CINCINNATI BENGALS
9/29/2023

Fresh off a must-win game at home against the Rams, the Bengals hit the road to Nashville to face the Titans. QB Joe Burrow passed for a season high 259 yards against the Rams and Tennessee has allowed two out of three quarterbacks to finish in the top 12 this season. Add to that, the Titans play the run extremely well and you have to think Burrow eclipses that 259 total in this one. Now, Burrow failed to throw a touchdown against the Rams and had an interception so things weren’t all rosy but after the first two weeks, we have to find any shred of evidence this offense is rising, right? RB Joe Mixon wasn’t get overworked when Burrow wasn’t able to throw so do we think Mixon gets more carries this week? I doubt it. The Titans are allowing less than 15 points per game to backfields this season and it isn’t going to change this week. You might have to play Mixon based on your roster and his usage but don’t expect much. Mixon went 19-65-1 against the Rams, the touchdown being the saving grace there. Cincinnati had four rushes for two yards outside of Mixon in this one.
Through three weeks, the Titans have allowed four receivers to finish among the top 12 in a given week.
You do the math.
Without doubt, start WR Ja’Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins. WR Tyler Boyd has been a disappointment and while he might squeeze in a good game this week, I would put him on your bench if you have an intriguing option. Chase had his best game against Los Angeles 12-141-0. Higgins had another clunker with a 2-21-0 line but he was targeted eight times. He has had a great number of uncatchable targets this season, pointing directly to Burrow’s bad play through three weeks.
Tennessee has yet to allow a tight end to finish in the top 12 in a week.
Good.
You shouldn’t be tempted to start any of your Bengals tight ends. TE Irv Smith is out for this one and none of the rest warrant consideration here. PK Evan McPherson has been a disappointment but Cincinnati is going to get better (Right?) so the opportunities have to get better and more plentiful. Unless there is a kicker for a currently strong offense (Detroit, Miami) I would keep McPherson for now.
On defense, the Bengals could really feast in this one. DE Trey Hendrickson, DE Sam Hubbard, LB Logan Wilson, LB Germaine Pratt and DB Dax Hill are the top options for IDP.
The overall unit is worth a run as well given Tennessee’s lackluster performance this season.
End.

Mark Huber

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HOUSTON TEXANS
9/29/2023

The cast-off replacements OL played well last week in JAX not only opening holes for RB Dameon Pierce but also not allowing a sack! The O gained yardage and scored a lot of points. For the second game in a row the passing game clicked. Last week it was WR Tank Dell demonstrating that he is the ‘real deal.’ WR Robert Woods and WR Nico Collins also played prominent roles.

Despite missing key players, the Houston D asserted itself. Injuries are part of the game; I am astonished that the Texans not only played well but also looked like a championship type team!

Houston’s QB has become a must start. QB C.J. Stroud looks like the Franchise. How fortunate the Texans were to lose that last game of the season last year. I am starting to believe that God not only has given the cast-off replacements OL special protection powers, but He must have become a Texan fan.

Start WR Tank Dell and / or WR Nico Collins, RB Dameon Pierce and QB C.J. Stroud on your fantasy team this week.

Suddenly the fans in Houston believe they are in multiple play-off races. This weekend the Astros are fighting to secure a play-off spot and the Texans feel that they are now God’s team. At least for a week.

End.

David Trojanowsky

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
9/28/2023

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts as the surprising 2-1 Colts return home this weekend to host the 1-2 Rams:

LAST WEEK’S GAME: It was a rainy day in Baltimore as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia dumped some water, but it seemed to be a nonfactor for players that field conditions usually impact. In any case, it was still a bit of a stunner to see a team that was already less talented go into a hostile environment against a good team…and beat them at their own game, despite missing so many key contributors. Obviously, kudos to backup QB Gardner Minshew (27-44, 227-1-0) for leading a safe and effective-enough offense led by a strong rushing performance by RB Zack Moss (30-122, 2-23-1 receiving). WR Michael Pittman (9-77) continued his solid PPR value, and WR Josh Downs (8-57) was a factor as predicted. The obvious star of the game though was PK Matt Gay who became one of four kickers to hit from over 50 yards in a single game thrice, then set the record outright with his 4th 50+ yard FG in overtime to win it.

INJURIES: Both QB Anthony Richardson and OC Ryan Kelly practiced in full and took starters’ snaps on Wednesday, leading me to believe that they will be cleared to start on Sunday – although technically both are still in the concussion protocol as of this writing. Assuming there are no regressions after a full day of practice, I suspect they will move through the final stages of the protocol before Saturday so they may be cleared to go. OG Quentin Nelson (toe) was again held out practices this week as he was last week, but I suspect that this is to minimize the wear and tear on his foot and to keep him ready for game action. The Colts emerged from the game in Baltimore with no new injuries, which was a relief.

QUARTERBACK: Assuming that he is under center, Richardson automatically goes back to being a low-end fantasy starter with the high floor that his rushing brings. I still don’t think he will be a high-volume passer at this point, so his ceiling is capped unless he continues to score TDs in bunches. The Rams have actually limited some decent quarterbacks to some very modest fantasy totals thus far in 2023, but they have yet to play a guy that leaves the pocket much so Richardson would be a new test for them; they did struggle in 2022 against highly mobile quarterbacks. If it is QB Gardner Minshew under center, it is important to note that he has no rushing upside and will dink-and-dunk the offense – showing some great NFL leadership value as a prototypical “game manager,” but likely only weak or desperation fantasy value.

