Week 8 in the NFL was Fantasy Football players’ first 2017 taste of “Mega-Bye” week, with six teams on hiatus (see below). To make matters worse, #Stormgate hit the Northeast, making the ability to field a competitive team or DFS lineup quite challenging. Weather played a major role this week, but it was fun seeing our favorite beasts of the gridiron rise above the elements and straight ball!
Teams on Bye: CARDINALS, PACKERS, JAGUARS, RAMS, GIANTS, TITANS
Carson Wentz and the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles may very well have laid claim on Best Team in the NFL with a 33-10 victory over the hapless Niners. The defending champion New England Patriots and Big Red’s Kansas City Chiefs may have something to say about this! The talk around Philly is Carson Christ has a legit shot at MVP, but still, a second half of football’s regular season needs to be played (wow, are we really half way through already). One thing is for sure, Eagles’ “charge the mound” definitely wins Best TD Celebration of the Week…
Dallas held serve and remain 2.5 games out of first place in the NFC East with a dominating 33-19 victory over the team from Washington. Maybe ‘Skins fans were still reeling from their Monday night loss to the aforementioned “Birds of Prey!” Speaking of dominating, the most in-limbo NFL player, Ezekiel Elliott, made mincemeat out of all three Washington D levels (#10 ranked Rush DVOA).
Other Headlines:
London “Called” for the last time – THANK THE LORD – as Vikings continued the Brown’s misery with a 33-16 thrashing (What’s with the score of 33 this week? Football Armageddon??). Vikings continue to roll (5th straight win).
Ravens D came to play on Thursday night, pitching Baltimore’s SECOND shutout of the season (40-0)… you might be wondering when the Ravens last kept an opposing team off the scoreboard: November, 2009!!!
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram ran the Saints to a 5th straight win… all of a sudden, people in the streets of Nola are shouting, “Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?”
Classless Cam captured a road win in Tampa Bay, 17-3, which was another weather-affected game (outside of the Northeast) with 20+ mph winds. Famous Jameis’ shoulder/rotator cuff just is not right and I think they should shut him down (21/38-210-0; 3.7 FPTS). Better days are ahead, as the Bucs’ upcoming schedule would make any QB cream in their pants; he just needs to get healthy!
Houston/Seattle seemed like a remake of ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ as this normal defensive matchup turned into a shootout – @DangeRussWilson outlasted rookie phenom Deshaun Watson (more on him later) 41-38.
Lastly, did anybody (outside of Detroit and Pittsburgh) even watch SNF with that vivacious Game 5 of the World Series? I know I sure as fuck didn’t… but I heard from my guy that the Steelers won 20-15 and their third in a row. Big Ben (17/31-317-1), Lev Bell (25-76-1) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (7-193-1) have aspirations of NFL’s top prize. Steelers rise to 6-2 and first place in AFC North.
— The Fake ESPN (@TheFakeESPN) October 30, 2017
WEEK 7 KEY INJURIES
Zach Miller dislocated his left knee during Sunday’s 20-12 loss at New Orleans. It was a very ugly injury; one that turned life threatening. “In the third quarter, Miller caught an apparent 25-yard touchdown pass in the end zone. As he landed, he became tangled with Saints defensive back Rafael Bush. Miller’s left leg could be seen bending in the wrong direction as he landed. Afterward, he dropped the ball” (Victor Mather, The New York Times, 10/30/2017).
Prognosis: The Bears announced that the emergency vascular surgery Miller underwent to repair a torn artery in New Orleans on Sunday was successful, but his 2017 season is almost certainly over.
Fantasy Impact: I’m gonna write what I did last week, only for MIller: “None, because were you really planning on winning a championship with Palmer Miller?” This injury was just too major not to focus upon.
Other Injury News
Jameis Winston (shoulder): Questionable for Week 9
Devonta Freeman (shoulder) will be limited at practice come Wednesday.
Chris Hogan’s (shoulder – real pattern here) right arm was in a sling following Sunday’s win over the Chargers.
Duke Johnson Jr. (concussion) exited in 4th quarter with a head injury. *Update: he was cleared of a concussion upon being evaluated.
Jordan Reed (hamstring – big surprise!): Coach Jay Gruden suggested Monday that he doesn’t expect Reed to play in Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
NOTABLE ROOKIE PERFORMANCES
Deshaun Watson (19/30-402-4; 8-67) ain’t afraid of no Legion!
JuJu Smith-Schuster did his best AB imitation (see line above).
Alvin Kamara (8-28-1; 3-48)
DeShone Kizer (18/34-179-0; 5-18-1)
Matt Breida (5-17-0; 4-39-1)
Marlon Mack (11-27-0; 3-36-1)
WEEKLY STAT LEADERS (HEADING INTO MONDAY NIGHT)
MNF PREVIEW
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (Arrowhead Stadium, 8:30 EST): AFC West matchups on MNF have classically been great, must-see games… “Oh, it’s true.. It’s damn true.” Don’t believe me? Look it up and comment below! I’ll be happy to eat crow. Anyways, the game.. right.. the Denver defense has been a surprise this season. Not because we didn’t think they would be this good, but they have flip-flopped their defensive strengths (1st in rush DVOA; 18th in pass DVOA) from last season. And they have shut down some good RBs too: Melvin Gordon (twice), Ezekiel Elliott, LeSean McCoy and Marshawn Lynch. It’s the pass D I’m slightly concerned with (200.5 yards/game, 1.83 touchdowns/game). They are especially susceptible in the slot this season… enter Tyreek Hill: 3rd highest in yards per route run from slot (2.68), 31.9% of routes run from slot and averages 23.5 yards per reception when lined up there. And remember, Kareem Hill can catch the ball too! Will Trevor Siemian & Co. be able to keep up in Arrowhead??? Survey says… XXX
Chiefs win 31-20
Betting Info:
Chiefs -7.5 O/U 43 (Take the “Queefs” giving the points and the over)
Vegas Team Totals: Denver – 17.75, KC – 25.25
Fantasy Projections: Hunt will have a pedestrian night, so I would fade in Mon-Thurs DFS. Tyreek Hill will have a huuuge night, possibly eclipsing the blinding numbers he witnessed first-hand a week and a half ago on Thursday night for Amari Cooper! As for Denver, CJ Anderson is a must play, but temper expectations since KC gives up the 9th LEAST points to opposing RBs. However, without 5x Pro Bowler Eric Berry, they have also given up the 2nd MOST points to opposing WRs. Demaryius Thomas for.. the… Monday Night Miracle!
Happy Halloween!
