Courtesy of: CS Monitor
Injuries were abundant in week 7 of the fantasy pickem between IHJJR and TSC, but in the end, Jim got the better production out of the healthy guys left and jumped out to a two game lead in the series. My picks have been struggling the last couple of weeks and I look to get back on track this week with a couple of solid plays in my opinion. But, congrats to you Jim, on being the first half victor this season, here’s to a better second half for me! Let’s get to the week 8 picks.
(This week’s preview was written by Ross Dunham of IHJJR)
Jim: QB – Colin Kaepernick (@ JAX): I was all in on Kaep in the preseason, so much so that I reached a bit to grab him in my home league on draft day. Since then, he’s made it into my lineup just 3 times, becoming the understudy for Tony Romo, the QB I drafted as backup. But last week I saw something out of Kaepernick that I hadn’t seen since late last year; that dangerous running ability we all fell in love with. The 49ers have kept him reigned in for the majority of the season and his passing game hasn’t been strong enough to warrant a fantasy starting gig. But if he’s gonna be let loose again this week against a terrible Jags team, I think he could be in for a big game.
Ross: QB – Mike Vick (vs. NYG): Coming into the season, you knew that Vick was bound to miss at least a couple of games due to an injury…it had to happen. Now that he’s (most likely) over the pulled hamstring, Vick will get back on track to leading that dynamic Eagles offense. This week, he could not have chosen a better matchup to come back, and the porous Giants are coming to town. Look for Vick to solidify his role in the offense yet again against a 1-6 defense.
Ross: RB – Gio Bernard (vs. NYJ): Bernard is getting the snaps, just not a whole lot of carries as he shares time with BJGE. However, he has shown that he’s dynamic in the passing game and can make a big play or two every game that shows the spark of his potential as a runner. I’m not picking Bernard to pile up the rushing stats this week because in reality it’s a terrible matchup for that against the Jets. Yes, it’s a risk relying on receiving stats, but he will get his opportunities.
Jim: RB – Le’Veon Bell (@ OAK): Yikes, it’s ugly at RB this week! With 6 teams on bye, all of which have plenty of fantasy firepower, you’re most likely dipping into the flex guys as your number 2 (or possibly number 1) backs. This week, I’ll take Bell purely for the volume of work he’s getting and the opponent. The Raiders have allowed 5 TDs to running back in the last 4 games so I’m backing on Bell continuing the trend.
Jim: WR – Jarret Boykin (@MINN): Boykin took advantage of the opportunity last week with both Randall Cobb and James Jones out. He caught 8 balls and topped 100 yards with a score. This week, Jones is likely to miss again and TE Jermichael Finley is now sidelined again. Add that to the fact that the Packers take on the Vikings this week, and once again Boykin should shine.
Ross: WR – Pierre Garcon (@ DEN): This news just in, the Denver Broncos’ offense is pretty good, and the Washington defense is atrocious. What do those two things have to do with Garcon? The Redskins will be trying to keep up for the majority of the game on Sunday and that means plenty of passing for RGIII, which could in turn generate a multitude of opportunities for Garcon. He’s only eclipsed 100 yards receiving once this year, but there’s a solid chance that may happen again this weekend.
Ross: TE – Jordan Reed (@ DEN): See Garcon above. More passes thrown, mean more targets for Reed and company. He became fantasy relevant and hit the scene last week against the Bears with his big game. I like Reed over a guy like Greg Olson or Heath Miller this week. Just a better matchup.
Jim: TE – Jordan Cameron (@ KC): Ross took my guy this week in Jordan Reed. His emergence in that offense seems legit and he has a great matchup this week. So I’m going with a different Jordan instead. Cameron was on fire to start the year and has slowly fizzled a bit in recent weeks until snagging a TD last week against GB. This week, the matchup is tough against a very stout KC defense, but with Jason Campbell now under center, I think Cameron provides a nice safety valve for Campbell as he eases into the starting role.
Jim: DEF – Saints (vs. BUF): Buffalo has all kinds of problems from a hit or miss quarterback to two injured running backs. The Saints have been solid on DEF this year, not a week in and week out play, but a solid unit. I think this is one of the better matchups for streaming a DEF if you don’t have one of the usual suspects on your roster.
Ross: DEF – Jets (@ CIN): Here’s my prediction for this game, but I could be extremely wrong here…Andy Dalton will come back down to earth and play like the QB we all know he is. The Jets defense has been getting them by in games this year (sound familiar?) and Rex has that D-line better than ever. This game will be a must watch for me to see which one of these teams is a contender in the weak AFC, and which is just a pretender.
Year To Date:
Team TSC: 4-2-1
Team IHJJR: 2-4-1
