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.
Bucs at Dolphins:What a disappointment the Bucs have been. Maybe they'll help a lousy Dolphins team post a record of 6-4, which seems unthinkable if you actually watch the Dolphins play. Evans, Landry, Parker, and I guess the Miami running backs (although it's an even committee) are the players to consider here. Good matchup for Jay Cutler but I'm not buying.
Lions at Bears: Marvin Jones, Golden Tate and Matthew Stafford; tricky matchup in Buffalo, but these are the guys who should be most productive. Somebody picked up Zach Miller in one of my leagues this week, I'm trying to figure that one out. I understand being out of touch about some things, but that's confusing. Weather doesn't sound too bad for this one. Jones has carried me in a lot of weeks but I'm sitting him for Larry Fitzgerald this week, hoping there's a contract bump game for Fitz (who's been producing anyway).
Jaguars at Browns: The Jaguars have been saying some crazy things this week. DeDe Westbrook talking about going for 200 yards. In his first NFL game! It's like that movie spoof where some sick child in a hospital asks a player to hit 3 home runs for him or something. I'm drawing a blank. Some other Jaguar talked about Cleveland not winning a game. I am counting on Jacksonville's D getting big fantasy points this week, so I would really like them all to just shut the hell up. No good comes from talk like that. Leonard Fournette is iffy and after not practicing on Friday I'm not expecting him to play; probably a Ivory-Yeldon committee. No interest in either passing game.
Ravens at Packers: Ravens have a pretty good defense, though it was bad against the run earlier in the season (with Brandon Williams out on defense). I picked up Jamaal Williams in two leagues but haven't been impressed. I'm using him in one (where I've got Devonta Freeman, Ameer Abduallah and a couple of guys on byes) but sitting him in another. Starting running back, but expectations in check. I haven't even considered starting Jordy Nelson three weeks in a row. For Baltimore, Jeremy Maclin looks good and Alex Collins might be OK. We'll find out today if it will be Danny Woodhead as 3rd-down back; presumably.
Cardinals at Texans: Hard to get too excited about Blaine Gabbert, but Houston's defense is pretty awful right now, so you can consider Fitzgerald, at least. Adrian Peterson is an option but Houston has been better against the run. Hopkins, Ellington and Miller are the extent of it for Houston's offense. Two teams that began with playoff hopes and are now playing out the string.
Rams at Vikings: A pair of 7-2 teams, one with a really good defense and serviceable offense and one with a great offense and opportunistic defense. I'm so used to seeing the Rams offense put up good numbers that I'm expecting more of the same in this one, but tough matchup. For Minnesota, quite a wide receiving duo they have. Jerick McKinnon and Rudolph look fine. Good game.
Washington at Saints: There's been no slowing down the Saints offense, so I like pretty much everyone. And while the Saints defense has been playing great, it's a little ridiculous how many lousy offenses they've faced lately -- seriously, check it out. Last four Packers, Bills, Bears and Bucs, with Rodgers and Winston out for their teams. So I really like Vernon Davis, and think Crowder and Doctson should be OK, too. Less enthused about Samaje Perine, but I suppose somebody needs to start the guy somewhere. Would be nice if he'd looked better with his chances to this point.
Kansas City at Giants: One defense hasn't been good all the year. The other hasn't been good all year and appears to have quit on the soon to be fired coaching staff. So I like just about everybody important on offense for both teams. Kansas City should come out hot, and the Giants should pile up some production along the way with the only two players they're really throwing to, Shepard and Engram. I can sign off on Darkwa and even consider Shane Vereen in PPR.
Bills at Chargers: I have no great fondness for Tyrod Taylor, but it's interesting to muse what prompted the benching after it's been their defense that's been comically bad the last two weeks. And why they'd want a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start on the road against Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Anyhoo, I will pass on the Buffalo passing game. LeSean McCoy should be busy, but I think he'll be hurt by Taylor's absence -- you can't sit him down in typical leagues, but you can avoid him in daily leagues. For the Chargers, I picked up Austin Ekeler and am using him in PPR...feel like it might be more of a committee with Melvin Gordon. Philip Rivers will start. As I say every week, the Chargers should have a much better record, it's a shame (not that anyone out in Southern California seems to care, I guess).
Bengals at Broncos: Two other teams playing out the string. I'm not crazy about A.J. Green but most can't really sit him down. Tyler Kroft should be busy. For Denver, you have to go way down the rankings to find anyone. I'd probably use Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders if I had them anywhere, but not with great optimism. Running back committee. Pass on Joe Mixon. Moving on.
Patriots vs. Raiders in Mexico: Patriots should put up big numbers in this game. I'm in on Burkhead as the most valuable back and Cooks as the main wideout, with Brady and Gronk their usual spots. For the Raiders, I like Crabtree more than Cooper these days. New England's defense has got things figured out so restraint is urged with Oakland's key offensive pieces. Can't get behind Jared Cook, who doesn't score, but he should catch plenty of passes.
Eagles at Cowboys: Ah, a good primetime matchup. The game's in Dallas which should help because Eagles seem to be the better, healthier, more explosive and less injured and suspended team. Thumbs up on all Eagles, sounds like Alshon Jeffery is fine. For Dallas, Dak and Dez and Witten will have to do something, because will be tough for them to run or stop the Eagles offense.
Falcons at Seahawks: A good Monday game, and an important one, with these two teams chasing division leaders. Seahawks down half their secondary, and those of us with Matt Ryan probably don't have a better choice anyway. I'm expecting a somewhat higher-scoring contest. Though if you need me to tell you not to use a Seattle running back, you haven't been paying attention (J.D. McKissic is the only one I'd consider, in PPR). No Devonta Freeman, it sounds like, so Tevin Coleman merits consideration as a close to full-time guy.
Enjoy the games.
--Andy Richardson