RUNNING BACK:Moss has posted over 20 PPR points in each of his two starts and has even been a surprising factor in the short passing game, dominating snaps and touches on all three downs for Indy. He is an absolute workhorse right now, 6th in the league in rushing attempts and he only played 2 of 3 games! He was the #6 scoring back for the last two weeks combined,without the threat of the RPO and with the line banged up, so this might have been his worst case scenario. When you couple his volume with the Rams who are allowing over 4.6 YPC in 2023, Moss looks primed for another 20 point outing. Ride him while you can. RB Trey Sermon was added to the team just last week and immediately was inserted as the #2 back, so his utilization might increase this week a bit and cut into Moss a tad, but he is an injury-insurance play to stash on your roster at best.


WIDE RECEIVER: Pittman and Downs are PPR darlings as long as Minshew is heaving the rock as he will nickel-and-dime you into submission by peppering his guys in the short space with targets. If there is a switch back to Richardson as expected, Pittman retains his value as the alpha target, but Downs may drop off a bit in his target share as Richardson will hold the ball longer and/or run with it more frequently. Downs is still a #4 guy in a non-bye week, and will move into PPR flex consideration starting next week as byes start to take out options. WR Alec Pierce is still just an occasional deep threat with little success, and probably will not become a viable fantasy factor until RB Jonathan Taylor is back at full speed and defenses have to bring extra deep help.

TIGHT END: Quietly, TE Kylen Granson has snuck into roster consideration for the upcoming bye weeks as a mid-range PPR #2 option; to be fair, this is primarily due to the dearth of options at the position and the absence of primary TE Jelani Woods. He is still not startable this week against a team that doesn’t allow much passing, but he is someone to keep an eye on as the only tight end with 2/3 of the team’s snaps under his belt in each game.

KICKER: What has not been said about Matt Gay already this week as the special teams Player of the Week nailed five FGs and likely won a few people their games if they started him. I had said he would be a fantasy stud if the offense was good enough to put them in scoring position a lot, but ya gotta consider that the defense is playing good enough to give them some more possessions as well as affording them the luxury of a conservative game plan. Gay is definitely under consideration again this week as the Rams have actually allowed the 2nd most points, FGs and FGAs in the league thus far. He is a very strong fantasy start this week.

DEFENSE: Much has been made of the Colts’ run defense being the league’s best, but they have somewhat surprisingly been a starting fantasy defense as well by consistently scoring over 8 fantasy points each week, one of only three teams to do so (CLE and PHI). They have also amassed the 2nd most sacks through three games. Stafford has thrown multiple picks in each of the last two games and will surely be passing a lot against the week Colt secondary, so there will be volume-based opportunities for sacks and picks again this week. They are a good play with a solid floor, although perhaps not a high ceiling as this could be a higher scoring affair this week.

OVERALL: I like their chances at home this week, even though I think Matt Stafford and his deep but unheralded receiving crew will light up this secondary. The Rams have lost 6 straight games in the eastern or central time zones, and have not won one since that magical Superbowl run in 2021. I like there to be a heavy dose of Moss on the ground and just enough from the passing game to keep them honest in a 23-20 Colts win, with the run defense making the Rams one-dimensional and coming up with another big stop in the 4th quarter to seal the deal.

That’s all for this week from the Crossroads of America. Good luck in your games this week, and as a native Detroiter, I have to say “enjoy the TNF game tonight – and ‘Go Lions!’ ”

End.

Chris Rito

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DENVER BRONCOS
9/26/2023

Denver 20 Miami 70

The Broncos gave up 726 total yards and 10 touchdowns and became the first team to give up five passing TDs and five rushing TDs in the same game. The team appeared leaderless, lacking in talent and discipline. Denver's defensive performance showed zero toughness, terrible tackling, horrible scheme, and no heart. The halftime adjustments by the coaching staff were once again ineffective or lacking. No Bronco player played well on either side of the ball. The same can be said for the coaching staff. The issues run deep for the Broncos. Statistically, QB Russell Wilson had a decent game. WR Marvin Mims, Jr showed his potential once again with his 99-yard kick-off return. WR Courtland Sutton negated his 8/11-91-1 performance with two lost fumbles that resulted in points for the Dolphins. WR Jerry Jeudy’s 5/7-81-0 came late and was inconsequential.

Injuries:
S Justin Simmons-hip issue (practice). ILB Josey Jewell-groin injury.

Denver @ Chicago

In a battle of winless teams, Denver is a three-point favorite on the road. Chicago QB Justin Fields is the team. If he is unable to play (suspected concussion symptoms), the Broncos would have a decided advantage as he is also the Bears rushing leader. Both teams are -4 in take-aways and defensively give up yards and points consistently. Denver 24 Chicago 21

Transactions

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Orangeman’s Take

Sean Payton is not everyone’s cup of tea, and never has been. He has always been ready to go down with his ship, which is good with the way the Broncos are performing this season.

