FSH NOTEBOOK: FANTASY FOOTBALL FIXX

November 4th, 2023

David’s Daily 

Saturday Late-Evening Edition

Friday’s Saturday’s Fantasy Fixx

(My DFS Lineup - Week 9)

I love to play DFS every week, but I have yet to hit the Millionaire-maker. Until I do I’ll just keep throwing my hat in the ring and taking a shot. This week I went heavy with the backfield, relying on ball carriers with higher usage rate.

For Week 9, I will shoot with the following;

QB-Derek Carr (Saints) The Saints signal caller has been rolling lately with three straight games with 300+ yards passing. This week he has a home matchup with a 30th ranked Bears secondary.

RB-Jonathan Taylor (Colts) Last week Taylor started heating up with 95 yards rushing last week on 12 carries. This week's matchup against the looks great for 

RB-Aaron Jones (Packers) At home, Rams are going with a back-up quarterback, it’s the perfect storm to turn Jones loose. He’s only averaged 11 touches his last two games, turn him loose.

WR-Van Jefferson (Falcons) With Drake London ruled out for Week 9, the door is open for Jefferson to make an impact in the passing game. A change at quarterback this week may also serve well for Jefferson.

WR-Nico Collins (Texans) The Texans wideout is coming off a quiet Week 8 showing and has not made much noise since his Week 4 explosion against the Steelers. This week he faces a Buccaneers secondary that has struggled against receivers the past couple of games. Week 9 could be redemption for Collins.

WR- Terry McLaurin (Commanders) The Commanders leading receiver this season is averaging better than 10 targets per game over his last three. His target rate gives him a chance for a big game. 

TE-Cole Kmet (Bears) This pick is based on game script. The Bears receivers will likely draw the meat of the secondary. Kmet was targeted 10 times last week and in a matchup that could see the Bears trailing on the road, Kmet could see similar usage.

RB-Alvin Kamara (Saints) This season Kamara has been incredibly safe this season with a higher floor than most. He leads all backfields this season in touches per game and has a very good matchup this week against the Bears who struggle with pass catching running backs, most receiving yards allowed this season.

DST-Browns. The Browns defense has been consistent and one of the safest plays this season. They are home this week against a Cardinals offense that will have a rookie QB making his first career start.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THE FRIDAY NIGHT (FF) WATERCOOLER

November 3rd, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Friday Late-Evening Edition

The Wednesday Friday Watercooler

Targets Equal Opportunities

Looking ahead to the weekend for the insight and information to help you set your fantasy football lineups. This is a list of the top targeted receivers out wide, from the backfield, and at tight end for Week 8.

Here are the weekly leaders for Receiving Targets;

Week 8

Top 10 WR

1. CeeDee Lamb - 14

2. Diontae Johnson - 14

3. DK Metcalf - 14

4. Tyreek Hill - 13

5. Garrett Wilson - 13

6. Michael Pittman Jr - 13

7. Jaylen Waddle - 12

8. Ja’Marr Chase - 12

9. Gabe Davis - 12

10. Terry McLaurin – 12

11. Stefon Diggs - 12

The Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (fantasy WR22) remains fantasy relevant averaging over 9 targets per game. A Week 9 matchup with the Chargers on Monday night looks like a promising outcome for Wilson and company. The Chargers secondary has allowed the third most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receiver this season.

Week 8

Top 10 TE

1. Trey McBride - 14

2. George Kittle - 11

3. Sam LaPorta - 10

4. Cole Kmet - 10

5. Evan Engram - 10

6. TJ Hockenson - 9

7. Travis Kelce - 9

8. David Njoku - 8

9. Logan Thomas - 8

10. Dalton Kincaid - 7

11. Tyler Higbee - 7

12. Dallas Goedert - 7

The Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (fantasy TE1) has looked unrecoverable and unstoppable all season and his target share shows, quarterback Patrick Mahomes agrees. Kelce is averaging over 9 targets per game and has a 79.4% success catch rate this season. With 54 receptions, 583 yards, and 4 touchdowns he’s locked in every week.

