Yesterday after dinner I got a head start on Wednesday's article, which included concerns about Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. So yeah, need to re-write that.
One of the strangest Monday Night Football experiences, and on one of the most important fantasy evenings of the years. How many playoff appearances hinged on what happened in the final few minutes of each game? Maddening for some. Thrilling for others. And objectively, almost unbelievable. One 4-8 team defeating a high-flying Packers squad that just upset the Lions and Chiefs? Another 4-8 team dismantling the frontrunner for the AFC's #1 seed?
On the ground level, this was about two underachieving franchises making one final, desperate attempt to ward off mathematical elimination from the postseason. And it was also about two upward-trending franchises missing key offensive pieces -- the Packers operating without Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, and Jaire Alexander, and the Dolphins' passing attack looking as one-dimensional as ever with Tyreek Hill hobbled for much of the night.
Fantasy-wise, all eyes of course should be on Hill. Not sure if that's the same ankle he injured nearly three weeks ago, when he exited early, got wrapped up, and then came back in. At that time, the injury looked much worse than he did. Regardless, with the Jets and Cowboys on deck, managers expecting huge things from Hill are holding their breath. And if the injury proves serious, aside from the obvious bump to Jaylen Waddle, there's no clear-cut #2 receiver. So it would likely simply make this offense even more top-heavy.
For Tennessee, why did DeAndre Hopkins choose Tennessee over a Super Bowl contender this summer? The money certainly helped, and I've also suggested that because he's always been an alpha receiver, he'd probably be frustrated in a spread-the-ball offense. As the Titans' aerial focal point, he's the overall WR19 in fantasy, and a strong finish should push him to the top 12-14. If you invested at his WR21 ADP, you netted value despite enduring one of the worst QB situations.
Shifting to the Giants-Packers game, Jayden Reed further cemented his standing as Green Bay's top fantasy receiver when Christian Watson's sidelined. He can truly do it all, with a 10-100-2 rushing line in his last four contests. Aaron Jones's absence and A.J. Dillon's spotty play have compelled the team to add another backfield element, and Reed has delivered. I wonder whose ADP will be higher next summer: his or Watson's.
And if you started the Packers' DST (like I did), although the turnovers helped, on balance they severely disappointed. It was actually bizarre. Including the game where he replaced the injured Aaron Jones, Tommy DeVito had been sacked 26 times in his first four outings. But the Packers didn't take him down once while registering only two hits. The Falcons were the only squad with fewer QB hits in Week 14. The Giants had seemed like opposing DST gold. But that's not how things played out.
Speaking of DeVito, he's now outscored each QB opponent in fantasy these last three games. Talk of Tyrod Taylor's impending return seems insane. Why hand the ball to a 34-year-old game manager when you've got a versatile 25-year-old who seems to be developing pretty rapidly? I'd be shocked if DeVito gets benched, which is good news for Wan'Dale Robinson, who apparently *is* the Giants' best receiver. Injuries and inconsistency have undercut his value. But he looked the part of a #1 WR.
As for Saquon, yesterday marked his first rushing scores since Week 2. With a somewhat reduced aerial role (though his receiving TDs have helped), Barkley hasn't been the mostly consistent force that we saw last year. Touchdowns are a great equalizer, and he's hit paydirt in only four of 10 contests. Last year he scored in 10 of 16 games. If the Giants' offense can remain at least middling the rest of the way, he should be fine. But that's the question with road matchups against the Saints and Eagles up next.