Sean Payton calls the first four games of the season as the “race” to: fix issues and learn what you have in your team. The first thing he needs to learn is to stop disrespecting Russell Wilson. Second, he needs to bench S Kareem Jackson (cut), Edge Frank Clark (cut) and CB Damarri Mathis if their play doesn’t improve against Chicago. Third, he needs to replace DC Vance Joseph if the defense continues to be inept. DBs coach Christian Parker and DL coach Marcus Dixon are ready to to take the next step to coordinator.

Fantasy outlook

Quarterbacks points
Russell Wilson 16-18
Jarrett Stidham 0-1

Running Backs
Javonte Williams 10-14
Samaje Perine 5-8
Jaleel McLaughlin 1-3

Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton 8-13
Jerry Jeudy 9-15
Marvin Mims, Jr 4-7
Brandon Johnson 2-5
Lil’Jordon Humphrey 0-1

Tight Ends
Greg Dulcich IR
Adam Trautman 2-5
Chris Manhertz 0-1

Kicker
Wil Lutz 6-8

D/ST 5-8

Good luck this week!

End.

Charles Rives

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
9/29/2023

John is currently in the hospital, so no report will be provided. We wish him the best with regard to a speedy recovery!

John Cooney

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
9/28/2023

Last week, the Chargers won their first game of the season, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 28-24. In typical boneheaded fashion, Chargers HC Brandon Staley, ahead with a short time to go and no Vikings time outs, decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from roughly his own 20-yard line. They didn’t make it, and Minnesota took over, deep in Chargers territory. Fortunately for the Chargers, poor clock management by the Vikings coupled with a late interception, preserved the win for the Bolts. This week, the 1-2 Chargers take on the 1-2 Raiders in L.A. and I’m guessing this will look like a home game for the Raiders. This report will be a review of last week’s win, as well as a preview of the Raiders at Chargers game.

QB: As you likely know, Chargers QB Justin Herbert is probably a top 5 NFL quarterback. Last week, he torched the Vikings by going 40/47 for 405 passing yards, 3 TDs, no INTs, and 2 scrambles for 11 yards. While he lost a top target (see below), if you own Herbert, you must start him. QB1 again this week.

RB: Last week, I mentioned that I am not sold on RB Joshua Kelley, and I think he’s been ranked too highly. In short, Kelly is not remotely as talented as RB Austin Ekeler, who did not play due to an injury (ankle). Accordingly, Kelley carried 11 times for 12 yards and caught 1 pass for 5 yards and no TDs. This week, Ekeler’s status is not clear as of this writing. He has practiced, although on a limited basis. I think the smart thing to do would be to rest Ekeler until after the Chargers’ week 5 bye. That said, the Chargers don’t often do smart things, such as going for it on 4th down from their own 20, as mentioned. You’ll want to monitor Ekeler’s status closely. If he plays, strong RB2 due to injury. If he sits, Kelley is a RB2 or FLEX, but do temper your expectations, as I don’t believe the Chargers have much depth at the position.

WR: As you may know, WR Mike Williams is done for the season (ACL) and may be dropped. WR Keenan Allen caught 18 for 215 yards and no TDs. Allen will remain the primary target and is a WR1 this week. WR Josh Palmer takes over for Williams and was 4 for 66 with a TD. For now, Palmer looks like a WR2. Expect to see more of rookie WR Quentin Johnston, who should see the Chargers 50-50 deep balls. Johnston remains a “watch and learn” situation. The Chargers wanted to bring him along slowly, but things have changed considering Williams’ injury. Call him a FLEX candidate this week, with upside potential.

TE: Last week, I also mentioned that TE Donald Parham, Jr. is the kind of player who will do very little for weeks, will suddenly blow up, everyone will grab him, and then he’ll be quiet for several more weeks. Last week, Parham only caught 2 for 4 yards, but both were TDs. If he keeps it up, I’ll upgrade him, but for now TE2 with boom/bust potential. TE Gerald Everett caught 6 for 30 and is also a TE2.

PK: It was a rare miss for PK Cameron Dicker who was 0/1 on FGs and 4/4 on extra points. Dicker is worthy of starting consideration this week, for those without a better option.

DEF: The Chargers defense is a bit banged up. Through Wednesday, LB Joey Bosa DNP (hamstring/toe), LB Khailil Mack was also DNP (rest), LB Kenneth Murray DNP (groin), FS Derwin James DNP (hamstring), so they’re pretty banged up. Considering that they were an average defense to begin with, they look like a below average defensive option against the Raiders.

Good luck with your games this week!

End.

Brad Willis

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DALLAS COWBOYS
9/28/2023

Although it is early in the season, most of Cowboys Nation would consider this a crucial week. Last Sunday the Cowboys suffered an unexpected loss to the previously winless Arizona Cardinals marked by an even more unexpected very poor performance on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The only bright spot so far seems to be PK Brandon Aubrey, who after missing his first extra point in week 1, has made every kick. As far as bright spots from week 3, that pretty much is the extent of it. We were lead to believe that this team was different and would not be subject to the same volatility that prior teams were and therefore, there will be a lot of despair if they do not bounce back with a resounding win in week 4 against the always worrisome New England Patriots.

The biggest problem was once again play calling in the red zone. They cannot continue to use the excuse that they don’t want to show their entire package against weak teams because that only works if you are winning games easily. I think they need to be more creative. Another problem was an exorbitant number of penalties. Additionally the defense seems unmotivated and seemed to have assumed that showing up is enough. I blame coaching for this team being so listless and unprepared.

