Bye Weeks: Arizona, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia
We like to pick on the Buccaneers pass
defense and up next on the schedule is the NFL's Superman.
Grab a Helmet
Ryan
Fitzpatrick @ CAR: Wait, what’s this? Christmas came
early? Yes, that’s right! Just when it seemed like the dark of winter
had begun to set in, a little Fitzmagic returned last week, as Fitz
entered the game for a dreadful Jameis Winston and nearly snatched
victory from the jaws of defeat. Although I kid, it’s hard to deny
just how fantastic Fitzpatrick has performed this season when playing
a full game. The loss to the Bears a few weeks ago was ugly, and
the reinsertion of Winston was probably the right call, but the
return of Fitzpatrick is also the right call, both for you and the
Bucs. I’ve been streaming quarterbacks all year in one of my leagues,
and I’m happy to gamble on the upside of the Magic, even in a divisional
road game.
Aaron
Rodgers @ NE: It’s an absolute crime that Rodgers and
Brady haven’t met since Week 13 of the 2014 season. In that duel,
Rodgers had a masterful 368-yard, two touchdown performance in
a 26-21 win over Brady and the Pats. This time around could be
their final meeting, and you know Rodgers will come into this
game with a chip on his shoulder after a crushing loss last week
against the Rams. Green Bay desperately needs this game as they
are in a midst of an incredibly difficult stretch of games that
have them traveling half way across the country and back again.
Listen, the Packers aren’t a good team, and it’s going to take
a herculean effort from Rodgers to pick them off the mat and win
on the road against the best team of the generation, but I’m betting
the chip on his shoulder is big enough to equal a giant fantasy
day.
Cam
Newton vs TB: Newton is having a resurgent season after
a down 2017. His completion percentage is way up, has 17 touchdowns
to only 4 interceptions, and even more impressively is he’s making
the young players around him better. Remember, he’s fantasy’s
No.8 quarterback without having a pass catcher anywhere near the
league lead in anything. He continues to get a significant fantasy
contribution from his legs, as he leads all quarterbacks in rushing
yards and touchdowns. The match-up with Tampa is one of the best
of the week, as the Buc defense has absolutely hemorrhaged fantasy
points to opposing quarterbacks (20 touchdowns given up, and only
1 take away) and I like Newton to be a near lock for top-5 production
at the position.
Grab a Headset
Matt
Ryan @ WAS: By some strange scheduling quirk, the Falcons
have played only two games on the road this season prior to their
bye week. That’s right, 5 of the first 7 were in the friendly
confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ryan and this offense struggled
mightily in those two road games, failing to reach 20 points.
This week the Falcons take on the division leading Redskins who
sport a suffocating defense, and an offense that plays conservative
“keep-away” football. Look for Washington to play a ball-control
offense to keep Atlanta’s playmakers off the field, and get after
Ryan with a defensive line that can feast on Atlanta’s struggling
blockers. Even with a decent floor, Ryan’s ceiling is severely
capped in this one, making him an uninspiring play in Week 9.
Baker
Mayfield vs KC: Well the wheels came off the Browns
bandwagon in a hurry! After a promising start to the season, the
Browns have regressed on offense, trading away their starting
running back and firing the top-two offensive minds in the coaching
staff. The direction of the offense and the development of Mayfield
now fall to Freddie Kitchens, a well-traveled assistant that’s
worked under some impressive head coaches. No one really knows
what to expect from this team, but things won't get better for
Baker until the pass protection improves. He’s facing a higher
percentage of pressure than any other starter, and the receivers
aren’t doing enough to take the double teams away from Jarvis
Landry. The Chiefs score a ton of points and put tremendous pressure
on opposing offenses to do the same. With turmoil and turnover,
it’s hard to trust this offense even with the terrific on-paper
matchup. Ben
Roethlisberger @ BAL: Big Ben has been his usual lower
tier QB1 this season, but his play on the road against the Ravens
lately has been anything but. In his last two games at M&T
Bank stadium, Roethlisberger has failed to top 300 yards or 1
touchdown. Other than last year’s freak 39-38 game where
he threw for 500+ yards, the games between the Steelers and Ravens
are usually 12 round heavyweight fights, with neither team able
to gain much ground against the other. Baltimore was embarrassed
last week against Carolina, and I think they take it out on the
Steelers. Look for Big Ben to struggle at times and fail to put
up QB1 worthy numbers.
