#int: river gordon

[cottoncandysoul]

open to m/f/nb.

      “oh my god, you can’t just ask a girl how many fingers she uses!” cheeks flush hot as the embarrassed blush blooms across her face, hands pressing to said cheeks because she can’t believe those words actually came out of their mouth. river hasn’t used more than two on herself before, but that’s beside the point and she’s so NOT answering, despite the alcohol being shared between them. or the very real desire she has to lean over and kiss them. she’s nowhere near bold enough to initiate something.

#indie rp #indie smut rp #indie bi smut rp #int: river gordon #feel free to wreck her #she's a virgin #and entirely too innocent #bye

[eyreguide]

The Evolving Jane Eyre 2011 Screenplay

I remember when the novel tie-in edition was released ahead of the Jane Eyre 2011 film, there was a bonus at the end of the ebook edition.  They added the screenplay of the film by Moira Buffini.  I have since tried to find my ebook copy but I think my move to a Kindle has led me to misplace it.  Fortunately there are screenplay databases online, and I found an older screenplay on this site.  Although I remember certain elements in the screenplay from the ebook bonus that is not in the version on the website, so I feel like there is yet another version floating around.  

The screenplay on the IMSDb site is the 2nd draft, dated 6 March 2008.  Quite a few years for the screenplay to go through revisions, and yet the heart of the screenplay writer’s vision seems intact.  The screenplay begins with Jane leaving Thornfield and wandering the moors - such a unique approach to adapting the novel.  The 2nd draft has more of the original story than the final product, with many interesting additions and actual scenes from the novel excised.  While the 2011 film is my favorite movie adaptation (not favorite overall though when you factor in miniseries) and I love how well it tells the story in two hours, it does make me sad that they couldn’t have made this movie two and a half hours to really bring more of Jane’s story to life.

The Changes from the 2nd Draft

If you’ve seen this movie trailer, the story seemed darker, more heightened and Gothic than the final product.  (Rochester with all black eyes at the very end???!!)  The trailer even shows a glimpse of Helen Burns in front of Moor House and that thread was entirely cut from the movie. Reading this 2nd draft, it was fascinating to see the vision Moira had for the story and the intriguing ideas she had for bringing out some of the inner life of Jane.  There are quite a few smaller moments that impressed me, so I will just highlight some of them in this post.

Helen Burns: Helen has more traditional scenes in the draft than she wound up with in the final movie, but the new idea that her “ghost” visually stays with Jane and brings her solace in times of trouble is both fresh and true to Helen’s role in Jane’s life.  When Jane is first running away from Thornfield, the viewer “sees” Helen with Jane, and at some points Helen leads Jane and encourages her to keep going.  While I’m glad they cut this for the film, I think it is an interesting visual and honors Helen as Jane’s first true friend.

Visuals of Jane’s Inner World: The 2006 miniseries adaptation with Ruth Wilson was the first to show what Jane was seeing by having the viewer see her in that physical world.  That 2006 miniseries begins with young Jane in a desert, as she is looking at an image of a barren land in a book.  Moira’s draft also includes this idea and early on has Jane in the setting of the pictures she is looking at.  Later, after the interrupted wedding, you see Jane by a river as the water overflows and visually the ‘torrent pours over her.’  This would have been a powerful moment in the film, but perhaps too jarring, so I understand why it was cut.

More Reordering of the Timeline: The film begins with Jane meeting the Rivers, then shows Jane at Lowood, then at Thornfield, before winding up at the beginning again with Jane as a schoolteacher at Morton.  The 2nd draft had even more flashbacks and flash-forwards with the most notable being changing the scene between St. John and Jane in Morton (which in the films shows up after you see Jane leave Thornfield and Rochester) to when Mr. Rochester leaves to see the Ingrams.  That flash-forward to Jane and St. John’s conversation about not looking back and St. John resisting the love he feels for someone he thinks is unsuitable seems appropriate to illustrate Jane’s confused feelings after saving Mr. Rochester from the fire, but it was another great choice to move it so that it is our first jarring moment back into Jane’s current life after the emotion of her leaving Rochester.

Nightmares: The 2006 miniseries might have inspired some of Moira’s approach to this screenplay as another element from the miniseries is shown - Jane’s dreams illustrating her inner turmoil and fears. I really enjoy this foreshadowing in the book, and I loved seeing the dreams dramatized in the 2006 version.  It might have worked well in the 2011 film as well - especially if they just did this to show Jane’s inner world, and not the landscape visuals I talked about above.  In one nightmare, Helen is the one to give Jane the crying babe.  And this particular nightmare is fantastic:

INT. DUSK. THORNFIELD / THE RED ROOM.                                  Jane, aged ten, is walking along the long gallery. She          opens a door and finds herself in the Red Room.                                  She stares into the mirror, searching the pale face of her          reflection, as if trying to find an answer. A murmur seems          to come down the gaping chimney; a woman's deep sigh.          Jane's throat tightens with fear. Something moves in the          shadows behind her.                                  She scans them, her eyes full of terror. Jane knows beyond          all doubt that something is there. She hears a low laugh.          It seems to be right next to her. She tries to scream -

And this occurs just before Jane hears Mason’s cries, which would have been pretty eerie to watch.  I really love this idea.

The Flashback to Thornfield Burning:  In the film, this is not shown, unlike SO MANY adaptations of Jane Eyre which does visualize this.  I love that they honor Jane’s narrative by not showing what she was not there to witness.  But in the 2nd draft, Mrs. Fairfax is telling Jane what she thinks happened, mostly through voiceover, but what was visualized in the draft was entirely different.  Instead of Bertha sneaking away, the viewer would have seen Rochester let her out, and then watch her wander around and eventually start a fire in Thornfield.  It shows Rochester as bleak, hopeless and uncaring.  The scene ends with Rochester readying himself to jump to his death until Bertha beats him to it -

EXT. EVENING. THORNFIELD - THE LEADS.                                  Bertha is watching the rooks. Rochester goes to the edge of          the roof. Bertha looks at him. The invitation is clear.          Rochester is ready to die.                                  Bertha sees the rooks wheeling away. She runs at the edge          of the roof. Rochester sees her intention too late. He puts          out his arm to stop her.                                  For the perfect fraction of a second, Bertha flies.          Rochester sees her fall; almost falls himself - saves          himself.                                  Life reawakens in him. Behind him, he sees Grace Poole,          coughing, crawling up through the door.                                 ��                GRACE           Antoinetta?                                  Responsibility floods over him. He goes to her side, lifts          Grace, helps her down the stairs.                                   MRS FAIRFAX (V.O.)           He didn't leave the house until           everyone was out. Some say it was a           just judgement on him for having           her confined there all those years           but for my part, I pity him.

Wow.  If this had been filmed, I don’t know what I would have thought.  On the one hand, it’s very powerful.  On the other it’s very different from what is in the novel, and shows Rochester carelessly endangering other people, and I don’t see that as true to his character.  But this is definitely a unique take on that scene.

Screenplay Highlights

There are a few scenes in the screenplay that particularly touched me or I found highlighted a great moment.  I love this quiet moment while Jane is just settling into her life at Thornfield (Adele’s song is the one she sings to Jane to show her accomplishments.)  The fact that Mrs. Fairfax gives a gift to Jane and knows that Jane would feel overwhelmed by it so hands it to her and leaves, feels true to Mrs. Fairfax’s gentle understanding.

INT. NIGHT. THORNFIELD - MRS FAIRFAX'S PARLOUR.                                  Adele's song continues as a voiceover. Mrs Fairfax is          finishing a shawl. Jane is showing Adele pictures of little          objects that she has sketched. Adele names them in English.                                  The song ends. Jane gives Adele a sketch of herself.                                                  ADELE           Me! It is me!                                  Mrs Fairfax shakes out the finished shawl and puts it round          Jane's shoulders, departing before Jane can protest.                                                  MRS FAIRFAX           Here. For you.                                                   Jane is delighted at the kindness of the gift.

Then there is this scene, where Jane is teaching Adele, and Mrs. Fairfax comes in to take Jane’s portfolio.  There’s discomfort in Jane as her work is being exhibited without her permission.  And a nod to the careless way men disregard women’s thoughts and opinions, even from Mr. Rochester, who is the character who is most interested in Jane’s mind.

INT. DAY. THORNFIELD - THE NURSERY.                                  Jane is by the blackboard, where she is writing sums.                                                  ADELE           Tonight I will have my cadeaux.           He always bring me a cadeaux.                                  Mrs Fairfax breathlessly enters.                                                  MRS FAIRFAX           Sorry to disturb. He's asked for           your art.                                  Jane looks at her in disbelief.                                                  JANE           What for?                                                                MRS FAIRFAX           He wishes to have it.                                                  JANE           Why?                                                  MRS FAIRFAX           To show to his company, I should           think. Is this it here? Thank you.                                  Jane watches helplessly as Mrs Fairfax takes her portfolio.

When Jane visits Mrs. Reed on her sick bed, there is a unique moment added to the script.  Jane’s sees a picture of her Mother, and reconciles her childhood fears of the Red Room.  The Caird/Gordon musical has a nod to Jane’s parents in the show (prior to the Broadway iteration) and even features them briefly in the beginning.  Obviously, this is a poignant way to show the growth of the little orphan girl, and I would have loved to see this dramatized.

INT. DAY. GATESHEAD - THE RED ROOM.                                  The morning sun is pouring in. Jane goes to the bed. She          puts her hand upon it, gently, as if thanking her uncle for          all he did. She notices a picture on the wall. A miniature          of a brown-haired woman with elfin eyes.                                  Jane takes it off the wall. Bessie comes in.                                                  JANE           My mother.                                  Bessie nods. A tear rolls down Jane's face. She clasps the          picture, looking round the room.                                                  JANE (CONT'D)           Why ever was I so afraid?

As is true of most of the roles in this version of the screenplay, St. John had more lines and in this section, we see more of his compassionate, persuasive side which would have really added to his character in the film.  He is harsh and cold,but this small scene would have made the viewer understand more why Jane admired and loved him like a brother.  I feel like the writing in this scene captures what Bronte wrote very well too.

  JANE           You're a good man, but you forget           the feelings of little people. We'd           better keep out of your way lest           you trample us.                                     St John's anger has faded. He is compassionate. This is far          harder to resist.                                                  ST JOHN           I wouldn't trample you. You'd           walk at my side towards God's           altar. He'd be your solace,           heaven your reward. We seek to do           the greatest work, to open           death's gates, to save souls.           Love God Jane, love God.                                  St John puts his hand on her forehead; Christlike. Jane is          falling under his power.                                   ST JOHN (CONT'D)           Give up your heart to Him. He is           love.

Final Impressions

After I finished the second draft, I have to say I admire Moira and the director and anyone involved in editing and refining the script.  Even as a purist, I am impressed at how well this second draft encapsulates the novel.  And then to have to further trim down and edit - what a difficult job!  And the final product is marvelously streamlined and an intimate portrait of Jane.  The sensational is pared back and the emotions are appropriately restrained.  In the editing process, there seemed to have been an instinct to keep the story to Jane’s perspective and to create something a little more realistic.  And I think they succeeded.

#jane eyre #charlotte bronte #jane eyre 2011 #Mia Wasikowska #Michael Fassbender #moira buffini #cary fukunaga #screenplay

[calicache]

The Belle of Football

Week 8 kicked off with a one sided TNF upset for Giants’ fans everywhere. Kudos to the RB Barkley 229 yards, first of his kind for the Giants, who looked disastrous otherwise….

Looking forward to Sunday’s match-up between the Chargers and the Browns? Me Too! Last week the Browns actually showed up to play, and WON! LOL, Jk, not really... Seriously, it was an exciting game. I mean let’s face it, the Browns have been terrible for a while. This is the first year they’ve shown up in any conversation, without being the butt of someone’s funny pun. I actually feel like it’s not just talk anymore. They’re producing on both sides of the ball, and with the Rookie Mayfield firing up his offense, this becomes a watchable game. This week they’re hosting the “Hollywood Chargers!” coming off of a home blowout vs. the Raiders, Chargers should be taking Electric Avenue all the way to Cleveland. All jokes aside I think this a real test for the Cleveland Browns. Can they host and beat a team outside of their division that’s consider to have an elite offense like the Chargers? Philip Rivers and Head Coach Anthony Lynn have already expressed how much of an improvement Browns have made on the Defensive side of the ball, and with the compliments of the offense, this 2-2-1 team is definitely on the rise. Meanwhile, RB combo Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler are putting up record setting numbers, on their way to having the 2nd most scrimmage yards by a duo EVER!  

[Browns defense on the year: 15 take a way’s, 8 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries, 14 sacks (most in the league), and their Pass Rush is on fire! Notable Defensive Players: LB James Collins Sr., SS Jabrill Peppers, DL Myles Garret, and CB Denzel Ward (leads in the league with 3 INT).]

Sunday Night features the Kansas City Chiefs vs. The New England Patriots. For so many reasons this is a highly anticipated game for all football fans. Whether you love/hate the Patriots or you’re riding with “Showtime Mahomes”, the “WOW” factor, in these two giants, is entertainment enough. While the Patriots have struggled so far this year, on the offensive side of the ball, last week’s addition of WR Julian “Juelz” Edleman, more touches for Rookie RB Sony Michel and WR Josh Gordon showed great promise. Finally, Pats fans have an offense to rally behind, right!? Of course! We knew at some point they’d figure out the offense, but, is it enough to outscore “Patomic Bomb Mahomes” and his monster offense? IBM’s Watson gives the Patriots a 58% likelihood to dominate the Chiefs. Much of it may be based on Chiefs lackluster defense, which is basically last in most areas. Chief’s defense has given up 400+ passing yards in 3 out of 5 games this year. Although, some would consider their Pass Rush as the best quality the defense brings, it’s No Bueno! Brady is the best in the pocket, so for the chief’s, rushing “The G.O.A.T” before he gets the ball out, is going to take more effort than they have.

This game definitely comes down to the wire, and will be a dog fight between Pats’ Defense and Chiefs’ offense. Questions looming around this game will be: Can Pats D’ keep Mahomes inside the pocket and put pressure on him? Will they get some incomplete passes, fumble recoveries, or even an INT? Whatever their game plan is, they are going to have to disrupt Patrick Mahomes enough to throw off their offense. Having said this, I don’t have a lot of faith that is possible. Kansas City Chiefs’ offense is young, skilled, and healthy, dominating even the Jags defense, which is something even #12 couldn’t handle. Kansas City’s offense is dominating in the passing and running game, with all receivers. RB Kareem Hunt has over 350+ rushing yards, followed by WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce combining for almost 900 receiving yards on the year. Belichick and his defense have their hands full this week, hopefully they took advantage of the extra time off! Let’s get Reeaadyyy to rumble!!! Ding Ding!

A notable trade this week was Jamaal Wallace. From Denver to Jacksonville, Wallace is in Florida to give a boost to Jags running game; which is helpful considering Leonard Fournette is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

A few sleepers for Fantasy RB Week 6

Phillip Lindsay vs Rams, he’s definitely beating the rookie Royce Freeman out of the RB position.

Nyheim Hines vs. N.Y. Jets, is on the rise in Indianapolis, even with Marlon Mack making a return, he still gets a pretty decent workload good for 10 or more fantasy points.

Aaron Jones vs. 49ers’, if Mike McCarthy gets out of his own way, Jones is in for an explosive game.

#nfl football #clevelandbrownsvschargers #patriotsvschiefs #fantasyfootball #calicache #thebelleofthefootball

[paulbenedictblog]

%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Fox news Rivers considered retirement before FA - NFL.com

Fox news

Philip Rivers had been publicly linked to the Indianapolis Colts for weeks. The conversation began earlier than the Chargers introduced in early February their longtime franchise quarterback would possibly perhaps likely be entering free agency.

By then, the Colts, whose head coach and offensive coordinator spent years working with Rivers, had already proclaimed "the jury's tranquil out" on Jacoby Brissett as their starter. Even Melvin Gordon weighed in, predicting Rivers would live up in Indy. There became once a Rivers-clan fee of dots connecting the two aspects.

