By Winsto (11/11/2023)
1..I wonder how many fantasy football managers found themselves leaving their drafts with Saquon Barkley and Breece Hall. I am sure they were pretty excited with the New York RBs and their outlooks for 2024. I am confident that feeling of optimism has changed. Oh, the humanity! Both offenses are downright laughably bad, being the two lowest scoring offenses in the league. The Jets have scored NINE TDs all season. The Giants have scored only one more: TEN. Christian McCaffrey and Raheem Mostert have each scored more TDs than either of the two New York offenses. It looked like their situations may improve. Zach Wilson looked like he may be progressing. Daniel Jones and the Giants offensive line were finally getting healthy. NOPE! None of that is happening now. Wilson is not good. He is simply not good. There is no sugarcoating this. Jones is out for the season. The back-up, Tyrod Taylor, is somewhat competent, but he is still a few weeks away from a return from his injury. The optimism for these two immediately after the fantasy draft is long gone. The reality is this: they are still (mostly) must-starts, as they are two of the more talented RBs in the league, but we can never feel good about starting them. With Barkley, you will see volume, and you will hope the team can remain competitive so that Barkley is not pulled from the game. With Hall, you will hope for a break-away play, which is how, more often than not, he has been able to score his fantasy points. But the dream that either, or both, of these two could be top 5 fantasy RBs for 2023 is dead. Ugh! Imagine these RBs on actual capable offenses!
2. And as far as Garrett Wilson, I am sorry, too. Volume will keep him in the WR2 range, but oh, what might have been?
3. I wonder how many fantasy football managers will be overlooking Trenton Irwin in Week 10 with Tee Higgins declared Out. Most players are looking at Tyler Boyd, and rightfully so. Still, Irwin finished 2nd (to Ja’Marr Chase) on team in targets (10), receptions (8), and yards (60) in Week 5 when Higgins missed then. In other words, Irwin is my Hail Mary for Week 10.
4. In a related scenario, Noah Brown is going to garner most of the attention now that Nico Collins has been declared Out for Week 10. Brown has WR4 appeal. Yet, do not sleep on Robert Woods; he could be a sneaky flex here.
5. And staying in that same game, I am making a bold prediction: Tank Dell will finish as a top 10 WR for Week 10.
6. If you haven’t noticed, the Houston-Cincinatti match-up has the 2nd highest over/under (47) for Week 10. It would not be a bad idea to have a player or two in this game.
7. A few QBs who could have sneaky good games in Week 10 are as follows: Will Levis (at TB), Geno Smith (v. Was), and Taylor Heinicke (at Ari). Levis, based on an admittedly small sample size, looks legitimate. Smith has been suffering from a case of “underachievingitis,” but a Washington secondary may be the cure. As for Heinicke, the match-up is good, but I get it. You need much faith to start him. Coach Arthur Smith could bench him for Desmond Ridder at any time, or Smith could just call tight end jet sweeps every play.
8. I wonder if anyone else noticed the highest over/under this week is Lions-Chargers (48.5). Look, I want to tell you that even though David Montgomery is returning from injury, Jahmyr Gibbs played his way into a time-share. I want to tell you this, my good reader. I really do. But deep down, we both know that we don’t know. We just don’t know. Maybe Coach Campbell has seen that Montgomery has had trouble staying healthy with that much volume. Maybe? What will probably happen is it will be a 60:40 split instead of roughly a 75: 25 split as before, with Montgomery taking the goal line carries. If you plan to start Gibbs with a healthy Montgomery, you are absolutely taking a fantasy leap of faith. I would say this: if Montgomery gets the same volume he had earlier in the season, then Gibbs will be no more than a flex play for the rest of the season as long as Montgomery stays healthy.
9. I wonder how two particular receivers are going to fare coming out of their respective team’s Bye week. Denver’s Marvin Mims Jr. and Detroit’s Jameson Williams have both shown big play potential. Additionally, we must remember that Jameson Williams was considered the top WR prospect coming out of college before injuring his ACL at the end of his last college season. There is talent here with these two. I am curious if the Bye week may have given both teams’ coaches the opportunity to better incorporate them into game-plans moving forward. If they do little in Week 10, then 2023 may not be the season these two break out. On the other hand, if one or both do have some success, they may prove to be waiver wire material or deep league options moving forward.
10. And finally… I wonder if people say good-bye to boiling water. After all, it will be mist!
P.S. To all the veterans, thank you for your service. Happy Veterans Day!