Every Saturday morning, I'll take a quick look at all the week's games, offering my own take on what I think will happen, as well as touching on significant injury news since our Weekly came out. I'll check in every so often over the course of the day to answer questions, too.
Here's the drill: What follows is a brief look at all the games with how I'd react in my own lineups to injury developments or other news. The official rankings are the ones in the Weekly. Those are the ones that subscribers are paying for. Sometimes players are very close in the rankings, and if I get questions like that, I'll offer opinions. Sometimes I like certain players more or less than Ian, and sometimes I have different risk tolerance with injuries/weather issues, etc.
If you ask me to choose between two players that are 10-15 spots apart in the rankings, I may just refer you to them. Questions asked on Saturday I'll usually get to by Saturday night. Question asked an hour before gametime, no promises -- I might not see them. OK, on to the games.
New Browns at Old Browns: I tried to get the Ravens defense in a few leagues this week but missed out. I'm not sure I'm completely sold on them but a matchup with DeShone Kizer who absorbed 7 sacks last week is compelling. Only players I'd really want to start in this game are West and Allen. Ravens not a bad survivor pool pick I don't think.
Bills at Panthers: Carolina also a decent Survivor pick. They seem healthy and I wonder if teams who beat the Jets will let down the following week when matched up with an actual NFL team. LeSean McCoy is healthy for this one but there's apparently a groin issue that might crop up at some point. I can't bring myself to pick up Mike Tolbert but I guess he's technically the handcuff.
Cardinals at Colts: What does it say about Arizona right now that no one is really sure they can beat a Colts team that got absolutely trounced by the Rams last week? No David Johnson of course and no John Brown either for this one, so we've got Carson Palmer, Kerwynn Williams and a motley group of running backs and receivers after Larry Fitzgerald. Still like the Cardinals defense so no interest in any Colts. At all. I'd rank Cards backs Williams, Ellington and Chris Johnson a distant third.
Titans at Jaguars: Duly impressed by the Jaguars defense last week, I'm starting them over the Giants in a league. Jaguars will have T.J. Yeldon back, which takes some pass-catching potential away from the back you'd actually want to start, Fournette. For the Titans, Mariota-Murray-Walker are the good options, wideouts are tough because of the crowding issue.
Eagles at Kansas City: Eagles are missing a cornerback, but are otherwise healthy, as is Kansas City. Obviously you start Hunt and Hill. With Philadlephia, I'm still not buying LeGarette Blount, but with Kansas City letting Mike Gillislee punch in 3 TDs last week, I guess you think about it. I never understood why Zach Ertz kept falling to me in drafts but I'm sure glad he did. Travis Kelce should bounce back here. The Andy Reid versus protege and former QB Doug Pederson angle is fun.
Patriots at Saints: Maybe we'll be surprised, but this is the kind of game where you start secondary guys on the hope they're involved in one of the 8-9 TDs likely to be scored in this game. I'm using committee backs Gillislee and Ingram, and of course Cooks and Thomas and the quarterbacks. New England certainly should score at will and if they don't we can start questioning if Brady is washed up. No Danny Amendola.
Vikings at Steelers: San Bradford is questionable, that's the big concern in this one. Knee issue. Worrisome given his history but sounds like he'll be playing. Two really good defenses so I don't think you go overboard starting anyone beyond the main wideouts and running backs for each team.
Bears at Bucs: Love the Bucs and Bucs Defense in this one, there's your sleeper D of the week. Jacquizz Rodgers, Mike Evans, Winston too. Not crazy about Jordan Howard or Tarik Cohen, but they're the Bears I'd consider, and Zach Miller. The wide receiver wasteland, ugh.
Dolphins at Chargers: This figures to be a high-scoring game, and I'd happily use both running backs and the main wideouts for each team, and I'm using Rivers too. Jarvis Landry showed up on the injury report as questionable with a knee injury. I'm assuming just soreness but I guess you need to have another option handy and watch for the inactives. We discussed the tight end situation; for whatever reason the Chargers just didn't look Hunter Henry's way against Denver. That's a really good pass rush so maybe it was game-plan specific. For now, you have to leave Henry on the bench.
Jets at Raiders: Didn't pick against the Jets in Survivor last week, I won't make that mistake again. Any given Sunday and whatnot, but they should get crushed. I am considering using Forte in a daily game because he's cheap, but with as little as the Jets ran last week, who can trust them to do the right thing. Start your Raiders, avoid Jets, pretty straightforward.
Cowboys at Broncos: Tough matchup for both offenses, with the Dallas defense weekly playing at a higher level than the talent would seem to suggest and Denver just being pretty strong. Not sure I'd have the guts to bench Bryant but a really poor matchup for wide receivers. For Denver it's the wideouts and C.J. Anderson to use, everyone else to sit. No Terrance Williams, not that anyone should have been considering him.
Washington at Rams: Rams seem to be the team headed in the right direction here. Washington does not. You can use the key starters on both sides because neither defense is a shutdown group -- Washington's, I think, is bad. Hoping for a better week rushing-wise out of Todd Gurley. Expecting little from Robert Kelley; would rather use Chris Thompson.
49ers at Seahawks: Maybe the 49ers will turn things around this season, but it probably won't start here. I'm using Carlos Hyde and Pierre Garcon but that's it. The Seattle running backs are I guess the main issue here, with all of them healthy and the 49ers having the horrible run defense last season. That defense is a little better and I personally do not trust Thomas Rawls. I think it will be mostly Rawls and some Chris Carson, and if you're confident in Pete Carroll giving Rawls 15-20 carries, have at it. I have been burned too often by him to start him over just anyone.
Packers at Falcons: As with Patriots-Saints, I think you start pretty much everyone in this game. They're healthy, they're good, it's on a fast track, should be a shootout. Exceptions are Tevin Coleman (can't trust the touches) and Austin Hooper (can't count on the targets).
Lions at Giants: For the sake of discussion we'll say I have Odell Beckham Jr. in a league. I expect he'll play, but think he might be a little limited. What I'd prefer to do is have another viable option to sub in on the off-chance he's inactive or looks like he'll be really limited. Sterling Shepard and even Shane Vereen are potential options, or maybe somebody like Theo Riddick. Aside from that, tough matchup for the Lions offense, and tough to watch the Giants try to play offense.
Enjoy the games.