The assumptions proved lawful, with Rivers signing a one-year deal final week for a truly assured $25 million, as NFL Community's Tom Pelissero reported. The gunslinger reiterated this weekend he became once confident he tranquil had bullets in his lawful arm. However he furthermore revealed he became once pondering retirement if he did now not field an provide this offseason, presumably to commence up.

"I mediate of course the attach we settled in is I tranquil be pleased to play, completely now not coming off my only year [in 2019], but I know I tranquil can play at a excessive stage," Rivers said on a convention name with reporters this weekend. "... It became once a form of affords the attach we said if there is nothing else available then that'll be our acknowledge. I don't hold to lawful are trying to hold on to play."

The Colts spared him the uncertainty, reuniting Rivers with Frank Reich and Cut Sirianni, every of whom served as his quarterbacks coach at various aspects in San Diego, with Reich furthermore gratifying OC tasks for 2 seasons (2014-15). Rivers averaged 30 landing passes and 15.5 interceptions over these years, and threw for a career-excessive 4,792 yards in 2015. In four seasons since, Rivers' yards, TDs and completion share haven't fluctuated worthy but his INTs hold spiked to 20 on two events, including final year.

That is partly why Rivers hit free agency for the first time in his 16-year career. Or now not it is furthermore why he became once focused on a reunion with Reich and Sirianni.

"We communicate the identical design," Rivers said. "I know what these guys are attempting to assemble out of a play and why they are calling this. They know the vogue I mediate and why I glance for issues. There is a magnificent dynamic there in the vogue we mediate. I make mediate there is a have confidence ingredient that became once constructed there in our time in San Diego. I mediate that is crucial to hold that have confidence."

It furthermore helps that, after years of shaky lag protection, the 38-year-dilapidated Rivers will seemingly be working on the back of what is widely believed to be among the crucial engaging offensive traces in the league. He said a soar-back season can also lengthen his cease in Indianapolis a small longer.

"I collect it One year at a time," Rivers said. "If I of course feel magnificent, I am going to defend going. I don't hold to assemble carried away. You would possibly perhaps likely likely also now not glance me in the Tom Brady (age) vary. I tranquil of course feel esteem I'm succesful of support a soccer group lag take a championship."

[nflallitaliana-blog]

SNF a Los Angeles e seconda sconfitta interna per i Chargers. Questa volta sorridono gli Steelers che resuscitano e ne vincono 2 di fila. Eroe di giornata rb1 James Conner che corre e riceve, decidendo lui la gara. Conner 16 ATT, 41 YDS, 1 TD e 7 REC, 78 YDS, 1 TD. Da rivedere i Chargers che con Gordon in campo perdono ancora. Ekeler/Gordon 0 YDS, mentre per Rivers qb 2 INT. Bella prova di wr Hunter Henry. Per lui 8 REC, 100 YDS, 2 TD. PIT 24 @ LAC 17 #snf #sundayfootball #pittsburgh #steelers #losangeles #chargers #melvingordon #conner #nfl #nflallitaliana #football #americanfootball #footballamericano #buonfootball #thisisfootball #welovefootball #season #nfl100 #followus #savona #ioamoilfootball #dazn #buongiorno #ncaallitaliana @ncaallitaliana #week6 (presso Savona, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3lffXtIQGF/?igshid=j6chg3g2oeqd

#snf #sundayfootball #pittsburgh #steelers #losangeles #chargers #melvingordon #conner #nfl #nflallitaliana #football #americanfootball #footballamericano #buonfootball #thisisfootball #welovefootball #season #nfl100 #followus #savona #ioamoilfootball #dazn #buongiorno #ncaallitaliana #week6

[unfair-sports]

2019 The OSG Fantasy Report Week 2

OSG REPORT WEEK 2

Week 1 is in the books, and we still have some unanswered questions around the league. We will call

week 1 a loss. So 0-1 is the record. Not enough Lamar Jackson in week 1. Sometimes your research

process can begin one way and filter the other as the week progresses. More information becomes

available, one or two articles gets read, one or two shows gets heard, and can sway you left or right. No

matter what, do what research you’re going to do, follow Vegas, and then make sound decisions

trusting your own gut to hand build or use optimizers for lineup construction. Regardless here goes.

This article will change somewhat from week to week. Some weeks in the NFL warrant full game break

downs of a lot of different games. Some weeks, we need to focus on just a few, and some weeks are

somewhere in between. One place to begin is Vegas. Two games up top on the main slate (12Noon and

3PM central start times) have totals over 50.

Chiefs -8.5 at Raiders (53.5)

Saints at Rams -3 (53)

The rest spread out evenly from 47.5 to 40.5

The Patriots and Dolphins total continues to rise, more so in favor of New England.

The highest implied totals are New England 33. Chiefs 31. Ravens 29.8 and Rams at 28.

These totals help to see who Vegas expects to put up points, possessions, chances, which equals fantasy

points.

Chiefs -8.5 at Raiders (53.5)

Patrick Mahomes despite the “tough” matchup vs The Jags showed that The Chiefs are still matchup

proof to a large extent. He continued to deliver with Tyreek Hill out of the game. Therefore it is no

reason to jump off the train this week. For success you MUST have pieces from this game. Most

research is still being based on last years and previous years performances. With that said, nobody in

the NFL has a better TE matchup than Travis Kelce. Beginning and ending lineups with Mahomes and

Kelce is a slam dunk, and Kelce will be the premium pay up spot at TE. With Hill out, yards and

receptions become open, and I’m going back to Meco Hardman here. He’s minimally priced across the

industry and was on the field majority of plays after Hill’s exit. With a full week of practice, he and

Sammie Watkins should be in line for a full workload with Kelce here. Outside of full game stacks, I’m

staying away mostly (which could backfire) from Damien Williams/LeSean McCoy. They split the work,

though Williams saw targets out of the backfield He will need to repeat that plus get in the endzone.

The running back on the other side has all of my interest. In addition to Kelce (and Zeke) Josh Jacobs will

be in the core of my roster construction. He and the Raiders saw no price increase which usually

happens to the Monday night teams. Jacobs, Tyrell Williams, and notably TE Darren Waller had good

performances, and now get good matchups in a pace up game for them. I do have interest in Derek

Carr, just research his game logs vs KC. He has had success here. Carr (or Mahomes) paired up with

Waller or Williams, Jacobs, and Kelce, gives access to all TDs in one way or other to this high game total.

Saints at Rams-3 (53).

The Saints are road dogs after barely getting by Houston (yet not covering spread) vs The Rams in a

rematch from last years’ controversial NFC Title game. This game should have a playoff atmosphere

with both teams wanting the win. While Brees is traditionally not the same on the road, this team

hasn’t been the same over the last year and a half. More points scored on the road, more running game

involvement. So do not be too fast to fade Brees. I keep taking Zeke (site dependent) over Kamara on

Fanduel, but Kamara is cheaper on Draftkings. I’ll take Zeke’s TDs on fanduel and Kamara’s pass work on

DK. Though they both are excellent plays. The only issue with Kamara here is the Rams had been

decent vs RBs (not evident by C-Mac in Week 1). Even those out of the backfield. He did have a

productive game in the NFC title game, but stats point to the passing game being the better play. No

WR in the NFL has a higher floor right now than Michael Thomas. He’s not the over the top burner, but

each time they need a catch on 2 nd or 3 rd down, its Brees to Thomas. 9-12 targets are a lock, and Brees is

one of the most accurate passers there is. Period. Jared Cook has a little TD value here, but I’m looking

for Thomas first, Kamara, then Brees. In game stacks any WR is game here. On the other side, it’s Goff

and any WR. Goff’s end of season playoff, Super Bowl, Week 1 this year stats are not the best. Has the

NFL caught up to he and McVay, or is it they have to change a bit with not as much Gurley putting in

work? I said last week it was a chance to buy low on Gurley and he had a “decent” line, no TDs.

However, Gurley played 70 percent of the snaps, and nearly had 100 yards. It’s just he lost the 2 TDs to

Brown. So again, it’s a chance to buy low. It’s a revenge game for Brandin Cooks who like The Texans

WR’s showed is the big play over the top guy. This week I favor he and Cooper Kupp over Woods as

Kupp seems to be Goff’s favorite red zone target. But all 3 are equally priced around the industry.

New England -18.5 at Dolphins (47.5)

This line keeps going and some places have it at 19.5. It should be 20. Yes, the Dolphins usually play

New England close, even pulling off the upset in Miami last season. This isn’t the same Dolphins team

by far. If Lamar Jackson (no disrespect) can light them up as he did, what will Tom “don’t take my feet

off the gas” Brady and co. do? Add in Antonio Brown to Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon and you can

mix and match any of these guys. My favorite in a large spread is the running back Sony Michel. His

stats were not the most impressive last week, but I can see a bounce back here. Deep in the red zone,

should produce TD equity from him and he and James White are similarly priced, so I see Michel being

the guy here for me. Brady, Michel, Patriots defense are my favorites. I will have stacks with the WR

core as well. Josh Gordon is always one play away from a big play, but Michel is in my core of RBs with

Elliott, Kamara, and Jacobs.

Chargers -2.5 at Lions (47.5)

It is very interesting to see The Chargers as a road favorite here. Since they are, the players must get

some attention as pivots off of the more popular plays of the Chiefs, Rams, Saints, and Pats.

Traditionally this is not the best sport for Austin Ekler. The Lions is not a defense you want to pick on.

Kyler Murray is no Phillip Rivers, and Murray was popular last week, but he didn’t do much until the 4 th

quarter and overtime. However, Hunter Henry has been ruled out and this just opens up so much

volume alone for Keenan Allen and Ekler. For what it’s worth, Virgil Green is bottom price on all sites

and should be the #1 TE on the depth chart. If they are favored and this game remains close and gets to

the 47.5 total or more, it has to go thru Rivers/Allen/Ekler. They together or mixed in with Watkins,

Kelce, Mahomes, or cheap Raiders, and Rams. My week started off liking Allen more, but a little love for

Ekler is growing as the work just has to bet there for him. There can be a case made for rookie tight end

T.J. Hockenson on the Lions side of the ball as he had a great week 1 with 6 rec for 131 yards and 1TD off

of 9 targets. The Chargers have always defended the TE position well and will be hard for me to get off

of Kelce and Waller.

Cardinals at -13.5 Ravens (46)

It’s a high total here though Vegas expects more scoring to be on the Baltimore side and I tend to agree.

I do think the line is a little high, but I do like Baltimore to roll by 8-9. Once again, Kyler Murray will be

popular, but in his second career game at Baltimore? This organization has always hung its hat on

defense. Yes, Jimmy Smith is out at corner in Baltimore, but I tend to love the defense here for INT’s

and sacks if Kingsbury is determined to let the rookie throw 40-50 times. I would run back Baltimore

stacks with David Johnson, who was involved in the passing game in week 1, before Murray. Yes, play

Lamar Jackson. Yes, play Marquise Brown despite only playing 14 (very productive) snaps. Yes, consider

Michael Crabtree here as well. My favorite is still Mark Ingram and the Baltimore defense. At home,

check. Favorite, check. Opportunity for turnovers and short fields. Check. Again, though hard to get

away from Kelce and Waller, keep Mark Andrews at TE in the player pool as well.

Seahawks at -4 Steelers (46.5)

Teams that get embarrassed on national TV tend to bounce back in a major way, and this presents a

great opportunity for Pittsburgh. Andy Dalton’s first ever 400 yard came on the road against this “not

anymore” Legion of Boom secondary. Big Ben to Smith-Schuster could pay off in stacks, and perhaps

James Conner and Vance McDonald as well. Moncrief had 4 drops off of 10 targets and ended with an

ugly 3 rec 7 yards line. Pittsburgh has always been a straightforward offense. On the other side of the

game, my only play here is Chris Carson, but little interest. Wilson and Lockett will get hype, but I have

failed many of times trying to pair Wilson with targets, and now the team is determined to run more.

Pass.

Cowboys -5.5 at Redskins (46.5)

It’s never fun to favor road teams in divisional games but it’s hard to avoid Ezekiel Elliott. He and

Kamara are 1 and 1A, both on the road. The matchup is there, the history of his performance vs

Washington is there, and I do expect his workload to increase, and a great chance to buy low. I usually

avoid division games, but they want to come out 2-0 out of the gate and would have come out with two

division wins out of the gate. The passing game for good reason is being noticed after last weeks

performance. If pairing Dak, consider with Zeek and the defense, or a pass catcher such as Cooper, or

Gallup, but the low owned red sneaky red zone target could be Randall Cobb. I have zero interest in

Keenum and the offense here, and actually like the Dallas defense.

49ers at -1.5 Bengals (45.5)

I have very little interest here as I take a wait and see approach on the 49er’s backfield. In some lineups

to pivot off of Kelce, we can look to George Kittle. He had two TDs called back from Jimmy G, and they

could still be paired together here. I have an issue playing players from “bad” teams, and the two TDs

being called back happens on “bad” teams. It was a great spot vs Tampa (see Greg Olsen’s Thursday

night line. His only failure was no TDs impart to his QB), and this is just an OK spot for Kittle here. Value

has opened up in the backfield with the injury to Tevin Coleman, but I have little interest in Breida or

Mostert. If that beats me, so be it. I also think Cincy’s performance was matchup based, but Tyler Boyd

and John Ross should see all of the targets with no AJ Green. If for some reason, Joe Mixon is ruled out

GIO BERNARD IS ALMOST A MUST PLAY. He has always stepped up for solid value in those situations.

Colts at -3.5 Titans (44)

Here’s a game where we can save some time. I have interest in both RBs in Derrick Henry and Marlon

Mack and have interest in both defenses. I have very little interest in either passing games. Delanie

Walker finds himself in an excellent spot, but again, very little interest in the passing games.

Bills at Giants Pick Em (44)

Buffalo opened as 2-point favorites and it’s down to a pick em game. Vegas expects the game to be

tight, so despite the low total, there may be some value here. I’m still not sure about Devin Singletary at

RB in Buffalo, but Josh Allen can be played “naked” with his rushing upside as opposed to forcing the

stack here with plays such as John Brown. If you play either side, Saquon Barkley should be run back.

With Kamara, Zeek, Eckler, Jacobs, etc garnering so much attention that Barkley may fly under the radar.

The Bills are tight on TEs, but Sterling Shepard has been ruled OUT and Cody Latimer is very

questionable and will be a game-time decision. Evan Engram saw 14 targets and had 11 rec 116 yards

and 1TD. That’s WR type stats. I love the Bills defense here to get some sacks and an INT off Eli but

keep Barkley and Engram in the player pool in tournaments.

Jags at -9 Texans (43.5)

Here’s a line I think is interesting. I think the TD plus line reflects the unknown of the Gardner Minshew

at QB for Jacksonville. Forget the score the Chiefs hung up here, it’s the Chiefs. Minshew came in with

poise and went 22-25 275 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT. Not bad for game 1 for a rookie tossed in the fire after

Foles went out. That’s a better line than Kyler Murray who has been prepped as the starter since Day 1.

Yes, he was a 6 th round draft pick but so was Tom Brady. He played a 4 WR set in college and finished in

the top 10 in Heisman voting. He’s no stranger to throwing the football. Westbrook gets a very

favorable matchup, and he and DJ Chark provide excellent value at WR when trying to pay up for RBs

and other WRs such as Michael Thomas. Can the Texans do to this respectable defense what the Chiefs

did? I’m inclined to say no, but Deandre Hopkins is as matchup proof as possible. I like other WRs than

he, but I will have Watson/Hopkins and maybe Fuller stacks. I’ll be a bit overweight yet going back and

forth with Tyrell Williams and DeDe Westbrook. Don’t go overboard here, but definitely value to be

had.

I glossed over both the Bears/Broncos game, and the Vikings/Packers game. I have 0 interest in any

offensive weapon at Mile High Stadium, but both defenses deserve strong consideration, but keep in

mind that the Bears are a -2.5 favorite vs their old defensive coordinator. Who wins, the offensive coach

in Chicago with a subpar QB, or the defensive coordinator who practiced with them week in week out.

