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.
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.
Falcons at Panthers: I don't really want to use Matt Ryan this week, but don't have a choice with Philip Rivers on a bye. Carolina defense has played pretty well all along while Falcons have struggled, but six teams being on bye make things tricky. And hey Ryan did have a 500-yard game against this opponent a year ago, albeit in Atlanta. But that was then. Sounds like Devonta Freeman's health is fine. Devin Funchess new Panthers No. 1. The Benjamin trade surprised me.
Colts at Texans: Shame about Deshaun Watson. Only positive from a fantasy standpoint is that unlike with say Aaron Rodgers, most of us who had Watson didn't draft him as a starter, so we have other, good quarterbacks to use (unless our drafted starter was Rodgers, or we traded that guy away). But a shame for the NFL and Houston. I think you continue to start DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller and perhaps Will Fuller, given the matchup, but their potential goes way down. With the Colts, well, Houston's defense is soft, too. But will probably be a committee at running back, and T.Y. Hilton has had way more bad games than good.
Bengals at Jaguars: I'm all in on the Jaguars ground game, kicker, and defense this week. For the Bengals, I guess you can try the ground game and of course A.J. Green. But maybe the Jaguars figured out some run defense improvements over the bye, plus they traded for Marcell Dareus. And Joe Mixon has disappointed as a runner anyway.
Bucs at Saints: Should be plenty of points in this one, though I did get burned by Winston last week. Actually picked up Joe Flacco (only quarterback available) on the off-chance Winston is inactive with that shoulder injury. He's supposed to play, but with Rivers on bye and Watson on IR, I had to have an alternative. Saints offense looks great.
Rams at Giants: Todd Gurley and Evan Engram. Can consider Cooper Kupp, I think, and Sterling Shepard. Running back committee from Giants, and I'm not 100 percent convinced Jared Goff will put up big numbers, but Giants have been pretty bad and I don't know how much fire they're going to bring the rest of the way. Tyler Higbee your one-week start against a defense that lets tight ends score every week.
Broncos at Eagles: Ah the Broncos return to Brock Osweiler. Could have put good money against that happening when he signed with Houston. And was benched. Then traded to Cleveland with the Texans giving up a 2nd-rounder just to get rid of him. Then released by Houston. So no reason to think things will go well for him, but it's true that Trevor Siemian's picks were so excruciatingly bad last week that there was little choice. But the run game shouldn't do much and Demaryius Thomas is the only Bronco worth considering. Emmanuel Sanders also returns, but might not be 100 percent. Eagles have a tough matchup and Zach Ertz is questionable; probably plays, but check the inactives just in case. I'm staying well away from the ground game that was a crowded committee even before trading for Jay Ajayi.
Ravens at Titans: Titans had a bye last week and Ravens played on Thursday, so seems like forever since these teams took the field. I like the main running backs, which appear to be Alex Collins and DeMarco Murray. The passing games an iffier bunch of pass catchers so I'm steering clear. Delanie Walker usually an every-week start but he's hurting and it's not certain he'll be active; Jonnu Smith would fill in.
Cardinals at 49ers: Hoo boy. Drew Stanton against C.J. Beathard. On Beathard, maybe I have a bias because I picked him up in dynasty, but I feel kind of bad for the guy. He got two starts, wasn't bad against Dallas, struggled badly against Philadelphia, true, but weather was awful and so is the offense around him, plus he lost Joe Staley during the game. Would Jimmy Garoppolo have fared better in that situation? I don't know. This John Lynch front office strikes me as prone to rash, fear-driven moves, like their trade-up on draft day for Joe Williams and now quick hook (ultimately) since they gave up the 33rd or 34th overall pick next year for Garoppolo. (And by the way, this means those of us who said New England was full of it by saying they wouldn't trade him were correct.) Oh yeah, the game. Adrian Peterson and Carlos Hyde look good. If you have to use any receiver on either team, it's Larry Fitzgerald and nobody else. And could Washington please actually place Pierre Garcon on IR already, I need the roster spot.
Washington at Seahawks: Am I the only one who still thinks of Washington when I hear about Pierre Garcon? Sounds like Washington won't have Jamison Crowder, and Jordan Reed already ruled out. So it should be Josh Doctson, Ryan Grant, Terrelle Pryor and Vernon Davis as the main receivers against a defense without Earl Thomas (but still better than how it looked against Deshaun Watson). I'm high on Seattle's offense and yes, I'll buy that Eddie Lacy will be the main back (that doesn't automatically mean he'll do well, but at least we might be spared seeing Thomas Rawls). But I prefer the passing game. No interest in Rob Kelley, but using Chris Thompson.
Kansas City at Cowboys: Kareem Hunt versus Ezekiel Elliott. Am thinking both will be good. Key Dallas receivers and I guess Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, too. Neither defense has been strong of late so bring on the points.
Raiders at Dolphins: Can't believe we get the Dolphins in primetime again. And they're actually on Monday night next week, too. (At Carolina, that's going to go well.) I realize making an NFL schedule is a difficult enterprise, but did they think Miami might acquire Aaron Rodgers and LeVeon Bell in the preseason? Of course their offense is godawful. And we've got a committee of running backs they haven't really wanted to put on the field. At least Oakland's defense is bad. Miami's defense has been respectable so tough to get optimistic about Marshawn Lynch, though Cooper and Crabtree should be busy.
Lions at Packers: This game would have been great if it were Rodgers-Stafford. As is we need to hope that the bye week enabled them to get Brett Hundley to a coachable level of play (an optimism belied by the report that Green Bay apparently wanted to sign Brian Hoyer). I'm using Jordy Nelson but not with much enthusiasm. High on Stafford, Marvin Jones and Golden Tate. If the Lions can't win this game they may as well just give up. I'm using Aaron Jones and benching a decent player for him, so hope he can deliver (and continue getting the opportunities). Sounds like Martellus Bennett might not play, I think most fantasy teams have moved on anyway.
Enjoy the games.
--Andy Richardson