Every Saturday morning, I'll take a quick look at all the week's games, offering my own brief 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 lineup 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 take precedence. But sometimes players are very close, and in those cases I'm glad to offer opinions on how I'd approach those situations. Sometimes I like certain players more or less than Ian, and sometimes I have different risk tolerance with injuries etc. If I don't get to your question, either I missed it (it happens) or the rankings are very clear. (If one guy is ranked a dozen spots above somebody else, I'm going to respect that more often than not; we put a lot of time into those things.) OK, on to the games!
Browns at Ravens: Starting the week off with one of the trickier ones. I'm expecting a Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill committee. The question which one will get more work -- Hill was ahead of Drake when he was healthy, Drake had the good game last week. We've got Drake higher, but there's some (a lot) of guesswork. Plus is that the Browns have been really bad against the run, so both could be good if it's an even committee. I do not expect Gus Edwards to be active for this game, or for Mike Davis to be a factor. Ravens should win. I expect Mark Andrews to play, but it will need to be confirmed he's active.
Bucs at Panthers: Great, it's the other complicated one. I expect a Foreman-Hubbard committee. Maybe undrafted Raheem Blackshear has an offensive role. I would not use a Carolina back this week, given the bad matchup and the uncertain distribution of carries. If Carolina has the ball inside the 5-yard-line, Foreman should get the carries. Hubbard should catch any passes. With Carolina pretty certain to lose this game, Hubbard is probably the more appealing prospect in PPR formats. Everyone will be excited to hear that the Thursday game in Week 10 is Atlanta at Carolina.
Falcons at Bengals: Teams are pretty healthy. Bengals defense has played well this year. Falcons have been running well but I'm not really enamored of their running back committee in this matchup.
Lions at Cowboys: I saw someone saying this game should be higher-scoring. For Dallas maybe. Last time we saw the Lions they were getting shut out at New England, and this defense is better. Anyway, I'm in Dak, Lamb and both Elliott and Pollard. Gallup to a lesser extent. For Detroit, I'm using Swift and taking my chances. But I think it's reasonable to expect he'll play only half the snaps, and looks best in PPR for some catches (Lions won't be running for lots of touchdowns against this defense). Amon-Ra, yes. Hockenson probably (do many people have better TE options?).
Giants at Jaguars: Teams mostly healthy. Marvin Jones iffy, but no one should really be considering Jones. I like Evan Engram against his former team. I think it's a better than average week to use a Jacksonville running back.
Colts at Titans: Jonathan Taylor is expected to play. I'm using him because I'd rather use my top pick and be disappointed than bench him and feel stupid. Derrick Henry should be very good. With the Eagles Defense on a bye, I'm going with Tennessee's defense, on the season-long numbers of sacks and turnovers Matt Ryan has been involved in (as well as the earlier meeting), while acknowledging that Ryan had a clean outing last week. Will also use Pittman.
Packers at Commanders: Will the Green Bay offense finally break out with a strong game? I'm saying probably, and gung ho on both Aarons, Lazard and Robert Tonyan. Romeo Doubs next in line, and I guess Sammy Watkins might be an option. I have a league where bye weeks and injuries (Lockett, Allen) have left me needing to pick up a wide receiver tomorrow just to have 2 to start. Watkins is a dim possibility; there's not much out there. Washington doesn't have Logan Thomas, maybe not John Bates or Jahan Dotson. So the best option after McLaurin and Samuel might be Cole Turner. I think I'm using Brian Robinson somewhere; wish I'd used Eno. My bad.
Jets at Broncos: Russell Wilson questionable with a hamstring injury. I'm not certain this is a negative for Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. That's where we're at. Everyone breathlessly reporting that Melvin Gordon would start this week like it's a big deal. Gordon "started" last week. No Elijah Moore, whoopie, no one was starting a Jets wide receiver anyway I don't think. Arguably Breece Hall, Sutton, and the defenses are the only good options here.
Texans at Raiders: Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Dameon Pierce. I think those are the appealing choices in this game. Raiders should win. Darren Waller is out, making Foster Moreau a desperation TE fill-in, but Moreau isn't Waller.
Seahawks at Chargers: Considering the way teams have been running all over the Chargers, it was weird that Denver didn't run all over them, especially once they jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Or it would be weird if we didn't know that Denver's coaching staff sucks. Anyway, Ken Walker looks great here. Chargers offense looks great, the ones available anyway. Josh Palmer isn't playing and I don't expect Keenan Allen to either. So Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter and Gerald Everett are your guys. Seahawks passing game also looks fine. Probably higher scoring.
Kansas City at 49ers: If I had McCaffrey anywhere, I'd be using him. I expect he'll play plenty. He's a running back, let's not overrate the whole learning the playbook thing with him. He'll run it, he'll catch some dumpoffs, he'll probably score. I don't think he'll be a top-5 back his first week or anything, but few teams have two better running back options this week. Interesting game to watch, I'm starting most key guys where I have them.
Steelers at Dolphins: And another interesting game to see. Neither defense has played great most of the year. I think the running games should be busy, maybe both tight ends will be involved (yes even Gesicki, maybe), both Miami wideouts obviously and a couple of the Steelers (tricky part is figuring which ones). Hoping Chase Claypool gets traded, would be good for him and my shares of George Pickens.
Bears at Patriots: Another primetime thriller. No way do I think Justin Fields has a good game against the Patriots defense, and I'm not sure any Bears do. New England should run with ease and Damien Harris is healthy, so I'd use him and Rhamondre Stevenson and take my chances. One should be huge, or both should be good. Patriots Defense a great choice. Not the best Monday night game, but we're getting inured to it I think.
Enjoy the games.