October 2nd, 2017
Monday Evening Edition
Sunday
At A Glance
(Just
My Takes)
DeAndre
Hopkins is a PPR Machine
Through the first four weeks of the
season, the Texans leading receiver leads the league with 49 targets and his 31
receptions this season ranks first in the league. With his quarterback starting
to emerge as a playmaker and capable signal caller there seems no ceiling for
Hopkins going forward. He is the current No.3 fantasy WR in PPR, and looks to
continue his climb. He’ll have some tough Sundays ahead, but he’s once again a
must start every week.
Jared
Goff and Rams offense look legit &
Gurley is Top-5
We are one quarter of the way through the
2017 season and while it feels like it still may be too soon to say, it’s
equally hard to deny how good this Rams team is, especially the offense. Goff
still has a lot of growing to do, but he’s on the right track currently ranked
as the No.10 fantasy QB. The offense will only go as far as Goff, as will
running back Todd Gurley. Goff’s strong play has opened up opportunity for
Gurley which he has responded; through 4 weeks Gurley is ranked as the No.1
fantasy RB (in PPR, 2nd in standard).
Le’Veon
Bell dominates Week 4; Is he No.1
Fantasy RB
Not only did the Steelers ball carrier
dominate the field of play, he dominated the offense with 39 touches. It’s
doubtful that Bell will continue to see this hefty a workload every week, but
there’s no question of his durability and toughness. Last week Bell total 186
yards with 2 scores against a tough Ravens defense. Bell is currently the No.6
fantasy RB in PPR, with matchups against the Jaguars, Chiefs, and Bengals next
he’ll be looking to climb to the top.
Alvin
Kamara is rising to the top
It may look like Adrian Peterson is out of
place in New Orleans, but rookie running back Alvin Kamara looks like a perfect
fit. Through the team’s first four games Kamara has logged as much time on the
field as starter Mark Ingram. Ingram has been the team’s primary ball carrier
in the early part of the season, but Kamara has shown his chops in the pass
game logging 20 receptions for 147 yards receiving and touchdown. Both Kamara
and Ingram are good options in fantasy, with Ingram holding a slight advantage,
but the gap is closing and more touches are in Kamara’s future.
Ameer
Abdullah is proving to be steady
Over the past three weeks running back
Ameer Abdullah has totaled 281 yards of offense, adding 6 catches and a
touchdown. He’s not exactly lighting up the board at the moment, but after
putting 94 yards on the 5th ranked run defense (Vikings) last Sunday he’s
steady. He’s the No.22 fantasy RB in PPR and should be in starting lineups in
12-14 leagues.
Is
Giovani Bernard the best back in Cincy?
After a few weeks of watching the Bengals
offense struggle their way to a 1-3 record, no question the offense has issues.
This past week the Dalton gang got the passing game off the ground and their
23rd ranked running game stalled again. Rookie running back Joe Mixon has taken
over the starting duties, but that has not helped the running game get out of
first gear. In four games this season Bernard leads the backfield in total
yards with 223; 9 more yards than Mixon, but with 37 fewer touches. It may be
time to give Bernard a bigger role in the offense.
It’s
All Pass and No Run in New England
There’s a lot for the Patriots to worry
about on defense these days, but another thing to take notice is the lack of
balance of offense. Tom Brady and company are number one in the league in the
air and only 20th on the ground. Mike Gillislee (194 rushing yards and 4
touchdowns) has emerged as the only viable (standard league) option in the
ground game, while James White (22 receptions and 173 yards) is the PPR play.
With Tom Brady (1,399 yards passing) leading the NFL far and way in passing
yards, his receiver situation is a little tougher to read. With Amendola,
Cooks, and Hogan available, each week it’s not easy to determine a pecking
order; they are all in play. Cooks seems to be the deep threat, but even his
contributions are guaranteed; just three catches for 38 yards last week and
only one big week thus far this season.
The
Broncos biggest weakness on defense
is their Quarterback
Right now the Broncos defense looks pretty
formidable; ranked 2nd in the NFL against the run (allowing just 2.4 yards per
carry best in the league) and of course everyone is familiar with their “No Fly
Zone.” The defense is going to give this team a chance to win every week, but
where it will struggle is on offense. The Broncos quarterback started out
strong this season, but his last two efforts have been forgetful. Siemian
hasn’t been terrible, but while the running game has been solid (3rd in the
NFL) the passing game is lacking (21st in the league). Until Siemian get the
aerial attack off the ground two things; eventually defenses are going to force
the offense to be one dimensional and the other Thomas and Sanders will see
their numbers drop (as evident on Sunday)
That’s My Take.
~David Ortega
