Emmanuel Sanders 6-for-113 effort last
week was his third 100-yd receiving game of the season.
Grab a Helmet
Emmanuel
Sanders @ SD: Healthy and on the same page as new kid
on the block Brock Osweiler, Sanders had a season best 113 yards
last week in the snow against New England. There won’t be a chance
of snow in San Diego this week, but there should be some chances
for Sanders to shine. While the Charger defense has been decent
against passing games this year, it’s been mainly because their
run defense is so terrible. Look for the Broncos to establish the
run early, and for Sanders to benefit from play action on crossing
routes and deep in-cuts. Sanders excels in space and after the catch
with accurate passes, and Osweiler seems capable of elevating Sanders'
value for the rest of the year.
Dez
Bryant @ WAS: It’s been mostly a lost year for Bryant.
Between his broken foot, and broken quarterback, Bryant really hasn’t
gotten on track since his return. He’s seen plenty of targets, but
the rustiness of a long layoff, and little chemistry with Matt Cassel
has made him a fantasy dud for the most part. This could change
this weekend. The additional time with Cassell, and the fact Washington
has given up some monster games to No.1 wide receivers makes me
believe this could be the week Dez breaks out. He remains the Cowboys
best playmaker and is a great bet to find the endzone at least once
in this big divisional match-up.
Greg
Olsen @ NO: Is there a position the New Orleans defense
doesn’t bleed fantasy points to? Sheesh! With Gronk and Eifert beat
up, Olsen slides into the week as my top fantasy tight end. The
match-up is simply dreamy, as New Orleans has yielded the 2nd most
touchdowns to tight ends (10). Olsen remains Newton’s 1st and best
passing game option. Coming off a beating on the road, I expect
the Saints to put up some fight at home with their division foe,
meaning game flow should remain in Olsen’s corner for the duration
of the contest. In every format imaginable get Olsen in your lineup!
Grab Some Pine
Davante
Adams @ DET (THU): Pegged by many as a breakout candidate,
especially after the injury to Jordy Nelson, Adams has been an
unmitigated disaster this season. The Packer passing game is sputtering
big time, and an ineffective Adams has been a prime culprit. He’s
been plagued by mental and physical makes, and could be on the
verge of losing his starting spot. If all of this gloom and doom
wasn’t enough, according to sources he’s still hobbled by an ankle
sprain he suffered earlier in the year. This Packers funk has
lasted long enough to become more than just an aberration. The
Detroit defense is playing lights out, and while it’s always dangerous
to sit a guy catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, fantasy games
are much too important at this stage to trust Adams.
Stefon
Diggs v. SEA: The 5th round rookie out of Maryland
took the NFL world by storm with an outstanding weeks 4-8. During
that four game span he tallied 25 catches for 419 yards and two
touchdowns. But it seems defenses have adjusted, as he has only
15 catches for 185 yards and no touchdowns in his last four games.
With Diggs trending in the wrong direction, and a lack of receiving
threats to take some heat off of him, the Seahawks defense should
be able to keep him under wraps. I think his best fantasy games
have already been had, so look for other options.
Markus
Wheaton v. IND: DON'T CHASE THE POINTS! Even his own
head coach said his 200-plus-yard performance was very game plan
specific, and unlikely to occur again soon. Until his “breakout”
last week, Wheaton had failed to see more than 4 targets or 2
catches in any of the last nine games! I’m not saying he
isn’t worth a bench stash in deep leagues or as a handcuff
to Martavis Bryant or Antonio Brown, but with playoff berths on
the line these final few weeks, Wheaton simply can’t be
part of your game plan.