Additionally the offensive line is in shambles which just draws more attention to the fact that they did not address this in the draft. Every year they go into the season expecting LT Tyron Smith to stay healthy and play a full season, something he hasn’t even come close to doing since 2016. If they were expecting LG Tyler Smith to be available to fill in at tackle which is reasonable, then they should have drafted a LG to replace Smith when he moved to tackle. They also played last week without RG Zach Martin and C Tyler Biadasz in addition to not having Tyron Smith. It is hard to do well without 60% of the offensive line and there is no certainty that ANY of them return this week.

QB Dak Prescott had an uninspired game. He did throw his first interception but nobody was expecting him to go through the season perfectly. He did have a couple of decent runs. It just seemed that the offense was not in rhythm at any time during the game. I would expect nothing more than a mid QB2 performance this week until he shows that he can actually play a solid 60 minutes against a solid defense when they do not have a big lead. In his first test of the season last week, he failed miserably.

RB Tony Pollard ran effectively in the early part of the game but really did not show much through the rest of the game. RB Rico Dowdle did quite well as the number 2RB last week and seems to have solidified his role. As we know, New England always plans to take away the things that the other teams do best so expect them to bottle up Pollard and therefore I would expect a RB2 performance.

WR Ceedee Lamb appeared invisible most of the game as did WR Brandin Cooks. WR Michael Gallup did seem to show somewhat of a pulse for the first time in 2 seasons which could be a positive. While New England takes away what the other team does best and I already said that would effect Tony Pollard, given the lack of imaginative play calling, I do not see why they cannot take away both Tony Pollard and Ceedee Lamb so I expect a WR2 performance from Lamb this week and nothing more than WR3 performances from Cooks and Gallup.

TE Jake Ferguson may be the beneficiary of the New England defensive plan so perhaps a low end TE1 performance could occur.

I expect the defense to be more inspired but that does not mean that the Patriots won’t scheme against them successfully. Therefore I would expect a solid but unspectacular defensive effort.
Overall, I think they will look better than last week but they are going up against a well coached and more formidable team. Until they show that they can handle adversity my prediction is
New England 27 – Dallas 23, with the game ending deep in New England territory and Dak throwing a last minute interception.

End.

Dr. Gil Brovar

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NEW YORK GIANTS
9/27/2023

The Giants lose a tough Thursday night game to a talented San Francisco 49’r squad 30-12 in Santa Clara. Big Blue was outclassed at the line of scrimmage all night and the results were not pretty. Fortunately, it appears the left side of the offensive line will get a much needed boost with the return of All Pro LT Andrew Thomas. The G-Men get 11 days off and face the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife in Monday Night Football. Primetime has not been kind to the Giants so hopefully the trend ends Monday night!

The reviews/previews by area are below:
QB Daniel Jones was running for his life most of the game. Dinking and dunking, he literally had no time to throw. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 137 yards, 0 TD’s, 1interception and a passer rating of 64.2. He was sacked twice. He also ran for 5 yards.

DJ is facing a Seahawks pass defense that is ranked 31st in the league. They allowed 5 TD passes. They also had 5 sacks and 1 interception. This is a make right game for DJ. His offensive line is healthy and has a good matchup. Expect 240 total yards with 2 TD’s. He needs time to throw!
RB Saquon Barkley missed the game with an ankle injury. The running game was non-existent in his stead.

Saquon is trying to get ready for this game but is a question mark. Monitor his practice routine for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, it’s a Monday night game so your options on that day are limited unless you have RB Matt Breida. They face the6thranked rush defense allowing79 yards per game and 5 TD’s.I don’t trust Saquon to be 100% coming off a high ankle sprain. I also don’t consider Breida to be fantasy worthy due to the tough matchup.
WR Darius Slayton had 3 receptions for 32 yards. WR Parris Campbell had 6 catches for 24 yards. WR Wan’dale Robinson returned and had 4 grabs for 21 yards.

Although deep and talented, it’s hard to tell where the bulk of the targets will be going. As a result, no Giant receivers are fantasy worthy….yet. Watch and learn!
TE Darren Waller only had 3 receptions for 20 yards. This HAS to change going forward in order to make the passing game effective for DJ.

Waller should be considered a top 5 tight end every week as long as he’s healthy.

Two sacks with no turnovers is meh fantasy production. Keep this group on the waiver wire until they turn things around.

PK Graham Gano is a top 12 kicker, but needs to get opportunities.

That’s all for now and good luck in Week 4!

End.

Tony de Armas

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CHICAGO BEARS
9/28/2023

Week 3 Recap/Analysis: Chiefs 41, Bears 10
This Bears game was the first one my dad and I did not watch together for several years. Why? Because he knew the Bears were going to get destroyed, and he didn’t want to see it. That pretty much sums up the sorry state of this franchise right now.

Quarterback
As Taylor Swift would say, “So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames.” Well, it looks like it’s the latter for the relationship between the Bears and QB Justin Fields. Of course, Bears fans know “All Too Well” that the team always has a “Blank Space” for the next quarterback to come through town and let the fans down. After all, bad quarterback play here never goes out of “Style.” Anyone who thinks this season isn’t already over is probably in a “Lavender Haze.” When was the last time the Bears won a game? “1989?”

