Weather? What Weather?

It was an up-and-down week for me in both regular season-long leagues and in DFS. I realize I don’t post much DFS content here other than a quick tidbit here and there, but maybe that’s something I’ll add in the future. ❓️ 

Playoff spots were secured or lost for many this week, including for myself. It’s been a frustrating year for many and I have no doubt some are just ready for the season to end. Injuries have marred the season, with so many quarterbacks hurt. Not to mention wideouts and running backs on that list.

But here is a list of some of the backup QB’s that are currently starters (or are likely to be starters come game time): Tommy DeVito, Aiden O’Connell, Joe Flacco, Will Levis, Mitchell Trubisky, Bailey Zappe, Zach Wilson, Jake Browning, Gardner Minshew, Easton Stick, and Nick Mullens. I count eleven there. That’s just the backups, much less the starters you can’t reliably trust for fantasy purposes (see: NFC South QBs).

However, we must keep pushing, it’s playoff time!

News and Notes

• 🔵 Zack Moss turned back into a pumpkin. So far after two weeks of being the starter once more, he has struggled mightily. Receiving work has been the only thing keeping him afloat. 🐎 

• 🦁 Nothing went right for Detroit on Sunday. If you started Jahmyr Gibbs then you were happy, but Amon-Ra St.Brown, David Montgomery, and Jared Goff were all held in check. Amon-Ra had been the model of consistency, but that came to an abrupt end on Sunday.

• 🐻 Justin Fields and DJ Moore made it work once again. Moore was the center of the offense and that shows no signs of stopping. If you have him, rejoice!

• 🔴 ⚫️ For once, the Falcons used all three of their top-end offensive talents. Kyle Pitts caught a touchdown. Drake London hauled in ten of his 11 targets for 172 yards. Bijan Robinson scored and was used on the ground and through the air. The unfortunate thing was that they lost. So Arthur Smith has more ammo to NOT use them.

• 🏴‍☠️ Rachaad White kept up his workhorse role with 27 touches. He’s a key cog in that offense and while he may not be valuable long-term, there is definitely upside to him this season.

• 🐶 🟠 Joe Flacco has been confirmed as the Browns for the rest of the season. David Njoku caught two touchdowns. Amari Cooper had 14 targets. Elijah Moore and Jerome Ford stayed involved with six targets each. Flacco won’t be throwing 45 times every game, but it looks like he will keep the Browns pass catchers relevant.

• 🛩️ Zach Wilson looked like the No.2 overall pick he was supposed to be against Houston. It wasn’t pretty for the first half, but the Jets put up a ridiculous 30 second-half points. The Jets had scored a combined 27 points in the previous three games.

• Speaking of the Jets performances, Breece Hall put together a good game. It’s not a question of talent, but the offensive line has not been good. But, he averaged four yards a carry and caught eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He’s next in line for targets behind Garrett Wilson, and that doesn’t show signs of changing. 🟢 

• 🐄 C.J. Stroud finally suffered a down game. He left with a concussion, but it’s unlikely he would have improved his fantasy finish by much. He was already without Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz and proceeded to lose Nico Collins as well. Without any receiver to threaten an already great passing defense, Stroud fell short.

• ⚡️ Justin Herbert is now set to miss time with a broken finger. When does the chaos end?!?

• 🐅 Maybe the Bengals will be alright? They might not be Super Bowl contenders anymore, but Jake Browning has accounted for five touchdowns in the past two games, two of them rushing scores.

• ⛈️ Weather is a huge factor until it isn’t. The Rams and Ravens proved that. Odell Beckham, Isaiah Likely, Zay Flowers, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams all produced. ⛈️ 

• 🔵 Living in the Old North State, I know some Carolina fans. And believe me, I know the pain you are going through. Sort of. I suffered through many years of QB play with Cleveland, but we had our picks. Sorry, not trying to rub anything in just saying there is a slight difference in the pain levels. Bryce Young struggled mightily, completing only 13-of-36 passes for 137 yards in the Panthers’ loss to the Saints. Chuba Hubbard and Adam Thielen had serviceable games, but nothing really got going for the offense.

Waiver Wire and Trade Targets

• QB: Jake Browning vs. MIN, Joe Flacco vs. CHI, Gardner Minshew vs. PIT, Mitch Trubisky vs. IND

• RB: Zamir White vs. LAC, Ty Chandler vs. CIN

• WR: Noah Brown vs. TEN, Dontayvion Wicks vs. TB, Demario Douglas vs. KC

• TE: Cade Otton vs. GB, Tyler Conklin vs. MIA, Tanner Hudson vs. MIN

• DST: Chargers vs. LV, Las Vegas vs. LAC, Atlanta vs. CAR

Thursday Night Preview

Los Angeles Chargers

I’m not expecting much from the Chargers against the Raiders with Easton Stick at QB. Volume will help Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler stay relevant. They are WR2 and RB2 plays Quentin Johnston caught three of his four targets for 91 yards, so he can in fact catch. It’ll be interesting to see if he finally turned a corner or if that was a blip in the radar. I personally need to see more from him. Gerald Everett is a serviceable streamer at tight end, but his ceiling is certainly lower.

Las Vegas Raiders

Speaking of low ceilings, the Raiders were shut out by the Vikings on Sunday. Josh Jacobs is now dealing with an injury and if he misses, Zamir White should be next in line for touches. Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers once again headline the Raiders’ pass-catching options, and there’s nowhere to go but up in my opinion. Both are flex-worthy against LA.

Final Thoughts

That’s all for now! I’ll see you on Friday with the rest of the week's preview and Spousal Showdown!