Titans vs Jags:
The Titans are the crappy version of the Ravens. They want to play old school pistol football but don’t have the actual O-Line or talent to do it effectively. Mariota is relatively inaccurate at 57% and looked indecisive, including whether he should run or not. In the run game it’s all Henry as he gets all the rushing touches but was ineffective against a stout Jags Def. His day was saved by the goal line rushing TD otherwise you would have been pissed about his output. Pro Football focus (PFF) gave the Titans O-Line a #7 ranking this week. The gave up 9 sacks so that can’t be good. Feel free to dump Dion Lewis as he’s not being used. In the receiving game it’s Walker or bust. He has a 25% target market which is ridiculous. A.J. Brown is next up but is a rookie and is playing with Mariota.
The Jags are interesting to say the least. Minshew is playing really well with a 66% completion rate. He’s doing exactly what he needs to with managing the game and letting this surprisingly good WR corp do its job. PFF gave the Jaguars O-line #17 this week which they played better than the Titans based on what I saw. No sacks were given up but Fournette looked terrible and was only saved by a 68yd run. He ended the day with 66yds which means he was negative the entire game. He is getting passing work with 8 targets and catching 6 of them for 26 yds. What is actually good about the Jags besides their Def which we know already, is the WR corp. Westbrooke and Chark look great and can be fantasy relevant. Chark is getting the TD’s which is pushing him over Westbrook. But don’t count Westbrook out yet as he is the target leader.
WW: (TEN) Pickup Walker if available. Drop everyone but Henry. (JAX) Chark and Westbrook. Drop everyone but Fournette.
Bengals vs Bills:
Oh boy are the Bengals in trouble. Although the offense is better than years past with Zack Taylor running things. Their O-Line and Defense are so bad they will always be behind in games. It’s time to admit that Dalton is not a good QB, with 2 INTs and a 55% completion rate, he is just not cutting it. His O-Line was ranked #31 this week by PFF and it showed. Dalton was constantly pressured and it made the RBs inefficient as well. Mixon has a solid floor especially in PPR leagues with the 3-5 targets he’s getting a game. He is also the clear back when healthy as Bernard is all but useless at this point. In the WR corp Boyd is the #1 and Ross came crashing back to earth. Boyd is averaging 10 targets a game but just hasn’t gotten the TDs to go along with it. Ross will start fading especially when Green comes back from injury.
The Bills are looking decent all the way around but I must caution this has been against weaker opponents. Next week against the Pats will be totally different. Josh Allen will be a fantasy darling as long as he continues to rush. But he is buck wild and, knock on wood, I wouldn’t be surprised if he injures himself with some of these crazy runs. He has turned his accuracy problems around and threw for 64% and only 1 INT this week. Add in another 46 yds on the ground and he looks pretty good. He was stopped short of getting a rushing TD which would have really made him look good this week. On the ground Gore is looking as good as ever in his 14th NFL season. We told you it wouldn’t be sexy but he would get the job done. 14 attempts for 76 yds and a TD sounds pretty good to me. It’ll be rough next week against the Pats but pretty much anyone else you can copy paste that stat line. That is until Devin Singletary gets back healthy, the kid looks good. In WR land it’s all Cole Beasley and John Brown. They are getting 24 and 27% of the target market share. In full PPR they are great adds in standard they are going to be TD dependent.
WW: (Bengals) Start Fading Ross and drop everyone but Boyd and Mixon. (Bills) Allen and Gore if available. Beasley and Brown in full PPR only. Drop rest.
Dolphins vs Cowboys:
This week I’m going to try and be positive about the Dolphins. In the last two games the Dolphins are actually in the game through the first half. Where the talent gap shows is in the second half. Rosen looked okay, certainly better than Fitzpatrick has played. Rosen posted a 46% completion rate for 200 yds, which is a start. The O-Line is ranked last and it showed as Rosen had no time to throw and the rushing game was non-existent. Interestingly two WRs are emerging from the pack as Parker and Williams are playing as well as one could ask for considering the situation. I wouldn’t start anyone for fantasy, but if you’re feeling crazy. In the run game Drake is the best back and is getting the majority of carries and targets for the RBs. But with that O-Line there’s going to be limited production.