Week 8

Top 10 RB

1. Breece Hall - 9

2. Austin Ekeler - 8

3. Christian McCaffrey - 7

4. Rachaad White - 7

5. Travis Etienne Jr - 6

6. Jahmyr Gibbs - 5

7. Alvin Kamara - 5

8. Saquon Barkley - 5

9. Bijan Robinson - 5

10. 6 more players tied with - 5

The Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been fantasy gold in ppr formats since returning to action in Week 4. Kamara has been targeted 44 times (8.8 per game) this season, most of any running back in the NFL recording 39 receptions and 228 yards receiving. He’s locked into lineups every week and is a DFS favorite this week.

Touches Are Fantasy Gold

Just like a receiver needs to be targeted, a running backs success leans heavily on how many times they touch (carries + catches) the rock.

Here are the weekly Touch leaders;

Week 8

Top 10 RB

1. Saquon Barkley - 39

2. Jahmyr Gibbs - 31

3. Javonte Williams - 30

4. Travis Etienne Jr - 27

5. Derrick Henry - 26

6. Austin Ekeler - 22

7. Alvin Kamara - 21

8. Gus Edwards - 21

9. Emari Demercado - 20

10. Joe Mixon - 19

For consecutive weeks now, Saquon Barkley has led all backfields with the most touches for the week. Heading out west this week to face the Raiders, Barkley figures to be prominent once again. He may not reach the 30 carry plateau this Sunday, but he looks like a strong bet to reach 20+ touches.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY HEROES WEEK 8

October 30th, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Monday Evening Edition

NFL Sunday Week 8

Sunday’s Heroes

Another Sunday funday of NFL action is in the books. There were plenty of stars shining on the field and gladiators slaying the competition. With Monday Night Football kick-off underway, a quick look back at some of the best performances from Sunday Week 8.

Here were some of the Fantasy Football Heroes from NFL Sunday Week 8.

Sunday Heroes (Week 8)

QB-Joe Burrow (Bengals) Joe Burrow was cool under pressure, facing the Niners defense on the road in Santa Clara. Burrow completed 19 passes in a row on his way to 28 of 32 passing (87.5% completion rate) for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Over his last three starts Burrow (fantasy QB20) has averaged over 29 completions per game while throwing 8 touchdowns and adding 54 rushing yards.

RB-Alvin Kamara (Saints) The Saints running back has been a fantasy phenom this season. On Sunday he continued his tear totaling 110 yards of offense (59 rush, 51 receive) and scoring two touchdowns (1 run, 1 receive) on 21 touches. Over his last four games Kamara (fantasy RB2) is averaging 25+ touches, 116 yards of offense, with three scores (2 run, 1 receive).

WR-AJ Brown (Eagles) The Eagles receiver AJ Brown continues to be a force in fantasy and on the field. Once again he was dominant, helping to lead the Eagles to a win on Sunday over the Commanders. Brown was targeted 8 times and caught all 8 passes for 130 yards receiving with two touchdowns. Brown’s (fantasy WR2) Week 8 numbers bring his season totals to 60 receptions for 939 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns.

TE-Gorge Kittle (49ers) Kittle was a big part of the passing game on Sunday with Deebo Samuel sidelined. Kittle was targeted 11 times and caught 9 passes for 149 yards receiving in the team’s Week 8 loss to the Bengals. With his big day on Sunday, Kittle (fantasy TE5) raised his season totals to 32 receptions, for 443 yards receiving, and three touchdowns.

DL-Jeffrey Simmons (Titans) The Titans run stuffer did what he does. Simmons was a terror on the ground stuffing the run and turning in a big performance in Week 8. He recorded 6 tackles, including 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, and one forced fumble. Simmons (fantasy DL17) raised his season totals to 17 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks.

