Week 8 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to play…

QBs

Deshaun Watson, Texans – Incredibly, faced the Legion of Boom and walked away with 402 passing yards, 4 TDs and 67 rushing yards, albeit with 2 INTs.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Passed for 367 yards and 3 TDs, plus an INT, and added 31 rushing yards.

RBs

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys – Rushed for 150 yards and 2 TDs, after fumbling on his first carry.

LeSean McCoy, Bills – Ran for 151 yards and a TD, plus 6 catches for 22 yards.

Melvin Gordon, Chargers – Raced for 132 yards and a TD.

Jerick McKinnon, Vikings – Ran for 50 yards and a TD, plus 6 receptions for 72 yards and a 2-point conversion.

Lamar Miller, Texans – Scored as a runner and receiver and racked up 65 combined yards.

WRs

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans – Reeled in 8 passes for 224 yards, including a 72-yard TD.

Will Fuller, Texans – Once again, caught just 5 balls, but turned them into 125 yards and 2 TDs.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers – Shine in the SNF spotlight with 7 catches for 193 yards, including a 97-yard TD.

Paul Richardson, Seahawks – Collected 5 passes for 57 yards and 2 TDs.

Jamison Crowder, Redskins – Ran for 12 yards and caught 9 passes for 123 yards.

Robby Anderson, Jets – Took 6 passes for 104 yards and a TD.

TEs

Jack Doyle, Colts – Collected a dozen catches for 121 yards and a TD.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs – Grabbed 7 passes for 133 yards and a score.

D/STs

Ravens – Manhandled the Dolphins with 3 sacks, 2 TDs on a pair of INT returns and a shutout.

Eagles – Registered 4 sacks, 2 INTs, an INT-return TD and held the 49ers to 10 points.

Chiefs – Swamped the Broncos with 3 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries and an fumble-return TD.

Ks

Harrison Butker, Chiefs – Nailed all 5 of his FGs (from 25, 32, 42, 43 and 51 yards) and both of his XP attempts.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Matt Moore, Dolphins – Downright awful passing for 176 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs.

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers – Passed for 210 yards without a score, and had 3 turnovers.

Drew Brees, Saints – Passed for 299 yards without a blemish, but failed to notch a scoring pass.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys – Had just 143 passing yards and 16 rushing yards without a TD or turnover.

RBs

Thomas Rawls, Seahawks – Actually lost a yard on 6 carries.

Wendell Smallwood, Eagles – Just 14 combined yards on the day.

Latavius Murray, Vikings – Just 39 rushing and 8 receiving yards.

Jay Ajayi, Dolphins – Ran for 23 and caught 4 passes for 18 yards. Then got himself traded!

Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Combined for just 47 yards.

Ameer Abdullah, Lions – He totaled 38 yards.

WRs

Donte Moncrief, Colts – Shut out by the Bengals.

Willie Snead, Saints – So was he.

Jermaine Kearse, Jets – Had 2 catches for 14 yards.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Continued to suffer with his shoddy QB play, netting 2 receptions for 15 yards.

Devin Funchess, Panthers – Disappointed in easy matchup with just 11 yards on 2 catches.

Jordan Matthews, Bills – Just 21 yards on 3 catches.

Tyrell Williams, Chargers – Had a 24 yarder.

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs – Caught just 3 passes for 22 yards, and threw an INT.

Nelson Agholor, Eagles – Only 26 yards on 3 receptions.

Brandin Cooks, Saints – Got 26 yards on 5 receptions.

Pierre Garcon, 49ers – Limited to 27 yards on 2 catches.

Stefon Diggs, Vikings – Was active, but only managed 27 yards on 4 receptions.

DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers – Only 37 yards on 3 balls.

TEs

Jordan Reed, Redskins – Finished with a 5-yard reception.

Hunter Henry, Chargers – Held to 11 yards on 2 catches.

The Perfect Draft: Mid-year Review

What if your league-mates offered you a second chance at your draft?

Would you have rolled the dice on a rebound year from DeAndre Hopkins instead of a “safe” pick like Amari Cooper or T.Y. Hilton?

Might you let Matt Ryan slide on by and grab Carson Wentz instead?

Perhaps pass up David Johnson for … well … anyone else?