I hate that I have to say this but the Cowboys look good. I will cut them down a little bit and say they have played inferior teams up to this point. Thankfully Kellen Moore knows what he’s doing so the offense will look good. I would like to see how they play against a better Def. Speaking of, the only thing not standing up to the hype is the Cowboys Def. Which will become a problem come the playoffs. Dak is playing very well. He’s confident and taking the necessary risk but knows when to bail and run which is making him a great fantasy QB. Amari Cooper is finally playing like the first round draft pick that he is and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished as a top 5 WR this year. Devin Smith is stepping up in the absence of Gallup’s injury but the talent gap is obvious. Zeke is rounding into prime form but the Cowboys are doing the smart thing here and giving Pollard touches when they are up or need a change of pace. This is a potent thunder and lightning combo. Zeke’s top 5 form is not going to happen if Pollard continues to get the passing work.
WW: (Dolphins) Stop! Don’t do it. (Cowboys) Pollard, Smith. Look and see if Gallup has been dropped due to injury.
Lions vs Eagles:
The Lions are somehow 2-0-1 and it’s all luck. Although the Lions O-Line played well by not allowing any sacks they certainly didn’t help the run game. PFF gave them a #11 rank this week. Kerryon was dramatically inefficient with a 1.7 yd/c. He saved his day by getting a goal line TD that took 4 attempts. He’s the clear first RB but he has got to step it up. Stafford surprisingly didn’t throw an INT but that’s just how bad the Eagles secondary is this year. Jones took the work this week and got the touchdown but Golladay is still target leader with 25% of the pie. They have KC next week so I expect quite the shootout.
Eagles fans are about to tear that city down after the start of this season. DROPS, FUMBLES! The whole team was plagued by drops and fumbles this week and it cost them the game. That and Wentz was constantly under pressure and was sacked 3 times. PFF gave the Eagles O-Line the rank of #2 which makes no sense to me but I’m not here to figure out that stuff. Wentz did what he could and got 2 passing TDs. Agholor stepped up with Jeffrey and Jackson out but he was the main “dropper” this week. Lucky for him he got the vast majority of targets and the TDs this week. I’d assume with the short week he will be another fantasy play till week 5 when you can fade him. Ertz is getting the targets but its’ not translating to anything yet. Be patient as it will come. Oh Miles Sanders! You fumbler. You are clearly the best back but you’ve got to get it under control. Lucky for him the Eagles are designing passing plays just to get him open and when he is set free this kid is electric. This year he’s going to continue to be frustrating but he has a bright future ahead of him.
WW: (Lions) Nobody that wasn’t already drafted. (Eagles) You can rent Agholor and Hollins for one more week.
Jets vs Patriots:
The Jets are terrible without Sam Mono-ld lol. Without the threat of a passing attack teams will continue to stack the box against Bell and make the offense ineffective. Falk is not up to snuff and is too willing to check down than throw deep. Darnold has been cleared to start cardio after being diagnosed with Mono. Once he comes back the pass catchers like Anderson, Crowder and Bell will be useful again. Bell is the only mildly useful player getting all the groundwork and 20% of the target share. The Jets Def is rather good but not good enough to stop the Pats.
I also hate saying this but the Pats look good. As in, they are the favorites to win the Superbowl, good. Brady is in prime form and from looking at him you would never know he’s 42. Now that the AB drama is gone we have a clear picture of who the WRs are and it’s Gordon, Edleman and Dorsett. All three are fantasy viable each week so hopefully you’ve gotten a piece of that pie. In the ground game it appears the Pats have relegated Michel to goal line carries as he’s not efficient otherwise. Burkhead has stepped up into the role nicely and until White gets back from having a baby he will also get the passing work. The Def is in top form and could be started most weeks except against high powered offenses.
WW: (Jets) If you have the bench space hold on to Crowder and Anderson. Don’t bother with anyone else. (Pats) I hope you picked up Burkead and Dorsett already.
Falcons vs Colts:
The Falcons blew the game by a record setting amount of penalties and being massively inefficient in the first half. This week Ryan only threw 1 INT and was able to put up tons of yds against a depleted Colts Def. Jones is showing why he’s the highest paid WR in the game with his 4th TD of the year and tacking on 128 yds. Ridley disappeared this game as Hooper and Sanu were able to get all the work over the middle. I wouldn't bank on Hooper getting 2 TDs again. In the rushing game Ito Smith went out with a concussion which freed Freeman up to do what he does best. This should hopefully show the Falcons that you’ve got to feed you RB1. He went for 5.5 a carry and caught another 3 passes. The Falcons Def and O-Line leave much to be desired and why the passing game will have to do the heavy lifting all year.
