Well, it was another embarrassing performance of my end last week. I was confident in some of my picks, yet I didn’t even top 40 points. That’s what we call bad. I’m really struggling at this point of the season to find value at the running back position, but we will keep trying. This series is one where I put together a hypothetical fantasy football lineup consisting of players owned in less than 40-percent of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues. The goal is to top 100 fantasy points with the team and to show that there is value on the vast majority of waiver wires.
As I’ve previously mentioned, last week was rough. I had all the faith in the work for Daniel Jones to put up a bounce-back quality performance against the Ariona Cardinals. Man was I wrong. I also put all of my faith into the Detroit Lions defense. Again, man was I wrong. Cole Beasley was my leader last week with just 10.6 points. Heck, five of my players scored less than five fantasy points. I like to view things as glass half full, so with that being said, at least next week can’t be any worse than this week (knock on wood.)
Week 7 Results
QB: Daniel Jones (New York Giants) - 11.42 points
RB: Darrell Henderson Jr. (Los Angeles Rams) - 4.9 points
RB: Alexander Mattison (Minnesota Vikings) - 1.8 points
WR: Cole Beasley (Buffalo Bills) - 10.6 points
WR: Auden Tate (Cincinnati Bengals) - 9.5 points
TE: Darren Fells (Houston Texans) - 4.7 points
Flex: Dante Pettis (San Francisco 49ers) - 0 points
DEF: Detroit Lions - -4 points
Total: 38.92 points
Week 8 Picks
Quarterback
Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh Steelers) - Owned in 14% of Yahoo and 16.6% of ESPN leagues
This week it’s Mason Rudolph who gets the juicy match-up against the Miami Dolphins. It comes after he missed a week with a concussion. Prior to the Los Angeles Chargers’ game he missed and the Baltimore Ravens’ game where he left with the concussion, he posted back-to-back 15+ fantasy point games against the 49ers and Bengals respectively. The Dolphins have allowed the second most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Look for Rudolph and the Steelers to have a field day.
Running Backs
J.D. McKissic (Detroit Lions) - Owned in 31% of Yahoo and 9.5% of ESPN leagues
McKissic may have been out touched by Ty Johnson last week after Kerryon Johnson left the game early with a knee injury, but he did outproduce Ty. Ty has taken over as the presumed lead back for Kerryon Johnson who has hit the IR. However, McKissic will still get his chances to be involved and the team could go with more of a hot-hand approach and give whichever of the two backs is running well week-in-and-week-out more chances. The Lions square off with the New York Giants as well, who have given up the seventh most fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Mark Walton (Miami Dolphins) - Owned in 22% of Yahoo and 11.6% of ESPN leagues
Mark Walton has taken over as the lead back in the Miami Dolphins’ backfield, for whatever that is worth. He saw a season-high in carries last week with 14 where he went for 66 yards against a very good Buffalo Bills’ defense. He’ll now get a Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense that has given up the 17th most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Both teams aren’t very good and both could see themselves running the ball early and often. This would work in our favor with playing Walton this week.
Wide Receivers
DeVante Parker (Miami Dolphins) - Owned in 25% of Yahoo and 12.7% of ESPN leagues
This could be a huge mistake. I’m going to play two Dolphins’ this week. I guess that’s what happens when you become desperate. However, Parker has recorded a touchdown in three straight games now and has gone beyond 16.5 fantasy points in two of three of those games. Just like their run defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers have given up the 17th most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Let’s hope Parker can find the end zone for a fourth straight game this week.
Keke Coutte (Houston Texans) - Owned in 20% of Yahoo and 23.6% of ESPN leagues
I really wanted to be able to go Kenny Stills here, but he’s outside of our parameters. Therefore, I’ll go with the next best thing, Keke Coutee. It is presumed that Stills will slide into the Will Fuller roll, who is set to miss several weeks. However, it very well could be Coutee who plays second fiddle to DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans also get a very nice match-up with the Oakland Raiders, who have given up the fifth most points to opposing wide receivers.
