As always, here's my rundown of the most notable fantasy impact for each Sunday team. This isn't about which guys scored 30+ points. If you want those stats, they're available nearly anywhere. This is about strategy: buy/sell opportunities, cut-bait realities, etc.
But first, feel free to leave your MNF final-score prediction below. I've got the Bengals winning 26-19.
And, my DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week finished in the money in tournaments and in 50/50s. And as some of you know from reading Pro Football Network, my single-game DFS lineups hit big, with eight of 13 winning in 50/50s and six of 7 finishing in the money in tournaments. Of those tourney wins, one finished 177th out of nearly 5,000 people, another finished 37th, and another finished 13th.
I've been doing single-game DFS lineups for PFN all season. On balance, they've been successful. Nothing's guaranteed as always. But if you like this stuff, I hope you'll check it out.
Jaguars vs. Broncos -- A surprising result after what transpired in the first quarter-in-a-half. Notably, it marked Evan Engram's fourth consecutive double-digit fantasy performance. After an erratic start to the season, he's reached the "legit" stage in a passing attack that isn't getting enough from its wideouts. And same story for Denver's third-round rookie Greg Dulcich. No wonder Albert O. was phased out. Dulcich should be rostered in all leagues, period.
Falcons vs. Panthers -- Damiere Byrd stepping up is rough news for those rostering Drake London. It's hard enough for Atlanta's (usually) irrelevant passing attack to feed more than one receiver. Byrd out-targeted London 6-5. This is an issue to monitor. And yes, D'Onta Foreman and D.J. Moore crushed it. Moore might also go elsewhere by tomorrow's trade deadline. So what I find interesting is Terrace Marshall grabbing four balls for 87 yards. This marked his second four-catch game of the month. A second-round pick last year, Marshall has the talent to be the #1 receiver if Moore leaves. Deep-leaguers should keep tabs on him.
Cowboys vs. Bears -- On Saturday I wrote, "If Tony Pollard dominates, it will be harder than it was two years ago to re-install Zeke Elliott as the starter." So that's where we'll leave things as Dallas heads on their bye. For Chicago, I underestimated what Justin Fields could do against Dallas's tough D. More importantly for fantasy managers, Khalil Herbert outperformed David Montgomery, who lost a fumble--the fifth of his four-year career.
Lions vs. Dolphins -- Will Detroit move T.J. Hockenson? Rookie James Mitchell would step in as the new starter. If you have Hock, it's an interesting dilemma. Do you try to trade him, dangling the idea he might end up in a better situation (like taking over the lead TE job in Miami)? Or is he better off staying in Detroit, where he should see plenty of volume thanks to negative game scripts? For Miami, Raheem Mostert is also in this interesting "Is he better or worse than his value" situation. Miami has committed to him. But will they also ease the 30-year-old's usage going forward, so that he's fresher for key intra-divisional matchups that could decide their playoff fate?
Vikings vs. Cardinals -- Irv Smith will have an MRI on his ankle. If he misses time, Johnny Mundt would become a TD-dependent flier for desperate managers, and it would also increase the values of Minnesota's core fantasy playmakers, who could see an extra look per game. For Arizona, Rondale Moore has solidified his #2 WR role. Note that Robbie Anderson (three targets) and A.J. Green (one target) had zero catches.
Saints vs. Raiders -- Rashid Shaheed earned a career-high three targets, catching all three for 38 yards. This follows an impressive 53-yard TD reception the week before. I don't normally dwell on low-volume guys, unless they're RB handcuffs with sizable potential value. But as long as Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas remain sidelined, it appears Shaheed is making a push for a short-term #2 WR job, which has some appear for deep-leaguers. And the Raiders are a mess, though that's not surprising given what we've seen this season. More interestingly, Foster Moreau led all Raiders with nine targets, including repeatedly converting on third down. There's no good reason for him to be on waivers in deeper leagues.
Jets vs. Patriots -- The Jets' three-headed backfield isn't the same without Breece Hall. It'll be tough to predict who, if anyone, is worth starting next week. And a knee injury knocked out DeVante Parker; if it's serious, Jakobi Meyers would become even more valuable.
Eagles vs. Steelers -- Boston Scott enjoyed mop-up duty over Kenneth Gainwell, which presumably mean Gainwell is still the #2. But if something happened to Miles Sanders, it remains a crapshoot which backup would benefit most. And Jaylen Warren keeps outplaying Najee Harris. Sunk costs: Pittsburgh used a 2021 first-rounder on Harris. But man, in what's shaping up to be a lost season, the Steelers should see what they have in Warren and give him 12+ touches a game. So far, he's topped out at nine.
