2023 - Week 8 Recap

Week 8 

Happy Halloween, gentlemen.

Jordan secured a big win this week over Kent, and finds himself back at .500.

Gus Edwards powered his way to 3 TDs, while Joe Mixon and T.J. Hockenson also found the endzone.

Really the only negative to his week was Davante Adams only managing 1 catch on 7 targets.  But this can be mostly chalked up to Jimmy Garoppolo being absolutely terrible.

There have been rumors that Adams may be traded, and at this point, it seems like ANY landing spot would be an improvement for his fantasy outlook.

Kent is on a 3-week skid and drops to 2-6.  Must be out camping or hunting, because this is all he had to say about the season 8 weeks in:

Certainly didn't help that Mahomes had one of the worst games of his career, with 2 picks and no TDs

His RB squad of Jacobs, Ekeler, and Javonte Williams looks to be pretty strong though, especially considering how rough that position has been this year.  So hopefully he can claw his way to a win in Week 9.

Kyle had a 14 point lead going into Monday, but then Jahmyr Gibbs decided to have his breakout game for Dan's team on MNF...

Gibbs went for 189 and a TD, so it will be interesting to see the usage between him and David Montgomery when he gets back in action.  Old Man Thielen contributed a solid game, and Jaylen Waddle finally had his first 100+ yard game of the season.

Dan's team climbs back to .500, while Kyle drops to 3-5.

Kyle didn't have a bad week necessarily, but the loss of Matthew Stafford has to be worrying for Cooper Kupp and the outlook for the Rams offense going forward.

Alvin Kamara has been looking great, and his constant usage in the passing game makes him virtually game-script proof.  But Kyle will have a tough test in week 9, when he goes up against Zach's undefeated squad.

Speaking of Zach....live look at him this morning:

Clearly playing at another level, Zach's team is now 8-0.

A.J. Brown now has 6 consecutive games with 120+ yards.

Travis Etienne has established himself as the Jags' workhorse, and has 4 games in a row with 21+ fantasy points.

He does have Taysom Hill riding his bench, who managed 100+ yards and 2 scores this past week.  We'll see if he makes the ultimate "Chad" move and starts Hill over Kelce at TE in Week 9.  Probably not, but knowing Zach, it'd probably work out for him.

Luke faced the Zach buzzsaw, so he drops to 3-5.

Tyreek Hill does have the occasional "off" game, but apart from those rarities, he is basically a lock for a 20 point performance every week, with massive games sprinkled in.

Talented youngster Chris Olave has had a disappointing season after breaking out last year.  I'm confidently putting 80% of the blame on Derek Carr for that, but maybe they can figure things out.

Luke will try to bounce back vs Tom in Week 9.

Brice was the recipient of a huge game out of Josh Allen, and finally got to witness Saquon's first 100 yard rushing game of the year, although it was in one of the ugliest NFL games I've ever witnessed.  The first half of the Jets/Giants game saw 691 YARDS.... of, punts.  There were a total of 24 punts in that game.  How thrilling.

Kyle Pitts was predictably mediocre again.  I'm sure he'll break out eventually..

Brice also moves up to .500 and faces me this week.

Tom had a rough week out of the RB position, but this was a close matchup that could have swung either way.  

C.J. Stroud contributing just 140 passing yards and no passing TDs doesn't help.

Kittle finally saw double-digit targets, which he probably should be getting every week, and Garrett Wilson saw his first 100 yard receiving game of the season.  Oh, what could have been, had Rodgers not gotten hurt on the first drive of his Jets career...

Tom & Luke get to fight it out in Week 9.

Lastly, my squad bumps up to 7-1 on the backs of CeeDee Lamb & Christian McCaffrey, who combined for nearly 62 points by themselves.  Appreciated Darren Waller testing out his hamstring, only to leave the game after 1 catch...

Ramsey put up a respectable 106 points, getting solid games out of Ja'Marr Chase & Breece Hall.  Kirk Cousins will be out the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles, so hopefully Trevor Lawrence can fill the shoes for Ramsey's squad going forward.  However, he'll have to find another option at QB this week, as the Jags will be on Bye.