LB-Kayvon Thibodeaux (Giants) The Giants linebacker was busy on Sunday, creating chaos and wrecking havoc in the rainy conditions on Sunday in New York. Thibodeaux (fantasy LB27) recorded 6 solo tackles, 3 assists, 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble. His scoring on Sunday was tops for IDP.

DB-DaRon Bland (Cowboys) The Cowboys defensive back was Johnny on the spot Sunday, leading the Cowboys defense to a blowout win over the Rams. Bland (fantasy DB3) continued his strong seasonal play on Sunday recording 6 tackles, 1 assist, 2 passes defensed, and a pick six. Bland now has three defensive touchdowns this season.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DFS WEEKLY (WEEK 8)

October 28th, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Sunday Morning Edition

DFS Weekly Primer

Fantasy Five

It’s another week of DFS play for me and looking over the week 8 slate I see several options I can work with to build a lineup. It’s been a rough season for me, I haven't quite had the success I was hoping for and expecting, but Week 8 is another day.

I like players like (RB) Alvin Kamara, (WR) Ja’Marr Chase, and (WR) Terry McLaurin this week and will have plenty of shares of each in my DFS lineup to go along with the following plays here. These are some of the plays that I like in DFS this week.

Dameon Pierce (Texans-RB) The Texans running back has been relatively quiet this season, but a great matchup this week against the Panthers affords the opportunity to shine. The Panthers are the 31st ranked defense against the run and allow the 5th most yards per carry. If the stars align, Pierce could be back in the fantasy fold.

Breece Hall (Jets-RB) Fresh off the bye, the 2nd year back would appear to be healthy and ready for a big Week. Hall has been the clear leader in the backfield the past couple of games and is poised for a big outing against a porous Giants run defense (ranked 27th against the run). His low DFS (DK) salary makes him a premium play this week.

Calvin Ridley (Jaguars-WR) The Jaguars wideout has been highly inconsistent, along the boom or bust lines this season. He is currently the fantasy WR45, but he continues to see a steady diet of targets weekly.  Squaring off with the Steelers this week, Ridley will face a secondary that is ranked 25th against the pass, allowing the 3rd most fantasy points and 7th most receiving yards to opposing receivers.

Odell Beckham Jr (Ravens-WR) This week the Ravens passing game has a good matchup against the Cardinals 23rd ranked defense. The rookie wideout Zay Flowers figures to be a key play for the Ravens on Sunday, but after logging a Full practice on Friday and carrying no injury designation Beckham Jr could be ready for a bigger role this week. OBJ is coming off his best game of the season in Week 7 that included 7 targets. At his low (DK) salary value, I like his chances to make a splash in Week 8.

George Kittle (49ers-TE) With the 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel already ruled out, Kittle (fantasy TE8) can expect to see a greater share of targets in his Week 8 matchup with the Bengals. The Bengals defense allows the 7th most fantasy points and 3rd most touchdowns (4) to opposing tight ends this season. Kittle is due for a big day.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SATURDAY (FF) QUICK TAKES

October 28, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Saturday Afternoon Edition

Fantasy Football Quick Takes

Rams vs Cowboys Matchup

The Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (fantasy WR7 - ppr) has collected 58 receptions for 752 yards receiving this season. He's a must-start every week.

Vikings vs Packers Matchup

The Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is averaging 5.3 receptions for 71.7 yards and better than a touchdown over his last three games. He's a must-start every week.

Falcons vs Titans Matchup

The Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has been the fantasy QB7 over the last three weeks averaging 295 yards passing, 1 touchdowns, and 22 yards rushing per game. He's in play in 2-QB and deeper leagues.

Saints vs Colts Matchup

The Saints running back Alvin Kamara is averaging 26 touches and 118 yards of offense over his last three games played. He's the fantasy RB3 during this stretch. A must-start matchup for Week 8

Patriots vs Dolphins Matchup

The Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has totaled 53 receptions for 902 yards receiving and 7 scores this season. He is the fantasy WR1. He's forever locked in.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THURSDAY NIGHT MATCHUP

October 19th, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Thursday Afternoon Edition

Thursday Night Matchup

Tonight’s matchup between the Saints and Jaguars may lack the same fireworks appeal as the Sunday Night showdown between the Dolphins and Eagles, but it will have plenty of fantasy relevance. With stars like Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Calvin Ridley headlining tonight’s showcase, there should be enough action to keep fantasy managers interested. 

