I hope everybody won their week 7 match-up. Let’s get right into everything you need to know for a successful week 8.
Teams on bye this week: San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants,
Weekly Pickups (ownership percentages as of 10/22/14 on espn.com):
- Jerrick McKinnon (33.3%): McKinnon is an extremely talented RB who has firmly established himself as the starter in Minnesota. I found it downright insane that he’s only owned in 33.3% of leagues. He’s easily a top 15 RB going forward and should absolutely be owned in 100% of leagues. Pick him up and start him this week as he has a favorable match-up vs Tampa.
- Ronnie Hillman (21.7%): It’s safe to assume that Ronnie Hillman has won the starting job in Denver after two straight big games. He’s the starting RB on the best offense in football. PICK HIM UP – He’s a clear top 12-15 RB for the rest of the year. He also needs to be owned in 100% of leagues.
- Tre Mason (7.4%): Mason was very impressive in his first game as the lead back in St. Louis. The issue with him is that he really struggles in pass protection, so in most, if not all passing situations, St. Louis will play Benny Cunningham. Still, Mason is definitely worth an add – especially if you need a guy to fill in for Frank Gore or Andre Williams this week.
Deeper league adds: Denard Robinson (Jax), Allen Robinson (Jax), Davante Adams (GB), Anthony Dixon (BUF), Bryce Brown (BUF), Brandon LaFell (NE), Travaris Cadet (NO), Carson Palmer (ARI), Ryan Tannehill (MIA)
Guys I Like This Week
In this section, I’m rarely going to mention the “no brainer” starters. For example, you’re starting guys like Peyton Manning and DeMarco Murray no matter what the match-up is. If you’re in a complicated situation where you own DeMarco Murry, LeVeon Bell, and Arian Foster and have to pick two of those guys, shoot me an email ([email protected]) and I will help you out.
- Jerrick McKinnon: As I touched on earlier, McKinnon is the starting RB in Minnesota, and he’s REALLY good. McKinnon is the only RB this year to go for 100+ yards vs Buffalo. Tampa Bay allows the 8th most rushing yards per game this year. If he’s available in your league, pick him up and start him. You’re welcome. Honestly, this week, I would start McKinnon over guys like Giovani Bernard and Alfred Morris.
- Ryan Tannehill: Tannehill is a great add for somebody who owns Kaepernick or Eli Manning and need a fill-in for this week. In Tannehill’s last three games, here are his fantasy point totals: 20, 17, 23. He plays Jacksonville this week. He’s a top 15 QB this week without question.
- Sammy Watkins: There’s a 3.8% chance that Sammy Watkins is available in your league. He needs to be owned in every league. The freakishly talented youngster has a great match-up this week; the Jets have one of the worst secondaries in the league and Kyle Orton has looked at least good enough to get Watkins the ball. I think we see another big game from Sammy Watkins.
Guys I Dislike This Week
- Matt Ryan: I was really high on Ryan going into the year, but aside from weeks 1 and 3, he’s been a disappointment. In his last 3 games, he’s scored a total of 37 fantasy points. Combine that with the fact that he’s playing against Detroit, quite possibly the best defense in the NFL, and you’ve got a guy who should not be started this week. I’d much rather start Ryan Tannehill or Carson Palmer this week.
- Brandon Marshall: From week 3 on, Marshall has a total of 26 fantasy points. Ouch. Combine that with a trip to Revis Island and you’ve got a rough match-up. If you own him, you’re probably still starting him, but don’t hesitate to bench him if you think you have better options.
- Giovani Bernard: I still love Bernard as a talent. This has a lot more to do with the current state of the Bengals offense than anything else. They have been just awful in two of their last three games; they play aginst Baltimore this week, and Baltimore is one of the best defenses in the NFL. On a normal week, I’d consider Gio a top 7 RB, but this week he’s a borderline top 18 RB. Again, you’re probably starting him, but bench him if you have other reliable options. Again, I’d start Jerrick McKinnon over him this week.
If you have any questions specific to your team, either tweet me @sportsguyrich or email me at [email protected]. I will respond to all of the questions.
Lastly, the Falcons/Lions game starts at 9:30 AM ET, so if you’re somebody who sets their lineup on Sunday mornings – beware of the early start.
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