Texans vs. Titans -- Brandin Cooks upped his trade value with some late-game receptions--although really, teams that might want him already know what he can do. It's an interesting time to consider picking up or trading for (in very deep leagues) Nico Collins, with the possibility that Collins could lead this receiving corps when healthy. And Malik Willis flopped, which mattered if you started any Titans besides Derrick Henry (or Dontrell Hilliard). That marks three straight games for Henry with 30+ touches. That's a yellow flag, bordering on red. Hilliard is a must-add, or a must-trade-for.
Colts vs. Commanders -- Ironically, the Colts might have won and remained squarely in the postseason hunt if they'd stuck with Matt Ryan (if he was healthy enough to play). Sam Ehlinger was entirely adequate, although I was surprised he didn't do more in the running game. New England, Philly, and Dallas are on the horizon. It's a good time to sell high on the Colts' receivers, in my opinion. And for Washington, Antonio Gibson clearly is now more valuable as a complementary back than he was as the clear-cut starter. Like Rami Malek in "Mr. Robot," this is the role he was meant to play.
Rams vs. 49ers -- The Rams are broken, and Cooper Kupp got hurt. Although he claims to have escaped without serious harm, we don't know how badly they might play in Tampa Bay next week. Aside from a healthy Kupp, like Elliot Alderson in "Mr. Robot," I would trust no one. And CMC became one of a handful of players who's thrown for, caught, and run for a TD in the same game. In terms of the defenses they'll face, the Niners have a fairly soft schedule after their Week 9 bye. A healthy CMC might realistically get 25+ fantasy points a game.
Seahawks vs. Giants -- Kenneth Walker has five TDs in his last four games. Interestingly, they've all come outside the 10-yard line. Imagine what he could do if Seattle gets him the ball near the end zone. Walker might actually be undervalued, as strange as that sounds. And I'm expecting the Giants to add a receiver--or something--before the trade deadline. This is their moment, and they probably can't reach 12 wins if Tanner Hudson is their #2 pass-catcher.
Bills vs. Packers -- Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones did better than I expected. Green Bay actually hung around. That doesn't take away from the fact that Rodgers remains unstartable in most leagues, while Romeo Doubs benefited because Christian Watson went down early, so he was competing for WR targets with Samori Toure and Amari Rodgers. Enjoy it while you can, and sell high on Doubs if it looks like Lazard's returning. And James Cook got some nice run (76 yards on six touches). That's what I've been waiting to see. I wonder if the extra work came as the team decides whether to spend big on another RB. Stay tuned.
But first, feel free to leave your MNF final-score prediction below. I've got the Bengals winning 26-19.
And, my DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week finished in the money in tournaments and in 50/50s. And as some of you know from reading Pro Football Network, my single-game DFS lineups hit big, with eight of 13 winning in 50/50s and six of 7 finishing in the money in tournaments. Of those tourney wins, one finished 177th out of nearly 5,000 people, another finished 37th, and another finished 13th.
I've been doing single-game DFS lineups for PFN all season. On balance, they've been successful. Nothing's guaranteed as always. But if you like this stuff, I hope you'll check it out.
Jaguars vs. Broncos -- A surprising result after what transpired in the first quarter-in-a-half. Notably, it marked Evan Engram's fourth consecutive double-digit fantasy performance. After an erratic start to the season, he's reached the "legit" stage in a passing attack that isn't getting enough from its wideouts. And same story for Denver's third-round rookie Greg Dulcich. No wonder Albert O. was phased out. Dulcich should be rostered in all leagues, period.
Falcons vs. Panthers -- Damiere Byrd stepping up is rough news for those rostering Drake London. It's hard enough for Atlanta's (usually) irrelevant passing attack to feed more than one receiver. Byrd out-targeted London 6-5. This is an issue to monitor. And yes, D'Onta Foreman and D.J. Moore crushed it. Moore might also go elsewhere by tomorrow's trade deadline. So what I find interesting is Terrace Marshall grabbing four balls for 87 yards. This marked his second four-catch game of the month. A second-round pick last year, Marshall has the talent to be the #1 receiver if Moore leaves. Deep-leaguers should keep tabs on him.
Cowboys vs. Bears -- On Saturday I wrote, "If Tony Pollard dominates, it will be harder than it was two years ago to re-install Zeke Elliott as the starter." So that's where we'll leave things as Dallas heads on their bye. For Chicago, I underestimated what Justin Fields could do against Dallas's tough D. More importantly for fantasy managers, Khalil Herbert outperformed David Montgomery, who lost a fumble--the fifth of his four-year career.