Ones to Watch

The Jaguars starting running rack Travis Etienne Jr (fantasy RB3 the past three weeks) has been rolling of late, averaging 113 yards of offense and better than a touchdown over his last three games. The Saints rookie receiver Rashid Shaheed scored his second touchdown of the season this past Sunday and has been targeted 15 times in his last three games.

For the DFS play tonight, I have some favorites.

Alvin Kamara (Saint-RB) Kamara has been heavily targeted (25 targets) since week 4, when he returned from his three-game suspension. The Saints ball-carrier has yet to break out, but the heavy volume (25 touches per game this season) and fantasy production is there. It’s just a matter of time before Kamara has a blow up game. He’s my favorite in this one tonight.

Derek Carr (Saints-QB) The Jaguars have a pretty good defense, so it could be tough sledding for Carr and company tonight. The Saints signal caller is now a few weeks removed from his shoulder injury and each week he’s seeming to play a little better. Last week Carr passed for 353 yards passing 50 times. He may not quite get to 50 in this one, but he could have some great success with Kamara out of the backfield and his favorite target in the mid-range, Chris Olave.

Chris Olave (Saints-WR) The Saints top receiving option is coming off a 10-target, 7 reception showing in Week 6. After a fast start this season (32 targets in three games), Olave seemed to have cooled down when his quarterback went down. With Carr now appearing healthy again, fantasy managers can expect to see more of the early season Olave going forward. He’s in for a busy night.

Christian Kirk (Jaguars-WR) After a quiet opening Sunday recording just one catch for 9 yards receiving, Kirk has been the model of consistency for the Jaguars. In his last 5 games he’s had at least 6 targets and recorded at least 6 receptions or scored a touchdown. He’s averaging over 16 fantasy points per game during this stretch and is the fantasy WR15. He’s a safe play in this matchup tonight.

Evan Engram (Jaguars-TE) Just like Kirk, the Jaguars tight end Evan Engram has been Mr. Consistent. This season he’s scored in double digit fantasy points in 4 of 6 games, only once has he scored less than 9.9 fantasy points, and he’s been targeted at least 7 times in 5 of his 6 games. Engram is the fantasy TE6 this season and while on paper the matchup against the Saints defense (ranked 7th vs tight ends) looks tough, in week 6 the Texans were able to enjoy success going to the tight end position. I’d expect the usual numbers from Engram in this one.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: FF SOMETHING WORTH NOTING (WK6)

October 17th, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Tuesday Afternoon Edition

Fantasy Football: Something Worth Noting 

(Week 6 Takeaways)

There was plenty to take notice of from the games just played. Here’s a look back at week 6 and some fantasy football notes that I believe are worth a take or two.

Jared Goff (Lions-QB) The Lions starter has been better than good over the past three weeks averaging more than 20 fantasy points per game. In his last two starts he’s been even better, averaging 36 pass attempts, 24.9 fantasy points per game, while passing for 294.5 yards and 2.5 touchdowns per game. A solid streamer, maybe even starter in deeper leagues.

Sam Howell (Commanders-QB) The Commanders signal caller has been pretty good for fantasy managers the past couple of weeks. Over his last two starts, Howell is averaging 37 pass attempts, a completion rate of 70.3%, 269.5 yards passing, 2.5 touchdown passes, and 21.9 fantasy points. A great streaming options to get through the byes.

Raheem Mostert (Dolphins-RB) Handling lead back duties in week 6 and expected to continue in this role for the near future, Mostert is cementing himself as a weekly must-start. In his last two starts he has totaled 4 touchdowns (3 run, 1 receive), averaged over 100 yards of offense, and averaged 25 fantasy points per game. He's locked into weekly lineups.