Sadly, there are no do-overs in fantasy football. At least not in the season-long version that God and Pete Rozelle intended for us to play. But there sure is plenty of second-guessing. Yes, friends, it’s time to adjust our rear-view mirrors as we explore what could have been with my oft-imitated, always-controversial, yet magically delicious Perfect Draft: Midseason Review.

As always, we start with a few key parameters. We will draft from the middle (fifth) position in a 10-team non-keeper league, meaning we won’t have a shot at Le’Veon Bell or Antonio Brown. We’ll use a standard scoring system that starts one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, and one tight end, flex, kicker and team defense. And, as always, our goal is nothing short of total domination and the abject humiliation of our opponents.

Now, with the fifth pick of the 2017 Perfect Draft, we should have selected…

Round 1: Todd Gurley, RB, Rams. Since Bell and Brown are already off the board, we’ll reach a round early to grab the dual-threat workhorse in the NFL’s (surprisingly) highest-scoring offense.

Round 2: Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars. We hate to pass up Rob Gronkowski, but if we don’t take the sensational rookie here, we’ll miss the opportunity to create a truly ferocious backfield. Despite skipping Week 7 with a bum ankle, Fournette belongs on this “perfect” roster. If you can assure me that Zeke Elliott won’t be suspended, then yes, he’s the preferred pick here.

Round 3: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans. We waited a bit to take our first wideout and fantasy’s top receiver fell right in our lap.

Round 4: Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs. The electrifying rookie hasn’t reached the end zone since Week 3, but he has amassed more than 100 scrimmage yards in every game he’s played.

Round 5: Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs. Hunt’s fellow playmaker embodies the cliché that he’s “a threat to score every time he touches the ball.”

Round 6: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals. The old man continues to burnish his credentials for his first-ballot ticket to the Hall of Fame.

 

Round 7: Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles. He’s Carson Wentz’s go-to target, which places him at the top of the heap at his position.

Round 8: Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots. Hogan has stepped into the role vacated by Julian Edelman and produced consistently as one of Tom Brady’s most trusted targets.

Round 9: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. Truth is, we could wait as late as the 13^th round to nab him, but we have other long shots to target later. Wentz has stepped up in his second season and joined the elites.

Round 10: Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs. Raise your hand if you thought Smith would be one of the top QBs in Fantasyland at the mid-point of the season? Yeah, sure you did.

Round 11: Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins. Thompson is especially valuable in PPR leagues and he, too, was available as a free agent.

Round 12: Jaguars defense/special teams. Jacksonville leads the league in sacks, defensive TDs scored, points against and – consequently – most fantasy points scored.

Round 13: Nelson Agholor, WR, Eagles. The third-year receiver is finally emerging as a weapon in Philly’s high-octane offense. He’ll provide solid bench depth.

Round 14: Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans. The rookie has been absolutely sensational since he found his groove in Week 3, and he could lead many a fantasy owner to a title if he keeps it up. And to think most of us picked him up off the waiver wire. (Note to self: Never sit him, even against the so-called Legion of Boom.)

Round 15: Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers. We won’t start him as long as Ertz is available, but it will be good to keep Brate off an opponent’s roster.

Round 16: Will Fuller, WR, Texans. Like Chris Carter from an earlier age, all he does is catch touchdowns. Monster touchdowns.

Round 17: Greg Zuerlein, K, Rams. Mopping up for the top-scoring offense in the league helps makes you an elite fantasy kicker.

So, just how perfectly did you draft?

WAIVER WIRE PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it’s best to start with a great draft. But filling gaps in your roster with the occasional waiver-wire acquisition can also pay big dividends. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Alex Collins, RB, Ravens. Javorius Allen remains in the picture, but Collins notched the Ravens’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season in the shellacking of the Dolphins on Thursday night. As long as he holds onto the rock (fumblitis has been a nagging concern), Collins should continue to lead this committee.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers. The rookie has become the speedy complement to Antonio Brown that most of us expected Martavis Bryant to be. And when you rack up 193 receiving yards, including a 97-yard touchdown, on Sunday Night Football, you tend to get noticed. After scoring his fourth TD of the season, Smith-Schuster has served notice that he’s no one-hit wonder.