The Vikings/Packers game is a stay away for me, being a divisional game. Minnesota wants to run only

throwing the ball 10 times last week (unsustainable), while Adams can’t get over 80 yards vs this

defense. Green Bay’s backfield is in a time share, and there is so much better offensive spots across the

board this week.

QB’s

Mahomes

Carr (see Minshew and Foles combined stats last week)

Minshew vs Watson

Jackson & Brees in not the best matchups on paper

Brady

Goff (can he bounce back)

Prescott Rivers

Allen

Dalton if you think Week 1 wasn’t a fluke

Jimmy G

RBs

Kamara Elliott

Ingram Ekeler

Mack D. Johnson

Michel Jacobs

Bernard if Mixon is out

Gurley/Malcolm Brown if stacking Saints/Rams Game

WRs

Hopkins

Thomas

Smith-Schuster

New England WR core

Rams WR Core

Cowboys WR core

Allen (huge target market share)

Watkins & Hardman

Westbrook/DJ Chark

Tyrell Williams

TEs

Kelce

Kittle

Waller

Engram

Andrews

Walker

Defense

Bears vs Denver

Bills

Ravens

Vikings/Packers

Patriots

Titans/Colts

#fantasy #fantasyfootball #espnfantasy #yahoofantasy #dailyfantasy

[spy-in-the-house]

BLACK JACK aka JOHN MORRISON

[ "Submorphosis / Mr. Man" | Soiree Rec. Int. | Fathom Records  | Scenic Music| RF Music | Psycho Thrill Rec. | BangTech12 | Xenology, Aberdeen UK ] Black Jack, better known by his DJ pseudonym Mr. Man and also under the dub step genre as Submorphosis, has been in and around the dance music scene since 1996. His influences came from Detroit, citing Juan Atkins, Rhythm is Rhythm, Eddie Flashin Fowlkes and Jeff Mills as creators of his electronic techno style. A regular at Scotland’s finest club nights Pure, Slam, Test, Pussypower, Syntax and Subculture, these nights became pivotal points in his early days as DJ, opening the flood gates to an abundance of top acts from around the globe. Fast forward to September 2009 and Black Jack had his first transatlantic vinyl release on Derrick Thompson’s label Soiree Records International in Detroit. In LA he also had releases out on Lucas Rodenbush‘s label Scenic Music and again in Detroit, an E.P. out on Dwayne Jensen‘s (r.i.p.) label Fathom Records. Beside this he started releasing on Vancouver based RF Music, run by Rennie Foster, with a track on the Entrowerk compilation. On his home ground, he released on Murge Recordings and Rhythmic Science (alongside Mark Archer, Derek Carr and Mark Ambrose), with more releases due out on Feelharmonic Records and classic rave/bleep label - Ozone Recordings. Finally he started his own imprint, Xenology Records, with co-owner and DJ partner Jace Syntax, which focuses on futuristic house and techno. His tracks have been remixed by Drivetrain, Pure Science, Atesh K, Aubrey, Hughes Gibouley, Lucas Rodenbush – E.B.E., Dave-G, 2lite, Thomas Barnett, Jules Wells, Jace Syntax, Jacksonville, Jay Tripwire, Cloudmaster Weed and Sean Deason. Alongside his own productions Black Jack's DJ career has seen him play in the best underground clubs in Scotland, including the Pelican, Soundhaus, Club 69, Glasgow School of Art, and Carlton Studios, along with other international gigs. He has been a resident at club nights Syntax, Bang Tech 12, Pigeon Project, Meautronix, Science Friction and Funion and has played alongside Blake Baxter, Richard Grey, Nathan Coles, Laid Back Luke, Funk D’void, Pure Science, Tama Sumo, Thomas Barnett, Claus Bachor, Tim Baker, Deepak Sharma, HD Substance, Detroit Techno Militia and Derrick Thompson, to name but a few. At last but not least Black Jack describes his own unique style as a mixture of tribal acid house and techno, with soul and atmosphere. without the past … there’s no phuture … these alltime top20-faves in no particular order

01 MODEL 500 [JUAN ATKINS]: Deep Space [ R&S Records RS-95066 BEL 2x12" Album| 1995 ] 02 IT’s THINKING [DIRK-JAN HANEGRAAFF, GERT-JAN BIJL, MARK RRIPMEESTER]:  Afterglow [ Malego Records MAL-002/ Plus8/ Intellinet CAN 12" | 1992 ] 03 A.Z.T. [DAVID PICCIONI]: This Is The Choice Of A New Generation [ Azuli Records AZ-004 UK ss-WL-12" | 1990 ] 04 RHYTHM IS RHYTHM [DERRICK MAY]:  It Is What It Is [ Transmat MS-6 US 12" | 1988 ] 05 UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE: Sometimes I Feel Like [ A2-track from “Nation 2 Nation” Underground Resistance UR-005/ Submerge US 12" | 1991 ] 06 CJ BOLLAND [CHRISTIAN JAY BOLLAND]: Carmague [ D1-track from “The 4th Sign” R&S Records RS-92024 BEL 2x12" | 1992 ] 07 ORBITAL [PAUL & PHIL HARTNOLL]: The Girl With The Sun In Her Head [ A-side from “In Sides” Internal TRULP-010 UK 3x12" | 1996 ] 08 SONIC YOUTH [THURSTON MOORE, LEE RANALDO, KIM GORDON, RICHARD EDSON]: Goo [ DGC-7599-24297-1 EU ltd.ed. Album + 7" | 1990 ] 09 FAITH NO MORE [CHUCK MOSLEY, RODDY BOTTUM, BILLY GOULD, MIKE BORDIN, JIM MARTIN]: From Out Of Nowhere [ A-side from “From Out Of Nowhere” Slash LASHX-19/ London Records UK 12" | 1989 ] 10 THE PRODIGY [LIAM HOWLETT, KEITH FLINT, MAXIM, LEEROY THORNHILL ]: Everybody In The Place [ XL Recordings XLT-026 UK 12" | 1992 ] 11 STEELY DAN [DAVID PALMER, DENNY DIAS, DONALD FAGEN, JEFF BAXTER, JIM HODDER, WALTER BECKER ]:  Rikky Don’t Lose That Number [ A1-song from “Pretzel Logic” ABC Records ABCD-808 Album | 1974 ] 12 NEIL YOUNG: Old Man [ B1-song from “Harvest” Reprise Records MS-2032 US Album | 1972 ] 13 PINK FLOYD [DAVID GILMOUR, NICK MASON, RICHARD WRIGHT, ROGER WATERS, SYD BARRETT]: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (1-2) [ A1/2-song(s) from “Wish You Were Here” Harvest SHVL-814 UK Album | 1975 ] 14 FUGAZI [BRENDAN CANTY, COLIN SEARS, GUY PICCIOTTO, IAN MACKAYE, JOE LALLY]: Waiting Room [ A1-song from “Fugazi” Dischord Records DISCHORD-030 US 12" | 1988 ] 15 DRIVETRAIN [DERRICK THOMPSON]: Symphonium [ Soiree Records International SRT-108 US 12" | 1993 ] 16 JACE SYNTAX: Where Ever You Are [ Sula Muse Recordings SULAMUSE-010 wav/mp3 file | 2008 ] 17 KOSMIK MESSENGER [STACEY PULLEN]: Full Moon [ A2-track from “The Collected Works Of Kosmic Messenger” Elypsia ELY-015 LP BEL 2x12" | 1997 ] 18 SILICON SCALLY [CARL FINLOW]: Entron [ B2-track from “Mr.Machine” SCSI-AV ID-009 UK 2x12" | 2002] 19 HÜSKER DÜ [BOB MOULD, GRANT HART, GREG NORTON]: Diane [ B2-song from “Metal Circus” SST Records SST-020/ Reflex Records US Album | 1983 ] 20 GREEN RIVER [ALEX SHUMWAY, ALEX VINCENT, BRUCE FAIRWEATHER, JEFF AMENT, MARK ARM, MARK McLAUGHLIN, STEVE TURNER, STONE GOSSARD]: This Town [ B1-track from “Dry As A Bone” Sub Pop SP-011 US 12" | 1987 ] #bookmarks BLACK JACK  ll  JOHN MORRISON  ll  SUBMORPHOSIS  ll  YOUTUBE FACEBOOK  ll   XENOLOGY RECORDS  ll  SOUNDCLOUD

#blackjack #johnmorrison #submorphosis #soireerecordsinternational #xenologyrecords #techno #house #aberdeen #scottland

[kansascityhappenings]

Fantasy Focus: AFC West foes who are tricks and treats for your fantasy team

Philip Rivers of Los Angeles Chargers reacts during the NFL International Series match between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As Halloween is quickly approaching, the Chiefs offense and its fantasy output has been scary good. But for much of the rest of the AFC West, the season has simply been a horror show.

There’s no concerns about any of your Chiefs fantasy players keeping pace, but which division foes have guys who can be brought back to life like Frankenstein?

We’re dividing these players into three categories:

Trick: The guys who just haven’t played like you expected. Although I wouldn’t recommend cutting bait on them just yet, getting them into your lineup could be a bit tricky.

Treat: Like the house in your neighborhood giving out full size candy bars, these are the guys who have really come through for you and will keep doing so.

Smell my feet: This seems self-explanatory. The guys whose houses are probably going to get egged this Halloween by irate owners.

Hopefully this fantasy advice can help you scare up a league title in 2018.

TRICK

QB Case Keenum, Denver:

While Keenum was expected to backslide some going from a potent Vikings offense to a middling Broncos squad, the hit’s been harder than expected.

In fact, he’s looking more and more like a one-year wonder. Through seven games, Keenum’s posted an 8 to 9 TD to INT ratio and has thrown for at least one pick in every game this season.

There’s still reason for optimism, though. While not amazing, his 5 to 3 TD to INT ratio in the last three weeks looks much better. His numbers were somewhat curtailed by a blowout win against the Cardinals.

I’m not saying you want to start him, but Keenum’s worth playing on bye weeks and can be considered for streaming options.

RB Royce Freeman, Denver:

The starting job with the Broncos looked to be Freeman’s to start the season, but the 3rd round draft pick has been outplayed and out-carried so far by undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay. To make matters worse, Lindsay is also the superior pass catcher.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Freeman is still the preferred goal line back (4 TDs compared to Lindsay’s 2), and he’s posting a respectable 4.4 yards per carry.  Like Keenum, his value right now is as a flex play in deeper leagues or a bye week flier.

WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles:

It hardly seems fair to call a receiver in the top 20 in yards a disappointment, but for someone as reliable as Allen, it is. Although the yards have been there, he’s only found the end zone once this season, all the way back in Week 1.

He’s still been valuable in PPR leagues, snagging at least 5 receptions in 5 of 7 games, but the player you might have hoped would be your WR1 looks more like an unspectacular WR2.

TREAT

QB Philip Rivers, Los Angeles:

While he’s always been a reliable fantasy QB for owners looking to wait until the late rounds to pick one up, he’s looked more like the one-time elite starter this season.

Rivers currently ranks 3rd among fantasy QBs in points and has thrown for at least 2 TDs in every game this season. His 17 to 3 TD to INT ratio also means you don’t have to worry so much about bust potential with Rivers.

The Chargers are on a bye this week, but he’s an every-week starter after that.

RB Melvin Gordon and RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles:

You’re going to find a lot of Chargers in the “treat” category, and that’s simply because they’re the next best team in the AFC West.

Although Gordon is still the lead dog in the backfield (and playing like one as well), Ekeler’s been a pleasant surprise. Both players are among the top 15 PPR running backs on the season. Gordon will still get the looks near the end zone, but Ekeler is the better receiver.

The bye comes at the right time for Gordon who’s nursing an injury. He’s a no-brainer starter, while Ekeler is a high-end RB2 or worthy flex play.

WR Emmanuel Sanders, Denver:

Another steady fantasy performer for years, Sanders is on the upswing after consecutive 100-yard receiving games with a touchdown.

Although Keenum hasn’t clicked with the rest of the Broncos offense, there seems to be no problems with Sanders, who rates among the top 10 in yards in the league. Not only that, but he’s put up 5 receptions in all but one game this season.

The high ceiling, high floor potential is as much as you can ask for out of any receiver.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders #10 reacts with teammate quarterback Case Keenum #4 of the Denver Broncos after scoring a 64-yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 18, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

SMELL MY FEET

QB Derek Carr, Oakland:

Any time trade rumors swirl around your quarterback, it’s not a good sign.

Most fantasy players tempered their expectations for Carr this year with the return of coach Jon Gruden, but it’s been a nightmare year for the quarterback.  Like Keenum, he’s thrown for more interceptions than touchdowns on the season. Not only that, Carr is now without who had been his most reliable wide receiver with Amari Cooper traded to the Cowboys.

There’s no hope in holding out for things to get better this season for Carr. Whether it’s another backup QB or a depth move for RB or WR, that roster spot can be better used elsewhere.

WR Demaryius Thomas, Denver:

It’s hard to imagine this season going much worse than it has for the Broncos standout.

Although Thomas saw his season receiving totals dip below 1000 yards for the first time in six seasons in 2017, he’s on a much worse pace this season. His 372 yards on the season are good for just 40th among all pass-catchers in the NFL. Five tight ends and two running backs have more receiving yards on the season.

At this point, the player you might once have had pegged for a WR1 week in and week out could arguably be benched in tough match-ups.

TE Antonio Gates, Los Angeles:

It may not seem fair to put a 38-year-old who only signed weeks before the season in the dungeon, but most fantasy experts (including myself) had Gates pegged for a solid if not spectacular season.

The longtime tight end was in line for a big year with Hunter Henry suffering a season-ending preseason injury. He’s obviously had more than a decade of rapport with Rivers as his QB, and Gates posted the highest scoring weeks among tight ends in 2017 when Henry was injured.

Simply put, it hasn’t materialized this season. Gates only has 1 TD through 7 games this season. He’s been limited to three or fewer catches in every game this year and hasn’t cracked 20 yards receiving since September. Even for a tight end, that’s ghastly.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/10/24/fantasy-focus-afc-west-foes-who-are-tricks-and-treats-for-your-fantasy-team/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/10/25/fantasy-focus-afc-west-foes-who-are-tricks-and-treats-for-your-fantasy-team/

[ffrotoexpert]

Week #1 2018 Rankings

Let’s get it going boys, I am back for another year of Fantasy Football Musings! Everyone has drafted their squad and is ready to rock, here are my Week #1 Rankings (I play in PPR leagues, so I take that into account with the rankings below).