Tight End
Jonnu Smith (Tennessee Titans) - Owned in 12% of Yahoo and 0.5% of ESPN leagues
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are awful in stopping the tight end. They’ve given up the second most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Delaine Walker will not play Sunday, giving Smith the start. Smith played well last year as the team’s TE1 when Walker missed nearly the entire season. Ryan Tannehill has the Titans moving in a positive direction after taking over for Marcus Mariota. Smith caught three passes for 64 yards last week from Tannehill.
Flex
Cole Beasley (Buffalo Bills) - Owned in 23% of Yahoo and 26% of ESPN leagues
Ol’ Cole Beasley. We use and abuse this man here on the B-Team. Why? Because he’s almost a guarantee for 10+ fantasy points. He has posted at least 10 fantasy points in four of six games this season and 9+ fantasy points in five of six games. He now gets a match-up against the team that has given up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, the Philadelphia Eagles. Josh Allen and company should produce well. I’m expecting Beasley to see a ton of targets and hopefully find the end zone for a second straight week.
Defense
Detroit Lions - Owned in 14% of Yahoo and 14.5% of ESPN leagues
The New York Giants have fallen back to earth after that hot start they had with Daniel Jones under center. Over the season, they’ve given up the third most fantasy points to opposing defenses. I know the Lions posted a very disappointing negative-four fantasy points last week when we played them, but I have faith in Matt Patricia that they won’t have back-to-back poor outings.
Week 6 Results
QB: Case Keenum (Washington) - 15.64 points
RB: Ito Smith (Atlanta Falcons) - 0.6 points
RB: Chase Edmonds (Arizona Cardinals) - 14.7 points
WR: Geronimo Allison (Green Bay Packers) - 4.8 points
WR: Preston Williams (Miami Dolphins) - 5.1 points
TE: Darren Fells (Houston Texans) - 12.9 points
FLEX: Auden Tate (Cincinnati Bengals) - 14.1 points
DEF: Miami Dolphins - 1 point
Total: 68.86 points
Week 5 Results
QB: Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals) - 18.98 points
RB: Nyheim Hines (Indianapolis Colts) - 8.5 points
RB: Brandon Bolden (New England Patriots) - 11.2 points
WR: Geronimo Allison (Green Bay Packers) - 4.8 points
WR: Auden Tate (Cincinnati Bengals) - 11.6 points
TE: Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals) - 3.4 points
FLEX: Cole Beasley (Buffalo Bills) - 5.1 points
DEF: Oakland Raiders - 8
Total: 71.58 points
Week 4 Results
QB: Case Keenum (Washington) - 0.48 points
RB: Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys) - 0 points
RB: Alexander Mattison (Minnesota Vikings) - 2.3 points
WR: Dontrelle Inman (Los Angeles Chargers) - 12.6 points
WR: Preston Williams (Miami Dolphins) - 8.6 points
TE: Vernon Davis (Washington) - 1.5 points
FLEX: Kenny Stills (Houston Texans) - 4. Points
DEF: Cincinnati Bengals - 2 points
Total: 31.88 Points
Week 3 Results
QB: Kyle Allen (Carolina Panthers) - 24.34 points
RB: Darwin Thompson (Kansas City Chiefs) - 0.8 points
RB: Rex Burkhead (New England Patriots) - 18.9 points
WR: Randall Cobb (Dallas Cowboys) - 4.3 points
WR: Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers) - 7.4 points
TE: Will Dissly (Seattle Seahawks) - 18.2 points
Flex: Phillip Dorsett (New England Patriots) - 18.5 points
DEF: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 8 points
Total: 100.44 points
Week 2 Results
QB: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) - 22.22 points
RB: Raheem Mostert (San Francisco 49ers) - 24.1 points
RB: C.J. Anderson (Detroit Lions) - 0.8 points
WR: Mecole Hardman (Kansas City Chiefs) - 16.1 points
WR: Danny Amendola (Detroit Lions) - 0 points
TE: Vernon Davis (Washington) - 5.9 points
DEF: Indianapolis Colts - 7
Total: 76.12 points
Comments