Alvin Kamara (Saints-RB) Over the last two weeks, the Saints running back is the fantasy RB7. He’s averaging 20.5 rush attempts, 74 yards rushing, 26.5 yards receiving, 5 receptions, and 18 fantasy points per game. Another weekly lock and a reliable DFS play.

Travis Etienne Jr (Jaguars-RB) The Jaguars running back has been stellar for fantasy managers over the last two weeks leading all ball carriers in fantasy scoring. Over his past two games, Etienne Jr has averaged 22 rushing attempts, 95.5 yards rushing, 3.5 receptions, 38 yards receiving, two touchdowns, and 29.9 fantasy points per game. A DFS anchor and weekly starter.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions-WR) The Lions wide receiver has been about the most consistent this season. He suffered an abdomen injury that forced him to miss Week 5, but this season St. Brown has caught at least 5 passes in all of his games, including 26 receptions in his last three. He's locked in every week.

Adam Thielen (Panthers-WR) The Old man in Carolina has found the fountain of youth this season. Thielen is currently the fantasy WR6 (points per game) this season and he’s averaging 11.3 targets, 9.7 receptions, 99.3 yards receiving, and 23.8 fantasy points the past three weeks. H has to be started every week.

Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins-WR) Living in the shadow of Tyreek Hills the Dolphins other wide receiver has been steady the past couple of weeks. In his last two games, Waddle is averaging 9.5 targets, 6 receptions, 43 receiving yards, one touchdown, and 16.3 fantasy points. His upside makes it difficult to sit him anytime, a lineup staple.

Kyle Pitts (Falcons-TE) The Falcons tight end is starting to come alive this season averaging 15 fantasy points in his last two. Pitts has posted back-to-back strong outings with 11 receptions, 130 yards receiving, combined with one touchdown. He's back in the weekly starter conversation now.

Dalton Schultz (Texans-TE) The Texans tight end has been heating up of late. Schultz has scored in three straight and in his last two games he’s averaging 8.5 targets per game, tied for 2nd most among tight ends. He's a safe starter.

That’s My Take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THE WEDNESDAY WATERCOOLER

October 11th, 2023

David’s Daily Digest

Wednesday Evening Edition

The Wednesday Watercooler

Targets Equal Opportunities

5 weeks in and with week 6 on the horizon, there’s still one formula to success in fantasy football. Your guy needs to get the ball. In fantasy football luck will always play its part, but success is all about chances and opportunities. You can’t win if you don’t have the ball and your dudes can’t score fantasy points if they don’t have a chance.

Here are the weekly leaders for Receiving Targets;

Week 5

Top 10 WR

1. Ja’Marr Chase (19)

2. Adam Thielen (13)

3. Cooper Kupp (12)

4. Stefon Diggs (11)

5. DeAndre Hopkins (11)

6. Puka Nacua (11)

7. Zay Flowers (11)

8. DJ Moore (10)

9. George Pickens (10)

10. Jakobi Myers (10)

It looks like the Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp didn’t skip a beat in his week 5 return. But more importantly for fantasy owners, it appears the other Rams receiver Puka Nacua was able to continue his high volume assault in the passing game. Through five games Nacua leads the NFL with 63 targets.

Top 10 TE

1. Travis Kelce (11)

2. Logan Thomas (11)

3. Kyle Pitts (11)

4. Darren Waller (11)

5.Dalton Schultz (10)

6. Mark Andrews (10)

7. Dallas Goedert (9)

8. Chigoziem Okonkwo (9)

9. TJ Hockenson (8)

10. Evan Engram (8)

And just like that the effect of Pop-icon, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has not affected Travis Kelce’s game. Another strong performance from the Chief’s tight end in week 5, has him back on top of the fantasy tight end pedestal. Kelce ranks second among tight ends with 37 targets this season and over the past three weeks he ranks 1st with 23 receptions, 2nd with 196 yards receiving. His three receiving touchdowns is also tied for the league lead among tight ends.