Lions vs. Dolphins -- Will Detroit move T.J. Hockenson? Rookie James Mitchell would step in as the new starter. If you have Hock, it's an interesting dilemma. Do you try to trade him, dangling the idea he might end up in a better situation (like taking over the lead TE job in Miami)? Or is he better off staying in Detroit, where he should see plenty of volume thanks to negative game scripts? For Miami, Raheem Mostert is also in this interesting "Is he better or worse than his value" situation. Miami has committed to him. But will they also ease the 30-year-old's usage going forward, so that he's fresher for key intra-divisional matchups that could decide their playoff fate?
Vikings vs. Cardinals -- Irv Smith will have an MRI on his ankle. If he misses time, Johnny Mundt would become a TD-dependent flier for desperate managers, and it would also increase the values of Minnesota's core fantasy playmakers, who could see an extra look per game. For Arizona, Rondale Moore has solidified his #2 WR role. Note that Robbie Anderson (three targets) and A.J. Green (one target) had zero catches.
Saints vs. Raiders -- Rashid Shaheed earned a career-high three targets, catching all three for 38 yards. This follows an impressive 53-yard TD reception the week before. I don't normally dwell on low-volume guys, unless they're RB handcuffs with sizable potential value. But as long as Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas remain sidelined, it appears Shaheed is making a push for a short-term #2 WR job, which has some appear for deep-leaguers. And the Raiders are a mess, though that's not surprising given what we've seen this season. More interestingly, Foster Moreau led all Raiders with nine targets, including repeatedly converting on third down. There's no good reason for him to be on waivers in deeper leagues.
Jets vs. Patriots -- The Jets' three-headed backfield isn't the same without Breece Hall. It'll be tough to predict who, if anyone, is worth starting next week. And a knee injury knocked out DeVante Parker; if it's serious, Jakobi Meyers would become even more valuable.
Eagles vs. Steelers -- Boston Scott enjoyed mop-up duty over Kenneth Gainwell, which presumably mean Gainwell is still the #2. But if something happened to Miles Sanders, it remains a crapshoot which backup would benefit most. And Jaylen Warren keeps outplaying Najee Harris. Sunk costs: Pittsburgh used a 2021 first-rounder on Harris. But man, in what's shaping up to be a lost season, the Steelers should see what they have in Warren and give him 12+ touches a game. So far, he's topped out at nine.
Texans vs. Titans -- Brandin Cooks upped his trade value with some late-game receptions--although really, teams that might want him already know what he can do. It's an interesting time to consider picking up or trading for (in very deep leagues) Nico Collins, with the possibility that Collins could lead this receiving corps when healthy. And Malik Willis flopped, which mattered if you started any Titans besides Derrick Henry (or Dontrell Hilliard). That marks three straight games for Henry with 30+ touches. That's a yellow flag, bordering on red. Hilliard is a must-add, or a must-trade-for.
Colts vs. Commanders -- Ironically, the Colts might have won and remained squarely in the postseason hunt if they'd stuck with Matt Ryan (if he was healthy enough to play). Sam Ehlinger was entirely adequate, although I was surprised he didn't do more in the running game. New England, Philly, and Dallas are on the horizon. It's a good time to sell high on the Colts' receivers, in my opinion. And for Washington, Antonio Gibson clearly is now more valuable as a complementary back than he was as the clear-cut starter. Like Rami Malek in "Mr. Robot," this is the role he was meant to play.
Rams vs. 49ers -- The Rams are broken, and Cooper Kupp got hurt. Although he claims to have escaped without serious harm, we don't know how badly they might play in Tampa Bay next week. Aside from a healthy Kupp, like Elliot Alderson in "Mr. Robot," I would trust no one. And CMC became one of a handful of players who's thrown for, caught, and run for a TD in the same game. In terms of the defenses they'll face, the Niners have a fairly soft schedule after their Week 9 bye. A healthy CMC might realistically get 25+ fantasy points a game.
Seahawks vs. Giants -- Kenneth Walker has five TDs in his last four games. Interestingly, they've all come outside the 10-yard line. Imagine what he could do if Seattle gets him the ball near the end zone. Walker might actually be undervalued, as strange as that sounds. And I'm expecting the Giants to add a receiver--or something--before the trade deadline. This is their moment, and they probably can't reach 12 wins if Tanner Hudson is their #2 pass-catcher.
Bills vs. Packers -- Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones did better than I expected. Green Bay actually hung around. That doesn't take away from the fact that Rodgers remains unstartable in most leagues, while Romeo Doubs benefited because Christian Watson went down early, so he was competing for WR targets with Samori Toure and Amari Rodgers. Enjoy it while you can, and sell high on Doubs if it looks like Lazard's returning. And James Cook got some nice run (76 yards on six touches). That's what I've been waiting to see. I wonder if the extra work came as the team decides whether to spend big on another RB. Stay tuned.