Week #1 QB Rankings

Start of the Week: Kirk Cousins, MIN vs SF

Bust of the Week: Derek Carr, OAK vs LAR

Sleeper of the Week: Tyrod Taylor, CLE vs PIT

Aaron Rodgers, GB vs CHI

Tom Brady, NE vs HOU

Drew Brees, NO vs TB

Kirk Cousins, MIN vs SF

Matt Stafford, DET vs NYJ

Deshaun Watson, HOU at NE

Russell Wilson, SEA at DEN

Cam Newton, CAR vs DAL

Philip Rivers, LAC vs KC

Jared Goff, LAR at OAK

Andrew Luck, IND vs CIN

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT at CLE

Matt Ryan, ATL at PHL

Andy Dalton, CIN at INT

Alex Smith, WAS at ARI

Pat Mahomes, KC at LAC

Week #1 RB Rankings

Start of the Week: Alvin Kamara, NO vs TB

Bust of the Week: Dalvin Cook, MIN vs SF

Sleeper of the Week: Lat Murray, MIN vs SF

Todd Gurley, LAR at OAK

Alvin Kamara, NO vs TB

David Johnson, ARI vs WAS

Zeke Elliott, DAL at CAR

Leonard Fournette, JAC at NYG

Melvin Gordon, LAC vs KC

Kareem Hunt, KC at LAC

Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs DAL

Joe Mixon, CIN at IND

Devonta Freeman, ATL at PHL

LeSean McCoy, BUF at BAL

Jordan Howard, CHI at GB

Saquon Barkely, NYG vs JAC

Alex Collins, BAL vs BUF

Derrick Henry, TEN at MIA

Dalvin Cook, MIN vs SF

Royce Freeman, DEN vs SEA

Kenyan Drake, MIA vs TEN

James Conner, PIT at CLE

Lamar Miller, HOU at NE

Jay Ajayi, PHI vs HOU

Rex Burkhead, NE vs HOU

Jamaal Williams, GB vs CHI

Chris Carson, SEA at DEN

Duke Johnson, CLE vs PIT

Carlos Hyde, CLE vs PIT

Dion Lewis, TEN at MIA

Marshawn Lynch, OAK vs LAR

Lat Murray, MIN vs SF

Isaiah Crowell, NYJ at DET

Peyton Barber, TB at NO

Chris Thompson, WAS at ARI

Tevin Coleman, ATL at PHL

Tarik Cohen, CHI at GB

Adrian Peterson, WAS at ARI

James White, NE vs HOU 

Matt Breida, SF at MIN

Kerryon Johnson, DET vs NYJ

Alfred Morris, SF at MIN

Bilal Powell, NYJ at DET

Week #1 WR Rankings

Start of the Week: Davante Adams, GB vs CHI

Bust of the Week: Amari Cooper, OAK vs LAR

Sleeper of the Week: Corey Davis, TEN at MIA

Antonio Brown, PIT at CLE

DeAndre Hopkins, HOU at NE

Michael Thomas, NO vs TB

Julio Jones, ATL at PHL

AJ Green, CIN at IND

Keenan Allen, LAC vs KC

Davante Adams, GB vs CHI

Stefon Diggs, MIN vs SF

Odell Beckham, Jr, NYG vs JAX

Adam Thielen, MIN vs SF

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI vs WAS

Tyreek Hill, KC at LAC

TY Hilton, IND vs CIN

Mike Evans, TB at NO

Golden Tate, DET vs NYJ

Chris Hogan, NE vs HOU

Jarvis Landry, CLE vs PIT

Emmanuel Sanders, DEN vs SEA

Doug Baldwin, SEA at DEN

Demaryius Thomas, DEN vs SEA

JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT at CLE

Amari Cooper, OAK vs LAR

Allen Robinson, CHI at GB

Marvin Jones, DET vs NYJ

Brandin Cooks, LAR at OAK

Corey Davis, TEN at MIA

Robert Woods, LAR at OAK

Michael Crabtree, BAL vs BUF

Josh Gordon, CLE vs PIT

Nelson Agholor, PHL vs ATL

Marquise Goodwin, SF at MIN

Robby Anderson, NYJ at DET

Pierre Garcon, SF at MIN

Randall Cobb, GB vs CHI

Cooper Kupp, LAR at OAK

Devin Funchess, CAR vs DAL

Will Fuller, HOU at NE

Jamison Crowder, WAS at ARI

Keelan Cole, JAC at NYG

Kelvin Benjamin, BUF at BAL

Week #1 TE Rankings

Start of the Week: Trey Burton, CHI at GB

Bust of the Week: Evan Engram, NYG vs JAC

Sleeper of the Week: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, JAC at NYG

Rob Gronkowski, NE vs HOU

Zack Ertz, PHL vs ATL

Travis Kelce, KC at LAC

Greg Olsen, CAR vs DAL

Delanie Walker, TEN at MIA

Trey Burton, CHI at GB

Jimmy Graham, GB vs CHI

Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs SF

David Njoku, CLE vs PIT

Jordan Reed, WAS at ARI

Evan Engram, NYG vs JAC

Tyler Eifert, CIN at IND

Jack Doyle, IND vs CIN

Charles Clay, BUF at BAL

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, JAC at NYG

George Kittle, SF at MIN

Benjamin Watson, NO vs TB

Cameron Brate, TB at NO

Ricky Seals-Jones, ARI vs WAS

Antonio Gates, LAC vs KC

[cottoncandysoul]

      “please, please tell me you’ve watched the latest season of stranger things because i need someone to talk to about it and all of my other friends are being super lame right now,” river huffs after throwing herself down onto the couch next to dallas in such a dramatic fashion, one might think she’d been body snatched. river is hardly ever the type to be over the top about anything, usually preferring to be the quiet, observant girl in the small group of friends she has, but with dallas, river’s always been a little different. “if you haven’t, i seriously think i’m going to have to disown all of you and find new friends.” she adds with a small pout, dark, doe eyes gazing in the other girl’s direction. @diamcndstakingshape

#diamcndstakingshape #int: river gordon #riverdallas001

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Fantasy Football Booms/Busts 2018: The Los Angeles Chargers

Drill down on Melvin Gordon’s advanced stats profile and you might be surprised at just how good he is. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

As the mercury rises and we inch closer to the open of training camps, our resident fantasy football sickos, Brad Evans and Liz Loza, will profile their favorite booms/busts of every NFL team. Today’s topic: The SoCal Stepchildren.

Based on ADP, what player unleashes the loudest BOOM this season?

Brad – PHILIP RIVERS. In a classic game of rock-paper-scissors, the passer is an old trusty chunk of metamorphic. Similar to other venerable vets Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Matthew Stafford, Rivers sports a high floor. Every year he slips in drafts. Every year he exceeds expectation. Eight of his past 10 seasons he’s finished inside the QB top-12. Oh, and he hasn’t missed a single start since joining the league in 2004. Rivers should be a cover athlete for the Fantasy Safety Commission.

Last season, the 36 year old underwhelmed in multiple completion percentage categories. However, his receivers dropped 44 total passes, the third-most in the NFL. The loss of Hunter Henry stings, but with Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon, Tyrell Williams and up-and-comer Mike Williams (Sidenote: I stand with Loza in her breakout prediction of Williams) comprising the arsenal he should again rank at or near the top in yards per attempt, air yards per attempt and pass yards per game. The crystal ball says 4,300 passing yards with 28-30 TDs and 12-14 INTs is on the horizon. Pull a fast one on your opponents at his 120.4 ADP (QB12).

Liz – MIKE WILLIAMS. After being selected in the first round by the Los Angeles Chargers, the seventh overall pick promptly herniated a disc in his lower back during the first practice of rookie minicamp. He eventually made it onto the field by Week 6 (converting his lone target for 15 yards), but then hurt his knee (bone bruise) heading into Week 12 and missed another two games. The coveted rookie closed out his first professional campaign with an 11-95-0 stat line.

Heading into 2018, however, Williams has a chance to turn things around. At 6-foot-4 and nearly 220 pounds, the 23-year-old is large and in charge. He has an impressive wingspan and plump mitts, both of which help him win contested catches and dominate in the red area of the field. Unfortunately, he’s slow and his routes are raw. While he’ll never be a burner, a proper offseason – which includes both counsel from Keenan Allen and regularly facing off against Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett – should add polish those trees.

The Chargers organization undoubtedly believes in Williams’ talent. But will Philip Rivers target the novice wideout enough to make him fantasy relevant? With Hunter Henry lost for the season (ACL), the father of seven won’t have much of a choice. Expected to run more three-wide sets, Los Angeles’ second-favorite team will prioritize getting Williams involved in the red zone. A 6 TD season is well within the second-year player’s massive reach.

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

BELIEVE or MAKE BELIEVE: Melvin Gordon (11.7 ADP, RB8) finishes No. 10 or better in .5 PPR leagues at the RB position.

Liz – BELIEVE. Don’t even start with that “but his YPC” garbage. Averaging nearly 4 red zone touches per game and racking up 11 goal line carries in 2017, Gordon traded “efficiency” for TDs. A top-seven FF producer in back-to-back seasons, the Wisconsin product has managed 12 total scores for two consecutive years. He’s also honed his pass-catching skills, drawing over 83 targets (#7) last year. Per OC Ken Whisenhunt, that number should grow with Hunter Henry lost for the upcoming season.

A workhorse who catches A LOT of balls, Gordon is an elite option at the position. Assuming he stays healthy again this go-around, the 25-year-old should minimally deliver 1,500 total yards and 10 scores in his fourth pro effort.

Brad – BELIEVE. On the surface, Gordon resembles a never-ending drive thru lane at the local In-N-Out. His sub 4.0 YPC marks in consecutive seasons combined with horrid efficiency numbers (40 percent success rates on run and pass plays in ’17) suggest patrons should turn away. In fact, according to Sharp Football his 42 percent run success rate the past two seasons ranked dead last among RBs with at least 425 attempts. But stick it out and numbers equivalent to the caloric intake of a double-double with a side of animal style fries awaits.

Commanding the sixth-most vigorous opportunity share last season (71.5 percent), Gordon ranked top-10 in red-zone touches, breakaway runs, evaded tackles and yards after contact. His testy naysayers will argue volume had everything to do it, which is true, but fantasy worth is often tied to workload and situation. Gordon, who registered 21.4 touches per game last season, stands out in both.

You’ll occasionally see Austin Ekeler on “expert” sleeper lists this summer, a waste-of-time viewpoint. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn is committed to Gordon. Knowing L.A.’s on-paper potency, on both ends, along with its o-line upgrades (6th-worst in run-blocking in ’17) and Gordon sports one of the safest floors in virtual pigskin. Target him with supreme confidence at or near the turn in 12-team leagues. Another 1400-1600 combined yards with 10-plus touchdowns is imminent. He’s firmly entrenched as my RB8.

At his 16.1 ADP (WR6) in .5 PPR formats, is Keenan Allen OVERVALUED, UNDERVALUED or PROPERLY VALUED?

Brad – UNDERVALUED. Miracles do exist. The fact Allen’s various extremities survived an entire 16-game slate was undeniable proof. Whatever MacGyver-like contraption surgeons fixed to his repaired knee did wonders. In 2017 he returned to greatness, enticing 27.7 percent of the target share (WR6) while tallying 102 receptions for 1,393 yards and seven scores. Equally spectacular in advanced categories, he finished No. 10 or higher in red-zone targets share, total yards per catch, yards per route and fantasy points per route. His overall 55 percent receiving success rate also moved the meter.

Allen’s downside is obvious, but if his health sustains over another full season, he’s a tremendous Round 2 option in .5 PPR. With Hunter Henry’s 5.2 targets per game up for grabs, it’s possible he could exceed 160 looks. Linking him with another elite WR or prominent RB from Round 1 is a fantastic 1-2 punch to start your draft.

Liz – PROPERLY VALUED. Free of lacerated kidneys and non-contact knee injuries, Allen proved his rookie season was no fluke. The 2017 Comeback Player of the Year converted 102 balls (via 159 looks) for nearly 1,400 yards and 7 scores. The picture of health, Allen additionally beasted after the catch, racking up the second most yards post-reception of any WR in the league.

A top-three fantasy producer, the stud wideout made NFL history from Weeks 11 – 13, becoming the first player to haul in 10 balls, 100 yards, and 1 TD in three straight contests. That’s something that neither Antonio Brown or Julio Jones – both of whom are consistently drafted ahead of Allen – have ever accomplished. The fact that Allen did it late in the season also allays any fears about his health. He’s my no-questions-asked WR6 heading in 2018.

Bring the blitz on Twitter. Follow Brad (@YahooNoise) and Liz (@LizLoza_FF).

#_category:yct:001000854 #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_author:Brad Evans #_uuid:cae28557-b916-3a7e-8fa3-34c6ab83b0f4 #_revsp:54edcaf7-cdbb-43d7-a41b-bffdcc37fb56

[junker-town]

NFL Dad, Week 17: Good riddance to the Ravens, Seahawks, and 2017

On the final day of the year, one NFL fan tried to watch all of the RedZone action while parenting two toddlers.

It’s fitting that the NFL season came to a close on New Year’s Eve. After the Week 17 games, every team will start with a clean slate — either vying for the Lombardi Trophy in the playoffs, or taking stock of what went wrong and planning for 2018. Coaches will be fired, management restructured, free agents signed, hopes laid upon draftees. Injured players will return stronger than ever, and you’ll take this opportunity to improve yourself, too. Exercise more. Eat better. Work harder. A fresh start for all!

It’s a lie, of course. Unless a franchise has recently fired Jeff Fisher, a team will only take incremental steps forward or backward. Sure, there are exceptions: One or two teams will experience huge leaps in the win column thanks to turnover luck and positive results in close games, and those teams’ fans will be CERTAIN that it was the result of effort and superior coaching, and not the random providence of luck, destined to regress to the mean.

The truth is, the calendar is the only thing that’s changed. We can experience temporary improvements, but most of us are destined to regress to our personal means. And NFL teams are the same: Your team is unlikely to improve dramatically.

But the NFL monolith will scrape forward nonetheless. Your favorite players will get injured. People will complain about the refs. The Patriots will go 12-4. 2018 is the same hell as 2017, just fresher.

EARLY GAMES, FIRST HALF

— It’s a tame early slate. Bears-Vikings, Jets-Pats, and Browns-Steelers are the only games with playoff implications, and that’s being generous. The (heavy) favorites in those games only have minor jockeying for bye weeks and top-2 conference seeding. I’m saving most of my attention span for the late games.

— A common theme for many of the early games is the extreme cold hitting much of the country. Players wear extra layers, helmets shrink, and Jets quarterbacks live out the metaphors of their station in life.

Inspiring start for Bryce Petty and the Jets http://pic.twitter.com/3t9LvfGCxb

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 31, 2017

— My wife and I rented a car to take our kids to my sister’s place for a couple days after Christmas, with a stop along the way to see old friends. And I’m not going to relive the entire journey, but I will offer one unpleasant travel snapshot: Experiencing carsickness from constantly torquing my neck and back around to fruitlessly attempt to soothe two toddlers completely unaccustomed to car travel as snarled traffic turned a 3.5-hour car trip into a 6.5-hour cry-a-thon.

The lesson I refuse to learn: NEVER. GO. ANYWHERE.

The lesson I refuse to learn as a parent of young children: NEVER. GO. ANYWHERE.

— James Harrison is making his debut for the Patriots, and some Steelers fans are aghast. I don’t quite get the surprise. When Harrison was cut by the Steelers in 2013, he signed with the division rival Bengals. He also had a stint with the Ravens after being on the Steelers’ practice squad early in his career. This is James Harrison we’re talking about. He’s not a paragon of virtue loyal to the black and yellow; he’s a vindictive maniac who has dedicated his entire life to hitting people. Of COURSE he went to the Steelers’ biggest rival this year.

— Juju Smith-Schuster’s touchdown celebration gets an A for joyous creativity, and a D for snowball packing.

— It’s 2:15 p.m. and my son is awake at least 45 minutes earlier than my wife and I would like. He only ever takes 90-minute naps now. My daughter at his age would regularly sleep for three hours in the afternoon. Hell, she still sleeps longer in the afternoon than he does, and she’s twice his age. Sleep longer, you adorable goblin! You’re tired!

— The Bears score a touchdown on the famous fake where the punt returner feigns tracking the ball on one side of the field while a second player catches it on the other side of the field. Long live this explainer on why the play is so unstoppable.

— Dallas and Philadelphia are tied 0-0 at the half. Someone named Jeff Sudfeld is playing quarterback for the Eagles. Nick Foles is too valuable for the Eagles’ playoff run!

Last reminder of the year: (extremely long sigh) Any team in the NFL could have signed Colin Kaepernick on the cheap.

EARLY GAMES, SECOND HALF

— The Colts attempt a surprise onside kick, and there appears to be an end-of-year fire sale on trick plays. If I were a coach about to get fired, you can bet your ass I would throw every unused page in the playbook at an opponent in Week 17: Fake punts, surprise onside kicks, hook-and-laterals, Fumblerooskis — the trick plays would get the defense so on edge for the trick plays that they would get knocked over by power runs.

And then I would be fired.

— Much of what I do on a week-to-week basis has already been collected, with much more brevity, in this piece of service journalism: Every dumb thing that happened in NFL Week 17. (No bits about parenting there, though.)