Top 10 RB

1. David Montgomery (6)

2. D’Andre Swift (6)

3. Antonio Gibson (6)

4. Travis Etienne Jr (5)

5. Josh Jacobs (5)

6. Tyjae Spears (5)

7. Samaje Perine (5)

8. Tony Pollard (5)

9. Patrick Taylor (5)

10. Jaleel McLaughlin (4)

The Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is starting to look more and more like the league’s leading rusher from a year ago, but it is apparent he has elevated his pass receiving skills this season. It is evident with his 30 targets (most among running backs) and 23 receptions this season, he is also being featured more in the passing game. Last season Jacobs caught 53 balls and currently he is on a pass to exceed 75 catches.

Touches Are Fantasy Gold

Just like a receiver needs to be targeted, a running backs success leans heavily on how many times they touch (carries + catches) the rock.

Here are the weekly Touch leaders;

Week 5

Top 10 RB

1. Travis Etienne Jr (30)

2. Joe Mixon (29)

3. Derrick Henry (28)

4. Zack Moss (25)

5. Breece Hall (25)

6. Alvin Kamara (25)

7. Josh Jacobs (25)

8. D’Andre Swift (23)

9. David Montgomery (21)

10. Christian McCaffrey (21)

Over the past two weeks, since he returned to action following his three-game suspension, the Saints running back Alvin Kamara is averaging 24.5 touches per game (ranks 4th among running backs). As a result of this high-volume workload, Kamara has totaled 181 yards of offense, caught 16 passes, and scored one rushing touchdown, making him the fantasy RB8 in that span.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 4th, 2023

Monday Morning Edition

2023 Draft Day: On the Clock

(12-Team, PPR format, Fantasy Calculator ADP)

WR-Christian Kirk, Current ADP 5.12 – Last season Kirk was the Jaguars leading receiver posting career highs in receptions (84), yards receiving (1,108), and receiving touchdowns (8).  He has improved every season and will be entering his 2nd year with the Jags. Kirk finished as the No.19 fantasy receiver in 2022 and is coming off the draft boards as WR30.

RB-Alvin Kamara, Current ADP 6.09 – The Saints running back will have to sit the first three games of this season due to suspension. He’s coming off the draft boards as the No.25 fantasy running back. Last season Kamara was the No.13 fantasy running back finishing the 2022 campaign with 897 yards rushing to along with 57 receptions, 490 yards receiving, and just a career low four total touchdowns.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Saturday Afternoon Edition
November 16th 2019

Week 11: DSF Saturday “Favorite Stack”

If you play DFS like I do and have played as long as I have, then you too are familiar with and utilize the “Stack” strategy. Every week, you ‘ll find defenses and running back combos that make sense or quarterbacks and receivers that work well, so looking ahead to week 11, this is my favorite “Double” stack.

The Saints will travel to Tampa this week and although the matchup is outdoors, fI am trusting in quarterback Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton. The Saints are coming off a poor week 10 performance at home and nothing like a week 11 matchup against the Bucs (ranked last against the pass) to right the ship. The Bucs defense has also allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, including 235 completions (5th most allowed), and 22 passing touchdowns (3rd most allowed). With those kind of numbers, Brees should bounce back strong.

Along with a shaky Bucs defense, Brees will also have the good fortune of throwing passes to wide receiver Michael Thomas, Fantasy WR3. Thomas leads all receivers this season with 103 targets, 86 receptions, and 1,027 receiving yards. This week Thomas will look to improve his numbers against the Bucs secondary that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing receivers, including 140 receptions (4th most allowed), 1,894 receiving yards (2nd most allowed), and 15 receiving touchdowns (tied for the most allowed). 

