RADIO
As all one or two of the people who read my column realized last week, I was actually off. We were putting together the finishing touches on our wedding, which was Sunday. I don't think it's a day I'll ever forget; 78 degrees right about the time we said our vows, really delicious BBQ for dinner, and a really quirky yet fun DJ who kicked off the party just right, the moment we needed it. I'll always remember looking into Jen's eyes, and grabbing her hand, and telling her, softly, "Zeke had three touchdowns."
Ok, so I wasn't exactly laser-focused on the wedding the whole night, but I made it about two hours into the festivities (ceremony included) before finally checking my line-up to see what had happened. It was worth it, I might add. She got this cute little smile when she realized she had Zeke in one of the two leagues she was in, on my advice. And then she remembered, that meant she also didn't have him in the other league. You see, the "other league" is my family league. So my cousin (our commish) and I decided to make one of the weeks a rivalry week, when we were all in the same place, so we could get our trash talk out altogether and have some fun with the result. Very rarely did we get to combine a long dinner, some drinks, and a real live fantasy football showdown as we were all together. That meant that, on the day we were getting married, Jen and I faced each other in fantasy football. The goal, publicly, was to add some fun "just for us" element to our big day. Privately, each of us relished the moment that we can turn to the other, and let them know... Zeke got three touchdowns.
Some of the first words my wife said to me, after becoming my wife, were simply "Damnit, I hate you for telling me that." So far, my married record is 1-0. I'm hoping to keep the streak alive. (As a quick technical note, I'll also be out for the next two weeks, and if anyone has any good recommendations for our honeymoon in Rome, I'm on Twitter @cliffclinton.)
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Running Back Questions
______ will either be on my bench or will RUIN my week.
A: Jordan Howard
B: Devonta Freeman
C: Lamar Miller
D: Alvin Kamara
It's a favorable matchup, with a talented RB, so why does using Devonta Freeman scare me so much? In a week with so many teams on BYE, you don't have much of a choice but to start Devonta Freeman so "Ruin" is a strong word, but in a list of running backs I largely consider RB1 this week, Freeman is just not there. Seriously, if the Falcons won't lean on Freeman in a can't-see-in-front-of-my-face game against a very week front seven in New England, why would I be confident in Freeman going forward? As noted, you'd have to be very stacked at the position to sit Freeman, but if you're trying to pick between three RB's, especially in PPR, sit Freeman until he can see 15 touches again.
Against all odds, should you take a look at ___________ now?
A: Duke Johnson Jr
B: LeGarrette Blount
C: Tevin Coleman
D: Ameer Abdullah
What do Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette and LeGarrette Blount have in common? Well, in 2017, not much, save for one key statistic; they each have 16 rushing attempts in the red zone. For Blount, especially in a favorable matchup that shouldn't see the Eagles having to go to the air that much, are the Eagles finally gonna get him into the end zone? He's got at least eight(!!) more attempts than anyone on this list, though they are all pretty similarly ranked. It's another week where, as noted, you're most likely dealing with byes, and if you're playing one of these four you are praying for a fluke touchdown. Against the 49ers, I think Blount may make up for his scoring struggles so far.
Wide Receiver Questions
Am I going to really roll with ____________ this week? (Yes. Yes I Am)
A: Doug Baldwin
B: Brandin Cooks
C: Tyreek Hill
D: Chris Hogan
It's a bit of an underrated storyline despite him being a Patriot now, but Brandin Cooks is currently fixed in the WR1 conversation. Sure, all of these guys are, but going into week eight, there's a careful difference in a "top-ten WR" and a WR1. The former is a guy who is currently one of the top ten scorers at the position, the other is a guy who you can use weekly as a consistent scorer. Seriously, it took Antonio Brown a few weeks, but now you have seen three straight weeks of over 20 points in PPR leagues! WR1! Tyreek Hill? Great when he's on, but not reliable. Baldwin and Hogan are seeing the same fate despite having very high totals. I'd like to see the receptions per game come up a little, but he's averaging nearly 15 yards a catch and has only had one week in the last five that could be considered disappointing. Four to five targets, eighty yards, and a good chance at a touchdown means Brandin Cooks stays in.
In Week 8, I will FLEX my muscles and put ________ in my lineup
A: TY Hilton
B: Alshon Jeffery
C: DeSean Jackson
D: Amari Cooper
I've seen so many different fantasy analysts saying now is the time to sell on Amari Cooper, to not trust him, to see what you can get for him. I get it, a guy who could barely get an average of five targets a game became the guy in a Thursday night matchup vs a very weak....wait.... no..... the Chiefs? Sure, Phillip Gaines doesn't scare anyone (or maybe "didn't"), but I'm of the mindset that the attempts are legit, and the Buffalo Bills haven't been the lockdown defense that may have been initially advertised vs fantasy receivers. If you need a FLEX or a low end WR2 to slot in, give Amari Cooper one more week.
Tight End Question
In Week 8, I will stop blowing my horn for ASJ and start blowing my horn for _________
A: Jason Witten
B: Jared Cook
C: Tyler Kroft
D: Jack Doyle
I've used this space to say "avoid Jason Witten" before, but he was also getting one target a game. He has twelve targets in his last two, and has the highest percentage of catches in the red zone in Dallas (it's worth noting in this space that Dez Bryant has been pitiful here.) Once again, it's a list of guys who have had flashes but have been inconsistent, and Washington is weak against the tight end, so start with confidence.