— Eight minutes into the third quarter, the Giants and Washington are a combined three-for-19 on third downs. It’s hard for me to express how much I’m enjoying not watching that game.

Instead, I’m watching these bad bartending videos:

There’s a whole series of those that are equally confounding, and they are either the stupidest videos on YouTube or the subtlest troll jobs I’ve ever seen.

As someone who’s been absorbing online culture as a job for more than a decade, it’s rare for me to find something like this inscrutable. Hundreds of dollars for a full bar, but no muddler? The totally incapable but somehow believable bartender? The pint glass of whiskey? This is a ruse, right? I refuse to be anyone’s mark.

— A fun new thing I have since the round-trip car voyage is a semi-permanent eye tic. Just a tiny little muscle spasm on my lower left eyelid that’s like, “Hey, remember that time you were trapped in a rolling box of stress for six hours? Twice?” Look for it on SB Nation’s YouTube channel in 2018.

Hey, remember that time you were trapped in a rolling box of stress for six hours?

— My wife leaves to walk the dog right as the early games wind down. Because we’re keeping our children out of the Arctic blast, I stay back with both kids. My son immediately grabs the iPad off the table and shoves his face into it.

“I want Elsa,” my daughter says, so I play “Let It Go” on Spotify and pull up an image of Elsa for her to look at while the song plays. Frozen is the next horizon for us after Moana. I’m fine with this eventuality, but Moana definitely has the superior story and soundtrack. The important thing is that they’re both better than the 50 years of Disney princess movies that came before. GAHHHH WHY DO I SPEND SO MUCH TIME THINKING ABOUT DISNEY CARTOONS?

— The Browns, despite their best effort against the Steelers’ B-team, finish their season 0-16. Congratulations?

— Because all nine (!!!) late games start at 4:25 p.m. Eastern, RedZone’s Scott Hanson must deal with an action-less lull that’s unusual for so early in the day. It’s 4:15 and RedZone is running highlights, snippets of press conferences, and fantasy updates. And come on: I know the segment is sponsored, no self-respecting fantasy league is active in Week 17. Much like Le’Veon Bell.

LATE GAMES, FIRST HALF

— GAME TIME. My focus today is Panthers-Falcons, Saints-Bucs, and Cardinals-Seahawks. I want the Seahawks to win to stay alive for a playoff spot, and I need the Panthers to be motivated to beat the Falcons, which means I need Tampa Bay to give the Saints a fight, which means the Seahawks are probably going to miss the playoffs. Which, frankly, is probably better than getting blown out by the Rams or Saints on Wild Card Weekend. Everything is meaningless, by the way.

— Ah crap, Arizona opens the game with a touchdown. Drew Stanton escapes Michael Bennett on what could have been a 15-yard sack, buying enough time to throw a TD pass instead. I am going to hate today.

Tyler Lockett returns the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to tie the game. I am already closing off all emotion to deal with whatever happens for the next three hours.

— In Tampa, the Bucs score game-opening TD. Yay! But then Alvin Kamara returns the ensuing kickoff for a TD. I NEED EVERYONE TO SETTLE DOWN, PLEASE.

— The kids are at the dinner table, alternately painting with watercolors and screaming. My son, whose relentless teething continues, takes a sip of water from the cup he’d been dipping his paintbrush in. My daughter, who has recovered from a double ear infection over Christmas only to get ANOTHER ear infection, has a Moana-themed coloring book. I read her the plot point that goes with each picture as another Panthers drive stalls. COME ON, CAM.

— The Niners are dominating early and up 10-0, but a Jimmy Garoppolo INT sets the Rams up in the red zone. However, the Niners D holds firm, and the Rams are forced to kick a field goal.

— Oh, hello there, AFC. I understand there are some stakes in your conference today, too, hmmm? In Los Angeles, where the Chargers need a win and some help to secure a playoff spot, Melvin Gordon fumbles, but Keenan Allen scoops up the fumble for an awesome TD.

Wait. WHAT?! Gordon loses it. Allen recovers. And SCORES. #Chargers http://pic.twitter.com/PQ59L012NB

— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2017

My feelings on the four AFC teams vying for two Wild Card spots, ranked by preference:

Chargers. I know they deserve nothing but misery for leaving San Diego, but this team is genuinely fun to watch. Philip Rivers has been incredible this year, and Keenan Allen has stayed healthy! Melvin Gordon is great and likable! The defense has the kind of scary pass rush that can enable a deep playoff run (read: can knock Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger on their asses).

Bills. I hate tables.

Titans. This is one of the least inspiring winning teams I’ve seen in a long time, which is what it’s been since RedZone last clicked over to the Seattle game. Who has ever looked at the AFC South and said, “Yes, this division needs TWO playoff teams.”

Ravens. I strenuously object to Joe Flacco’s existence. If the Ravens offense touches your field, the earth there will be fallow for seven years.

— My kids, still sitting at the table, dance to “Twist and Shout” like two little Elaine Beneses, a brief moment of cheer before the Cardinals punch in another touchdown to take a 17-7 lead over the Seahawks. But the dancing! It’s so herky-jerky and devoid of coordination — like Seattle’s offensive line, but happy.

— What was I saying about the Chargers’ fearsome defense? On third and 22, Derek Carr unloads a bomb to Amari Cooper for an 87-yard touchdown.

EIGHTY-SEVEN YARDS!@DerekCarrQB to @AmariCooper9 for SIX! #RaiderNation http://pic.twitter.com/GLf0Q7bAva

— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2017

My wife tells my daughter that the Raiders are Uncle Sean’s favorite team. “Can you say the Raiders?” she asks.

Daughter: “The Raid-ahhhhhs.” Chris Berman’s tics are much better when they’re done by toddlers.

— I get a text from Steven Godfrey, SB Nation’s excellent college football reporter who is also doomed to an existence of Falcons fandom. It is to me and Brian Floyd, our managing editor who is also a Seahawks fan: “Please God take this wildcard spot.”

Floyd and I both reject any desire to see these Seahawks in the playoffs. It feels good to own the feeling, to want a different team in a new season instead of watching this one for another week.

— Here is the first RedZone play featuring the Ravens offense that I see: Joe Flacco throws a one-yard crossing route to a running back, who drops the ball. A graphic pops up that says it is the Ravens’ fifth dropped pass of the day. Put this offense in a rocket and fire it into the deepest reaches of space.

— Philip Rivers throws another deep bomb for a touchdown. God, this team belongs in the playoffs, and they’re not going to make it because the first quarter of their season was a grotesque monkey’s paw retribution inflicted by the San Diego city council.

— The Saints attempt a fake field goal, the Bucs don’t fall for it, and Wil Lutz gets CRUSHED. If you ask me, there are simply not enough punters getting blown up by defenders in today’s NFL. (Miss you, Sean Taylor.)

Not enough punters are getting blown up in today’s NFL.

— A big hit in the Ufford household these days is the Daddy Monster. I become my alter ego, roar, and chase my son into the corner where I tickle him and pretend to eat him. “OM NOM NOM!” I say.

He stands up and says, “Naan naan naan!” in his little voice. I feign terror and let him chase me. I hope you didn’t take what I said about the car ride and the eye tic too seriously, because parenting is great.

— Breaking news: The Colts have fired Chuck Pagano. So we’re doing away with Black Monday now? Just getting it out of the way on Sunday?

— I change my son’s poopy diaper. But don’t think of it as poop! It’s more like his butt threw up.

— Flacco watch:

Flacco 3/16 says "Hey remember that time I won a Super Bowl?" http://pic.twitter.com/pvaQG3RKhs

— James Dator [waiting for recognition] (@James_Dator) December 31, 2017

— HALFTIME SCORES:

The Seahawks trail at home 20-7, their only score a kickoff return TD. Burn this season to the ground.

Chargers lead the Raiders 20-10 despite having a FG and PAT blocked. Very on-brand.

Carolina and Atlanta are tied 7-7.

Buffalo leads Miami 10-0. David Fales has replaced Jay Cutler, who is riding a jet ski pantsless to the nearest bank with a boat-thru teller to cash his game check. I am gonna miss that guy so much.

Only a missed extra point is keeping the Bucs from being even with the Saints. New Orleans leads 14-13. Get inspired, Carolina!

Titans 12, Jags 3. Jacksonville trails because its defensive and special teams units have struggled to score touchdowns.

49ers 20, Rams 6. If anything, this score is flattering for the Rams. San Fran-Clara will be a chic pick to win the NFC West next year.

An 85(ish)-yard kickoff return with seconds left in the half gifts Baltimore with a touchdown that cuts the Cincinnati lead to 17-10. C’mon Bengals, don’t Bengal this one.

LATE GAMES, SECOND HALF

— I make a vow to myself: The Seahawks have one possession, the first of the half, to keep me interested in the result of their game, and even then … BARELY. Naturally, the run game comes to life, Russell Wilson connects on a pass, and this appears to be a crude approximation of a drive.

— Shady McCoy is carted off. Screw this season.

— I help with the end of the kids’ bath time. My son, who hates getting out of the bath, sits in tub as the water empties. “Fee-oh,” he says, for frio, because my children are dual-language geniuses. I let him chill there while I peek at the TV; I’m just in time to see Doug Baldwin score a touchdown that narrows the score to 20-14.

The next drive — at least, the next drive I catch a glimpse of — Shaquill Griffin intercepts a Drew Stanton overthrow, and I now feel confident that the Seahawks can get a comeback victory, only for the Falcons to lock down the last playoff spot with a win. (With the Panthers trailing 10-7, Cam Newton promptly throws a terrible interception.)

— The Saints have been a little shaky for the last month of the season, but I could definitely endorse Alvin Kamara destroying the entire playoff field. Look at him make a contested catch downfield:

Oh my goodness, @A_kamara6. #GoSaints http://pic.twitter.com/4bLIJaPrzI

— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2017

That drive ends in a field goal, and the Saints lead 17-13.

— Ravens WR Chris Moore bobbles a red zone pass, which is intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Bengals lead 24-10, and I am HERE for the season implosion.

Yes, that is Joe Flacco's pick-six. http://pic.twitter.com/Utx1SfhBP3

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 31, 2017

— The Bucs force a fumble on a punt return and return it for a touchdown! The used coffee grounds of the NFC South are ahead of the division leaders, 20-14.

— With the Seahawks trailing 23-14, they definitely could use a field goal to make it a one-score game. Instead:

Thomas Rawls' taunting penalty cost the Seahawks 15 yards and likely cost them three points as well.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) December 31, 2017

— With the Tennessee leading 15-3 in the fourth quarter, all the Titans have to do is bleed clock and let Blake Bortles throw it to their defense. Instead, Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry collide on a handoff, and the Jaguars return the fumble for a touchdown.

I just checked, and the Jaguars have seven defensive touchdowns this year. That’s a lot, but I could have sworn it was more. Like, if you told me that Bortles had thrown as many touchdowns as the defense scored, I would have believed you. But Bortles had 21 passing TDs (to 13 picks); the NFL works in mysterious ways.

— I pause RedZone to put the kids to bed. I read my son Good Night Moon because he freaking LOVES seeing the moon. “MOON! MOON! MOON!” every time there’s a moon on the page of a book. As I read the last page — “Good night noises everywhere” — he puts his finger to his lips and says, “Shhhh.”

I offer him a choice of second books but he olds up Good Night Moon again. So I read it a second time, but with four pages to go, he shuts the book and says, “All done!” Oh, I’m sorry. Did you perhaps already know how it ends?

— Twenty minutes later, the kids are in bed and I’m back in front of the TV, but I don’t have the energy or desire to watch everything I missed, so I just skip to live TV. The biggest news is that the Panthers have farted their way around the second half to lose to the Falcons by two scores, rendering the Seahawks game pointless. Or more pointless than usual, at least.

And the Panthers should be kicking themselves over that performance: With nine seconds remaining in Tampa, the Bucs score a go-ahead touchdown that gives them a meaningless win and leads to a super-awkward unfriendly never-ending handshake between Sean Payton and Dirk Koetter. The Panthers will go on the road to face the Saints instead of hosting them next weekend.

— The Titans lock up a playoff spot with their win over the Jaguars. When it comes to the other Wild Card spot, the Bills win, but they need help from the Bengals, who have lost their lead in Baltimore. Ravens ahead 27-24.

— Oh, the Seahawks lost, too. Blair Walsh missing a 48-yarder to lose a game that couldn’t save their season is the perfect ending to this campaign. (I may have been miserable watching the Seahawks this season, but they were also an effective kicker away from being 12-4.)

— The last game of the RedZone season is Bengals-Ravens, and my remaining hopes and dreams rest on ... an Andy Dalton drive? Oh Jesus, where’s the liquor?

— On 4th and 12 near midfield, the Bengals season is about to sputter and die, and I’m beginning to accept the Ravens beating Kansas City when DALTON COMPLETES THE PASS! TYLER BOYD SLIPS A TACKLE AND GETS TO THE END ZONE!!!

THE @BENGALS! TOUCHDOWNNNN! WOW. #Bengals50 http://pic.twitter.com/NB78jk9U2a

— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2018

YEAAAAAGGGHHHHH I COULD LIFT A VOLKSWAGEN OVER MY HEAD RIGHT NOW

— With a chance to respond, Joe Flacco quickly leads the Ravens to zero first downs and 4th and 14, at which point he completes a pass eight yards short of the first-down marker. GOOD RIDDANCE, GARBAGE BIRDS.*

And good riddance, 2017. Here’s to marginal improvements in 2018.

*insult also applicable to the author’s team of choice

[kidfromsurrey-blog]

NFL Week 3

Takes on this week's games, including my thoughts on players and game lines.

LAR (-2.5) @ SF 

- Sean McVay has this offense looking miles ahead of what they looked like last year. Todd Gurley has been more involved in the passing game which has helped his poor run game efficiency, I think he will have another solid game, Chris Carson just went for almost 100yds on 20 carries. Kyle Shannahan has rejuvenated and worked wonders on this run game, and Carlos Hyde has been a man reborn. They kept it extremely close with Seattle and I see it being close against the Rams too, but I think the Rams take it.

BAL (-3.5) @ JAX

- The Ravens defense has looked like the real deal. I know they played the Bengals and Browns, 2 suspect offenses, but they looked stout. When Jaguars offense has to put the ball in the air I don’t like their chances... Blake Bortles is terrible. Javorius Allen is a safe play, he is playing a lot of snaps and getting used in both the passing and running game. If you have Leonard Fournette you are playing him, but I wouldn’t feel good about it. I expect the Ravens to take this game by stacking the box to limit Fournette and making Bortles beat them which I doubt happens.

ATL (-3.0) @ DET

- This matchup has me very interested. You have both teams coming in at 2-0, one being a preseason Super Bowl Contender, and one not being taken very seriously. The Big 3 from Atlanta all should be safe bets to produce, but I like Austin Hooper in this matchup a lot if you have to stream a TE in fantasy. Stafford looked very good on Monday against the Giants and now he faces the Falcons D who will be missing Vic Beasley (their best player). I think he has another big game and that Golden Tate will be the main beneficiary of it. I think the Lions surprise a lot of people and take this game at home.

CLE (-1.5) @ IND

- I can’t remember the last time the Browns were a road favorite but that is what the Colts roster is without Andrew Luck. The Colts have been surprisingly good vs the run this year but that might be because everyone is exposing their pass D. Crowell is more of a floor play, Kizer should bounce back from his tough matchup vs the Ravens. I wouldn't feel good playing anyone on the Colts roster except Jack Doyle, but again I’d avoid the entire offense without luck. That being said... I like the colts here. This is going to be the 3rd week without Luck, they looked a lot better last week vs Arizona, and they are at home.

DEN (-3.0) @ BUF

- Denver absolutely destroyed my Cowboys last week. That defense is as good as its ever been and look for them to expose this struggling Bills O. Siemian has been on fire, and while I don’t think it will continue for the whole year I think he can keep it up for one more week. I like CJ Anderson again this week, and I prefer Sanders to DT. I expect the BIlls to come out and try to run the ball to try and bleed the clock and keep it close, meaning Mccoy might be the only player you can play. I like Denver to take it, I don’t think the Bills score more than 13 points against this D.