The third part of my stack, is the Saints tight end Jared Cook (Fantasy TE24), who is coming off his most productive game in Week 10, with 6 receptions, 74 yards receiving, off 10 targets (all season highs). For Cook, he should have a great opportunity to continue his productive trend facing a Bucs defense that has allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, including 695 receiving yards (2nd most allowed) and six touchdowns (tied for 3rd most allowed).

Depending on the site and salary cap room, running back Alvin Kamara, could be a consideration as part of this stack. Even though the Bucs have played well against the run, Kamara should be heavily involved in not only the run game, but he’ll also be an integral part of the passing game. I am loving this Stack for Week 11.

That’s My Take
~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Friday Night Edition

August 23rd, 2019

Bad Boys Running Wild

The Ones!

With the peak of the Fantasy draft season upon us (a lot of fantasy drafts expected this weekend and next), it’s time to tighten up your rankings and close in on those fantasy picks that are going to bring home the hardware.

Out of the gate, this of course is not headline news, the top pick for me is a no-brainer; Saquan Barkley (MR#RB1). Last season the Giants runner totaled 352 touches (261 carries, 91 receptions), playing in all 16 games of his rookie campaign. There is no reason to think he won’t see similar numbers once again and with his nose for the big play, he’s a solid first pick.

Running backs Christian McCaffrey (MR#RB2) and Alvin Kamara (MR#RB3) offer similar upside, but both are not quite the workhorse as is Barkley.

It’s no secret in Cleveland, running back Nick Chubb (MR#RB5)is expected to be the man to open the season. He has a great opportunity to be a fantasy star and with the upgraded passing game, he should be. Last season Chubb finished 10th in NFL rushing and just missed 1,000 yard by four.

It may be a surprise to see Le’Veon Bell (MR#RB7) as high as I have him, but unlike many other Fantasy experts, I believe Bell will be fine in New york. You don’t pay top dollars for a high-performance car to park it in the garage. I happen to believe Bell is going to see a large volume of work and will be highly productive.

I have the Lions star runner Kerryon Johnson (MR#RB10) in my top 10, because I am drinking the Kool-aid. His rookie season was cut short due to injury (knee), but Johnson is healthy in 2019 and expected to open the season as the Lions lead-back. KJ is a versatile back (32 receptions in 2018) and from weeks 7 to week 11, he averaged 17.4 touches per game. He has the potential for a heavier workload and finishing inside the Fantasy Top 10 this season.

1.Saquon Barkley

2.C. McCaffrey

3.Alvin Kamara

4.David Johnson

5.Nick Chubb

6.Joe Mixon

7.LeVeon Bell

8.Dalvin Cook

9.Todd Gurley

10.Kerryon Johnson

11.Damien Williams

12.Devonta Freeman

The Next 12

Just a couple of quick notables for the second 12 of my rankings list; I am believing the hype surrounding Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs (MR#RB14). He could be a 20-touch per game back in Head Coach John Gruden’s offense.

I dropped Ezekiel Elliot (MR#RB15) outside my top 12, due to his holdout and the risk he could miss some games. Should he get signed, he catapults up the charts to number 5. Drafting him as a RB1 or RB2 is basically based on how confident you are he’ll be back in Dallas and when.

I have Leonard Fournette (MR#RB17) a little low at 17, but if he stays healthy this season he could easily finish in the top 10. Last season Fournette played in 8 games, finishing as the No.40 RB in fantasy PPR scoring, as compared to his rookie season where he played in 13 games and finished 9th.

Although he may be considered a little undersized, Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay (MR#RB24) proved he is more than capable in an NFL backfield. The former Buffalo out of the University of Colorado finished his rookie campaign as the 13th RB in fantasy PPR scoring. He makes my board as a low-end RB2, but I honestly feel he could be a little low.

13.James Conner

14.Josh Jacobs

15.Ezekiel Elliott

16.Aaron Jones

17.L. Fournette

18.Marlon Mack

19.Melvin Gordon

20.Derrick Henry

21.Mark Ingram

22.Tevin Coleman

23.Chris Carson

24.Phillip Lindsay

That’s My Take

~David G. Ortega