RADIO
After seven weeks of NFL action, we are beginning to have enough evidence to see just who is who. Who are the contenders, who are the pretenders, and who is everyone in between? Everywhere you turn you can find lots of smart people sussing out those important answers, but where else can you find an average person talking about the opposite? Let's forget about the wheat and talk about the chaff.
Coming off of a monster defeat in Week 6's battle for the number-one pick in the 2020 draft, the Washington Redskins got back down to business in Week 7 and lost to the Patriots 33-7, while the Cincinnati Bengals kept their nose to the grindstone, staying winless by getting washed and waxed by the Jalen Ramsey-less Jacksonville Jaguars. At 1-6, the Falcons of Atlanta are the quiet contender that no one is talking about, with the birds of prey playing more like birds of clay, being shot out of the air every week by any team with a pulse and facing few remaining games in 2019 in which they will be the favorite.
Make no mistake though, the capital of Tank City still lies much further to the south, with the Miami Dolphins proving they are not messing around by reinstalling Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback, even though it's very clearly not 2015. Miami still has more tricks up their sleeve too, as the Dolphins are still likely going to trade anything that isn't nailed down before the October 29 deadline. While the closeness of this race is making for an exciting season for those fanbases whose seasons were over a long time ago, the only date that really matters is December 22nd. Because as long as everyone does their jobs, that will be the date of this year's Tank Bowl...
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!Cincinnati! Miami! Two losers enter...One will reign supreme.
Now that everyone is sufficiently pumped up for that early Christmas present, let's look back at last week's action before taking a glance at some of the biggest risers and fallers in Fleaflicker leagues entering Week 8.
Week 7 Recap
Does everyone know the drill by now?
Step One: Start doubting Aaron Rodgers. Step Two: Reap in the fantasy profits and watch as the mustachioed man with a chip on his shoulder the size of Wisconsin, lit up the Oakland Raiders in a Week 7 win, scoring 46 points in standard leagues. Rodgers threw for 429 yards and five touchdowns, rushing for another one just for fun. Doubt Rodgers at your own peril because not only will he usually choose that exact moment to go full ham while sitting on your bench, he might actually come over to your house afterward and throw for another 300 yards in the backyard, just to prove a point. "Josh Allen had more upside, huh smart guy?", he'll smirk as he fires another laser over your rosebushes and into the compost pile. That's fair, Mr. Rodgers; but putting on an actual title belt as you moonwalked back out my gate was totally unnecessary.
Other quarterbacks shined in Week 7, with Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, and Jacoby Brissett leading the field by scoring around 30 points each, but read that list of names again and ask yourself a question. Do you really want to hear more about Cousins, Stafford, or Brissett? Me neither, so let's move on. Do you like that?
These days you really shouldn't trust what any coach, in any sport, says in regards to their players' health and availability. Football coaches max out this trait, with the true availability of players kept under a veil of secrecy. Sometimes the truth comes out before rosters lock, and sometimes the truth comes out upon seeing that David Johnson was only active on an emergency basis against the Giants, even though he started the game. Those few that started Chase Edmonds as a flyer in their flex must have done cartwheels after Johnson's quick exit, with Edmonds ending as the week's top back, putting up 34 points in standard leagues on 126 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Speaking of replacement backs, Latavius Murray filled in more than admirably for the injured Alvin Kamara, totaling 150 yards and two touchdowns on 27 rushes and five receptions, as the Saints hunted Bears up north in a 36-25 win in Chicago. Dalvin Cook kept his train rolling by rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns, scoring 28 points in standard leagues. Like Aaron Rodgers before, Minnesota also went full ham, but in their case it was backup running back C.J. Ham who vultured a touchdown on a 5-yard reception, scoring as many points as Joe Mixon did in a 27-17 Cincinnati loss to the Jaguars. Speaking of loving ham, Ezekiel Elliott posted a 22-point total for the second-straight week, rushing for 111 yards and a score in a Cowboys win over the Eagles. And in "I never should've risked drafting Melvin Gordon" news, Austin Ekeler totaled 125 yards with a touchdown on 15 touches, with Gordan chipping in only a meager 29 yards on his 19.
Raise your hand if you felt good about starting Marvin Jones or Zach Pascal...Liars! After totaling 35 points in his previous five games, Jones's 33 points led all wideouts in Week 7 by scoring four touchdowns with 93 yards. Pascal and his 25 points in standard leagues were good for second place, as the little-known Colt receiver with 1%-ownership caught six of his seven targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-23 win over the Texans. Michael Thomas did Micheal Thomas-things, catching nine balls for 131 yards, and Stefon Diggs stayed well-greased with 143 yards on seven receptions in a 42-30 win against Detroit. Both were out-pointed by someone named Alex Erickson, who is apparently a Bengal and who also managed to catch eight of his 14 targets for 137 yards. Yes, The Alex Erickson.
Bad teams report? Check. Aaron Rodgers making me lose out of spite? Check. All the ham wordplay you could want? Check, and check. Then it's about time to take a look at three of this week's biggest risers and fallers on Fleaflicker.com. A full list of the most added and dropped players on Fleaflicker can be found here.