HOU (+13.5) @ NE

- The line is heavily in the Pats favor and for good reason, Belichick just doesn’t lose to rookie Qb’s very often. Lamar Miller is splitting time with Foreman, Watson doesn’t look very good and will be in tough this week, Hopkins is getting peppered with targets and is the only player I’d feel decent about playing. I know the Texans have an elite D but Tom Brady is a start against anyone, Gilislee is looking good for a TD any time inside the 5 and the Pats may be running out the clock early this game. Gronk, Hogan, Amendola all look like decent options given their health status, Cooks might be the only healthy WR on the team, start him. 13.5 is a lot to cover, but I’ll take the Pats at home against the rookie QB.

MIA (-6.5) @ NYJ

- The Jets don’t look very good, as expected. Miami looked like a run-heavy team in the one game we’ve seen, Ajayi is going to have another big game, and Landry should eat in the short passing game. Kearse is perhaps the only player on the Jets to put up decent stats just because he will get targets. The Dolphins do not have an elite D so this game could be closer than people expect. They want to run A LOT, and that means clock will disappear quick, keeping the game low scoring. I think the Dolphins win, but Jets cover.

NO (+5.5) @ CAR

- The Saints defense is terrible, what else is new. Start Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin is always a boom or bust type WR but Cam has to throw to someone. I think this is the game we see McCaffery have a big stat line too. Brees has never been a great road Qb, but this is a warm-weather game, and I think he will be fine. Ingram is the RB I’d want out of the Saints backfield. This is the first real test for this Panthers D, and the Saints can’t afford to go 0-3, I think they come out playing fast and pull off the upset in a tight divisional game. 

NYG (+6.0) @ PHI

- After seeing this Giants team the last two weeks I have been so happy as a Cowboys fan. The offense is garbage without a healthy OBJ. Eli looks washed, there is no run game, and that Oline... With all that, I didn’t think they’d be +6 in this divisional game. Carson Wentz has looked good but also has thrown a lot of risky balls. if Janoris Jenkins plays and this D is healthy I think they get 2 INT’s. The Philly Dline will eat up this Giants O if Odell isn’t his other-worldly self.  I think this game will be low scoring and a lot closer than other people expect. Giants to cover.

PIT (-7.0) @ CHI

- Pit has looked good, the Bears have not. People saw them get smoked by the Bucs but forget they were a Jordan Howard dropped pass away from beating the Falcons at home. Start Antonio if you have him, but I wouldn't expect a huge stat line. Bell will have a big game, he will get his 1st Td of the year. Sometime soon we will see Trubisky because Glennon does not look like a starting NFL Qb, Jordan Howard is banged up but he already was splitting snaps with Tarik Cohen, who I think has another decent day. Both teams will want to run the ball and I think that helps the Bears keep it close. Ben has had issues on the road and I think that trend continues, with the Bears covering.

TB @ MIN

- There is no line for this game yet due to the questions around Sam Bradford. Him playing changes this whole offense, so I don���t know how to feel about this game yet. Mike Evans will draw Rhodes all game long, if you have another decent option it wouldn’t be crazy to not start him. 

SEA (+2.5) @ TEN

- A lot of people are writing off the hawks, I’m not. This team always starts slow, they lost to the lowly Rams last year (9-6). I don’t expect them to be a whole lot better than they were last week, but they have kept games close and kept them competitive. The Titans most likely won’t have Demarco or rookie Corey Davis, and I am a fan of Mariota, but Earl Thomas plays like no other safety in the league. Derrick Henry would be a must-start if Murray doesn’t play, as the Hawks have been a bit suspect against the run so far. Chris Carson looks like the guy in that run game, and Doug Baldwin is Wilson’s go-to WR.  The Titans O should reel back from the 37pts they scored last week against this top tier D. I like the Hawks to win.

CIN (+8.5) @ GB

- Alright so Aaron Rodgers is the best Qb in the league, and Andy Dalton... is not. That Bengals offense has looked horrid, the only player I would start is AJ Green. The Packers secondary is not good and I think the Bengals trail a lot in this game = passing attempts. The Bengals pass D is good but they also haven’t played an offense of GB’s caliber so far. Jordy Nelson looks like he will play and TyMont should have another good week. I don’t see the Bengals scoring at a pace near what the Packers are capable of scoring at, Packers cover.

KC (-3.0) @ LAC

- Kareen Hunt looks unreal and I think he keeps it up. Andy Reid has a good track record RB’s (Westbrook, Mccoy, Charles) and Hunt was a hand-picked player. I think he will be in a lot of top-5 RB rankings for the rest of the year. Tyreek Hill looks like a more polished WR than we saw last year and Kelce is a start every week. The Chargers seem to always seem to find a way to lose. Rivers will be in tough this week as Marcus Peters will take away one-half of the field and with the run game not being very efficient, the KC pass rush will be flying. Keenan Allen looks healthy and is playing well, he should get moved around a lot and avoid Peters quite a bit. Melvin Gordon looks like the same player as last year, lots of touches, not very efficient, but consistent in fantasy. If Verrett doesn't play in this matchup I like the Chiefs, even more, Gimme KC.

OAK (-3.0) @ WAS

- Washington has not looked as good as the team last year. Maybe that’s due to Sean McVay leaving but this offense gives me pause. If Jordan Reed plays I think he is the best pass catcher in that offense this week. The run game is up in the air with the Rob Kelly injury. Oakland struggled a little bit with the Jets and that could carry over on the road vs Washington. Carr is a good Qb, I’m not as enamored with him as most people, but I think he will have another solid outing. This Washington team struggled against Todd Gurley last week and now face a top end Oline and a young looking Marshawn Lynch. I think Lynch and the duo of Richard & Washington have a solid performance. I’d expect to see Norman play on Cooper but it’ll be worth monitoring who he covers. Under the radar play is Jared Cook, he should expose a weak LB core. I think this game is close, not confident but I think the Raiders take it by 4.

DAL (-3.0) @ ARZ 

- The Cowboys got beat from start to finish by the Broncos. On Offense, Defense, Coaching, in every aspect of the game they looked overmatched. Zeke had his worst statistical game ever as a pro and I do not think that will happen again. That Oline will look to maul everyone and Zeke should bounce back after being scrutinized for “quitting on the team”. There is always that Angry Brady narrative, I like this week as an Angry Zeke week. Witten looks like Dak’s safety blanket on third down and in the red zone, that could be big this week because.... Dez gets Patrick Peterson. Dez has struggled against Elite CB’s and in my opinion, Patrick Peterson is the toughest corner Dez will have to go up against all year. He is big, super fast, has long arms, and plays physical. He is a physical corner that I don’t see getting bullied by Dez. Dak needs to bounce back from the poor showing last week and I think he will. Carson Palmer needs a clean pocket and if he gets it he will dissect this defense. The issue is I’m not sure he will consistently get it. Demarcus Lawrence is tied for the NFL lead in sacks right now and I see him being disruptive again. JJ Nelson could have a big game, again, against this shaky secondary. Fitz working out of the slot against rookie Jourdan Lewis will be interesting. I like Lewis but he has missed almost all of training camp and just saw his first action last week. Don’t expect too much from the run game but I prefer Chris Johnson. I think Dallas takes this 24-20 in a back and forth game, where the winner is decided late.

Side note - If you haven’t yet watched a CBS game where Tony Romo is commentating, I highly recommend you tune in this weekend. As a huge Romo fan I was hoping he’d do well as a broadcaster, but I had no idea he would be this good. He gives insight to a degree nobody else has even come close (youtube him predicting plays in TENvsOAK, or breaking down why Bill Belichick ran a certain defensive play). He has been getting a lot of love by NFL watchers on twitter and I expect it to continue.

#NFL #Ravens #Browns #Cowboys #Steelers #Vikings #Lions #Falcons #Broncos #Raiders #Titans #Patriots #Saints #Panthers #Bills #Eagles #kansas city chiefs #Cardinals #Chargers #Packers #Bengals #Seahawks #Bears #Dolphins #Jets #Texans #Bucaneers #Giants #Colts #Rams

[unfair-sports]

The OSG Fantasy Report Week 9

Week 9 (See below for recommended plays position by position as oppose to game by game breakdown).  Week 9 is here and we roughly have half of the seasons sample to go off of. Some of the defensive and offensive stats seem a little more real. Some of the teams tendencies are a little more real. Very little can change for a team at this point in the season from a fantasy output perspective. The better teams will find ways to win late in games which as we saw with Todd Gurley, that doesn’t always mean fantasy production.  But at this point of the season, it is very difficult to completely change your offensive identity.  Lions at -5 Vikings (49).  The Lions as usual are playing uninspiring football. at this point of the season. However, they traded Golden Tate in a “for the future” deal. This opens up 69 targets or 9.85 targets a game for Detroit mid week before a price increase on Marvin Jones✅ or Kenny Golladay. This will open up some value. Jones is coming off the big week, so has a slightly higher price tag. Golladay ✅✅is due for some positive regression and because I’ve been riding him all season he will be the preferred target. However either is in play. Jones did beat Xavier Rhodes in their Thanksgiving Day matchup. Either of the two WRs are in play. I’m scared to touch Kerryon Johnson with Theo Riddick back in play, and  Blount vulturing TDs.  -On the Minnesota side you just have to keep clicking on Adam Thielen✅✅✅. His floor is so solid it is almost like plugging in a RB that you know will not crater your lineup. He’s the league leader in targets, yards, receptions, and. 2nd in red zone targets. Only Michael Thomas will carry a better completion rate. 3rd in targets on the main slate is Stefan Diggs. ✅✅This offense is very concentrated. If you are looking for an off the board TE play do not be surprised if we see 5 catches and a TD from Kyle Rudolph. He has 8 red zone targets in 8 games and is 4th among TEs in targets. The Lions are worst on the main slate vs TEs in fantasy production allowed. Dalvin Cook is expected back but will be on a snap count. So a decision has to be made on whether to fire Latavius Murray✅ in a great matchup.  Chiefs -9 vs Browns (52) In comes the NFLs leader in fantasy points Patrick Mahomes ✅✅. As crazy as it sounds but I’m not too interested in Mahomes as I am in his targets. We have seen this Browns defense stifle some of the best QBs in the league including Brees in the dome prior to Mark Ingram’s return, Big Ben twice, and Phillip Rivers. I do always targets TEs vs Cleveland so Travis Kelce✅✅✅ is high on the board for me this week. The low price TEs have not come thru in weeks past and paying up at TE will always differentiate your lineup. Tyreek Hill✅✅ and Sammy Watkins ✅have a favorable matchup. But as we saw last week the way to beat these Browns will be the RB. Hunt ✅✅✅is in a great bounce back spot. If you wisely loaded up on James Conner last week, you will do that here. Hunt even offers a little more pass game work which raises his floor even more. He is definitely a RB must play this week along with Kelce✅✅✅. This defense has not had a bye, and has played more snaps by a wide margin than any other defense. They will wear down in the 2nd half and Hunt will pound them and they will live in the red zone. Consider the Chiefs cheap defense this week as well vs a turnover prone rookie QB. Mahomes ✅✅being the highest priced quarterback will lose ownership especially to Cam Newton. This makes him an excellent tournament play.  -On the Browns side it’s hard to know what to expect. New coach, new offensive coordinator, same rookie QB. Njoku✅✅ has been Mayfield’s favorite target and only trails Kelce (by 18) in targets to TE and is a strong play this week.  Landry is 2nd in targets behind Thielen but is only catching 52.69 percent of those passes vs Thielen’s 75.51. So they are targets but they are not very catchable. This is a great spot for Nick Chubb✅. His value increases if the Browns can get the b-ball inside the red zone, and hope the game stays close enough to keep running the ball.  Steelers vs Ravens -3 (47.5) Despite the decent total I’m not too excited here to play the division rivals. Two of the better offenses in the league meet two of the better defenses in the league, the Ravens being the better. You can take a shot on Conner or AB here but I think I’m taking a hard fade on Pittsburgh here.  -As hard as the pass on The Steelers it is similar here for Baltimore. While Flacco continues to air it out, I would reserve him for naked in tournaments. I’m tempted to fire up John Brown✅because he has let me down for several weeks in a row in good spots. He and Crabtree offer value at WR though I prefer other targets this week.  Bucs vs -7 Panthers (55) The Return of Fitzmagic vs Carolina in a division matchup. If you combine Fitz and Winston they would be the 2nd best QB in fantasy behind only the GOAT Patrick Mahomes. Fitz to Evans or Desean Jackson ✅✅✅should hit big Sunday. Their struggles to number 1 receivers continues and while OJ Howard is in a excellent spot, Fitz has preferred his receivers while Winston peppered the TEs with targets. With Fitzpatrick under center, Evans and Jackson’s completion rates, catchable targets and ceilings sky rocket. Fire up this stack at a great price this week.  -Run this stack right back with Cam Newton ✅✅✅who is rightfully the highest projected QB and highest owned QB this week. Tampa’s defense is the worst in every category, including to the TE.  Many will flock to C-Mac✅✅ again as Tampa has been so bad to RBs including pass catching ones (but they are terrible to every spot). But McCaffrey’s production has been down, but he has had some tough matchups. Some can be credited to the return of Olsen. C-Mac is definitely back in play this week. Out of Funchess, Olsen, Moore, I would prefer in order to stack with Newton: ✅✅✅Olsen,✅✅ DJ Moore, ✅McCaffrey, then Funchess.  Jets at -3 Dolphins(43.5) I am fading the Jets entirely. Anderson and Enunwa could play which spreads it around for the Jets. Division game. On the road. Pass.  -The only interesting Dolphin is a value RB in Kenyan Drake. The Jets blitz a lot to add to their pass rush which opens them up to screen plays. We saw what Cohen did to them last week plus the rushing that the Bears sustained last week. Look for Drake ✅ to reach value at low ownership off of the stud RBs this week.  Falcons vs -1.5 Redskins (48.5) One of my rules to consider are dome teams on the road outside on grass. Their fantasy production completely drops on the road and Matt Ryan is no exception. The Redskins safety core just got better with Clinton-Dix which eliminates to big play ability. However in between the 20s we can still look to Julio. Call me a sucker but this is FINALLY FINALLY the week Julio hits the end zone and maybe even twice for good measure. He is the only Falcon I have interest in.  -Father Time has not visited Adrian Peterson✅✅✅. He flirted with 100 yards almost every week and exploded last week. And now faces one of the worst run defenses in the league. They are also at the bottom of the league bs pass catching backs and with Chris Thompson still questionable, this can once again be the AD show. He’s at home and favored in a close game. He can be thrown into the Tournament player pool this week. One value play I am going to recommend but cringe at is ✅Josh Doctson. Atlanta is just too bad of a defense to not consider his price tag in this matchup. And for the vulnerability that Atlanta has consider Jordan Reed✅ as well. Alex Smith is check down Charlie so the middle of the field is his bread and butter.  Bears-10.5 vs Bills (37.5)  First of all the Bills are a complete fade until further notice. Just don’t try it.  The Bears defense ✅✅✅is a top play this week. They carry a well deserved price tag vs Nathan Peterman who is guaranteed to throw 2-3 INTs this week and is highly likely to deliver an unpredictable pick 6. They will be a popular choice Sunday. Offensively in a 37 total nothing gets me too excited. Maybe Anthony Miller✅ at a very cheap price tag who has seen 7 targets for 2 straight weeks. Cohen is an ok play as well. Maybe Jordan Howard✅ as well if the Bears are up and he gets fed 20 times and stumbles into the end zone.  Texans vs -1.5 Broncos(46) Deshaun Watson is one of the toughest guys in the league. His chest/lung injury has prevented him from flying yet he continues to play. With Fuller out ✅✅✅Hopkins is a top play this week. Some will look to Coutee or Lamar Miller. Just play the floor of D Hop here and move on. He will go completely ignored with other studs in top spots this week.  -Denver is always tough. I guessed right and had a little a Phillip Lindsay✅✅at RB but he has been a consistent contributor. He can be considered this week again as a value RB. Now that Royce Freeman is out Lindsay will get all of the backfield touches in a home game in which they are favored. His salary allows you to fit in other studs. With Thomas out of town that should open up even more targets for Emanuel Sanders.✅ The fantasy world is in love with Courtland Sutton✅✅✅ who many believe will finally hit big this week at his price with D. Thomas gone. His price again opens up salary for those studs in the Rams Saints game or allows you to pay for the likes of Thielen etc.  Chargers vs Seahawks (47.5) pick em Once again I have yet to pick and choose the right spots for the Chargers this year. The best suggestion is just play ✅✅✅Melvin Gordon if he’s a full go. All he does is score TDs week in and week out. He has been questionable but logged in a full practice Friday coming off of a bye. It is a hamstring which is damaging for a RB, but he has had some rest. Keenan Allen ✅✅✅is my favorite WR to target here yet I keep missing he and Rivers stacking wise. They are on the road which leans me even more so to Gordon. BUT the sites refuse to drop his price which lets you know the big game is coming. Individually he has a great matchup on paper and could hit at low ownership on the road.  -The Seahawks side offers some value. Chris Carson should be monitored up to Sunday as he has missed a game with the same injury that has left him with a questionable tag all week. David Moore offers some value along with Doug Baldwin against a beatable Chargers secondary. I just never feel good about plucking a Russell Wilson WR. Baldwin. Lockett. Moore. You’re playing the guessing game and I tend to always side with the cheapest option. For me I’m leaning Moore who comes in on a “hot streak”.  Rams -2 vs Saints (57)  Last but not least. The expected shootout. The undefeated Rams come to play on the fast track of the Superdome. Every Ram is in play beginning with ✅✅✅Cooper Kupp. The slot is spot to pick apart New Orleans and he is a top play this week coming off of injury. But you can like Robert Woods✅✅ and most importantly Brandin Cooks✅✅in the revenge spot. If we love these receivers then you must consider Jared Goff. With the Rams it’s either Goff or Gurley. This week I’m going with the pass game as the Saints boast an excellent rush defense and funnel ALL production to the pass game. But I will not stop you from playing Gurley or any piece of the best offense on the best, and undefeated team in the NFL.  -The Saints are slowly going back to last years ways with Mark Ingram back. Slow pace, run first, keep the opposing team off of the field. This would be the case to fading some of this game in fear the game goes completely under because all of the fantasy world will be focused on this afternoon hammer. In the meantime I do like the safe floor of Michael Thomas ✅✅✅and the potential ceiling of Alvin Kamara. 50 yards rushing. 50 yards receiving. 1 td by land and one by air. Ill  take that on his falling price tag. One under the flyer play is Tre’Quan Smith✅✅. This is the kind of game you look to the low price players like we would Ted Ginn. But with him out that leaves Smith. You can make a case for the 2td vulture game from Ingram but I’m more interested in the safety of Kamara. The other side of the argument is that New Orleans last two games (on the road) left them in situations where Brees did not have to air it out. But if the Rams stay on the gas and force them to air it out then we get the shoot out.  ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ So in review position by position: QB. Cam Newton and Fitzpatrick in a potential shootout.  Brees and Goff in the game of the week.  Kirk Cousins to Thielen.  Mahomes up too.  RB.  Kamara/Gurley/Ingram.  McCaffrey and Hunt combo which will be chalk this week but rightfully so.  Latavius Murray.  To be contrarian Adrian Peterson and Phillip Lindsay (salary saver).  For the game flow consider Cohen and Howard with the Bears defense in tournaments.  WR.  High price studs: Michael Thomas. Julio Jones. Adam Thielen✅. Deandre Hopkins at low ownership. Mike Evans.  Mid tier: Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay.  All 3 Rams WR (Woods, Cooks in the revenge game, Kupp who is my favorite). Desean Jackson as Fitzmagic has a much better deep ball than Famous Jameis.  Chalk Value: Courtland Sutton. Tre’Quan Smith. DJ Moore (Carolina). David Moore (Seattle).  Off the board sneaky play: Josh Doctson.  TE Kelce vs Cleveland. Talented TE vs Cleveland.   Greg Olsen vs. horrible TE defense in Tampa.  Njoku after laying an egg last week is even a better spot this week at home.  OJ Howard. Kyle Rudolph for TD red zone equity.  Off the board: Jordan Reed.

