Courtesy of: ESPN.com
Bears, Titans, Colts, Ravens, Texans, Chargers. Six teams chock full of fantasy firepower; all taking a break this week. Bundle up folks, because the icy chill of autumn bye weeks has arrived and their ain’t much out there to keep you warm. Between the absence of nearly 20% of the league’s teams and the seemingly unusual volume of injuries over the past few weeks, it’s very possible that you are struggling to field a full roster in week 8.
In my home league, my brother-in-law has 7 players on bye, two players who just this week were placed on IR, and one questionable WR who seems unlikely to play. The guy is going to battle this week with the likes of Jacquizz Rodgers, Aaron Dobson, and Austin Pettis leading the charge. Don’t feel bad for him though, he’s sitting pretty at 5-2 on the season (how; I’m not entirely sure…but that’s a rant for another day). The point is everybody is hurting this week and the waiver wire is as unappetizing as I’ve seen it in recent years.
So what is an owner to do in such a circumstance? Well, if you’re leading or trailing your league by a sizeable margin, I imagine you’re ok with plugging in a bunch of 3rd string WRs or change-of-pace RBs to get you through the week. But if you’re caught in the middle of the pack, still fighting for position and desperately reaching for a playoff spot, you don’t have that luxury. Every week counts now and taking a loss could end your postseason chances.
I currently find myself in the latter position, holding the last playoff spot but mere points with multiple teams tied or just a game back. This week I’m losing my only productive running back in Matt Forte and my TE, Jermichael Finley, is likely done for the season. The rest of my team is full of tough matchups and underperforming high draft picks and I’m facing a team that, like mine, is right there in the hunt. So I’m looking to make a trade.
Trades are an interesting part of fantasy football because of the emotion that goes into them. So many owners take trade offers very personally and often feel like their players aren’t being valued the way they should. There’s this feeling of winning and losing among trade partners and even among those league members not involved in the deal. Fantasy trades should be about both teams improving their rosters, not one team pulling the wool over the other’s eyes. I am close to a deal in the league I mentioned before, and of the players involved, I’m giving up arguably the best one. But does that mean I’m “losing” the trade? No. It means I’m giving up an asset in order to improve other areas of my team that need the most help, specifically this week. Trading a player that you may feel is of higher value than the player or players you are getting in return isn’t a loss if it means you’ve helped your team improve its chances of victory in a down week.
Trades, like fantasy football in general, should be fun and exciting- so stop focusing on who’s winning or losing, and start focusing on putting together the best lineup you possibly can here in week 8. To help you out, here’s a few guys I really like this week, as well as a few I really don’t. Last week was another winner so let’s keep it going, shall we? Here is this week’s fantasy 6-pack.
3 I Like
QB, Colin Kaepernick (20 proj. pts)- My general rule of thumb with these predictions is not to “like” a player projected for 20 or more points. 20 points in ESPN standard scoring leagues is not an easy number to get to. But this week, I’m all-in on Kaepernick; the same way I was all-in on him during the preseason. After 7 weeks of reigning in the dymanic QB, the 49ers let him off the chain last week a bit, and the rushing ability that we all fell in love with last year showed itself to the tune of 11 attempts for 68 yards and a score. When Kaepernick is given the opportunity to use his legs, he’s shown that he can become a fantasy monster in no time. This week, despite the long trip to London, I like Kaepernick and his matchup with the lowly Jags. They rank 25th against opposing QBs (probably would be worse but teams tend to get up early on them and run the clock) and Frank Gore is a bit banged up heading into the game. I’d expect Gore to play, but not be as effective, leaving Kaepernick to take the lead. 20 points is a lot, but I think he goes just over here.
RB, Stevan Ridley (12 proj. pts)- The Patriots held the ball for only 23 minutes in last week’s loss to the Jets; a statistic that I’m sure Bill Belichick has mentioned once or twice this week. This week against Miami, the 28th ranked defense against fantasy running backs, I expect ball control and time of possession to be a focal point. With the return of Rob Gronkowski, comes a NE passing attack that has to be respected again, leaving a little more running room for Ridley and the running game. He’s scored 3 TDs in 2 games since returning from injury, and gouged Miami for 3 scores in the two games they played last year. I think he gets into the endzone at least once here and has a big game in a Pats’ win.
WR, Terrance Williams (7 proj. pts)- When Miles Austin’s hamstring started acting up again, Williams took on the starting WR role opposite Dez Bryant and flourished right away. Austin has since returned and has been relegated to practically invisible status. They love Williams and his number of offensive snaps has increased week after week. With a touchdown in 3 straight games to go along with 19 receptions in his last 4, there’s little reason to doubt the baseline of Williams in this offense. Couple that with the nice matchup against the Lions who rank 27th against opposing fantasy receivers, and you have the makings of another shootout game and a solid fantasy day for the young receiver.
3 I Don’t
RB, Fred Jackson (14 proj. pts)- There is no doubt that Jackson has been the most productive back in the Bills’ backfield. CJ Spiller has been beyond disappointing as a consensus first round pick in fantasy drafts, while Jackson has been a nice surprise. But the fact is that Jackson has only topped his projected 14 fantasy points once this year and his production has been largely TD related. He is playing through a knee injury that will continue to limit his snaps, despite the equally hobbled CJ Spiller, so while Jackson is a consistent flex option, I think he falls short of this week’s numbers.
WR, Harry Douglas (15 proj. pts)- Douglas proved me wrong last week. I liked him as an add in almost all leagues, but with the absence of Roddy White and Julio Jones, I thought his production would be limited against the Bucs. I was wrong. Douglas blew up for 149 yards and a TD in that game and now seems a solid play going forward. This week however, the Falcons travel to Arizona where they will take on a Cardinals defense that ranks 4th in the league against opposing WR. They saw what he did to the Bucs last week, and I expect the Cards to place a fair amount of attention on the guy. FYI- look for Tony Gonzalez to have the big game this week (which is what I thought would happen last week).
TE, Jared Cook (10 proj. pts)- This one seems like a “gimme”, but I’ll refrain from chalking up a win just yet. Forget the analysis; here’s the facts on Jared Cook. He’s scored over 10 points once this year (week 1). He’s scored a TD in only one game (week 1). After week 1, he’s scored a combined 18 fantasy points. He faced the Seahawks who are the 4th highest rated defense against opposing fantasy TEs, having given up only 1 TD all season. His quarterback, Sam Bradford, is now on IR and Kellen Clemons will start this game. I’ve said my peace, let the cards fall where they may.
Last Week: 4-2
Year To Date: 23-13