Most Added in Fleaflicker - Week 8
Ty Johnson (RB, DET vs. NYG), 6787 Adds – 49% Owned
Ooof. That was the sound of Kerryon Johnson's owners being collectively punched in the stomach upon hearing the news that the Detroit running back they had likely used a top-four draft pick on, would be placed on the IR and have his fantasy relevance for the season effectively ended. What was pain for many owners, was a joy for those who were able to scoop up the other Johnson in the Detroit backfield, with Ty Johnson the top waiver-wire add in Week 8. A sixth-round pick for the Lions in 2019, Johnson wasn't invited to the combine but still showed elite speed at his pro days, posting 40-times under 4.3 seconds. He was in on over 60% of the Lions snaps after Kerryon Johnson went out but will also be likely sharing time with J.D. McKissic and the recently-signed Paul Perkins, as the only remaining healthy Johnson may not stay that way for long if his 210-pound frame is used on an every-down basis. While owners should temper their expectations in the beginning, Johnson has the type of game-breaking speed that makes him always one play away from fantasy relevance for the week.
Chase Edmonds (RB, ARI @ NO), 3746 Adds – 65% Owned
The merry-go-round of Edmonds being added then dropped, and over again, should probably stop after Edmonds went bonkers on Sunday in replacement of the permanently questionable David Johnson. Scoring 34 points in standard leagues, Edmonds took his opportunity and ran with it, rushing for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries and catching 2-of-4 targets for 24 yards. Even when Johnson was healthy and productive in Weeks 5 and 6, Edmonds still scored double-digit points in each and should be owned even if Johnson returns in time for a Week 8 matchup with the New Orleans Saints. If Johnson is declared inactive (and him not practicing on Wednesday certainly doesn't help his case) then Edmonds becomes a must-start and moves into RB1/RB2 territory, though it should be noted that the Saints are allowing the third-fewest points-per-game to running backs on the year.
Kenny Stills (WR, HOU vs. OAK), 2857 Adds – 60% Owned
The third-most added player on Fleaflicker.com this week is yet another player ascending due to injury, proving for the umpteenth time that fantasy football success is often about winning the battle of attrition inherent to the game. Injuries can cause big ripples and even owners with healthy rosters must stay vigilant in searching for upgrades. With Will Fuller confirmed to miss multiple weeks, Houston's Kenny Stills is now the main downfield option for the electric Deshaun Watson. This was proven out in Houston's 30-23 loss in Indianapolis last week, with Watson and Stills hooking up on multiple receptions over 40 yards. Stills ended his day catching four of his five targets for 105 yards and lines up for a prime matchup in Week 8 when the Texans take on the Oakland Raiders at home. Not only have the Raiders allowed the second-most points to wide receivers so far this season but Houston has allowed the third-most. Translation? Both of these teams are as effective at stopping the pass as Nickleback is at not making terrible music. That means it's probably going to be shoot-out city down in Texas, which means Stills will see his fair share of home run throws. As long as Fuller is out, Stills will be a WR3 who's probably going to have a lot of boom-or-bust risk from week-to-week but should be a safer bet to boom this week facing a suspect pass defense in a game that Vegas has pegged with a 51.5 over/under.
Most Dropped in Fleaflicker - Week 8
Kerryon Johnson (RB, DET vs. NYG), 1936 Drops – 83% Owned
First, the bad news. After having surgery on his right knee this week, Johnson was subsequently placed on the IR and will be unable to return until Week 16, thus making a player you probably used around a top-four pick on virtually irrelevant in fantasy for the remainder of the year. The good news is that at least you'll have some upside in his backup, the aforementioned and speedy Ty Johnson. Oh, you don't own Johnson? Well then, let's rewind the tape, shall we?... Finally, here's some truly horrible news. After losing someone you probably took with a top-four pick, you'll now go to the waiver wire and replace him with the likes of Kenyan Drake or Ronald Jones II, thus making you a sad panda. We're all so very sorry for your loss.
Will Fuller (WR, HOU vs. OAK), 1396 Drops – 82% Owned
Stop me if you've heard this one before...Will Fuller is expected to miss several weeks with a significant injury. That's the punchline, do you get it? You see, it's funny because Fuller appears to have the softest of the soft tissues, and could injure himself at any time, as there is no activity incapable of injuring Will Fuller V, an obvious design flaw. Putting aside that he'll be out of action for the foreseeable future, Fuller hadn't been a productive fantasy player prior to the injury, having scored 65 points on the season in standard leagues, but with 44 of those points coming in one game. Besides that monster performance against the Falcons in Week 5, Fuller has only 21 points in five games, not to mention muscles and ligaments that are seemingly made of jello. Depending on his timeline for returning, it may be time to move on from Fuller V and hope that version VI receives some upgrades, or body armor or something. I mean, are you allowed to just play in a hyperbaric chamber?
Allen Lazard (WR, GB @ KC), 1071 Drops – 19% Owned
With the Green Bay receiving corps devastated by injuries leading up to their Week 7 matchup with the Oakland Raiders, it was Lazard who quickly started getting snapped up. With Davante Adams ruled out, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison both still questionable to play as early as Sunday morning, wise owners realized that the magical unicorn that is Aaron Rodgers would have to throw to someone and that someone was looking like it might be Lazard by default. Then MVS and Allison were both declared active late Sunday morning and those same wise owners swapped Lazard out just as fast, knowing that he was back to third in the pecking order. Unfortunately for those who didn't make the switch, Lazard finished with just 42 yards in a Rodgers-led fantasy fiesta win over the Oakland Raiders and their swiss-cheese pass defense. The good news is that Lazard was on the field for 85% of the Packer's snaps but with Adams likely back soon, Lazard is only worth holding in dynasty formats.