#football #fantasyfootball #fantasy #nfl #espnfantasy #yahoofantasy

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2017/09/17/packernet-predictions-week-2/

Packernet Predictions: Week 2

As we prepare for week 2 of the 2017 NFL season, Packernet has decided to put our predictive powers to the test. Each week we will give you our picks and see how we stack up.

*Special guest predictions by Tecmo Bowl*

  Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) Line: Titans by 1.5. Total: 43.5.

Ryan’s Pick: Jaguars

If this were week 1, I would be taking the Titans without even thinking. That said, I picked the Jags last week because they are underrated. They rewarded my kind words with a 10 sack performance. The Titans, on the other hand, went on to demonstrate how to not move the ball against the Raiders, a feat no other team has been able to achieve.

Confident pick? No. But if the Jaguars can play smart by pounding the ground game as well as continuing to play stiff defense, they should win this game at home.

Jon’s Pick: Titans

Until Jacksonville beats a team that isn’t terrible, I’ll take the other team, and Tennessee isn’t terrible, so Tennessee.

Tecmo Sim: Titans 27 Jaguars 10

Bortles completes 41% of his passes for 182 yards and a pick. Burn.

Cleveland Browns (0-1) at Baltimore Ravens (1-0) Line: Ravens by 7.5. Total: 41. 

Ryan’s Pick: Ravens

This one is actually a lot harder than it should be. I liked the way the Browns played in week 1 and an upset wouldn’t surprise me. It would make me mad I didn’t pick them but not really surprise me.

The Ravens didn’t grade well at all on offense via PFF, and the Browns have a top offensive line, a good ground game, and a pretty impressive looking quarterback.

Still, there’s no way I’m taking the 0-1 Browns, on the road against the team that just shut out the Bengals.

Jon’s Pick: Browns

I’m taking Cleveland for an upset this week. Flacco is not in regular season shape yet, and although the defense blanked Cincinnati last week, Thursday night showed us that it was probably because the Bengals are awful more than the Ravens defense being that incredible.

Tecmo Sim: Browns 12 Ravens 24

Jon and are are both unsure of the Ravens in this game. Tecmo is not. The Ravens walked away with this game early and never looked back.

Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-0) Line: Panthers by 7. Total: 42.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Bills

This game is going to come down to which team can overcome the other teams defense. Although you look at the Bills and say, they can’t pass the ball, their weapons on the outside are brand new. Jordan Matthews only caught 2 balls but they went for over 60 yards. Rookie Zay Jones had the most targets on the team. You have to assume this will improve every week and the Panthers don’t exactly have an elite DB group.

Beyond all that, none of it really matters because the Bills don’t pass. Between McCoy, Tolbert, and Taylor, they ran the ball 42 times for 190 yards. On the other side, the Panthers have made McCaffrey their running back, kick returner, and top receiver. They also ran a ton, rushing 38 times compared to just 24 passes.

Ultimately, in the battle of the run game, I’m taking McCoy over McCaffrey.

Jon’s Pick: Panthers

I’ll take the Panthers at home. I don’t think Buffalo is good enough to put 20+ on Carolina, and barring something crazy with a safety, Carolina should score at least 17 this Sunday.

Tecmo Sim: Bills 31 Panthers 28

Every went exactly as you would expect with the exception of the Bills offense. LeSean McCoy was absolutely unstoppable and carried the team to victory.

New England Patriots (0-1) at New Orleans Saints (0-1) Line: Patriots by 6.5. Total: 54.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Patriots

I’m hopeful the Saints can pull out a victory but I don’t see it. The patriots have an incredible ability to adjust and win football games, especially after a loss.

Jon’s Pick: Patriots

The Patriots are better on defense than they played against KC in week 1. The Saints are spending all of their money on Brees, and he can’t win the game by himself. On top of that, consider all the statistical reasons to not bet against the Patriots coming off a loss. They’re looking for blood this week.

Tecmo Sim: Patriots 17 Saints 21

According to the almighty Tecmo, Coby Fleener is going to carve up the Patriots going for over 100 yards.

Arizona Cardinals (0-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-1) Line: Cardinals by 7.5. Total: 44.5.

Ryan’s Pick: Cardinals

You can feel the Cardinals imploding and it’s unfortunate for them. Still, I see no way whatever players are remaining for the Cardinals will play bad enough to lose to the Colts, even with Brissett playing.

Jon’s Pick: Cardinals

Arizona, and by a lot. I don’t think this game warrants an explanation.

Tecmo Sim: Cardinals 35 Colts 28

The Colts had a fantastic comeback but in the end, the clock just ran out.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) Line: Chiefs by 4.5. Total: 47.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Chiefs 

Week 1 won’t happen again but I think the Chiefs have some elite pieces and one of the few coaches that can turn those pieces into lethal weapons. Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and now Kareem Hunt are all capable weapons and Andy Reid is Bruce Lee. Maybe Haru is more fitting… Just google “Haru ninja”. It’ll be worth it.

Jon’s Pick: Eagles

Philadelphia wins on the road this week. Alex Smith did not suddenly become an elite quarterback. Philadelphia will play far better defense than the Patriots played in week 1. The Eagles offense is certainly good enough to do what the Patriots did, and I believe they will.

Tecmo Sim: Eagles 14 Chiefs 10

Just like that the Chiefs come crashing back to earth. Kareem Hunt doesn’t get 100 yards from scrimmage.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) Line: Steelers by 6. Total: 45. 

Ryan’s Pick: Steelers

This is really really tough. The Steelers have maybe the best weapons on offense of any team in the NFL with Bell and Brown. They nearly lost to the Browns but it’s week 1 and big Ben is notoriously terrible on the road. It’s a different game at home.

Still, the Vikings looked really good last week. If their defense can hold off the Steelers offense, they should be able to put up enough points to win.

With that said, I take the Steelers offense at home with a banged up Bradford unable to keep up.

Jon’s Pick: Vikings

Minnesota has a strong defense, and their offense can put points on the board from time to time. Their offense is wildly inconsistent for reasons I don’t understand, but when they’re clicking, they can score points on just about anyone. I think Antonio Brown will get slowed down this week, and I’m not sure if Bell is going to be significantly better than he was in week one for a couple more weeks (since he held out all offseason and almost every player needs 3-4 weeks to get into playing shape). All of that leads me to believe the Vikings will upset the Steelers at home (the same Steelers that almost lost to the Browns last week).

Tecmo Sim: Steelers 28 Vikings 14

Tecmo is clearly a biased Packers fan. They have the Vikings at 0-2 on the season.

Chicago Bears (0-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0) Line: Buccaneers by 7. Total: 43. 

Ryan’s Pick: Buccaneers

The Buccs have a scary offense with an ascending quarterback and a wide receiver that, if he continues his trajectory, will be in the conversation for best receiver in the NFL.

Take into consideration the addition of DeSean Jackson, the Buccs health coming off a bye (technically), and a serviceable defense, and you would have to be on crack to take the Bears in week 2.

which leads us to our resident crackhead…

Jon’s Pick: Bears, despite my better sense

Fortunately for the Bucs, the Bears can’t score more than 17 points (they managed more than 17 only four times last season, and if last week is any indication of things to come, we’ll see similar results this season). Unfortunately for the Bucs, their starters haven’t played in almost a month, which could severely impact them down the stretch.

This shouldn’t be so many words, but this game is a huge toss up for me. The Bucs might ride an emotional high (winning for their city after the hurricane), but they might also come out rusty and unprepared. Winston throws a lot of interceptions, but they usually come against better defenses than Chicago’s (multiple INTs against Arizona, Denver, and Dallas last year, and they all have a better secondary than Chicago).

I’ll take the Bucs to put some points on the board early in the game, too many for Chicago to overcome, although they may draw it close as Tampa gets tired in the second half.

Tecmo Sim: Bears 14 Buccs 31

Things go from bad to worse for the Bears as they get out-manned on every front. First pick in the draft is not out of site at this point.

Miami Dolphins (0-0) at Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) Line: Chargers by 4.5. Total: 45. 

Ryan’s Pick: Dolphins

Melvin Gordon was going to be my secret weapon in fantasy this year after the Chargers drafted Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp. Then Lamp went on IR and I don’t know what happened to Feeney. Doesn’t appear to be starting.

The Chargers already have a ton of injuries and just allowed Trevor Siemian and C.J. Anderson put up 24 points on their defense. No offense to the Broncos, but that shouldn’t happen.

The Chargers will struggle to run the ball against the Dolphins front and Keenan Allen is good for a half before he tears his ACL.

Jon’s Pick: San Diego (I know they moved, I just don’t care)

I’ll take Rivers to beat a Cutler led team yet again. Jay really likes to throw to the Chargers DBs.

Tecmo Sim: Dolphins 35 Chargers 16

The score seems outrageous but may I remind you the last time Tecmo predicted something this insane (Colts game last week) it was incredibly accurate. Set your fantasy lineups accordingly (Kenny Stills… you’ve been warned).

New York Jets (0-1) at Oakland Raiders (1-0) Line: Raiders by 14. Total: 43.5.

Ryan’s Pick: Raiders

Don’t even know where to begin. So I won’t. Raiders win.

Jon’s Pick: Raiders

Oakland would win this if they played their backups. They’re playing their starters, so they’ll win it handily.

Tecmo Sim: Jets 21 Raiders 33

The Jets, bless their hearts, put up an admirable fight. In the end, Carr completing 80% of his passes for 300 yards and Cooper with nearly 200 receiving yards sums this game up nicely.

Washington Redskins (0-1) at Los Angeles Rams (1-0) Line: Rams by 2.5. Total: 46.

Ryan’s Pick: Redskins

Last week I went out on a limb and said the Rams would lose to the Colts cause they are just that bad. They didn’t.

Because the Redskins are a much better team, and a little bit out of spite for ruining my brilliant upset pick by a million points, I’m going to stick with my “Rams suck” mantra and pick the Redskins.

Jon’s Pick: Redskins

I like Cousins to bounce back from a terrible performance last week. Despite all the garbage being thrown his way in the NFL media this week, he’s not a bad quarterback. In fact, he’s a pretty darn good quarterback (the same people castigating him this week are the same people that couldn’t stop praising him in the second half of last season). The Rams beat the brakes off a terrible team last week, and I’m not convinced they can repeat their performance against better competition.

Tecmo Sim: Redskins 24 Rams 30

Hopefully the players kissed their loved ones goodbye before this game because it’s brutal. The Rams win the game but 4 players are carried off the field.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) at Denver Broncos (1-0) Line: Cowboys by 2. Total: 43. 

Ryan’s Pick: Cowboys

I don’t like the Cowboys but I respect the way they play. They are a solid team that just keeps coming for you. I think the Cowboys are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Broncos are not.

Jon’s Pick: Broncos

Denver’s defense is too good for Dallas. And Denver will not get pinned deep on every drive like the Giants did, so they’ll be able to call plays effectively against the Cowboys defense. On top of all of that, Siemian is not as erratic as Manning, so he won’t miss wide open targets the way Manning kept missing Marshall in week 1.

Tecmo Sim: Cowboys 31 Broncos 28

Ezekiel Elliott runs wild for 142 yards, giving them just enough to edge out the Denver Broncos.

San Francisco 49ers (0-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-0) Line: Seahawks by 13.5. Total: 43. 

Ryan’s Pick: Seahawks

The Seahawks legitimately may have the best defense in the NFL. After watching the the Packers game again I thought the offense looked really good. Unfortunately, the Seahawks incredible special teams pinned the Packers offense against the goal line consistently and it’s hard to sustain drives on that defense.