Paul Richardson, WR, Seahawks. Is Richardson finally emerging in the Seattle passing game, or was Sunday’s outburst a mirage? Methinks it’s somewhere in between. The fourth-year receiver just notched his fourth and fifth TD receptions of the season, and the first 100-yard game of his career. He’s worth a pickup by WR-challenged owners.

Corey Davis, WR, Titans. The rookie has been sidelined since pulling his hamstring in Week 2, but he is expected to be ready to roll after this weekend’s bye. Davis could quickly vault to the top of the Titans’ receiving corps.

Vernon Davis, TE, Redskins. If Jordan Reed’s hamstring injury keeps him sidelined, again, Davis will step into the lead role with a QB who loves to feed his tight ends. Davis has been reasonably productive even when Reed has been on the field, so TE-starved owners should look his way.

Don’t be fooled

Tre McBride, WR, Bears. Sure, it’s nice to see Mitch Trubisky actually complete passes to a wideout, but it’s way too early to anoint McBride a viable fantasy receiver. Until further notice, Chicago’s passing game should be completely avoided.

Sunday morning observations -- Week 8

Tally ho, Fools. The NFL is well underway in London Town, where Adam Thielen and DeShone Kizer delivered TDs in the first half of their contest. Stefon Diggs is playing, but he hasn't done much yet.

Let's check around the league for the news we can use to make our best starting lineup decisions today.

Those of us who have to count on C.J. Anderson Monday night (due to injuries and byes at the RB position) may have to sweat out a bigger share of touches for Jamaal Charles as he returns to Arrowhead for the first time. It's a good rushing matchup, but the two RBs will lower each others' ceiling. Who gets the TD run(s), if any, will determine their respective value. With Emmanuel Sanders a game-time decision (though trending negative), this game should be very run-centric, with plenty of passes sent Demaryius Thomas' way, too.

Golden Tate will be a game-time call for the Lions. Hopefully you're not counting on Matt Stafford today; but if you are, you really need Tate to play to have any semblance of a passing game.

Cincinnati's first-round pick WR John Ross is expected to return from his knee injury without limitations today. You can't start him in his first game since he ran for 12 yards in Week 2, but if you're looking for a wideout with upside down the stretch, Ross is worth a flier. Especially with Andy Dalton looking better of late.

San Diego rookie Mike Williams is in a similar situation.

Today should offer us our first extended look at Willie Snead in the Saints' lineup. He has shed his injury labels, so it's time for him to force Ted Ginn back into irrelevance. Whether Snead himself can provide consistent fantasy value going forward is the bigger question.

If you're looking for TE help this weekend, like me, Ed Dickson is a decent bet and he's probably available, since he's been nursing a knee injury. He's expected to suit up today, and he has a great matchup with the Tampa Bay secondary.

Dallas K Dan Bailey is still rostered in a third of all ESPN leagues. Not sure why, especially with 6 teams on bye this week and next. Go ahead and drop him, as he's expected to be out for a month. He's not so valuable fantasy-wise that you need to use up bench space on him. Mike Nugent will do the kicking while he's out, but there should be better options available on your waiver wire.

And finally, it may be time to cut ties with David Johnson in redraft leagues, if you're hanging onto him for a possible postseason return. He sounded surprisingly pessimistic about suiting up again in 2017 in an interview this week, and it wouldn't make a lot of sense for him to rush back if the Cardinals are out of the playoff picture. With Carson Palmer down, and Adrian Peterson manning the RB position, it's most likely all about 2018 for DJ.

That's it for now. Next up are the inactives via Twitter. Good luck today, Fools!

Week 8 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Evans, or to bench C.J. Beathard and Kendall Wright? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 8 of the 2017 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers at Patriots. Last Sunday night’s performance against Matt Ryan’s Falcons notwithstanding, New England’s pass defense remains ripe for the picking. Nobody has surrendered more yards or TDs through the air than the Pats. Rivers is armed with a solid receiving corps that’s hungry for the ball, and he will feed them often.

Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals vs. Colts. We’re still waiting for that breakout game we know is coming for Mixon, and it didn’t help when the rookie received zero carries in the second half against Pittsburgh.  This may not be the big week, but Mixon should be leaned on heavily against an Indy run defense that has been exploited by big plays recently. Mixon is a big-play kind of back.

Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins vs. Cowboys. With the recent injuries to Washington’s offensive line, the team will likely have trouble moving the ball on the ground, even against a so-so Dallas run defense. Look for Thompson to be a big part of the game plan, particularly as a receiver out of the backfield, as Kirk Cousins looks for quick hits and continues to ignore his mediocre wideouts.

Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers at Buccaneers. Funchess has been getting plenty of targets from Cam Newton (no less than seven per game since Week 2), yet he hasn’t done much with them save for two of those outings. Against the awful Bucs secondary, which has given up a league-high bounty of fantasy points to WRs in PPR leagues – he should be able to capitalize on all that attention, despite his sometimes-shaky QB play.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles vs. 49ers. Carson Wentz is playing at an elite level, though Jeffery has yet to exploit his quarterback’s largesse. But the tide should turn Sunday when the 49ers’ corners face Philly’s aerial onslaught. Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor should both be high-volume players in this one, with TDs in store for each.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson; RBs Mark Ingram, DeVonta Freeman; WRs Kelvin Benjamin, Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Adam Thielen, Michael Crabtree, Chris Hogan, Doug Baldwin.

Roll ‘em back

Matt Stafford, QB, Lions vs. Steelers. Stafford is coming off a bye, which he surely needed after taking an enormous amount of punishment over his first six games. But he’ll most likely be facing one of the NFL’s stingiest secondaries without his favorite target, Golden Tate, and his up-and-coming rookie, Kenny Golladay. Marvin Jones and the incredible shrinking Eric Ebron won’t cut it in this matchup.

Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers at Eagles. Philly’s run defense has allowed just 67 yards per game on the ground this season, and they’ve been even more stifling of late. That’s partly because they’re good, but also because opponents abandon their running games early to try to keep pace. Hyde is still the 49ers’ featured back, but he won’t be featured much in this cross-country contest.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings at Browns. Just when we thought McKinnon had this backfield to himself, Latavius Murray comes along and out-performs him in Week 7. While these two will continue to share touches, neither is a good bet against the Browns’ much-improved run defense.

Will Fuller, WR, Texans at Seahawks. How do you bench a wideout who has registered five touchdowns over his last three games? First, you note that those five scoring plays came among just eight total receptions, which is fairly remarkable. Then you focus on the opponent, and remember they are called the Legion of Boom for a reason.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Redskins vs. Cowboys. Not only should you not start Pryor this week, you might as well drop him, as he has been supplanted in the WR pecking order by Josh Doctson. That said, none of the Redskins wideouts has done much to write about this season, as Cousins trains his sites mostly on his tight ends and Chris Thompson.

More thumbs down: QBs Ben Roethlisberger, Josh McCown, Jacoby Brissett; RBs Doug Martin, Thomas Rawls, Tevin Coleman, Jamaal Charles, Rob Kelley, Matt Forte, Wendell Smallwood, Marlon Mack, Isaiah Crowell; WRs DeSean Jackson, Martavis Bryant, Jermaine Kearse, Donte Moncrief, Danny Amendola, Willie Snead, Dontrelle Inman.

TAKING A FLIER

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots vs. Chargers. Fantasy veterans know that it’s always risky to hitch your fantasy fate to a New England RB. That’s why, despite emerging over the last three games as the Patriots’ lead back, you never know when the game plan will dictate that Lewis spend the game watching from the sidelines. Still, given the juicy matchup with the poor Chargers run defense, and so many RBs on bye, Lewis is worth a flier.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…who overlooks another early kickoff in London on Sunday. The Vikings face the Browns, and Stefon Diggs will likely be a game-time decision. Other late-breaking news could also affect your lineup choices, so don’t oversleep!

Week 7 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to play…

QBs

Derek Carr, Raiders – Got the weekend started nicely with 417 yards passing, 15 rushing and 3 TDs, without a blemish.

Carson Wentz, Eagles – Passed for 268 yards and 4 TDs, with 1 INT, and ran for 63 yards.

Alex Smith, Chiefs – Kept pace with Carr with 342 yards and 3 TDs, without  a turnover.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys – Exploited the 49ers for 234 passing yards and 3 TDs, plus 26 rushing yards and a 4^th TD.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Passed for 334 yards and 3 TDs.

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers – Passed for 384 yards and 3 TDs, though he had 2 turnovers.