So Fields said he wanted to play more free. OC Luke Getsy put in a few more designed runs, etc to help him out. And Fields still completed just 11 of 22 passes for 99 yards with a garbage time TD and an INT and ran 11 times for 47 yards. In a game like this, when your team is trailing by so much, there should be garbage time yards aplenty. But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a quarterback who is so reluctant to actually throw the football. When he does let it fly, he can make some nice throws, like the one he dropped right into WR DJ Moore’s hands. Moore was probably so stunned that the Bears were about to complete a deep pass that he promptly dropped it.

Yes, Fields’ O-line is dreadful, and his receivers and OC haven’t helped him much either. But in obvious passing situations, he just looks like a deer in the headlights out there too often. I hate to say it folks, but it’sprobably time to start reading those scouting reports on Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Who knows, the Bears might have the first two picks in next year’s draft at this rate.

Runningback RB Khalil Herbert had seven carries for 31 yards and caught both of his targets for four yards, while RB Roschon Johnson had eight carries for 38 yards and caught both of his targets for 11 yards. As expected, not much running from these two given the game situation.

Wide receiver
Moore caught three of his six targets for 41 yards and a TD. WR Darnell Mooney was targeted once but came up empty. WR Chase Claypool caught one of his four targets for 15 yards. WR Tyler Scott caught one of his three targets for six yards.

Tight end TE Cole Kmet hauled in both of his targets for 22 yards.

Defense/Special teams
This unit, with a “defensive” head coach, has coughed up at least 25 points in 13 consecutive games. I was not impressed with the hire of Matt Eberflus at the time, and I’ve seen enough from him and his staff to tell me that he should not continue beyond this season. The Cover-2 defense he brought with him from the Colts is outdated, and the guy he brought with him to run that defense handed in his resignation last week. Offensively, the team needs a more experienced, proven play caller than Getsy. The only bright spot for this unit last Sunday was two INTs, though both came against Chiefs backup Blaine Gabbert.

Kicker PK Cairo Santos made his lone field goal and extra point attempts.


Week 4: Broncos at Bears
So the Broncos gave up 70 points and over 700 yards to the Dolphins last Sunday. Interesting. Will the Bears be able to feast similarly? I doubt it.

Quarterback
Do I think Fields is going to play particularly well against the Broncos? Not really. This passing game is just that broken. But if he’s your fantasy starter (which is the case for me), you probably don’t have much of a choice but to start him, and this is a great matchup. If Fields can’t throw for at least 150-200 yards with at least one score against that defense, well, I don’t know what to tell you.

Runningback
Last week against Denver, De’Von Achane had 203 yards and two TDs and caught four passes for 30 yards and two TDs and Raheem Mostert had 82 yards and three TDs and caught seven passes for 60 yards and another score. Truly video game numbers, unbelievable. If the Bears can’t throw the ball, can they at least get back to running it as well as they did last season? I suppose Herbert and Johnson could both be flex options for this weekend.

Wide receiver
Tyreek Hill had a 9-157-1 line last Sunday against the Broncos. Moore is startable, though don’t expect big numbers.

Tight end
Kmet didn’t get as many looks as I expected last week. At home, things may go a bit better, but I still have him as an average play this week.

Defense/Special teams
The secondary is in tatters, as CB Jaylon Johnson (hamstring), S Eddie Jackson (foot), and CB Josh Blackwell (hamstring) all DNP on Wednesday. But you weren’t actually thinking about starting this unit this weekend anyway, right?

Kicker
Look elsewhere.

Good luck this week!

End.

Richard Fung

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DETROIT LIONS
9/26/2023

Lions report, week 4 preview

Lions at Packers

QB: Overall it was a solid day on Sunday from QB Jared Goff. He had 243 yards and a TD pass, plus a very rare TD run. He took some hits and threw a bad interception, but there were injury issues on the offensive line that seemed to get him a little out of rhythm in the second half. He remains a solid high floor low ceiling fantasy option most weeks. The weather forecast looks like it will be perfect for a prime time game at Lambeau Field. Goff has had occasional ball security issues in bad weather but that shouldn’t be a factor. Green Bay is allowing around 200 passing yards per game, but they have played Chicago, Atlanta, and New Orleans. None of them have explosive passing attacks. I wouldn’t call the Lions passing game explosive either, but it usually operates efficiently. We’ll project a typical Goff game this week with 250 yards and 2 TDs.

RB: One of the reasons the Lions were so excited to draft RB Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall was his ability as a pass catcher. Well you wouldn’t know that based on the way they rotated the backs on Sunday with RB David Montgomery (thigh) inactive. Gibbs ran 17 times for 80 yards but only had 2 targets in the pass game, with 1 catch for 2 yards. He actually came out on a lot of passing downs in favor of RB Craig Reynolds, with Reynolds doing a lot of pass blocking in that role. Montgomery is listed as limited practice so he has a shot to play on Thursday. I thought with the quick turnaround they could shoot for a week 5 return, but this is an all hands on deck sort of game with huge NFC North implications riding on the outcome of this one. Basically, if Montgomery plays, Gibbs has more PPR value. If Montgomery sits, we likely will see Gibbs handle the bulk of the carries again with a limited role in the pass game. Tough to make projections with Montgomery uncertain, but you know Gibbs will get his touches either way so stick with him. The big plays are coming at some point.