All that to say, even if there are questions about the Seahawks offense, it’s still good enough to score on the 49ers. Add in a lethal defense and incredible special teams unit and this game was over as soon as the schedule maker put this together.

Jon’s Pick: Seahawks

Seattle is fading, and fading fast, but they’re still better than San Francisco by a mile.

Tecmo Sim: 49ers 24 Seahawks 17

Tecmo seems to ultimately be predicting the end of an era in Seattle because that’s exactly what this is if the Seahawks fall 0-2 on the back of a 49ers loss.

Green Bay Packers (1-0) at Atlanta Falcons (0-1) Line: Falcons by 2.5. Total: 53.5.

Ryan’s Pick: Falcons

It’s an extremely close call. There are so many variables in my mind that would give the Packers the win but ultimately the Falcons beat the Packers twice last year and the game is being played in Atlanta. As if that isn’t hard enough, it’s the grand opening of a new stadium so the place will be rockin’.  Probably literally considering teams are now designing stadiums with decibels in mind.

Jon’s Pick: Packers

It may seem contradictory that I think Atlanta’s performance was real last week while I give other teams breaks, but the truth is, I didn’t even believe in Atlanta last year. I was certain it was going to fall apart, and ultimately, I was right… it just took until the second half of the Super Bowl for me to be right. I think Green Bay’s offense is too good for Atlanta’s defense. We’re talking about a team that would have lost to the Bears if Jordan Howard would have spent time learning how to catch in the offseason instead of having Lasik surgery to make his eyes better (which was supposed to help him catch somehow, don’t ask me).

Tecmo Sim: Falcons 24 Packers 27

Overtime makes all too much sense and it’s exactly how Tecmo has this going. An overtime victory sealed by Crosby. For the record, Montgomery is all but erased in this game but Bennett goes off.

Detroit Lions (1-0) at New York Giants (0-1) Line: Giants by 3.5. Total: 43.5. 

Ryan’s Pick: Lions

The Lions played real strong last week and the Giants played horribly. There is nothing for me to look at objectively where I could give the Giants the win.

Jon’s Pick: Lions

Everything I’ve seen points to Beckham being out again this week. And everything I saw last week suggests to me that they can’t play offense without him on the field. Their performance against Dallas was one of the worst performances I can remember seeing in recent years.

Tecmo Sim: Lions 17 Giants 28

A massive upset, this raises a ton of questions. Are the Cowboys so good they made the Giants look as bad as they were? Are the Lions really this bad to lose to this team? Week 3 will hopefully yield more answers.

#Picks

[skaiap]

SOB 18 Season 2017 Week 3 Power Rankings ↓↑

1. New England Patriots (3-0)- Seemingly, an unstoppable force, The Patriots dominate the previously undefeated Texans and continue their undefeated season to this point. The Pats have won all three of their games by an average margin of is about 26 points which is a testament to how dominant they have been so far. The way they are playing and the talent that they have make them a very formidable opponent for any team, any time, or anywhere, and if you ask me I'd say they are the most formidable as is stands right now.

2. Green Bay Packers (3-0)- Green Bay fully looked liked the Super Bowl contending team that everyone has made them out to be on Sunday beating the brakes off the Bengals 50-21. Aaron Rodgers had a vintage performance passing for 208 yards 3 TDs and just 1 INT with a passer rating of 132.2 and the Packers potent offense totaled 349 yards. The Defense again played very well picking off the Bengals 7 times in the ball game and creating a ton of scoring opportunities for their offense. The real key point for Green Bay is the decreased turnovers only turning the ball over once in the game which is a great improvement from the previous two weeks and gets them into the # 2 spot.

3. Cleveland Browns (3-0)- The Browns have come out of the gate and shocked the world starting 3-0 and holding the # 3 spot. In their most recent win they narrowly edged the Colts by 4 32-28 and demonstrating their offensive prowess and ability as rookie QB Deshone Kizer went step for step with veteran Andrew Luck and arguably put together a better game all around at the end of the day. If the Browns continue to play this type of football they'll continue to win, something the Browns haven't been doing in recent years.

4. Detroit Lions (3-0)- Detroit fell down 7 points to the Falcons last week only to score 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and come out with their third victory in three games this season. It wasn't the prettiest win and wasn't their best overall performance, but the Lions will take the 10 point victory over Atlanta. Matt Stafford threw 3 interceptions and had a poor 44.3 QBR, but thanks to the Lions rushing attack lead by Theo Riddick with 24 carries for 186 yards and a pair of scores, the Lions were able to overcome a forgettable performance by Matthew Stafford and come out victorious against the struggling Falcons. If Detroit wants to continue to win football games they really need to get a passing attack going and take better care of the football on a consistent basis.

5. Dallas Cowboys (3-0)- The Cowboys' offense looked masterful last week against Arizona piling up 547 total yards and 48 points. Dak Prescott threw for 354 yards 3 TDs and no INTs with a rating of 147.6 as a large portion of those yards went to Dez Bryant as he went 3-181-2. Dallas' rushing attack was phenomenal as they rushed for over 200 yards lead by Ezekiel Elliot with 11 attempts for 118 yards and a pair of scores before he had to leave the game due to a hip pointer. The Cowboys' defense also played very well picking off Carson Palmer 3 times and holding him to a 12 passer rating. This kind of complete football is the kind that Dallas will need to continue to play if they have Super Bowl apsirations.

6. Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)- The Chargers get their third win in as many weeks beating out the Chiefs in a turnover filled game. Phillip Rivers and Patrick Mahomes each threw 3 interceptions and 0 Touchdown passes in the game last week, where they differ however, is in the running game where Melvin Gordon rushed for 115 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries leading the Chargers offense to 33 points, their highest total so far this season. That paired with the pick six by Desmond King was enough to over come Rivers' 3 INTS and get a 9 point victory over the division opponent Chiefs.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)- Despite outscoring the Giants 16-0 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were unable to overcome a 5 turnover performance and get the victory against the rival New York Giants. Carson Wentz accounted for 4/5 turnovers by the Eagles and managed only a 44.9 QBR as he struggled mightily throughout. LeGarrette Blount ran well with the carries he was given as he got 114 yards off of only 6 carries. Despite taking their first loss of the season, the Eagles looked like a quality team out there and will just need to get back to the explosive, turnover free football they were playing the previous two weeks and they should be primed for a bounce back this week.

8. Washington Redskins (2-1)- Washington got the solid two touchdown win over Oakland 34-20 powered by an absolutely monsterous running game piling up 226 yards on the ground. The Redskins' running game paired with some great plays by their defense got them a good win against Oakland as they got two defensive touchdowns as well. This past game really showed the versatility of the Redskins as some games they're able to come out slinging and some games they can play close to the vest and run the ball 30 times and win with that and defense, it will be interesting to see this team progress as the season continues.

9. Houston Texans (2-1)- Houston takes their first loss of the season and it comes at the hands of the Defending Champion Pats. This was the Texans' worst game to this point in the season but nothing that can't be reviewed and repaired going into next week. The Texans will just have to go into next week with the same fire and intensity that they've shown prior which wasn't on display this past week. Although they took a tough blowout loss, I don't foresee them dwelling on it, they'll have a solid opportunity to bounce back this week against the Titans.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)- Pittsburgh won in dominating fashion this past week crushing Chicago 43-6 lead by a strong performance by Ben Roethlisberger as he threw for 213 3 TDs and a pick in the gigantic win. The Steelers defense was also very good suffocating the Bears QBs holding them to 0 TDs and picking them off 5 times in the game while only allowing 6 points. Jamaal Williams filled in nicely for the injured Le'Veon Bell as he rushed for 115 yards on 22 carries. This was something the Steelers needed as it should give them a solid boost going into next week and shows the real potential of this team.

11. Oakland Raiders (2-1)- Oakland didn't look very good last week giving up a ton of rushing yards to the Redskins and Derek Carr throwing 4 Interceptions. Oakland takes their first loss of the season and really have some thing to think about following this game. They'll really need to find more effective ways to get the ball in the hands of their play makers because it seemed like every time they tried to do that this past week it didn't end well for them. Oakland will certainly look to take better care of the football as Redskin pick sixes were the difference in this ball game. Going forward Oakland will put this in the rear view mirror and try to get back to playing the quality football they know they can play.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)- The Jaguars brought it to London against the Ravens outscoring them 48-13 and playing quality football all around. The Jags offense play pretty well, but the real story is the Defense pinning Baltimore to 13 points and getting two pick sixes in the game. Jacksonville started fast scoring 24 points in the 1st quarter and never looking back as they get their second straight win and hope this win will help ignite a winning streak for them going forward.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)- Tampa beat out Minnesota 48-21 in what was a quality victory. Looking at the box score, Tampa's victory doesn't look all that impressive as they were pretty close with Minnesota in yardage totals, turnover margin, and first downs, but regardless of that they won by 27. It was the cluster of big plays by the Buccs that got them the win by a relatively large margin scoring multiple TDs of 50+ yards. If they continue this type of explosive play they'll be just fine going forward.

14. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)- Far and away the most impressive victory by the Rams in this young season as they roll over the 9ers 30-6. Todd Gurley dominated this game rushing for 133 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. That paired with phenomenal defense by the Rams, as they held the 9ers to 160 yards and just 6 points, and they got a 24 point win and something that they hope to build on as the season progresses and their younger players get some more experience under their belts.

15. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)- The 9ers took their first loss of the season falling to the Rams 30-6. This was by far the worst performance by San Francisco this season to this point. SF's QBs CJ Beathard and Brian Hoyer combined for 0 TDs and 7 INTs which by itself makes this game a terrible one for the 9ers, but on top of that they gave up 171 rush yards to the Rams, 133 of it coming from Todd Gurley. For the sake of the 49ers season, they should hope this game was a fluke because it seemed at every point of the game they were outplayed, out coached, and just out matched for four quarters.

16. Chicago Bears (2-1)- Chicago got absolutely blasted against Pittsburgh after starting 2-0. That absolutely did not look like the Bears team who had strung out a pair of quality wins prior to this match up, it looked like a team that wasn't cohesive, or determined and were just dominated for four quarters. In order to get back to the type of football they played before this game, they'll need to acknowledge their mistakes, learn from them, and apply them to this week's ball game.

17. New York Giants (1-2)- It had seemed like the Giants were cursed as they lost their first two games in heart breaking fashion in the waning moments, but were finally able to find a way to win instead of finding a way to lose. They really pulled out a nice game against Philly and were able to hold off a 4th quarter rally as the Eagles scored 16 straight points in an attempt to comeback, but were able to get the one point victory. The Giants really needed this game and they got it as they hope this can be the foundation on which they build their legacy this season.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)- The Bengals have really fallen off from their great performance in their home opener and have lost their second straight game, this time by a margin of 29. Cincinnati was unable to maintain possession of the ball turning the ball over 7 times and were unable to stop or even slow down Green Bay's offense. In order for the Bengals to get back on track they'll definitely need to take better care of the football and play more disciplined defense as they were run all over thanks to over committing into gaps.

19. Minnesota Vikings (1-2)- Minnesota took a tough loss against Tampa last week giving up numerous big plays and were unable to match the overall explosiveness of the Buccs. If the Vikings want to start winning consistently they'll have to adjust the way the game they're in are going, the pace and quickness of the games are too much for the Vikings to match as they're a team that likes a game with a slow tempo and that is relatively low scoring. If Minnesota can improve upon things that could help make this type of game a reality over multiple weeks they have a good shot at winning a number of those games.

20. Denver Broncos (1-2)- Denver gets in the win column in a big way as they blast the Bills 32-13 in Buffalo. Denver's offense was focused mainly on CJ Anderson and the rushing attack as they accumulated over 220 yards rushing on the day. Their defense helped compliment a very potent rushing attack as the took the ball away from the Bills on 7 occasions and really paved the way for easy scores on short fields. If Denver can continue to play the way they played last week where both sides of the ball play compliment to each other and really look like a complete unit they should expect more wins going forward.

21. Buffalo Bills (1-2)- After starting off the season with a win, the Bills have dropped two games straight and are now 1-2. This past week, the offense simply hung the defense out to dry on way too many occasions turning it over 7 times and providing the Broncos offense with a short field and a ton of opportunities. The Bills MUST get the turnovers down this week if they hope to pull out a victory and perform better as a team overall.

22. Miami Dolphins (1-2)- Miami also gets in the win column against what has so far proven to be a bottom feeder New York Jets team. Miami lead 12-3 going into the fourth quarter where they let loose scoring 28 points and outscoring the Jets by 22. If the Dolphins can put games away like they did against the Jets, they'll certainly be a team that could string together a good amount of wins going forward.

23. New Orleans Saints (1-2)- Another team who gets their first win of the season, the Saints were able to narrowly each out the Carolina Panthers by 4 in a nice NFC South Division bout. Lead by the seemingly rejuvenated Adrian Peterson, The Saints offense was able to get over 150 yards rushing on the day which was a big part of the win. The Saints were also able to take the ball away from Carolina on numerous occasions which helped get the slim victory and get them their first win of the season so far.

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)- The list continues to grow of teams who got their first victory of the season in week 3 with Seattle as they got the win against Tennessee. It was a tight 24-21 game going into the fourth quarter as the Seahawks trailed, but they were able to pull out the victory in the final frame outscoring the Titans by 8 in that period and finally finishing a football game properly this season. Seattle really toned down the turnovers which helped in the win as they only turned it over once, if they can continue to repeat this type of effort, as talented as they are, Seattle should be a legitmate team to keep an eye on down the line.

25. Carolina Panthers (1-2)- The Panthers lose a close one against the rival New Orleans Saints, but don't have much to hang their head about as they left all of it on the field for four quarters. The only thing the Panthers would like to improve upon would be maintaining possession of the ball as they had 4 turnovers in the game which helped the Saints beat them by 4 points.

26. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)- Arizona was beaten in just about every way imaginable last week out gained in every category, outscored in every quarter, and didn't reach the redzone until their final drive. The Cardinals are a tough team to figure out after 3 weeks of inconsistent play as Carson Palmer is about as reliable as spinning a wheel. David Johnson managed just 44 rushing yards and the Cardinals didn't reach the end zone for the first time in a game this season. If the Cardinals want to start winning they'll need to be more consistent on a week to week basis and a drive to drive basis and just do things more effectively all around.

27. Atlanta Falcons (0-3)- The highest ranked of the remaining winless teams to this point, the Falcons have played close games in most of their games so far only to crumble down the stretch. The trend continued on Sunday as they fell to the undefeated Lions by 10 in a game they could've pulled out with a better executed fourth quarter. In order to turn it around, Atlanta will need to get back to the type of football they played last season and really let their offense loose as it has not been as productive as last year's team to this point.

28. Tennessee Titans (0-3)- The Titans were just barley defeated by the Seahawks as they fell by 5 points. The Titans played arguably their best game of the season thus far only to lose yet again which is probably discouraging for Titan fans, but if they continue to compete they way they did last week, they should be good enough to get some wins together this season.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)- KC falls to the undefeated Chargers by 9 in a game where each side had 3 turnovers. KC got off to a slow start, not scoring until mid second quarter where they were already behind 17-0 and just weren't able to pull back from there. As a team being lead by a rookie QB these type of games are to be expected, but not much will be expected from the Chiefs playoff wise the way the have performed to this point.

30. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)- The Colts only lost by four in a game where they legitimately had a good chance to win forcing 3 turnovers and only having one of their own. The main reason Indianapolis lost is getting outscored 18-0 in the 4th quarter which is really unacceptable and almost impossible to overcome. If they can avoid blowing another lead, they should have a good shot of getting a win pretty soon this season.

31. Baltimore Ravens (0-3)- The Ravens were dominated by the Jags 48-13. The Ravens turned it over 6 times and were just dominated for four quarters on both sides of the ball. The cause of this just seems to be a lack of talent and poor coaching in Baltimore, two problems that can't be solved overnight.

32. New York Jets (0-3)- The least talented team in football, the Jets have yet to be competitive in any game to this point and are just seemingly incapable of doing anything exciting or becoming relevant this season.