Good news is that David Montgomery is looking likely to return after Detroit's bye this week.

Ramsey gets a matchup with Jordan this week.

Alright I think that about does it. 

We have 7 weeks of the regular season remaining, which is plenty of time for the Standings to change significantly.  Everyone is still very much in contention, but the next 2-3 weeks will be crucial.

Hope you guys have a good Halloween and best of luck in Week 9!

Cheers!

- Eric

2023 - Week 7 Recap

 Week 7

Kent (aka Mr. Garbage) dropped a close one to me this week, despite outscoring me at the QB position by 35 points.

Big shoutout to DeShaun Watson for throwing a pick and then leaving the game.  Always fun to end up with negative points out of your QB.

The result was hinging on whether or not Christian McCaffrey would even play on Monday night, let alone get me 13+ points needed to win.  But, my faith held steady, and my ride-or-die approach managed to work out this time.

Jacobs and Ekeler had weeks worthy of the "Garbage" moniker, which was the biggest contributing factor to the end result.

Kent gets a date with Jordan in week 8, who is dealing with his own running-back woes.  

AREN'T WE ALL.

Zach's quest for the perfect season continues through 7 weeks, putting a Charles Barkley style "whoopin" on Dan this week.

Travis Etienne now has 3 straight weeks with 2 rushing TDs, and Kelce has been gettin' that T-Swift production boost through the same timeframe.

A.J. Brown looks like the best receiver in the NFL (not named Tyreek Hill) right now.

Zach is averaging 126 points per week, if anyone was wondering.

We'll see if his luck continues vs Luke this week.

At least Old Man Thielen will be off the shuffleboard court and back in action for Dan's team this upcoming week.

Jahmyr Gibbs finally showed what he is capable of when given the ball, despite the Lions getting demolished.

The loss of Justin Jefferson is certainly being felt, and K.J. Osborn can't quite fill those shoes. Jordan Addison may be able to though, but he's on Kyle's roster (we'll get to him in a minute).

With Tua & Waddle on Dan's roster, any off week from Miami is probably gonna sting a bit.  They should get an opportunity to bounce-back vs a Patriots team that's allowing opponents 30 points per game over the past month.

More "whoopins" this week, as Kyle's team erupted for 142 in his win over Jordan. 

Jalen Hurts continues putting on clinics week-in, week-out.

Also, I'm pretty sure Jerome Ford ran for 70 and a TD on like the first play of the game, yet ended with 74 rushing yards.  So congrats, I think?

Jonathan Taylor finally got double-digit carries for the first time this year, and is likely to be the primary ball carrier going forward.  

Kyle is the extremely rare fantasy owner this year who actually DOESN'T seem to have RB problems.  Note to self: Propose lopsided trades to Kyle

It was gonna be tough for Jordan to keep up with that gauntlet from Kyle this week, but Keaontay Ingram being benched by the Cardinals certainly didn't help.

Gus Edwards was the sole bright spot, breaking off an 80 yard catch, and also adding a rushing TD.  

He'll get a chance to get back to .500 vs Garbage in Week 8.

After an 0-5 start, Tom now has back-to-back wins, and a pretty convincing one this week, despite a "Bye week hell" situation.  

When you have double-digit scoring production from basically your entire starting lineup, it tends to bode well.

It also appears that adding "garbage" to your team name makes for instant results.

Tom gets to face off with Brice this week.

Ramsey was certainly feeling some Bye Week Blues in Week 7.  Being without two star players due to Byes, and David Montgomery injured, it was tough sledding.  

Mostert was a victim of Miami's lackluster offensive performance, and the same can be said for Aaron Jones and the Packers.

At least Ramsey's squad should be back at full strength this week for when he plays..... me.  Oh, fantastic.

Last, but not least, matchup.  Ok, actually, it was the least scoring matchup of the week.

An absolute barnburner, with Brice's team putting up 88 points to Luke's 58.  

