Week 9: Fantasy Studs and Duds

Studs

Devonta Freeman- With Tevin Coleman still struggling to get back to health, after his hamstring injury, Freeman is now in a great position to explode for fantasy owners. In a situation reminiscent of last season, Freeman is now the primary running back for the Falcons and has the explosiveness to post a big game. Last week against a good Packers defence, Freeman still managed to gain two touchdowns on the day, as his involvement in the passing game has only increased. Look for Freeman to post big rushing yards this week, against a Tampa defence that has been less than impressive at stopping the run, Freeman is a must start this week.

Zeke Elliot- One of the most exciting players in the NFL right now, Zeke has ploughed over every opposing defence in his path, even some of those who are very good against the run. This week he gets a juicy matchup for fantasy owners, taking on the Browns in Cleveland, this could be the week that Zeke really blows up, I am talking pushing 150 yards and multiple touchdowns. His stats and production need no more mention, your starting Zeke if you have him, so sit back and watch the fantasy points roll in. This also applies to any Cowboys offensive player this week, as they will feed upon this woeful defense. Dez Bryant is a must start, Cole Beasley and Jason Witten are also good options. Dak Prescott is also now a good streaming option, if you need a quarterback during the bye weeks.

Julio Jones- In an interesting turn of events, the Falcons offense no longer centres around Julio. The Falcons have been winning in a number of different ways this season, through the legs of Freeman and Coleman, or the great support play by Mohammed Sanu. Yet this week Julio is primed for a big one, taking on a patchy Tampa secondary, Jones will be in for yet another big performance. Jones is a must start each and every week, just expect to see more of the 100+ yard receiving games, compared to last week’s sub-par performance.

Terrance West- Before his bye last week, West was coming off his worst game of the season, only managing a measly 10 rushing yards from 8 carries…. yikes. Yet I don’t foresee this as being a regular occurrence. Now having a week off to rest, West should come out and capitalise on a great matchup against a Steelers defence that has been the 4th worst to opposing fantasy running backs this season. Add into this the fact that the Ravens have been having trouble moving the ball in the pass game, West may see his involvement in the offence rise.

Aaron Rodgers- Only a few weeks ago, commentators started to question Rodgers elite status in the NFL. Well last week he showed all of his critics how a true elite quarterback can play. Rodgers looked fantastic last week, using his legs on multiple occasions to gain the first down, and also seemly having the ball on a string, he’s back. Posting over 260 passing yards and passing for four touchdowns against an improved Falcons defence. This week he gets to take on a Colts defence that has been terrible at the midpoint of the season. Whilst their secondary has improved, they are still giving up the 6th most fantasy point to opposing quarterbacks. Look for Rodgers to find his receivers up the middle, as the Colts line-backers have been decimated by injuries. This could also be a shoot-out type of game, therefore adding even greater value to Rodgers this coming week.

Tim Hightower- Well it looks like the Saints have a new running back, with Mark Ingram being pulled early in the game last week due to issues with fumbling, Hightower came in and made the most of his opportunity. Rushing for 102 yards last week, against a very formidable Seahawks defence, Hightower looked like the real deal. This week he gets the opportunity to take on the 49ers and their atrocious run defence. With the loss of Bowman, the Niners can’t stop anyone in the run game, look for Hightower to exploit this. Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Ingram and Hightower will be splitting carries, Hightower is a good add and may be worth starting in the flex if your desperate for a running back during this coming week in which six teams are on a bye.

Keep an eye on Hyde- If Carlos Hyde is healthy, he is a must start. The Saints are currently the second worst team in the NFL to opposing fantasy running backs. If healthy Hyde should see a plethora of opportunities in which to exploit. Keep an eye on his status during the week, but if healthy Hyde is a must go.

Duds

Derek Carr- The Raiders have been on fire in recent weeks, and Carr has been at the centre of this success. Last week in their overtime win Carr finished the day with over 500 passing yards, and four passing touchdowns, a massive effort. Don’t expect the same totals this week though, as the Raiders take on the vaunted Broncos defence and their exceptional secondary. Whilst Carr may have an okay game, look for mistakes to appear due to the presence of Von Miller and Demarcus Ware. The secondary of the Broncos is also the best in the NFL currently, so if you have Amari Cooper, you may have to try to swap him out for the week. He won’t be able to go for over 100 yards with the likes of Chris Harris and Bradly Roby patrolling the perimeter. And don’t forget the hardest hitting safeties in the game with Stewart and Ward forcing receivers to constantly worry where they may be on the field.

LeSean McCoy or Mike Gillislee- It remains to be seen whether or not McCoy is going to play this week, still suffering from that hamstring injury, the Bills may play it safe and rest him this game as they have a bye next week. Yet either way, even if McCoy doesn’t play, don’t expect big things from his back up in Gillislee. Whilst he had a good week last week posting 15 fantasy points, it will be a much tougher challenge for him this week. Playing the Seahawks at home is no easy feat, throw in the fact that the passing game for the Bills in almost non-existent at this stage (signing Percy Harvin, does not bring this offence back to aerial relevance). The Hawks at home are formidable and great at stopping the run, they will commit most of their resources to bottle up whichever running back plays, as well as Tyrod Taylor.

Isaiah Crowell- This may surprise a number of people, but the Cowboys run defence has been very good this year. This may be due to the fact that the Cowboys are usually in front and have taken a lot of time off the clock, forcing opposing offences to pass more. Or it could be the fact that Sean Lee is currently playing like an all pro. Either way Crowell is facing a tough task this week. Whilst he did have a bounce back week of sorts last week, don’t expect him to have free reign in the rushing game. Crows value this week will be in the passing game, as the Browns are going to be down early and chasing points all game.

Jordy Nelson- Whilst the Colts have been woeful in almost every aspect of defensive statistics, they are actually locking down opposing wide receivers. Add in that Nelson still doesn’t look to be fully comfortable after coming back from a knee reconstruction last year. Nelson is going to see a lot of time from the Colts best corner back Vontae Davis, who has been having a good season, barring a few injuries. Whilst it is hard to bench Nelson, his production has been dipping the last few weeks, and Rodgers has looked to other names to get the job done.

Travis Kelce- Kelce went off last week against the Colts, again this is due to the amount of injuries the Colts have had to the line backing corps. He finished the day with 101 receiving yards and a touchdown, a very good day considering the gap at tight end between Gronk and everyone else. Yet Kelce has a much tougher matchup this week against a Jags defence that is under immense pressure to perform. The Jags currently rank as the fifth best against opposing tight ends, this is due to their consistent and young line backing corps and stellar play from rookie safety Jalen Ramsey. The Chiefs will look to run a lot in this game, considering the amount of success the Titians had last week against the Jags in this regard. Kelce may have a touchdown, but outside of this, his yards will be significantly reduced compared to last week.