My wife and I were having lunch in downtown Buffalo last Sunday when we met a lovely family from Mississippi all decked out in Bills attire. I asked how they became Bills fans and the mother replied that her husband used to play for Buffalo. When she said his name was Kent Hull, I immediately rose from my chair and hugged her. Hull was an All-Pro center for the great Buffalo Super Bowl teams in the 1990s and one of my all-time favorite players. A gentle giant, he passed away unexpectedly in 2011 at just 50 years old. Tearing up in Kay Hull’s arms, I think she was consoling me more than I was her. I chatted with her grown kids, Drew and Ellen, and joked that someday Buffalo will win the Super Bowl. Kay smiled and said, “Don’t worry. The Bills have angels up there watching over them.” After witnessing the Bills’ miracle comeback against the Ravens Sunday night, I believe her. Cheers to the Hulls and the memory of the great Kent Hull.
GIDDY UP!
QB Drake Maye at Dolphins — Maye may be special. He tallied 287 passing yards last week against the Raiders. Meanwhile, the Dolphins were making Giants’ reject Daniel Jones look like the second coming of Johnny Unitas. Maye should have a bang-up outing in Miami.
QB Matthew Stafford at Titans — Start him while he’s upright. Still a damn good quarterback when healthy, the creaky Stafford won’t find an easier spot all year. Expect 250 yards and two TDs.
RB De’Von Achane vs. Patriots — It’s maddening when Miami coach Mike McDaniel gives his best player just seven carries, leading to a blow-out loss to the Colts. Achane saved his Fantasy day with a late TD reception. He needs a big game against the Pats. The question is, will McDaniel let him?
RB Travis Etienne at Bengals — He’s back. After totaling 1,400 combined yards in 2023-23, Etienne played hurt all last season. Now healthy, he’s second in the NFL in rushing (143 yards). Bengals beware.
WR Garret Wilson vs. Bills — The Bills spent the offseason rebuilding a suspect defense. Unfortunately, they built it with straw instead of bricks. Wilson builds on his strong Week 1 effort (7/95/1 TD) against the wafer-thin Buffalo secondary.
WR Ricky Pearsall at Saints — The 49ers’ WR room is in tatters. Ricky “Babaloo” Pearsall, the last man standing for the 49ers, should drum up a ton of volume against New Orleans and garner a top twenty spot.
TE David Njoku at Baltimore — I watched the Bills-Ravens game last Sunday from the stands. TE Dalton Kincaid was as open as a Denny;s on a Saturday night. The Browns will be playing catch up and Njoku will reward you with his first TD of the season.
WHOA DOWN!
QB Geno Smith vs. Chargers — Geno will never fail to disappoint you. He usually follows a good outing with a clunker. So, chase the points if you wish, but I won’t be starting a QB against a defense that held Patrick Mahomes to one TD last week.
QB Daniel Jones vs. Broncos — The Denver D is nasty. They’ve held opposing QBs to zero TD passes in three of their last five regular season games. Jones’ Comeback Player of the Year quest will have to wait until next week at Tennessee.
RB Austin Ekeler at Packers — There’s a new sheriff in Washington, and his name is Bill (Jacory Croskey-Merritt). Playing less than 50% of the snaps while yielding time to Bill, Ekeler has lost Fantasy relevance for now.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. at Dallas — It’s not Tracy’s fault. His 2.4 yards per carry average is the direct result of a Giants offensive line that can’t block anybody. Could Tracy improve in Dallas? Not likely. Last year his average per carry against the Cowboys was 2.6 yards.
WR Keon Coleman at Jets — Prior to the Bills’ explosive fourth quarter comeback, Coleman had one measly catch. Buffalo’s “everybody eats” mantra guarantees a different WR is featured every week. The Jets will take Coleman out of the Bills’ game plan.
WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown vs. Eagles — Sure to be the top waiver wire pick-up this week, I have little faith in Brown. He hasn’t had more than 99 yards (last week’s total) since 2022. I’d rather gamble on Tyquan Thornton as the WR to add from K.C.
TE Colston Loveland at Lions — Loveland only saw two targets (for 12 yards) last week. Incumbent TE Cole Kmet saw four. Not exactly what we expected from Loveland, da Bears’ 2025 first-round pick.
Thursday Night Special: The Packers mauled the vaunted Lions offense last week, holding them to 246 total yards and one TD. The Commanders come into Lambeau Field with an uninspiring win over the Giants. Defense wins the game at home for the Cheeseheads. Packers 24, Commanders 20
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Bill Reinhard is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a columnist for FantasyGuru.com. Catch Bill every Wednesday night at 6:15 on “This Week in Pro Football” on YouTube TV.
