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.
Colts at Bills: Sounds like it will be Nathan Peterman at quarterback for Buffalo. So, downgrade any lousy Buffalo receivers you were unwisely considering starting, and upgrade the Colts defense as a one-week fill-in. I wouldn't bench LeSean McCoy, that's about the only Bill to consider. Weather might also be a factor. Not a choice matchup for the Colts offense, but decent for Gore, Hilton, Doyle.
Vikings at Panthers: Vikings defense is obviously for real, so a good week to avoid Devin Funchess and Cam Newton if you can. I'm not personally willing to trust Greg Olsen, though some PPR value. And Christian McCaffrey should be fine in PPR, busy no doubt. Carolina not scary against the pass, so though I want no part of Minnesota's running game, Thielen, Diggs and Rudolph look fine.
Bears at Bengals: Bengals are short a few defenders and also Joe Mixon, so Jordan Howard looks better than if the Bengals were healthy, and Giovani Bernard should be solid as a full-time running back. Nobody is sitting down A.J. Green, whose final catch (before halftime!) beat me in a playoff game last week, brutal. Probably be a more defensive-minded game, or at least conservative offensively, so I wouldn't be getting crazy with guys like LaFell or Inman.
Packers at Browns: Browns fired their GM. When a team wins one game over the course of two seasons I'm not really sure how anyone keeps their job. I'm starting Josh Gordon, who seems suspension-proof, and the Packers defense is pretty soft in the secondary. I actually think Cleveland might win this game, which would stick a fork in Green Bay and maybe torpedo the idea of Aaron Rodgers returning, which is still uncertain. I'm expecting a Jamaal Williams/Aaron Jones committee and wouldn't use either.
49ers at Texans: There could be more offense in this game than expected. Neither team is good defending the pass, so reasonable to consider guys like Marquise Goodwin and Stephen Anderson; I am. Will Fuller returns, and he put up some great numbers when healthy (but keep in mind that was with DeShaun Watson, not Tom Savage). Starting Carlos Hyde and Lamar Miller. I suppose I'm going to have to cut C.J. Beathard in dynasty, a shame, he was a nice fantasy option for a few weeks.
Raiders at Kansas City: Looks like a high-scoring affair, obviously no one is benching the KC players who lit it up last week. Love Crabtree and actually in favor of Marshawn Lynch this week too. Would like to say Kareem Hunt will finally score, but how long must this horse be beaten? Amari Cooper is questionable but I wouldn't use him; too much chance of him not being 100 percent if he plays at all. I think Kansas City gets the win, but only because the Raiders don't look good to me; not sure how they've won six games.
Lions at Bucs: Lot of talk about how great a matchup this is for the Lions but it ignores the reality that the Bucs defense has been respectable at home. I'd stay well away from Detroit's running game. Matthew Stafford is likely going to start and I'm still using Marvin Jones; every time I've sat him down I've regretted it. For the Bucs, Winston and Evans and Brate yes, but I want no part of the running game. Looks like Doug Martin will start because Dirk Koetter doesn't believe guys should lose jobs due to injury. You'd think underperformance would be a viable reason? Whatever, can't safely use Peyton Barber, sorry if you wasted a waiver claim.
Cowboys at Giants: Eli Manning returns. In the history of 14-year starting streaks in sports, I'm pretty sure none have ended as bizarrely as "benched for Geno Smith." And then reinstated when the coach was fired, which I actually expected to happen last week, before the streak ended. It's all just pretty kooky. Anyway. Starting Dez (no Janoris Jenkins) and Evan Engram. Some interest in Alfred Morris. Sterling Shepard is questionable; I think he should be decent if we have some confidence he won't be limited, though it's hard to fully trust the Giants decision making. Weather shouldn't be much of a factor, snow today perhaps but not Sunday.
Titans at Cardinals: Sometimes I watch arguments on Twitter out of boredom, followed one this week debating whether the 8-4 Titans are actually good. Honestly, I kind of hate Twitter. Anyway, the problem with the Titan is they're good enough to win with a really easy schedule (catching good teams like Seattle when they were playing poorly) but not aggressive enough to really help fantasy teams. Oh yeah, the game. Delanie Walker and Larry Fitzgerald should both be good. I'm fine with Blaine Gabbert against a lousy pass defense. No Adrian Peterson, wouldn't want to use a Cardinals running back. Titans have a Henry-Murray committee, nothing to add to the rankings there. Flier appeal in Ricky Seals-Jones.
Jets at Broncos: Sounds like Robby Anderson is OK. Maybe the Jets D is soft enough to give the Broncos offense some potential fantasy starters. But it's a running back committee, the quarterbacking will likely be bad, there's just an air of disappointment hovering over everything Broncos. I think I'm using Austin Seferian-Jenkins, because he's a better bet than the wide receivers in this particular matchup (last week was the opposite).
Washington at Chargers: Starting Philip Rivers, Keenan Allen and the Chargers defense. Could have used a little more than I got from them against Cleveland last week. But Washington's defense is poor and banged-up and so is their line. Chargers very tough on wide receivers so I'm not using any of Washington's offense but Samaje Perine. Heaven knows why Washington goes through the charade of ruling Jordan Reed out each week rather than chucking him on IR.
Seahawks at Jaguars: Benching the Jaguars defense for the Steelers. Hate to do it but that's how much respect I have for Russell Wilson. I don't think the passing game will have a huge outing against Jacksonville's top pass defense, but Jalen Ramsey is hurting and if anyone can prosper it's Wilson and Jimmy Graham. Mike Davis starts and should be kind of OK as a full-time back. Please recall I wrote off Thomas Rawls several weeks before everyone else did. For Jacksonville, well, I wouldn't really want to be counting too heavily on anybody on their offense, even with Seattle's defense down a few starters.
Eagles at Rams: Zach Ertz is the big question here. Hoping he's cleared and active, but it's not certain. If he's out I'd use Trey Burton, who was targeted 7 times last week after Ertz sidelined. Tough to run on the Eagles but you can't sit down Gurley. Eagles should have some success on the ground, Rams through the air. Though I don't trust Robert Woods even if active.
Ravens at Steelers: Steelers at home are usually pretty good, but I'm a little wary of the Ravens D. I'd be using Brown Bell and Roethlisberger obviously, but that's it. For the Ravens, Pittsburgh's defense has lost a lot with Joe Haden and Ryan Shazier out. I think you can certainly consider Mike Wallace and just maybe Alex Collins/Danny Woodhead, though they'll mix in Javorius Allen to frustrate all of us. Should be cold for this one, so maybe that keeps scoring down. But I think you start the regular players and cross your fingers.
Patriots at Dolphins: I am well aware putting together an NFL schedule is difficult, but I think the same teams playing twice in 15 days should be avoidable. Does anyone really need to see Patriots-Dolphins again? In primetime, no less? No Gronk, but Chris Hogan should return. I like Jarvis Landry and Kenyan Drake as a full-time guy. Burkhead has been too hot to sit down. Would be nice to see Miami give the Patriots a game, but not counting on it. Haven't studied the playoff implications but I think Patriots-Steelers is pretty much the only meaningful AFC game left on the schedule (and Steelers D is now too banged-up for even that to matter).
Enjoy the games.
--Andy Richardson