versus Miami's porous secondary. Presumably a healthy Josh Reynolds. But with D'Andre Swift back in action, who knows. And will Mike Gesicki get any more love? Or should he officially be dropped in nearly every league?
Vikings vs. Cardinals -- Is Irv Smith as good as his preseason hype, or is he a dime-a-dozen TD-dependent tight end? And which WR(s) will step up besides DeAndre Hopkins? I'm looking at you, Rondale Moore (and Robbie Anderson, and possibly Greg Dortch).
Saints vs. Raiders -- Adam Trautman appears to be on track to return. Is Juwan Johnson still a streamer, or are his brief days as a must-start TE in deep leagues over? And Darren Waller remains a fascinating fantasy figure. I was down on him this summer because of injury risks and playing in a more crowded offense. If he can't break through against a mostly irrelevant Saints pass defense . . . well, it won't get much easier for him next month.
Jets vs. Patriots -- What a game. First, are Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore droppable in most leagues? New York doesn't have a WR-friendly schedule. But we know what each of these guys can do if their QB would target them more. And for New England, is Damien Harris officially a glorified RB handcuff? Or does he somehow still have standalone value?
Eagles vs. Steelers -- Will Miles Sanders continue to dominate backfield touches, or will Philly work in Kenneth Gainwell or Boston Scott a bit more? It's a long season, after all. And for different reasons, at what point might Pittsburgh scale back the struggling Najee Harris's touches?
Texans vs. Titans -- With Nico Collins hobbled, will Brandin Cooks step up after a mostly underwhelming season? Houston might pepper him with targets to drive up his trade value ahead of Tuesday's deadline. And for Tennessee, the same question regarding Robert Woods, although he's probably not going anywhere.
Colts vs. Commanders -- This is probably the first and last time one of the most prolific passers in NFL history will be replaced mid-season by a QB who's never thrown an NFL pass. I actually like Sam Ehlinger's chances in this one. He certainly has the personnel--and exceptional mobility--to hit 15+ fantasy points. For Washington, will Antonio Gibson somehow score more than Brian Robinson, simply because Gibson's used more heavily in the passing game?
Rams vs. 49ers -- Van Jefferson is expected to return. Will he be on streaming radars, and could he leapfrog Allen Robinson and Ben Skowronek as the No. 2 WR? For San Francisco, Deebo Samuel's out and Jeff Wilson might be on the trading block. This could be a very top-heavy offensive day for CMC, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. More interestingly, I'm watching to see if talented rookie Danny Gray gets some run.
Seahawks vs. Giants -- Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are both questionable. Is this a week to go all in on Noah Fant or Will Dissly? And with Kadarius Toney out of the picture, can Wan'Dale Robinson be the No. 1?
Bills vs. Packers -- If this becomes a blowout, will we see more James Cook, or could Zack Moss be activated and involved? And with Allen Lazard sidelined, I'm guessing it'll be up to Romeo Doubs and (if healthy) Sammy Watkins to lead the WR corps. Maybe Amari Rodger? Morbidly fascinated with what develops, and its potential impacts on future fantasy values.
Jaguars vs. Broncos -- Another London game. Woo-hoo. For Jacksonville, I want to see if JaMycal Hasty becomes fantasy relevant. Travis Etienne handled plenty of big workloads in college. But do the Jags want him to hit 20+ on Sunday and in future weeks? The answer will be actionable. And will Melvin Gordon or Latavius Murray take over the 1A role? Gordon's technically the starter. But as fantasy managers, of course we want clarity.
Falcons vs. Panthers -- Will Drake London or Kyle Pitts rebound? And if Atlanta loses, could we hear rumblings of Desmond Ridder taking over? For Carolina, is D.J. Moore back to being a weekly starter, or was last Sunday a fluke?
Cowboys vs. Bears -- If Tony Pollard dominates, it will be harder than it was two years ago to re-install Zeke Elliott as the starter. Given what the team owes him, they might feel obligated. But if Pollard shines, he'll be the better bet to outproduce Zeke the rest of the year. And for Chicago, will Justin Fields continue to develop? There are shades of Jalen Hurts in his game. Fields is a true wild card as we approach the back end of this season.
Lions vs. Dolphins -- Which wideout will step up besides Amon-Ra St. Brown? There are streaming possibilities versus Miami's porous secondary. Presumably a healthy Josh Reynolds. But with D'Andre Swift back in action, who knows. And will Mike Gesicki get any more love? Or should he officially be dropped in nearly every league?
Vikings vs. Cardinals -- Is Irv Smith as good as his preseason hype, or is he a dime-a-dozen TD-dependent tight end? And which WR(s) will step up besides DeAndre Hopkins? I'm looking at you, Rondale Moore (and Robbie Anderson, and possibly Greg Dortch).
Saints vs. Raiders -- Adam Trautman appears to be on track to return. Is Juwan Johnson still a streamer, or are his brief days as a must-start TE in deep leagues over? And Darren Waller remains a fascinating fantasy figure. I was down on him this summer because of injury risks and playing in a more crowded offense. If he can't break through against a mostly irrelevant Saints pass defense . . . well, it won't get much easier for him next month.
Jets vs. Patriots -- What a game. First, are Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore droppable in most leagues? New York doesn't have a WR-friendly schedule. But we know what each of these guys can do if their QB would target them more. And for New England, is Damien Harris officially a glorified RB handcuff? Or does he somehow still have standalone value?
Eagles vs. Steelers -- Will Miles Sanders continue to dominate backfield touches, or will Philly work in Kenneth Gainwell or Boston Scott a bit more? It's a long season, after all. And for different reasons, at what point might Pittsburgh scale back the struggling Najee Harris's touches?
Texans vs. Titans -- With Nico Collins hobbled, will Brandin Cooks step up after a mostly underwhelming season? Houston might pepper him with targets to drive up his trade value ahead of Tuesday's deadline. And for Tennessee, the same question regarding Robert Woods, although he's probably not going anywhere.
Colts vs. Commanders -- This is probably the first and last time one of the most prolific passers in NFL history will be replaced mid-season by a QB who's never thrown an NFL pass. I actually like Sam Ehlinger's chances in this one. He certainly has the personnel--and exceptional mobility--to hit 15+ fantasy points. For Washington, will Antonio Gibson somehow score more than Brian Robinson, simply because Gibson's used more heavily in the passing game?
Rams vs. 49ers -- Van Jefferson is expected to return. Will he be on streaming radars, and could he leapfrog Allen Robinson and Ben Skowronek as the No. 2 WR? For San Francisco, Deebo Samuel's out and Jeff Wilson might be on the trading block. This could be a very top-heavy offensive day for CMC, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. More interestingly, I'm watching to see if talented rookie Danny Gray gets some run.
Seahawks vs. Giants -- Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are both questionable. Is this a week to go all in on Noah Fant or Will Dissly? And with Kadarius Toney out of the picture, can Wan'Dale Robinson be the No. 1?
Bills vs. Packers -- If this becomes a blowout, will we see more James Cook, or could Zack Moss be activated and involved? And with Allen Lazard sidelined, I'm guessing it'll be up to Romeo Doubs and (if healthy) Sammy Watkins to lead the WR corps. Maybe Amari Rodger? Morbidly fascinated with what develops, and its potential impacts on future fantasy values.