RADIO
It's been a pretty crazy last few days in football land. Despite six teams on a bye week, half of this weekend's twelve games ended within one score, including the possible game of the year between Texans and Seahawks in Seattle.
And if Week 8 of football wasn't enough action, the last 48 hours have been a whirlwind thanks to an extremely active, and quite frankly uncharacteristic trade deadline. A date on the NFL calendar that usually comes and goes without much action, it's been anything but this time around.
This week's mailbag covers the fantasy impact of all the major moves that have been made over the last few days, plus the Zeke suspension version 3.0. This is also the space where I remind owners to make a move for players set to come off the PUP list, so if you are getting your team ready for the playoffs and have a roster spot to spare, think about scooping up Danny Woodhead or Greg Olsen if available, both set to return to their respective teams for Week 11. Don't force it if you need to prioritize winning now, but they could be the late season pickup that pushes you over the top come playoff time.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge #2 is back with a massive $100,000 grand prize and $203,250 total prize pool, paying down to 100th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 8 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 17th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $100,000! Sign Up Now!
Week 9 Mailbag - Q&A
As usual, thanks to everyone who reached out with questions for this week's mailbag! Please continue to direct any/all questions to me on Twitter @adamhhammer or by emailing [email protected].
Who is the back to own in Dallas between Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris?
With Ezekiel Elliott's suspension finally (probably) coming to fruition, the split in the Dallas backfield is one of the top storylines to follow entering Week 9. That said, Jerry Jones has straight up come out and said that Morris will act as the team's No. 1 back during Zeke's suspension. That would make sense given that he has been active over McFadden for most of the season, but I still expect McFadden (and probably even Rod Smith) to have a role. Morris is the back to own, but this is unlikely to be a workhorse scenario.
Is Kelvin Benjamin better or worse off in Buffalo?
The easy answer here is worse, and there are a few reasons for it. The most obvious reason is that Buffalo is a run-first team. They are one of just three teams in football this year that have run rushing plays on more than half of their total offensive plays, and there's no indication of that changing as they continue to ride LeSean McCoy. Part of that is likely because they don't fully trust Tyrod Taylor, which is reason number two. That's not to say that Cam Newton has been anything more than an above average passer this year, but he's better than Tyrod. Benjamin is still playable and startable on a weekly basis for now, though probably as just a WR2/3.
Sooo Devin Funchess is finally a weekly starter, right?
I'll admit that Funchess is not really my type of fantasy player. His boom-or-bust nature reminds me a lot of DeSean Jackson, who I don't think I have had a share of in years. Even this year, Funchess' targets and yards have fluctuated. Since racking up three touchdowns in weeks 4-5, he's averaged just three catches and under 30 yards receiving per game. He's coming off his worst game of the year with just 11 total yards, and Cam Newton (aforementioned) has looked anything but accurate. All of that said, being the #1 receiver for a potential playoff team means something. So is Funchess a starter? Sure. But is he anything more than a WR3 flier until further notice? Not at all. Christian McCaffrey is probably the biggest winner in Carolina from the Benjamin trade.
Is Jay Ajayi finally going to put it together in Philadelphia and be the RB1 I drafted him as?
This is undoubtedly a good landing spot for Ajayi. He finally gets to pair up with a good quarterback on a high-powered offense, and more importantly gets to run behind a much better offensive line. The difference in Philly though, is that he's not the only usable back. LeGarrette Blount isn't going anywhere, and Wendell Smallwood will probably stay (at least a little) involved. Don't play him this week – the Eagles have a Week 10 bye and would be wise to play Ajayi only sparingly against the vaunted Broncos defense – but I like his chances to take over as the first-choice RB for the Eagles and become a more consistent fantasy option.