WR/TE: A very narrow tree on Sunday in the passing game, with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown leading the way of course, even at less than 100%. He had 9 catches (12 targets) for 102 yards. Rookie TE Sam LaPorta added 8-84 on 11 targets plus his first NFL TD. His stock is rising rapidly to the point where he is an every week starter. WR Kalif Raymond had a bigger role this week with 4 grabs for 55 yards, and Goff was just off target on a deep shot that could have given Raymond a really big day. I mentioned the two targets for Gibbs, and that was it. WR Josh Reynolds was listed as questionable. He played but was invisible, so maybe his injury was a factor. You’ve got to wonder if WR Marvin Jones just doesn’t have much left in the tank. Fantasy players tend to like those narrow trees, and you can bank on St. Brown and LaPorta having a lot of targets again this week. Reynolds is off the injury report, so I think he should be involved again.

K/DST: The Lions defense only had one sack through two games, and they were determined to change that on Sunday. They brought the heat on Desmond Ridder and ended the day with a whopping seven sacks. They were more aggressive with their blitzing as they weren’t scared of Ridder beating them, and they were right. I would think they might try a similar game plan against another inexperienced quarterback in Jordan Love on Thursday. This was really an outstanding all around effort from the Lions. They held Atlanta under 200 total yards, kept them out of the end zone, and held Bijan Robinson in check. This was coming off of a shaky effort against Seattle, so the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I wouldn’t recommend using them in Green Bay. Let’s shine some IDP spotlight on rookie DB Brian Branch. He filled up the stat sheet on Sunday with 11 tackles, 3 TFLs, and 2 PDs. A steal in the second round.

Good luck to everyone with their fantasy teams this week.

End.

James Hintz

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GREEN BAY PACKERS
9/26/2023

Week 3 Review:

The Packers won unexpectedly in the 4th quarter against New Orleans 18-17. This was a good week for the Packers in that they got the win, but it was a terrible week fantasy wise. QB Jordan Love completed 22 of 44 passes for 254 yards and 1 touchdown, with 1 interception. His completion percentage was 50% and his quarterback rating was 66.4. Love also had 39 yards rushing to boast his yardage total to 293 yards. RB Aaron Jones did not play again and like last week, his explosiveness was missed. RB AJ Dillion had 33 yards on 11 attempts (3.0y/c). RB Emmanuel Wilson had 6 yards on 2 carries. WR Romeo Doubs had 5 catches on 12 targets for 73 yards and 1 touchdown. WR Jaden Reed had 3 catches on 7 targets for 63 yards. TE Luke Musgrave had 6 catches on 8 targets for 49 yards. WR Dontayvion Wicks who had 4 catches on 6 targets 45 yards. WR Sam Toure had 0 catches on 3 targets but caught a 2 point conversion. The Packer offensive line did fine even though LT David Bakhtari and LG Elgton Jenkins could not play. The pocket was clean but the running game continues to sputter. This supports my hypothesis that when the running game isn’t working, the offense can sputter. And with the help of penalties and what HC Matt LaFleur called “miscues” it did for 3 quarters. Then in the 4th quarter it all came together and the offense put the ball in position for a 38 yard field goal, then scored a touchdown with a 2 point conversion, then added another touchdown with an extra point for 18 points and the win – with 2:56 left on the clock. The defense had been stout all day. In that 4th quarter they had created 3, three and outs to help the offense. With 2:56 left in the game the Saints offense woke up a little and moved the ball and ultimately had to settle for a field goal attempt which went wide right – and Green Bay won. 7 of the 17 points the Packers had allowed are accredited to special teams. So the defense was only responsible for 10 points. But I don’t know if they score it like that in fantasy land. Packers had 56 total tackles, 4 sacks for 29 yards, 5 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits, and 6 passes defended. They also allowed 10 points and 252 net yards (175 passing and 77 rushing). In my system, the week 1 defense scored 73, the week 2 defense scored 34, and this week’s defense scored 59 (it would be 69 if only 10 points were accredited to them). So there was a big improvement against a team who moved the ball with the run in the first two games. And they held the Saints to under 100 yards rushing. On special teams the good news is PK Anders Carlson was perfect – again. The bad news is that he made an extra point and his only field goal from 38 yards out. He has become the new PK Mason Crosby – great kicker with few opportunities – not good for fantasy football. I don’t think that winning like this is sustainable. But it was great to see Love deliver when he had to – and he did it without the help of 4 offensive stars and one defensive star. The Saints defense kept their streak alive of not allowing any more than 20 points in a game – now for the last 11 games.

