Bye Weeks: Arizona, Cincinnati,
Indianapolis, Jacksonville, N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia
On the rise: The fantasy football community
is gaga over the Broncos new No.2 wide receiver.
Grab a Helmet
Tre’Quan
Smith vs LAR: I might be guilty of chasing his Week 5
production here, but I smell a classic Superdome shootout this week
against the Rams. Smith has only been a small part of the game plan
these past few weeks, as the return of Ingram has brought more balance
to the offense. With the bye week crunch taking a few big offenses
off the table this week, I’m happy to gamble with the No.2
receiver on one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL. Look for
the Rams to smother Michael Thomas, and for Smith to beat them at
least once for a big score.
O.J.
Howard @ CAR: It’s been a miserable year for the tight
end position. Other than Ertz, Kelce, and Eric Ebron (what?!?) the
position has mostly been a weekly shot in the dark. Quietly sitting
as the No.6 overall tight end is Howard, who has 50+ yards and/or
a score in all the game’s he’s finished this season. He produced
strong TE1 numbers early in the year with Fitzpatrick under center,
and with the Magic back for a Week 9 matchup against a Carolina
defense giving up to the most fantasy points to the position, Howard
is a top flight option.
Courtland
Sutton vs HOU: The finale of my “two rookie, one tight
end” special for Week 9, Sutton finds a spot on the SCR this week
thanks to the Broncos moving Demaryius Thomas at the trade deadline.
The Denver rookie second round pick has produced when given chances,
but up until now those chances have been limited. Possessing big
play potential (19+ yards a reception) and a big body (6’3’’) in
the red zone, Sutton instantly vaults into WR3 territory. Houston’s
secondary has been decimated by injury, and Sanders should command
most of the attention. Sutton makes for a sneaky upside play from
here on out.
Grab Some Pine
Amari
Cooper vs TEN: I totally understand the tremendous
pressure there will be to roll out Amari Cooper this week against
the Titans. The Cowboys will likely try to force the ball his
way to begin to justify the ridiculous price tag they paid for
an underachieving receiver. The Titans do have a burnable secondary,
but with only a short time to learn the playbook, and zero timing
with Prescott, I’d take a cautious approach to trusting Cooper
as anything more than a hopeful WR3.
Kyle
Rudolph vs DET: I realize it’s all hands on deck for
the tight end position in fantasy, but the fact is Rudolph has
become a distant afterthought in this Viking offense. He hasn’t
passed 50 yards since Week 4 and has found the endzone only once.
He’s got potentially the lowest floor of any “TE1” at the moment,
and I’d strongly consider streaming a more explosive option somewhere
else. I’ll let the other writers on FFToday.com help you figure
out who!
Jets Receivers @ MIA: Injuries
combined with a lack of depth have sunk this unit to new lows.
The combination of raw young players and street level veterans
has hindered Sam Darnold’s development. The receivers get no separation,
there isn’t a downfield threat, and because they lack run after
the catch ability it’s been nearly impossible for the Jets to
move the ball, OR come back from early deficits. Jermaine
Kearse has been peppered with targets as the only decent option,
but he’s been able to reel in only 3 of his last 12 targets. Miami
is far from formidable, but even if Robby
Anderson is able to play on a bum ankle this week, there isn’t
a player on this offense I’d feel comfortable starting.