Bijan Robinson mysteriously left Sunday's game "not feeling well?"  I guess?  These kinds of things just happen to Brice's teams, so nothing out of the ordinary here.

Kyle Pitts put up his standard mediocre day, although he did show us he still has the talent, when given the opportunity...

Saquon being back in action is nice to see, although apparently add an elbow injury to his list of ailments.  Well, join the club, Saquon.  Name a running back that isn't hurt, I'll wait.

Everyone's starting roster is starting to look something like this:

QB: Underperforming 

WR: Q

WR: O

RB: IR

RB: IR

TE: Q

W/R/T: Some guy nobody's ever heard of, but his college tape "looks solid"

K: Mediocre

D: Decent

As far as Luke's team is concerned.. Tyreek put on his usual theatrics, going for over 88 yards and a score, on 11 receptions.  Apart from that...well, Jaylen Warren fell into the endzone.  I guess that's a positive.

DK Metcalf was a DNP, and Cole Kmet was a "DNTT" (Do Not Throw To) in Week 7.

Derrick Henry being on Bye didn't help, but nothing was gonna save it this week. 

At least you get to play Zach this week.  He's due for a loss, right? ...right.

Between Bye weeks and injuries, finding reliable production seems to be getting tougher each week.  On the bright side, injuries do open the door for more waiver pickups that can turn the tide for teams.  Happens every year.  We have 6 teams sitting at 3-4 and two teams sitting 2-5, so everyone is definitely still in contention.  We've got a long way to go.

Best of luck to you nerds in Week 8.

- Eric

2023 - Week 5 Recap

Week 5

As discussed in the League chat, trades will now automatically go through once both sides agree.  If there are any questions, please let me know, or bring it up in our group chat.

It was also brought to my attention that a few people didn't know that you can drop players on your bench at ANY time.  Even if their game has already been played.  Yahoo has been setup this way for as long as I can remember.

Now on to the matchups..

Kent easily led the pack in scoring in Week 5.  I'll be sad when he inevitably changes his team name....but maybe it's good luck at this point?

DJ Moore put on a clinic, going for 230 yards and finding the endzone three times.  Hell, I didn't know the Bears were capable of putting up 230 total yards in a game, let alone one player.

DeAndre Hopkins (one of my all-time favorite players to watch) looked back to form, going for 140 on 8 catches.

Ekeler and Elijah Mitchell are still nursing injuries, but if he can get Ekeler back this week, it's going to make for a pretty formidable lineup.

Brice's team was going to have a tough time keeping pace with the Garbage Men this week. ..and hold on...did Kyle Pitts actually have a serviceable game?  87 yards, on 11 targets?  Wow.  Glad the Falcons have figured out they should probably throw to the highest drafted Tight End in NFL history.

Calvin Ridley had his best game of the season, going for 122 on 7 grabs.

Unfortunately, Khalil Herbert left his game with a high-ankle sprain, and it's sounding like there's a chance he'll be placed on IR.

With Saquon nursing his ankle also, things are looking a little dire at the RB position at the moment.

Brice gets a sibling rivalry matchup with Ramsey this week.

Kyle got the best of Tom this week.

Let's go through the list of people Kyle has back in action now...

In his debut, Cooper Kupp resumed right where he left off, with 118 yards on 12 targets.

Alvin Kamara has now put up a couple solid back-to-back games since returning from suspension.

And Jonathan Taylor is BACK, BABY!  aaaand proceeded to get 18 rushing yards on 6 carries. 

I guess Zack Moss wasn't ready to let go of the job, as he had 195 total yards and 2 scores.

Zack Moss was actually the 1st RB to run for 100 yards vs the Titans since Week 1.....of 2022.  Could be a fun time for Kyle deciding who to play in Week 6.

Tom's team still leans on the talent of Stefon Diggs, who has 100+ receiving yards in all but 1 game so far this season.  

Isiah Pacheco has now scored in 3 straight games, and clearly is the top option in the Chiefs backfield right now.  