Week 4 Preview:

The Packers will play the Detroit Lions at Lambeau on Thursday night football. Injury concerns: WR Romeo Doubs, ILB Quay Walker, and OLB Rashan Gary all played last week and should be ready next week as well. RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson both practiced last week but were ruled out against the Saints. Those of us who aren’t in the training room when injuries are discussed don’t know if this is to keep them fresh so they don’t have to play again on a short week, or if they truly aren’t ready yet. OLT David Bakhtari did not practice or play. Not practicing is nothing new, and lately; neither is not playing. LG Elgton Jenkins is probably still out for two more weeks. But the line reshuffled and is doing fine. When people ask why the Packers held onto Bakhtari if his knee was so messed up, don’t forget that they are already swallowing a roughly 59 million dollar pill in dead cap money this year mostly because of QB Aaron Rodgers. In rough figures, that means they have put together a playable roster with approximately a 165 million dollar plus budget. And roughly 59 million of that was sitting out injured against the Saints. They could not absorb another dead money cap hit this year. Next year they will have all that back as cap space. They will then probably cut Bakhtari then. Newly banged up against the Saints include ILB De’Vondre Campbell (ankle) and OT Zach Tom (knee). Check your injury reports. But if Tom can’t play OT Yosh Nijam will probably step in. The Lions are really tough to run against. So here we are with another tough defense. The Lions also have a balanced running attack that generated about 115 yards rushing and 243 yards passing. This Lions team came of age last year. So the Packers will have their hands full on both offense and defense. This doesn’t bode well for fantasy football.

Conclusion: I honestly don’t know who I would start. I think I would start QB Jordan Love only if RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson can play. WR Romeo Doubs might otherwise be a candidate. For three games now TE Luke Musgrave gets about 30 to 50 yards receiving per game but no touchdowns. If you need that then start him. PK Anders Carlson is perfect, but needs opportunities – your call. Then there is the Packer defense – up one week, down the next. Consistency would be a nice thing. If they start achieving that the defense would be a good add to your fantasy team.

There will not be any reports for the next two weeks - sorry. Just keep this in mind – Watson “could” be the comeback player of the year – but he has to comeback first. I will be back as soon as I can.

End.

Michael Hankes

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
9/27/2023

As expected Seattle got a win against Carolina. Many things looked good despite Carolina starting QB Andy Dalton to avoid rookie QB Bryce Young experiencing the 12s at Lumen Field. Dalton still ended up fighting against 8 false start penalties from his line, the most any team has seen in over a decade. This was the home field advantage Seattle expected against the Rams. And it potentially makes that Rams game look more like a statistical outlier. And also this was despite a slew of injuries at key positions for Seattle. But hopefully they will get one of their starting tackles back next week and hopefully more of their secondary too. If not then, then after their upcoming early bye week. But before getting to that bye we have prime time on Monday Night Football against the Giants.

QB: QB Geno Smith needed all those false starts for Carolina. He looked as bad as many people continue to think he is. He made bad decisions including an interception in the first half. He pulled out of that nose dive after half and ended up with nearly 300 passing yards and a TD to go with that INT. The Giants are not starting off the year well and are giving up nearly 30 points a game, and it would be more if they had not held the lowly Cardinals to just 28. Seattle is probably going to struggle to be a .500 team and same goes for the Giants. But the Giants are not struggling so much on pass defense and if Geno has a repeat of that first half on the road against the East Coasters who still think he is no better than when he was a Jet, he may not pull out of his nose dive. Likely Smith will just miss the mark of 300 yards and 2 TDs again, but Seattle could rely on the run for this one and make him a risky fantasy start.

RB:
There were 33 rushing attempts by Seattle and 18 went to RB Ken Walker. He had a great fantasy showing with 97 yards on the ground, 59 in the air, and two touchdowns. The Giants are bleeding points, so starting Walker seems to be an obvious move. However, RB Zach Charbonnet is on the horizon. He really did not have a breakout game, but his 9 carries gave him 46 yards and his running personality is looking much more beastly than Walker’s. That could net him more goal line attempts as the season goes on. Not to mention just fitting better with Seattle’s personality. Just last week I suggested cutting him from every fantasy roster, but I think I may have been wrong. Walker is still the stud starter, but Charbonnet could surprise in any game. With NY bleeding 138 ground yards a game at this point, the smart start is Walker and Charbonnet may be a nice sleeper.

WR:
The non-story of WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s impact continues. He caught one of his three targets for 10 yards while WR Jake Bobo had a 5 yard game, but with a touchdown. WR Tyler Lockett continues to lead with smart play and had more impact on this game than his 34 yards indicate. And WR DK Metcalf played through injury for his 112 yards. As I expected the key to the game was picking the right starter between Metcalf and Lockett and I picked right last week. Despite New York bleeding points, their pass defense is not bad. They are turning the ball over and giving up yards in the running game, but they are at least slowing the passing game. I will always pick Lockett in a game like this even without Metcalf being slowed by his injury.

TE:
Seattle's improved run defense has surprised me this year, but second to that would be the tight end play. TE Will Dissly sat out injured in this one, so TE Colby Parkinson and TE Noah Fant shared 7 receptions on 9 targets. Fant had 41 yards and Parkinson had 38, though that should have been much more if not for one bad drop by Parkinson. The tight ends are likely more active in the games because of the tackle injuries, but they are also getting downfield. They still seem risky starters against the Giants to me though.

K:
Ask Seattle Fan to describe PK Jason Myers and the first publishable word in a string of blue will likely be “infuriating”. From a fantasy stat line perspective Myers woke up from being 3 of 6 in his prior two games to having a fabulous 5 of 5 field goal and 2 of 2 extra point game. And he can be expected to score against the Giants too. But Seattle Fan knows that Myers can lay an egg at any time for no apparent reason whenever he is in a Seattle uniform. Start him if you must.