Kirk Cousins, Redskins – Tossed 3 TDs and 303 yards, with 1 TD, plus 18 rushing yards.

RBs

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys – Rumbled for 147 yards and 2 TDs, and added a 72-yard TD reception.

LeSean McCoy, Bills – Looked like the Shady of old, rushing for 91 yards and 2 TDs, plus 5 receptions for 31 yards. We’ll forgive the fumble.

WRs

Amari Cooper, Raiders – Dug out of his Bust of the Year hole with 11 receptions for 210 yards and 2 TDs.

Kenny Stills, Dolphins – Prospered with Matt Moore at QB, catching 6 passes for 85 yards and 2 TDs.

Travis Benjamin, Chargers – Caught a 42-yard TD pass and scored on a 65-yard punt return.

Julio Jones, Falcons – Reeled in 9 passes for 99 yards and his first TD of the season.

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs – Caught 6 passes for 125 yards and a TD.

TEs

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers – Scored twice on his 6 receptions for 98 yards.

Jordan Reed, Redskins – Collected 8 passes for 64 yards and 2 TDs.

D/STs

Bears – Generated 5 sacks, 2 INTs, a fumble and scored two TDs, while holding the Panthers to 3 points.

Chargers – Amassed 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 fumbles and a punt return TD while shutting out the Broncos.

Ks

Kai Forbath, Vikings – Made all 6 of his FGs (from 32, 34, 43, 43, 51 and 52 yards), though he missed his only XP attempt.

Chris Boswell, Steelers – Connected on all 5 of his FGs (from 22, 24, 25, 41 and 49 yards) and both XPs.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Carson Palmer, Cardinals – Knocked out of the game after just 122 passing yards, no TDs and 1 INT.

Trevor Siemian, Broncos – Passed for 207 yards and ran for 14, with 2 turnovers and no TDs.

Mitch Trubisky, Bears – Just 107 yards and no TDs or turnovers, including just one completion to a WR.

Marcus Mariota, Titans – Limited to 203 passing yards without a TD (or turnover).

Cam Newton, Panthers – Only 211 passing yards and 50 rushing yards without a TD, plus 3 turnovers.

RBs

Marshawn Lynch, Raiders – Ejected, and suspended, after gaining just 9 yards.

Ty Montgomery, Packers – Limited to 6 rushing and 9 receiving yards.

Tevin Coleman, Falcons – Rushed for 16 yards and didn’t catch a pass.

LeGarrette Blount, Eagles – Ran for 29 yards on MNF.

Alex Collins, Ravens – Just 30 rushing yards.

Rob Kelley, Redskins – Ran for 16 yards and caught 2 passes for 14 yards.

Adrian Peterson, Cardinals – So … maybe he’s not completely back, after rushing for 21 yards and catching a 12 yarder.

Derrick Henry, Titans – Only 13 rushing and 11 receiving yards.

Frank Gore, Colts – Settled for 34 rushing yards.

Melvin Gordon, Chargers – Just 40 combined yards.

Thomas Rawls, Seahawks – Ran for 36 and caught a 16-yard pass, but also fumbled.

WRs

Eric Decker, Titans – Laid a goose egg.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers – Ran for 2 yards and caught a 3-yard pass.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – Caught 2 passes for 9 measly yards.

Jordan Matthews, Bills – Returned to catch 2 passes for 10 yards.

Tyrell Williams, Chargers – Caught an 11 yarder.

Green Bay WRs: Jordy caught a 13 yarder, Davante tallied 12 yards and Cobb had 15.

John Brown, Cardinals – Finished with a 6-yard catch.

Terrelle Pryor, Redskins – Caught 2 passes for 14 yards.

Mike Wallace, Ravens – Knocked out of game after catching a 9 yarder.

Danny Amendola, Patriots – Stuck with 3 passes for 17 yards.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Held to 27 yards on 2 catches.

Jamison Crowder, Redskins – Caught 2 passes for 28 yards.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Just 29 yards on 3 catches.

Alshon Jeffery, Eagles – Just 37 yards on 2 receptions.

A.J. Green, Bengals – Limited to 41 yards on 3 receptions.

TEs

Austin Hooper, Falcons – Caught a 6-yard pass on Sunday night.