George Kittle's 3 TD performance was nice to see, as he hasn't done much with his limited opportunities up until this point.  In fact, he only had 3 TOTAL catches in the game.  So it's all-or-nothing with Kittle I guess.

Tom will head to the landfill to take on Garbage in Week 6.

I guess this week proved that Brock Purdy is better than CMC and CeeDee Lamb combined.  Zach's team won our extremely close matchup due to Purdy's heroics.  The 49ers certainly look like a force to be reckoned with.

A huge game out of Travis Etienne didn't hurt either, as he went for nearly 200 all-purpose yards, 2 TDs, and a 2-point conversion for good measure.

In a moment that likely left Zach (and his fellow Swifties) gasping, Kelce left his game with a non-contact injury just prior to halftime, but actually ended up returning to the game.  Apparently it's an ankle sprain, and at this point he's expecting to suit up for Week 6, but will be something to monitor.

In another close matchup, Jordan got just enough out of Davante Adams on Monday Night to take home the victory vs Dan.  Sam LaPorta delivered 2 scores to lead the way for his team.

Kyren Williams had an off week, but will look to bounce back vs a porous Cardinals D in Week 6.

Jordan moves to 3-2 on the year and will get to face Zach, the only remaining undefeated team, this week.

Old Man Thielen must be taking his Prevagen, or whatever his doctors are prescribing him these days.  11 catches for 107 and a TD to lead Dan's team in scoring.  He'll undoubtably be needed again this week, as the Panthers face a Miami team that can put up points at will.

Unfortunately his former teammate Justin Jefferson had the rare off week, and also tweaked his hamstring in the 4th quarter.  His week 6 status is still up in the air, but it's not looking good at this time.

Dan will look to rebound vs Luke this week.

Speaking of Luke, in yet another tight matchup, his team came out on top vs Ramsey.  

Emanuel Wilson was not the team savior as Ramsey had hoped.  

Leading Luke's team, Tyreek Hill put on a show (as he has a habit of doing), and Justin Fields now has back-to-back 4 TD weeks.

Ramsey got to witness the resurgence of Ja'Marr Chase, who was making plays everywhere, ending the day with 15 catches for 192 yards and 3 scores.

David Montgomery has also firmly established himself as "the guy" in Detroit, and is coming off consecutive big games.

Luke will battle Dan in week 6, while Ramsey and his brother get to fight it out.

That's all I've got for now.

Best of luck in your matchups this week!

- Eric

2023 - Week 4 Recap

Week 4

Well the Garbage Man CAN.  As long as he has Josh Jacobs and Mark Andrews manning the truck, anyways.

Kent got his first win of the season over Ramsey this week.  As I mentioned last week, maybe Josh Jacobs just doesn't turn it on until Week 4 every year.  And that appears to be the case.  Jacobs not only ran for 58 and a score, but more importantly had 11 targets and 8 receptions for 81 yards.  That sort of usage bodes well going forward for sure.

Mark Andrews found the endzone twice this week, and allowed all Andrews owners to finally exhale.

Kent also threw out a "land mine" by dropping Joshua Kelley and letting Brice do the suffering going forward.  A bold move, but looks to be a pretty good one based on yet another lackluster performance out of Kelley.

Kent actually faces off against Brice this upcoming week, but the Chargers are on Bye, so I'm fairly certain Kelley won't be in Brice's lineup.  Probably a blessing.

Ramsey had to deal with a couple rough RB performances.  Aaron Jones was apparently on a snap count on his return, notching only 5 carries, and Raheem Mostert (who has essentially been doubling his point total every week), went from nearly 42 points last week, to just 4 fantasy points this week.

On the positive side though, David Montgomery is clearly still a focal point of the Lions offense, as he had a ridiculous 32 carries, totaling 121 yards and 3 scores.  With Breece Hall's usage still a bit confusing, Ramsey will have some decisions on who to start at RB this week vs. Luke.

Zach's point total has been increasing every week so far, and he really put an exclamation point on that statistic, tallying 144 points in Week 4 with his win over Tom.