D:
I could point to all the improved defensive play over the last couple of weeks after the depressing start against the Rams. But Seattle gave up 27 points and 378 yards to the Cardinals despite those 8 false starts. Seattle continues to be the team that never does well on 3rd downs on either side of the ball, and that is not good. Very bad. Despite the Giants barely managing two touchdowns a game I have a bad feeling about this one and the over of 47 does not look ridiculous at all. Seattle’s smartest plan would probably be to run a lot and keep QB Daniel Jones off the field. That is despite Jones most likely throwing at least one pick. Seattle holding the Giants to under 300 would be a very good showing for them, so I do not see them as a good starting D. The only way they would be is on the strength of a pick six.

I want to predict this as a win. But I see senseless screen pass calls and nonsense calls at the goallines and 3rd down failures reminding everyone of why Seattle is going to be picking early, but not early enough, in yet another NFL Draft.

Prediction:
Seattle: 28
Giants: 31

Go ‘Hawks!

End.

Rick Watts

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LOS ANGELES RAMS
9/28/2023

Loss in the Jungle! After two well played games, the Rams lay an egg in Cincinnati and fall to the Bengals 19-16 on Monday Night Football. It was a very frustrating performance as the Rams settled for field goals instead of touchdowns and HC Sean McVay called a bad game. An injury to starting left tackle Alaric Jackson was the downfall of the offensive line and doomed the offense the rest of the game. Los Angeles heads to Indianapolis to face the Colts off their upset over the Ravens. Let’s take a look at the Fantasy positions for the Rams.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford (18 of 33 for 269 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions)was under constant pressure and made poor decisions. It was his worst game of the young season. Indianapolis is 23rdin pass defense allowing 250.67 passing yards per game. The Colts have given up 4 touchdowns while collecting 1 interception and 12 sacks in three games. I am not sure if starting LT Alaric Jackson will play this week but if he doesn’t, the Rams will need help at that position. Stafford could put up decent numbers against the Colts but could also struggle if Los Angeles does no fix the offensive line.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (10 for 38 yards rushing, 2-27 receiving) had a very quiet game even though he played all of the snaps at running back. McVay did not run the ball against the 31st ranked run defense, which is one the big reasons the Rams lost. The Colts are 16thin rush defense giving up 343 yards in three games. They have surrendered 4 touchdowns while allowing an average of 3.5 yards per carry. Williams disappointed many Fantasy Owners but it was not all his fault. I think Kyren is a decent back but not as talented as Akers and definitely not a feature type of back. I would love to see McVay activate rookie RB Zach Evans and give him an opportunity to produce.

WR: WR PukaNakua (5-72) had a modest game considering his first two monster games. The Bengals were focused on stopping the rookie star. WR Tutu Atwell (4-50 and 1 touchdown receiving, and 1-22 rushing) looked like he scored on his end around rush but the officials overturned the call on the field, which was very disappointing as there was no definitive evidence that he stepped out of bounds. WR Van Jefferson (1-46) continues to disappoint and will most likely be benched when WR Cooper Kupp returns to action. Puka is dealing with an injured oblique but should be able to play. Puka and Tutu are both viable Fantasy options and I think the rookie scores his first touchdown.

TE: TE Tyler Higbee (5-71) had his best game of the young season but is dealing with a sore Achilles. He is currently listed as questionable so if he cannot go this week, TE Brycen Hopkins should get the start but keep an eye on Rookie TE Davis Allen, who could be a sleeper if Higbee is out.

K: PK Brett Maher (3-3 field goals (30, 23,42) and 1-1 extra points) continues his successful season and is becoming a viable Fantasy kicker. In the dome against the Colts, Brett could kick a 50+ field goal this week. I would consider Maher a high end PK2.


DEF: The defense held the Bengals to one touchdown and four field goals and also got their first takeaway of the season on an impressive Witherspoon interception. DT Aaron Donald (5 solos, 2 assists, and 1 sack) got back on track after his whitewash against the Niners. LB Ernest Jones (7 solos and 2 assists) led the team in tackles. Rookie LB Byron Young (4 solos, 1 assist, and ½ a sack) continues to improve. Indy is18th in pass offense averaging 225.67 passing yards per game with 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and giving up 9 sacks. The Colts are 12th in rushing at 110 yards per game. They have 4 rushing touchdowns and average 3.9 yards per carry. Star running back Jonathan Taylor has been out the beginning of the season but rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson could return from a concussion suffered in week 2. Los Angeles played well enough on defense against the Bengals and will hopefully have another strong game against the Colts. Donald should have another productive day and Jones continues to be an every week IDP. Young has been playing better every week and is close to being a reliable IDP.

The Rams blew a great opportunity to improve to 2-1 but are now in a must win game at Indy. A win puts them back at .500 with optimism for the coming games. Los Angeles cannot afford to fall to 1-3 facing the Eagles in week five. If the Rams can get the victory, they will gain more confidence knowing star WR Cooper Kupp could make his season debut in week five.

It was a terrible Fantasy week for me as I lost in all four of my leagues. Like the Rams, I need to get back on the winning track as I take on my rival buddy in our Keeper league. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops& Scratch! Aloha!

End.

Layton Pang

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