I don’t want to be a homer but the Colts look good. Brissett has stepped up wonderfully and is playing like he’s been the starting QB for years. With one of the best O-lines in the game no wonder he feels safe to stand in the pocket and let it rip. Hilton was having a monster game till he got hurt with a Quad injury. This left the Colts to spread the ball around which is their typical fashion anyways. I’m not sure who will get the work next week against the Raiders, but I would imagine the TEs and maybe Paris Campbell would stand out. On the ground Mack is tearing it up and as long as he stays healthy don’t expect this to change.
WW: (Falcons) Sanu and Hooper if available. (Colts) If you need a TE take a shot on Ebron or Doyle but I have no clue who will stand out. Campbell in deep leagues.
Raiders vs Vikings:
The Raiders are surprisingly scrappy but they were not match for the stout Vikings Def. Carr played as well as you could have asked throwing for a 79% completion rate, 2 TDs and only 1 INT. He also got sacked 4 times which shows you how well the Vikings front 7 plays. In the WR corp it’s only Williams and Waller. Waller is listed as a TE but he very clearly is a WR and plays like one. He is absolutely dominating the target market at 29.6%! That’s insane for a TE. Williams was being shadowed by Rhodes which is why his day was limited but he saved it with a garbage time TD. On the ground it’s all Jacobs but he was sick this week and needed several bags of IV fluid to get over his illness. The team did what they could to give him work but rightly kept him out most of the game. Look to see him bounce back next week against a depleted Colts Def.
The Vikings can only do one thing on offense. And boy do they do it well. They are going to run the ball down your throat until it doesn’t work anymore. Dalvin Cook will be the #1 RB on the year if this keeps up. Even Mattison will have plenty of serviceable games when they get up big. You may be asking what about the passing game. What passing game? Cousins sucks, and they don’t want to throw the ball to anyone other than Theilen or Cook. Diggs is rumored to have requested a trade and I don’t blame him. He’s only received 12 total targets all year and deserves more for someone of his caliber. Hell, Theilen only has 16 targets himself. I want to see how they fare against a good Def like the Bears next week.
WW: (Raiders) If Waller is available you better go get him now. Everyone outside of Williams and Jacobs is useless. (Vikings) If Mattison is available go and stash him as Cook has an injury history.
Ravens vs Chiefs:
We witnessed what is not only the future of the NFL but very likely a Divisional Championship game this year. The Ravens played fantastically but were not able to score enough to beat the Chiefs. Jackson played well with no turnovers and critical yds on the ground and a rushing TD. Speaking of rushing Ingram absolutely demolished the Chiefs for 103 yds and 3 TDs, throw in a couple receptions and no wonder he was the #1 RB this week. Edwards was also efficient on the ground and I don’t see many teams stopping the Ravens rushing attack. Where the Ravens did lack was in the passing game. The have a very young WR and TE core and it’ll take time for them to step up to the plate. Brown and Andrews are the target machines at 25.5 and 22.6% of the targets. I’d also like to remind you that the Ravens Def is not what it used to be and is match up dependent.
Patrick Mahomes may go down as the greatest QB to play the game. His vision, accuracy and power is unrivaled and as long as the Chiefs make that O-line better we’ll see him break records. Mahomes threw for another 3 TDs and 374 yds. Good luck stopping him. Watkins and Kelce are still the target leaders but Mahomes seems to be able to make anyone relevant with Hardman and Robinson getting the TDs this week. In the rushing game the 31yr old McCoy looks to be the best RB on the team and that’s including Damian Williams. The Chiefs have no issue using multiple backs making Darrell Williams and McCoy both relevant this week. McCoy tore it up today with TDs in both rushing and receiving. If he can stay healthy I don’t see why he and Damian Williams can’t both be top 24 RBs this year. As always the Chiefs Def is trash and should never be started.
WW: (Ravens) If Brown is available definitely grab him. Edwards or Hill will emerge as the 2nd RB, could be worth the stash. (Chiefs) Pick a WR; Hardmen or Robinson before Hill gets back. Until Damian Williams gets back pick up Darrel Williams.