A.J. Brown finally found the endzone (a couple times), and now has back-to-back games with at least 13 targets.  Dallas' defense is AVERAGING 20 points a week by the way...yeah, I'd say that's pretty helpful.  

Zach has cruised to 4-0 and plays me this week.  So the good news is, one of us has to lose.

Tom slides to 0-4, but in his defense, he's had some rough matchups, especially the last couple of weeks.  He has the most points scored against him by a fairly wide margin, which never helps.  

Joe Burrow and the Bengals have been...frankly, pretty abysmal.  He is the lowest scoring QB in the NFL this year that has played in all 4 games.  Yikes...

He did get a huge game out of Diggs, which saw him find the endzone three times.  Isiah Pacheco also wound up with a ton of work, totaling over 150 yards and a TD.

Tom will lick his wounds and look to get his first win of the season vs Kyle in Week 5.

In a super tight matchup, Jordan outpaced Luke this week to move back to .500

Kyren Williams led the way with nearly 30 touches and 2 scores.  He might very well end up being the waiver wire pickup of the year.  He did get a little banged up in his game on Sunday, so he'll be one to monitor going into the weekend.  Brandon Aiyuk came back this week and broke off several long catches for 148 yards in total.  Davante Adams failed to find the endzone, but he is still a target monster and a focal point of that Raiders offense.

Jordan will try to get a winning streak going vs Dan this week.

Luke came out on the short side of a close one this week.  Talented WR Chris Olave almost pulled a complete disappearing act.  I blame most of that on Derek Carr, so hopefully just an outlier game.

Derrick Henry returned to form with 22 carries for 122 yards and a score.  His yardage totals have left a little to be desired so far, but Henry has a tendency to get stronger as the season goes on and defenses get banged up.  Tyreek Hill also failed to find the endzone for the first time this year.  

Luke will look to get back on track when he faces Ramsey in Week 5.

Brice got the better of Kyle this week, in another close matchup.

Josh Allen went nuclear for 4 passing TDs and 1 rushing score.  Bijan Robinson had a solid bounce-back game with 105 rushing yards and another 32 through the air.  The aforementioned Joshua Kelley STILL isn't Austin Ekeler.  But hey, maybe roll him out again when he's off Bye in week 6?

The clip above can also be used for Kyle Pitts.  He is like a walking, talking, shoulder-pad wearing disappointment.

The GOOD news is, Saquon is gonna be back (maybe this week?), and Khalil Herbert is emerging as maybe the only bright spot on an awful Bears team.  So there are some RB options at least.

Brice heads to the dump to face the Garbage Man in week 5.

Kyle got another solid performance out of Jalen Hurts, and a massive game out of waiver-wire wonder Nico Collins...but when nobody else in the lineup finds the endzone, it tends to make for a rough week.  Tony Pollard was pretty quiet in game where Dallas stomped New England, but I guess that happens when your defense is scoring half the points.

Kyle did get Kamara back in action, and it looks like he'll be a solid start rest-of-season.  Cooper Kupp is apparently going to be back at practice, but hell if I know what's going on with Jonathan Taylor.  Is he playing?  Is he getting traded?  Is he going on a long vacation with Le'Veon Bell?  Nobody seems to know.

Kyle will try to get back in the win column vs Tom this week.

Last but not least, Christian McCaffrey beat Dan this week.  The rest of my team didn't really matter.  

Dan did get a multi-TD game out of Mr. Justin Jefferson, although what's the deal with him not being able to get 150 yards?  Does he suck now, or what?  I'm sure he'll just double it this week, and put up 300 to stay on-pace.

Speaking of sucking, Tee Higgins...no, scratch that.. the BENGALS.  They suck.  It's full-blown panic mode in Cincinnati right now.  If they lose to the Cardinals this week, which is actually possible in this world we live in now, they might as well just pack it up.

One more note... I can't believe old man Thielen has returned to relevance and is a Top 10 WR on the season right now.

Dan faces Jordan this week, to try to get back to a winning record.

Alright boys, that's all I've got for now.  Best of luck on the waiver wire and in Week 5!

Cheers,

- Eric