We have a new guy in our league named Matt. He replaced a long-standing member who lost his passion for Fantasy Football. In a league as competitive as the OFFL, now 40-years strong, there’s always a learning curve. We are pros, after all. Personally, I was glad this new meat was placed in my division. Easy victories, you know. But Matt and his team Turnover on Derms have made a mockery of the old guard. He’s the only undefeated team. He’s made no trades and very few waiver pickups. And now he has the luxury of starting Cam Skattebo every week. Suddenly I feel like I’m Charlie Brown and Matt is Lucy, yanking the football away as I run up to kick it. Aaugh!
GIDDY UP!
QB Dak Prescott vs. Commanders — Dak is playing lights out. He’s third in fantasy QB scoring. Missing CeeDee Lamb hurts, but it shouldn’t matter this week. The Commanders have given up boatloads of points to lesser QBs Geno Smith and Michael Penix Jr. It’s Dak’s turn next.
QB Jalen Hurts at Vikings — Don’t be the team that benches Hurts. Yes, the Vikings boast the No. 3 pass defense. Yes, the optics were ghastly in the Eagles’ surprising loss to the Giants. But Hurts still averages over 21 points per game. Giddy up!
RB Josh Jacobs at Cardinals — The Packers prefer letting Jacobs cram the ball down opponent’s throats than having Jordan Love air it out, and Jacobs is more than happy to oblige. He’ll get his first 100-yard rushing day of the season in the desert.
RB Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt vs. Cowboys — Memo to Kliff Kingsbury at Commanders HQ: Roll the Panthers-Cowboys tape. Watch Rico Dowdle (183 rushing yards). Run Rico, run. Now see Bill. Give Bill the ball. Let Bill run. Run Bill, run.
WR D.K. Metcalf vs. Bengals — Aaron Rodgers has found his Pittsburgh Davante Adams in Metcalf. Boasting double-digit scores in every game, Metcalf will excel against the declawed Bengals. Let’s hope Joe Flacco can keep the game competitive so the Steelers don’t take their foot of the gas.
WR Nico Collins at Seahawks — Fresh off a bye, letting his sore knee heal, Collins will be ready to rock. Seattle is a tough assignment for any WR, but Collins is considered one of the best in fantasy. He needs to step up in this spot.
TE Harold Fannin Jr. vs. Dolphins — Fellow TE David Njoku is most likely out next week and could possibly be traded. Go after Fannin as he has the most favorable schedule of any TE from now into November.
WHOA DOWN!
QB Jaxson Dart at Broncos — This is Dart’s toughest test to date: on the road against the second-best pass defense in the NFL. Denver just held the Jets to minus 10 yards net passing. Denver leads the league with 30 sacks and only Jalen Hurts has thrown more than one TD against the Broncos in six games. Dart will need to use his legs in this one and keep his head on a swivel.
QB J.J. McCarthy or Carson Wentz vs. Eagles — Both QBs are dealing with injuries which is reason enough to avoid the Vikings QBs. But the Eagles have faced fantasy’s best QBs (Dak, Mahomes, Stafford, Baker) and kept them all in check. The Eagles will leave J.J. or Carson in a purple haze.
RB Tony Pollard vs. Patriots — Tony is no tiger this week. He is ice-cold and now splitting carries with Tyjae Spears. That’s a bad combo heading into a matchup against a Pats D allowing just 3.13 YPC and three rushing TDs all year.
RB Rachaad White at Lions — Death, taxes and you can’t run on the Lions. Detroit has feasted on Derrick Henry (9 fantasy points), Josh Jacobs (12), D’Andre Swift (10) and Isiah Pacheco (5). You are braver than I am if you start White.
WR Hollywood Brown vs. Raiders — The competition for targets on the Chiefs gets stiffer as Rashee Rice makes his long-awaited return from suspension. Say goodbye to Hollywood.
WR Malik Washington at Browns — Although consistently involved in the offense, Malik’s play-making ability has been sub-par with just 35 yards in his last three games. Tyreek Hill’s heir-apparent has been a speedy bust.
TE Evan Engram vs. Giants — Engram doesn’t strike me as a “revenge game” kind of guy. Taken by the Giants in 2017 with the 23rd overall pick, he enjoyed some very solid years in New York. But the Broncos are his third team since then, and he’s currently TE26.
Thursday Night Special: This had “Game of the Week” vibes when the NFL schedule came out. Now, it looks like it could be the lowest rated TNF game this year. Flacco will be forced to throw a ton, but Rodgers and company win this game of the weak. Steelers 24, Bengals 17
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Bill Reinhard is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a columnist for FantasyGuru.com.
