Before we look forward, we must look back. The NFL season builds upon itself each week and offers up its share of highs and lows. This is on a cumulative basis but DFS gives us a fresh start each week. The key is to take everything as a learning experience while not overreacting in either direction.
Each week we will take a look at both positive and negative situations that transpired from the week prior and what it means going forward. Let’s keep in mind that this is just the tip of the iceberg and throughout the week we will go into further detail about other players that deserve our attention for the coming slate of games. That is why you need to stick with us throughout the week.
For those who have yet to subscribe, what are you waiting for? As a preview of what you can expect, let’s take a look at Brandon Aiyuk. The rookie’s career didn’t get off to the best of starts as he caught just two passes for 21 yards last week but he looked a lot more comfortable this Sunday. Aiyuk fit right into San Francisco’s lineup and he was their busiest receiver who was targeted eight times while catching five passes for 70 yards. The 49ers also involved the rookie as a ball carrier as he ran for a 19-yard touchdown while registering three carries for another 31 yards. It is easy to lose track of all the injuries San Francisco is dealing with it but there is certainly opportunity for Aiyuk to continue in his role atop the 49ers’ depth chart. If this continues though, we will see movement in his price as he is worth your attention.
Behind the paywall, we will continue to take a closer look at some other players that stood out from a busy week of football. So, keep on going and take a look at what we have to offer.
With the way the season has gone it wouldn’t be a week if we didn’t mention Josh Allen. In case you didn’t realize, Allen is pretty good and he is becoming a difference maker. Allen threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns this week while rushing for a fifth, but that is not what we are going to focus on from the game. Backfields are all about the hot hand and change on a weekly basis. This week the beneficiary of that was Darrell Henderson as he took advantage of Cam Akers being sidelined. Malcolm Brown was a non-factor with seven carries for 19 yards while Henderson was consistently solid averaging 5.7 yards per carry for 114 yards and a touchdown with a long run of just 14 yards. Of course we have to keep an eye Akers upon his return, but Henderson has proved he is a capable of carrying the load if given the chance.
We touted Mitch Trubisky entering this week and that did not go too well. It was pretty disastrous in fact. But not everything was bad. Well unless you are talking about the Atlanta Falcons defense because they were terrible as they strive to give every opposing offense the greatest amount of fantasy value possible. In Chicago’s case it just meant they had to make a quarterback change and go to Nick Foles. All he did was proceed to throw for 188 yards and three touchdowns as he is slated to remain in the starting lineup. The good news is that Foles saved our Allen Robinson pick as he proceeded to take advantage of the Falcons’ secondary for 123 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions. Robinson will continue to be a factor moving forward but we also need to keep an eye on Jimmy Graham as he caught six passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns.
For the second week in a row we can easily say that Cleveland has the best backfield. Nick Chubbrushed for greater than 100 yards (108) while also scoring two touchdowns. Additionally we saw Kareem Hunt carry the ball 16 times for 46 yards while also catching two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown. Hunt was worked his way into the FLEX conversation in seasonal leagues but in DFS circles there isn’t enough there to bank on. Chubb is a different story though.
We haven’t been too kind to the Minnesota offense and Kirk Cousins, but Justin Jeffersoncertainly caught our eye this week. And that is an understatement as the rookie proved he is a viable option on the outside and his price has yet to catch up with his success from last week. The problem with that though, is that you will be chasing what was the best performance of Jefferson’s season. But catching seven passes for 175 yards (including a 71-yard touchdown reception) does give us a good idea at what Jefferson is capable of.
News flash, Carson Wentz is still not having a very good season (225 yards and two interceptions) but with 95 rushing yards things could have been worse for Miles Sanders. Of course as one of the running backs we touted this week it could have been better as Sanders only had 12 receiving yards and couldn’t find his way into the end zone. Across the field rookie Joe Burrow once again eclipsed 300 yards (312) as he threw for two touchdowns without an interception as he continues to make his way onto our radars. We also saw Tee Higgins catch five passes for 40 yards which included both of Burrow’s touchdown passes in what could be first of many big days for the two rookies. With just 49 yards on 17 carries though, we do need Joe Mixon to get going.
New England won big, that is the good news. The bad news though is that Cam Newton really was just a game manager and we can’t trust him from a fantasy perspective. Newton threw for just 162 yards and a touchdown along with an interception but that is not where his true value lies. He did carry the ball nine times but Newton gained just 27 yards and that is not enough to get it done.
It was a losing effort but Deshaun Watson had a solid afternoon throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns against a tough Pittsburgh defense. Both Randall Cobb and Will Fuller caught touchdown passes and things should get easier for both Watson and the Houston offense moving forward as their competition won’t be as stiff as it has been for the first three weeks of the season.
We got our answer that Mike Davis is the running back to own in Carolina’s backfield but we also need to limit our expectations. Davis was the clear leader in carries as his 13 lead the team by far with Curtis Samuel coming in next at four but he didn’t have much of an impact with 25 of his 46 yards coming on one carry. What saved Davis’ value though was his eight receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. Davis still isn’t overly expensive from a DFS perspective, but his upside is also limited.
Things seem to be getting better for Tom Brady in his adjustment to Tampa Bay as he threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns as the Buccaneers defeated Denver. It was also interesting to see how Brady spread the ball around across each of his receivers but Scotty Miller and his 84 yards was the leader for Tampa Bay with Rob Gronkowski pacing the Buccaneers with six receptions. It will be interesting to watch the target distribution in Tampa Bay going forward but Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are still the receivers to own. Just tread carefully here.
The comeback was for naught but it’s hard to find fault with Dak Prescott’s 472 passing yards and three touchdowns. Michael Gallup and his 138 yards led the Dallas receiving efforts but Amari Cooper and his nine receptions for 86 yards proved that he can be trusted as well. But where did Cedrick Wilson and his five receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns come from? With so many other receiving options in Dallas, I wouldn’t read too much into Wilson’s performance, but an injury could always change that.
It was just a pedestrian day for Kyler Murray as he failed to feast on what was a previously weak Detroit defense. Murray threw for just 270 yards and two touchdowns but there are two things to takeaway here. Even on a day when he struggled and threw three interceptions, Murray still was able to connect with DeAndre Hopkins for 10 receptions and 137 yards as he had another strong effort. Additionally even though Murray carried the ball just five times, he still found the end zone once again. Kenyan Drake was also a disappointment given the expectations as he gained just 73 yards on 18 carries while failing to find the end zone. At this point I would stay away until his performance dictates otherwise. On the other side of the field Kenny Golladay made his return for Detroit and didn’t miss a beat catching six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
While the absence of Davante Adams certainly helped, Allen Lazard certainly made his presence felt. Lazard caught six passes for 146 yards and a touchdown which included a 72-yard reception. He is developing into a legitimate number two option opposite Adams and he could prove to be a difference maker for Green Bay.
