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Colby Cavaliere | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


The Shot Caller's Report - Quarterbacks
Your Guide To Fantasy Lineups: Week 9
11/3/16
QBs | RBs | WRs

Bye Weeks: Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, New England, Washington

Jamies Winston

Jameis Winston's inconsistency makes him tough to trust as a QB1 even with six teams on bye.


Grab a Helmet

Joe Flacco vs PIT: Flacco has been downright ugly this season. His deep ball game was a poor fit for the Trestman offense, he missed the whole offseason after suffering an ACL late last year, and he’s been saddled with inconsistent play from his backfield and line. A shoulder injury could have played a part in his ugly game against the Jets, but the bye should have given he and his team time to get themselves right. In Week 9 they will host a Pittsburgh defense that is last in the league in sacks and has only intercepted three passes for the entire year. I expect the Ravens to take plenty of shots against the Steelers and Flacco should hit a few big plays. With a host of solid quarterbacks on byes, Flacco makes for a decent streaming option for teams in need.

Dak Prescott @ CLE: Prescott started Sunday night’s showdown against the Eagles an ugly 5-13. Other than a few deep balls, he struggled to move the chains. But he showed an incredible amount of persistence and poise for a rookie, as he rallied his team from 10 points down in the 4th to earn a huge divisional victory in overtime. He’s playing solid football, scoring 8 total touchdowns in his last three games, and gets a gift matchup this week facing the Browns at home. He’s already scored four rushing touchdowns on the year, and his dual threat game has given him a very high floor. He’s thrown for 227 yards or more in every game this year, and has scored near 20 or more fantasy points in every game since the opener. He doesn’t possess the week winning ceiling of other QBs, but he’s been a borderline QB1 all season, and an easy Top-10 option against winless Cleveland.

Cody Kessler vs. DAL: I’m assuming Kessler is healthy and gets clear to start over McCown obviously, and I know that still doesn’t quite justify Kessler as a deep sleeper option this week. The Browns being 0-8 has overshadowed the fact that Kessler has more than held his own in the three games he’s started and finished this year. He’s completing well over 65% of his passes, has a 4-1 touchdown to interception ratio, and could be on the verge of getting back playmaking rookie receiver Corey Coleman. Dallas just lost two key starters in the secondary and is overdue for a poor game. Cleveland has competed well each week for stretches, and there’s enough offensive talent to move the ball against Dallas. I’m obviously not advocating benching your stud for a rookie on winless team, but he’s got some sneaky upside, and hey, I’m due!

Grab a Headset

Matthew Stafford @ MIN: Even with most of his weapons back healthy, Stafford struggled to keep drives alive last week on the road against the Texans. He’s protecting the ball exceptionally well, as he hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 4, but a soft schedule turns nasty with a trip to Minnesota. It’s no secret the Vikings have been brutal on quarterbacks all year, especially at home in their new stadium. Stafford is going to need to get the ball out quick, and hope his receivers can make something after the catch. It’s hard to sit a player who has been great most of the year, but I’m scared by the low ceiling in this one. Most weeks Stafford is going to be better than the match-up. This isn’t one of those weeks. Look at Stafford as more of a QB2.

Jameis Winston vs ATL (THU): Winston was flat out terrible last week against the Raiders. Having a seemingly juicy match-up at home against a horrid Raiders defense, Winston completed only 50% of his passes for less than 200 yards. This is especially concerning seeing has he had nearly an entire quarter of overtime to pad his stats. He had a difficult time getting the ball to stud wide out Mike Evans, and the other outside weapons are raw and unreliable at best. Down to their 3rd and 4th string tailbacks, this offense is a bit of a mess at the moment, and an inconsonant Winston doesn’t help. He’s incredibly tough to sit because of a decent match-up and big ceiling, but I need to see more week to week consistently before I can truly trust inserting him as a starter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick @ MIA: Fitzpatrick has gone from wizard to muggle right before our eyes. If not for an ACL injury to Geno Smith two weeks ago, Fitzpatrick would be buried on the bench. But he’s got a new lease on life, at least for now. With the Jets at 3-5, they could go to Bryce Petty at any moment, and that moment almost came after a disgusting first half last week against the Browns. Fitzpatrick has been more turnover prone than ever this year, and he seems to lack chemistry with any receiver not named Brandon Marshall. Miami has returned from the dead, and should be rested and ready after the bye week. The Miami defense is certainly beatable, but Fitz simply hasn’t given you any reason to trust him.


Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers