Every week I will give you facts that you need to know about every matchup in the NFL to help you set your lineup for the highest probability of winning. Four teams are off this week, including the rejuvenated Tom Brady and the Patriots, so we will have to dig deep to find some bye week fill-ins for your teams. We have a lot to get to, so let's get right into the facts.
Redskins at Vikings, Thu., 8:30 p.m. ET
• Robert Griffin III has produced
26-plus Fantasy points in three of his four career games in domes, with
nine total touchdowns. Three of the last four quarterbacks to face the
Vikings have scored at least 23 Fantasy points and the four have
combined for nine total touchdowns.
• Alfred Morris received his first 20-carry game of the year in Week 9
and responded with a season-high 121 yards and a touchdown on the
ground. Morris has now run for at least 80 yards in three straight
games, has 90-plus yards in three straight and has at least 14 Fantasy
points in three of them.
• The Vikings have allowed seven running
back scores in the last five games and are giving up 20 Fantasy points
per game to the position during that span.
• Pierre Garcon has at least five catches in every game, but has just
one touchdown in his last six games. The Vikings have allowed a receiver
to score in seven straight games and have given up nine total receiver
touchdowns during that span. Garcon -- who is coming off of a
season-high 177 yards receiving on seven catches in Week 9 -- will look
to stay hot against the Vikes, who have already allowed five different
100-yard receivers.
• Jordan Reed
had only five targets against the Chargers in Week 9, his lowest since
becoming the starter. He will look to right the ship against a Minnesota
team that just gave up eight catches for 102 yards and a score to a
slumping Jason Witten. The last four
Fantasy relevant tight ends to face the Vikings are averaging 12 Fantasy
points per game.
• Christian Ponder
had a solid 19-point Fantasy day in Week 9 thanks to another rushing
touchdown, his fourth on the year. Ponder is tied with Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback this
year.
• Adrian Peterson has
received 20-plus carries in four games this year. In those four games,
he averages 117 yards and a touchdown on the ground per. No team gives
up more Fantasy points to running backs in 2013 than the Redskins (22.3).
•
The Redskins have allowed multiple receiver touchdowns in each of the
last two games. Could Greg Jennings --
who led the Vikes with nine targets and six catches in Week 9 -- score
for the first time on American soil this year?
• Tight ends have 60
yards or a touchdown in seven of the Redskins eight games this year.
Lions at Bears, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• Matthew Stafford has thrown for
more than 350 yards in each of his last two games this season. He has
five total touchdowns in his last two games against the Bears, but has
not reached 300 yards passing against them in three straight.
• Reggie Bush had 18 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown on the ground
along with four catches for 34 yards in the first meeting with the
Bears. The Bears have allowed at least 25 Fantasy points to backs in
each of their last four games while giving up 660 total yards and eight
touchdowns along the way.
• Calvin Johnson had four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in the
first meeting with the Bears this year. He has 100-plus yards with a
touchdown in four of his last six games, including a total of 23 catches
for 484 yards and three scores in his last two games alone.
• An
opposing secondary receiver has scored in two of the last four games
against the Bears this year. Kris Durham,
who has 17 catches over the last three games, led the Lions with 58
yards receiving in the first meeting with Chicago.
• Brandon Pettigrew had a season-best seven catches (for 57 yards) in the
first game against Chicago. With all of the injuries to their
linebackers, the Bears have allowed 79.3 receiving yards per game to
tight ends over the last four weeks.
• Three straight quarterbacks
and four of the last five have thrown for multiple scores and produced
20-plus points against the Lions. Quarterbacks are averaging 2.2
touchdown passes and 21.6 Fantasy points per game during that span. So
either Josh McCown or a returning Jay Cutler is a quality start.
• Matt Forte has at least 117 total yards with a score in two straight
against the Lions. He has 100 total yards or a touchdown in every single
career game he has played against Detroit. The Lions have not allowed
100 total yards or a touchdown to backs in two straight games, but Forte
enters Week 10 with 10-plus points and a Top 24 finish in every single
game this season.
• Alshon Jeffery
led the Bears with five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in the
first game against Detroit. He has 100 yards receiving or a touchdown
(10-plus points) in four of his last five games.
• Brandon Marshall will look to end a two-game scoring drought against
the Lions and believe it or not, he has just 11 Fantasy points combined
in those two games.
• Martellus Bennett
has been a Top 12 tight end in three of his last five games and hauled
in eight passes for 90 yards in his first game against the Lions.
Detroit has allowed a tight end to top 60 yards or score in two of its
last three games.
Bengals at Ravens, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• Andy Dalton has 300-plus yards
passing in four straight games, but his streak of three-plus passing
touchdowns ended at three when he was blanked in the scoring department
by the Dolphins in Week 9. The Ravens have given up multiple passing
scores and more than 18 points only once since Week 1 and it came last
week against Jason Campbell in
Cleveland. No quarterback has produced 20 points against the Ravens in
Baltimore, but three of the last four overall have 18-plus points. It
should be noted that Dalton has only two touchdown passes in four career
games against the Ravens.
• Giovani Bernard exploded against the weak Miami run defense for 79
yards and two scores on only nine carries. Bernard has not seen 10-plus
carries in three straight games and has more than six Fantasy points in
just two of his last six.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis has just one rushing score in his last six games
and has been held below 35 yards rushing in four of his last seven.
•
The Ravens are the toughest defense for running backs to face in 2013,
giving up just 10.25 Fantasy points to the position. Only one running
back group all season has scored on the Ravens or eclipsed 12 Fantasy
points. Over the last four games, backs are averaging just 7.75 Fantasy
points per game against the Ravens, but two of those groups did run for
more than 100 yards.
• Marvin Jones
should have had his touchdown streak extend to four games in Week 9, but
his score was called back by a holding penalty. He played a season-high
50 snaps and ran a season-high 41 routes in that game. Remember, it was
No. 2 receiver Greg Little (122 yards)
and slot receiver Davone Bess (two
scores) who torched the Ravens in Week 9.
• Joe Flacco has tossed multiple touchdown passes and topped 20
Fantasy points in two of his last three games. Three of the last six
quarterbacks to face Cincy have topped 20 points and thrown multiple
touchdowns. The other three did not throw a single touchdown pass and
averaged just 8.5 Fantasy points per game.
• Ray Rice is in a massive slump and it continued against the Browns,
as he was held to 17 yards rushing on 11 carries. Rice has rushed for
more than 50 yards in just one game this year and has found the end zone
in one of his last six starts. Lamar Miller
became the first back to produce 10 Fantasy points in five games against
the Bengals last week and hopefully Rice can benefit from the absence of
Geno Atkins.
• Torrey Smith
has 75-plus yards receiving in six of his eight games this year but has
only one score on the season. Mike Wallace
turned in a solid six catches for 82 yards against the Bengals last
week, but only two receivers have produced 10 Fantasy points against
Cincy in their last six games.
• Marlon Brown caught two touchdowns against the Browns and now leads
the Ravens with five scores. It might be tough against the Bengals this
week, however, as opposing No. 2 receivers have just one touchdown
against Cincy all year, third fewest in the NFL.
Bills at Steelers, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• C.J. Spiller finally showed the
form that made him a first round pick this year, ripping off 116 yards
on 12 carries and adding two catches for 39 yards. It was a season-best
155 total yards for Spiller, who played 23 snaps in Week 9, his highest
total since Week 4.
• In Week 9, Fred Jackson failed to reach 10 Fantasy points for only the second
time all year. Still, he ran 16 times for 77 yards and added one catch
for 22 yards to produce a solid 99 total.
• Pittsburgh has allowed
three rushing scores in each of its last two games and has given up a
league-high 11 running back rushing scores this year (1.4 per game).
Over the last two weeks, the Steelers have allowed 298 yards rushing and
five scores to running backs, which adds up to an average of 28 Fantasy
points per game. Four different players -- three of which were running
backs -- have produced more than 10 Fantasy points against the Steelers
on rushing totals alone.
• With E.J. Manuel under center for four games to start the year, Steve Johnson caught two touchdowns and produced eight or more
Fantasy points three times. The Steelers just gave up three receiver
scores to the Pats in Week 9 and with Johnson moving both in and out of
the slot (where the Steelers have struggled), Johnson, who averaged nine
targets per game with Manuel, could be a solid No. 3 option.
• Six of
the last seven defenses to face the Bills have produced 10 or more
Fantasy points and opposing defenses are averaging 14.4 Fantasy points
per game during that span. The Bills are giving up 17 Fantasy points per
game to opposing defenses in their last four road games.
• Scott Chandler only had three catches for 26 yards against the Chiefs
but received a team-high nine targets. He has been targeted 20 times the
last two weeks and the Steelers have allowed a tight end to score in two
of their last three games.
• Ben Roethlisberger is coming off of a massive 400-yard,
four-touchdown game against the Pats in Week 9. It was his second game
of 400 yards this year and his second game with multiple passing scores.
Buffalo has allowed a league-high 20 passing scores this year and seven
quarterbacks have already thrown for multiple scores against them. Even
with Alex Smith's doughnut, quarterbacks
have thrown 11 touchdowns in the last four games against the Bills, and
three of them have topped 30 points.
• Le'Veon Bell has 99 total yards or a touchdown in three straight games
and is averaging 11 points per game during that span. The Bills have
allowed only one running back to rush for a score all year and none have
found the end zone in three straight. The Bills are, however, allowing
124 total yards per game to the position.
• You are starting Antonio Brown, but his running buddy Emmanuel Sanders is worth a look as well. Sanders has been targeted 11
times in each of the last two games and has 14 catches for 186 yards and
a touchdown. He now has 90 yards receiving or 70-plus with a score in
three of his last four games.
• Jerricho Cotchery leads the Pittsburgh receivers with five touchdowns
and three games with a touchdown. He caught seven of his eight targets
for 98 yards and three scores against the Patriots in Week 9.
• A
receiver has scored in every game but one against Buffalo and the Bills
are allowing 205 yards (fourth most), 1.7 touchdowns (league-high) and
30 Fantasy points (second most) per game to the position. Three of the
last four receiver groups and five of the last seven have caught
multiple touchdowns and produced 31 or more Fantasy points.
• Heath Miller has not scored in two straight games and has not reached
50 yards receiving in three straight. The Bills have allowed three tight
end scores in their last three games (two to Jimmy Graham), but only Greg Olsen
back in Week 2 has reached 50 yards against them all year.
Eagles at Packers, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• Nick Foles tied the NFL record
with seven touchdown passes against the Raiders in Week 9 and amazingly,
he had only six incompletions. Foles now has 20-plus Fantasy points and
multiple scores in three of his four games this year (one was not a
Foles start as he came on in relief of Michael Vick).
• LeSean McCoy
has not rushed for 60 yards in three straight games and has not rushed
for a touchdown in four straight. After averaging over 20 carries per
game in his first six, McCoy has taken just 15 carries per game over the
last three.
• Riley Cooper
loves him some Nick Foles. In Foles'
three starts, Cooper has 15 catches for 347 yards and four touchdowns.
He caught five passes for 139 yards and three scores last week against
the Raiders and has not produced fewer than 88 yards in any of Foles'
starts.
• DeSean Jackson has a
touchdown grab in three of the four games with Foles under center and
has three total in his three starts.
• Eddie Lacy leads the NFL with 545 yards rushing over the last five
games. He has taken 119 carries (at least 22 in every game) in those
five games and has 100-plus total yards with a touchdown in three
straight games. He ran for a career-high 150 yards in Week 9 and takes
on a Philly defense that just gave up over 100 yards rushing to Rashad Jennings last Sunday.
• Jordy Nelson was the target of eight of Seneca Wallace's 19 pass attempts once he took over on Monday night.
They connected on just three of them for 40 yards, but Nelson was
clearly Wallace's top option in the passing game.
• James Jones was eased back into action, but suffered no setbacks with
his knee and should be ready for a full workload in Week 10. Last week,
the Raiders No. 2 receiver, Rod Streater,
had five catches for 98 yards.
• The Eagles have not allowed a
receiver to score in back-to-back games, but they did give up 240 yards
to the Oakland receivers in Week 9. For the year, the Eagles allow 221
yards and 31.3 Fantasy points per game to receivers, both league highs.
Seahawks at Falcons, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• Russell Wilson has multiple
passing scores in three straight games and four of his last five. That
matches up well with an Atlanta pass defense that has allowed multiple
passing scores in seven of eight games this year and multiple
quarterback scores in every single game. Wilson had his first career
300-yard passing game (385 and two scores) and ran for another 60 yards
and a touchdown against a much better Falcons defense in the 2012
playoffs.
• Wilson has 25 or more Fantasy points in three of his last
five games and is averaging 22 points per game during that run.
•
Atlanta has allowed multiple receiver scores in two of its last three
games and has given up 11 receiver scores, third most in the NFL.
•
Seven of the 11 receiver scores given up by the Falcons have gone to
secondary receivers, with five to opposing No. 2 WRs, fourth most in the
NFL. Jermaine Kearse caught both of his
targets last week for 43 yards and a score and Doug Baldwin led the Hawks with 10 targets (40 percent of Wilson's
Week 9 passes), six catches, 75 yards and a score of his own in Week 9.
Obviously if Percy Harvin finally
returns it would further complicate things, but there are Seahawk
receivers other than Golden Tate who
you can start in Week 10 against Atlanta.
• Even though the Seattle D
is struggling, the Falcons have produced 20-plus Fantasy points for the
defenses of both the Cardinals and the Panthers over the last two weeks.
•
In his first six games, Matt Ryan had
thrown 13 touchdowns with only three interceptions. In his last two
games, he has two touchdown passes and seven interceptions. No
quarterback has produced 20 Fantasy points against the Hawks in four
straight and the position has totaled three touchdowns and six
interceptions while averaging 9.75 points per game during that span.
•
Seattle has allowed Zac Stacy (134
yards) and Mike James (158) to run all
over them the last two weeks. They have given up 351 yards rushing and
23.5 Fantasy points to running backs in the last two weeks alone.
Believe it or not, a running back has 100 yards rushing or a touchdown
in six of the last seven games against Seattle, including four straight
on the road. So maybe Steven Jackson
(solid 76 total yards on 16 touches against Carolina) is worth a look
this week.
• No wide receiver group has hit 150 yards against Seattle
in four straight games and they just held Vincent Jackson to 11 yards. In fact, no outside receiver has reached
60 yards in any of those games against Seattle and they held Larry Fitzgerald, Nate Washington,
Jackson and Chris Givens to a combined
102 yards receiving.
• Harry Douglas
has 80-plus yards in three straight games for the Falcons -- with 120 in
two of them -- but this could be a challenge. If Roddy White returns from his injury, I'd want to see him first and
only consider Douglas an option, albeit a tough one this week.
• A
total of 327 of Tony Gonzalez's 476 yards
have come in three games this year and he has three of his four scores
in them as well. Gonzo has not reached 40 yards in any of his other five
games, but Seattle just gave up 58 and a touchdown to Timothy Wright in Week 9. Only two tight ends all year have topped 60
yards against the Hawks, and they both did it in the same game, but
hopefully we get good Gonzo in his season of feast or famine.
Rams at Colts, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• Zac Stacy is a beast! He is the
only running back in the NFL with 125-plus yards rushing in back-to-back
games this year and punched in his first rushing touchdowns of the year
in Week 9. Stacy followed up a 134-yard effort against Seattle with 27
carries for 127 yards and two scores against the Titans. He also caught
six passes for 51 yards and Stacy now has 13-plus points in three
straight games. Backs have rushed for 116 or more yards in three of the
last four against the Colts, so look for Stacy to keep rolling.
• For
what it's worth, the opposing No. 1 receiver has scored in four straight
games against the Colts, who have allowed multiple receiver scores in
three of their last four games. Could mean Chris Givens (four catches and at least 55 yards in both of Kellen Clemens starts) is worth a look, and it could also mean nothing
because the Rams receivers have been consistently unreliable.
• Andrew Luck has three scores and 30-plus points in back-to-back games.
He has 20-plus and multiple scores in four of his last five games as
well. The Rams have allowed multiple passing scores in six of nine games
this year, but no quarterback has produced 20 Fantasy points against
them in six straight.
• Trent Richardson
has a grand total of 32 carries for 97 yards in his last three games
combined. Chris Johnson (150 rush and
two scores) and Shonn Greene (66 total
and a touchdown) both scored last week for the Titans against this Rams
defense that has given up 10 running back rushing scores this year,
second most in the NFL.
• T.Y. Hilton
was a star in the making and with the injury to Reggie Wayne, he has become one immediately. In his first game as the
featured receiver for Andrew Luck he
beat the Texans on short, intermediate and deep routes while lined up
outside and in the slot en route to a massive day of seven catches for
121 yards and three scores. Houston had allowed just two receiver scores
total entering that game! Hilton is a matchup nightmare and will be
lighting up scoreboards the rest of this year. He should fare well
against the Rams, who have allowed a league-high nine touchdowns to the
opposing No. 1 receiver.
• Coby Fleener
has 60 yards or a score in two straight games and four of his last
seven, but the Rams have not allowed a tight end to score since Week 4
and they have not even allowed 50 yards to the position since Week 3.
Jaguars at Titans, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• When Justin Blackmon was out, Cecil Shorts led the NFL with 52 targets and caught 26 passes for 337
yards (84.3 per game).
• Over the last two weeks, Mike Brown has been targeted 14 times and has caught eight of them
for 163 yards and a touchdown. He has 10-plus Fantasy points in both
games and will be counted on even more now with Blackmon suspended for
the rest of the year.
• Unfortunately, Week 10 could be tough for
both Shorts and Brown. No wide receiver has produced 10 Fantasy points
or scored in six straight games against the Titans, who are giving up a
league-low 9.8 points per game to the position since Week 2.
• If
there was ever a week to go with Maurice Jones-Drew this has to be it, right? The Titans have given up
20-plus Fantasy points to backs in four straight games. During that
span, every opposing starter has produced 17 Fantasy points and three
straight have scored two touchdowns en route to 22-plus points. Backs
are averaging 171 total yards, 1.8 touchdowns and 26 Fantasy points per
game against the Titans over those last four games.
• MJD has at
least 15 Fantasy points in three straight starts against the Titans and
topped 95 yards rushing in every single one of them.
• Jake Locker stunk against the Rams in Week 9 but has a shot at
redemption against the Jags. Five of the last six quarterbacks to face
the Jags have produced multiple touchdowns and no quarterback has been
below 17 Fantasy points against them during that span. Quarterbacks are
averaging 26.5 points per game against the Jags over those last six and
they have given up a league-high three-quarterback rushing touchdowns.
•
To be fair, no quarterback has produced 20 Fantasy points against the
Jags on passing totals alone in three straight, and that includes Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers.
•
Running backs have multiple touchdowns and 30-plus Fantasy points
against the Jags in three straight games. Four backs have produced 12 or
more Fantasy points and five have hit at least eight points against the
Jags in that run. Over the last three, the Jags have given up 578 total
yards (391 rushing), seven touchdowns and a ridiculous 94 Fantasy points
to the position.
• For the year, Jacksonville has allowed 100-plus
running back yards a league-high six times. No team has allowed more
running back yards per game than the Jags 130 this year, and they also
give up a league-worst 4.7 yards per carry.
• Chris Johnson is coming off of a season-best 150 yards and two scores
rushing against the Rams in Week 9. He has 100 total yards with a score
in each of his last two games.
• Shonn Greene played his first extensive action of the year in Week 9
and had 66 total yards and a score on 10 touches himself. He is a flex
option this week.
• The Jags have allowed a wide receiver score and
22-plus points to the position in five of the last six games. Nine have
gone to opposing secondary receivers, so Kendall Wright, who is averaging six catches per game over his last
seven, would be my top choice.
• Nate Washington had a zero last week on four targets. Yes, I am sick
about it.
• The Titans have 10-plus points in only one of their last
four games, but they do face the Jags, who have 10-plus for every
opposing defense this year and 14-plus in seven of eight games total.
Raiders at Giants, Sun., 1 p.m. ET
• The Giants have not allowed an offensive touchdown or field goal in
nine straight quarters! They have scored at least 13 Fantasy points
in each of their last two games and take on an Oakland team that has
produced 11-plus to opposing defenses in three straight games.
•
Quarterbacks threw for multiple scores and had 20-plus Fantasy points in
six straight games to start the year against the G-Men. Over the last
two weeks, they have not allowed a single touchdown and gave up just six
points to the position (granted it was against Josh Freeman, Michael Vick and Matt Barkley). Terrelle Pryor has
just one passing touchdown in his last three starts and has not topped
16 Fantasy points in any of them, despite rushing for 256 yards and a
touchdown in those three games.
• Rashad Jennings rushed 15 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and
added seven catches for 74 yards in relief of Darren McFadden against the Eagles on Sunday.
• In their last five
games, the Giants have faced Jamaal Charles,
Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy
twice. None of them have rushed for 70 yards and the Giants have given
up only one rushing touchdown in that span. In the last two games, AP
and McCoy combined for 76 yards on 28 carries (2.7 yards per carry).
•
Denarius Moore has scored in three of
his last five games with Pryor at quarterback and the opposing No. 1 has
scored in three of the last five against the Giants.
• Nick Foles just completed 22 of his 28 passes for 406 yards and
seven scores against this Oakland defense. He is, however, only the
second quarterback to toss multiple scores (Philip Rivers was the other
and he also topped 400 yards) or produce 20 Fantasy points against the
Raiders in their last five games. Eli Manning
has multiple passing scores in just one of his last seven games, but
this seems like a good matchup to become Fantasy relevant once again.
•
Andre Brown will make his 2013 debut on
Sunday against the Raiders. Oakland has allowed a running back to score
in six straight games and the opposing primary ball carrier has at least
10 points in every game. However, Oakland has given up just 244 yards
rushing (61 per game) on less than 3.0 per carry over the last four
weeks, so don't expect a massive debut.
• The opposing No. 1 receiver
has 80 yards or a touchdown in seven of eight games against the Raiders
this year. DeSean Jackson got back on
the right track against them and hopefully Victor Cruz can end his four-game scoring drought.
• The Raiders
have allowed the opposing No. 2 to score and produce at least 14 Fantasy
points in two straight and three of the last four games. Maybe Hakeem Nicks will end his 11-game scoring streak or maybe Rueben Randle (who has a touchdown in three of his last four, but had
no catches in his last game) steals his thunder once again.
Panthers at 49ers, Sun., 4:05 p.m. ET
• Cam Newton has multiple scores
in three of his last four games and is averaging a robust 25.5 points
per game during that span (thanks to two 30-point efforts). The 49ers
allowed multiple passing scores to both Carson Palmer and Jake Locker before
locking down Chad Henne before their
Week 9 bye. Quarterbacks are averaging 19.7 points per game against the
49ers over the last three games.
• Mike Tolbert led the Carolina backs in terms of snaps played in Week
9 with 44 and punched in a touchdown for the fourth straight week to go
with 37 total yards on nine touches. He now has 11 touchdowns in his
last 11 games for the Panthers.
• DeAngelo Williams played 29 snaps in Week 9 and rushed 13 times for 42
yards and added two catches for 12 yards. Jonathan Stewart played 19 snaps and led the backs with 65 total yards
(nine carries for 43 yards and three catches for 22 yards). The 49ers
have allowed only one running back rushing score since Week 3, but they
have given up at least 14 running back points in four straight games
(15.5 per game).
• Steve Smith
has not reached 70 yards receiving in a game yet this year in eight
tries. He had eight games of 70-plus last year, including four games of
more than 100 yards receiving. The opposing top target has at least 70
yards receiving in three straight against San Francisco, but he has
caught only one touchdown during that span. Only two opposing No. 1
receivers (Larry Fitzgerald and Jordy Nelson) have scored on the 49ers in 2013.
• Greg Olsen has a touchdown in each of his last two games. His foot
injury also seems to be behind him as he topped 60 yards for the first
time since suffering the injury in Week 9. The 49ers have given up just
one tight end score in their last four games and are allowing just five
points per game to the position during that span.
• The Panthers
defense has 10-plus Fantasy points in four straight games and five of
six this year. They have three games of 20-plus in the last six as well.
However, no defense has topped six Fantasy points against the 49ers in
five straight games.
• Colin Kaepernick
has a rushing touchdown in each of his last two games -- with three
total during that span -- to go along with 122 rushing yards. He has at
least 19 Fantasy points in three straight games and is averaging 22.3
points per game during that span. The Panthers have not allowed multiple
passing touchdowns or 17 Fantasy points to a quarterback all year.
Carolina has not allowed a 300-yard passer in seven straight games and
is giving up a league-low 10.8 points per game to the position.
• Anquan Boldin does not have a touchdown catch in four straight games
and has just one in his last seven. He has eclipsed 75 yards receiving
in just one of those games as well. No receiver has scored or reached 10
Fantasy points in six straight games against Carolina.
• Mario Manningham will be back this week and is worth an add, but the
Panthers allow the second fewest Fantasy points per game to wide
receivers in the NFL at 14 per game.
Texans at Cardinals, Sun., 4:25 p.m. ET
• Case Keenum has been phenomenal
for the Texans, averaging 10.5 yards per attempt and throwing four
scores in two games. In Week 9, Keenum joined Peyton Manning as the only two quarterbacks to produce 20 passing
Fantasy points against the Texans. Two of the last three quarterbacks to
face the Cardinals have thrown for multiple scores, but Russell Wilson (25) is the only quarterback to reach 20 points against
that defense since Week 3.
• Ben Tate
will likely be the main man and is coming off of a gritty performance
that saw him run 22 times for 81 yards against the Colts. Only Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch have
reached 90 yards on the ground against the Cards this year. Arizona has
only allowed two running backs to score on them this year and they were
Lynch and Gore's running buddy, Kendall Hunter.
•
For the year, the Cardinals are giving up just 72 yards rushing per game
to backs -- fourth-fewest in the NFL -- and they give up the fifth
fewest Fantasy points at 12.5 per game.
• Andre Johnson ended his 11-game touchdown drought in emphatic fashion
in Week 9. He caught nine of his 13 targets from Keenum (including a red
zone target for a score ... what a notion!) for 229 yards and three
scores! Calvin Johnson remains the only
No. 1 receiver to score on Patrick Peterson
and the Cards this year, but Harry Douglas
also hung 121 on him in Week 8. In Keenum we trust!
• DeAndre Hopkins scored in Keenum's first start and the opposing No. 2
receiver has scored in two straight against the Cards.
• Garrett Graham caught four of his six targets for 46 yards in Week 9.
He is a bye week flier at tight end against the Cards, who allow the
most yards (93), touchdowns (1.0) and Fantasy points per game (14.8) to
the position.
• Carson Palmer
has not produced 20 Fantasy points in a game since Week 1, but he does
have multiple passing scores in two of his last three games.
• Andre Ellington took advantage of Rashard Mendenhall's absence in Week 8 and was the No. 1 overall
Fantasy back with 162 total yards and a score on a season-high 17
touches. He has been a Top 12 Fantasy back in two of the last three
weeks and has 80-plus total yards in three of his last four games. The
Texans have allowed five running back scores in their last six games.
They have also given up at least 90 yards rushing and 124 total in four
of their last five games as well (Trent Richardson and the Colts were the lone exception ... shocker).
•
T.Y. Hilton just burned the Texans for
three touchdowns in Week 9. They had only given up two receiver scores
total prior to that game. Larry Fitzgerald
has a touchdown in two of his last three games and has scored in all
four games in which he has received at least seven targets.
• Michael Floyd has also scored in two of his last three games and has
five or more catches in four of his last five.
Broncos at Chargers, Sun., 4:25 p.m. ET
• Knowshon Moreno leads all
runners with eight rushing touchdowns and nine total touchdowns this
year. Moreno has scored 13 touchdowns while producing 10 or more Fantasy
points in 11 of his last 13 games. The Chargers had not allowed a
running back to score on them all year until the Skins punched in four
short rushing scores in Week 9.
• Julius Thomas could be at less than 100 percent even if he plays due
to his ankle injury. The Chargers have not allowed a tight end to score
or reach six Fantasy points since Week 1, including the red hot Jordan Reed last week.
• Only two of the last seven quarterbacks to
face the Broncos have thrown for multiple touchdowns, but four of them
have produced 21 Fantasy points or more. Two quarterbacks -- Tony Romo and Andrew Luck -- both
produced four or more touchdowns and 35-plus Fantasy points. Philip Rivers has multiple passing scores and 22-plus points in five
of his eight games and three of his last five. Rivers also tossed two
scores in each of his last two against Denver and the Broncos are giving
up 317 yards (third most) and 21.75 points per game to the position this
year (10th most).
• Ryan Mathews
saw his streak of 20-plus touches and 100-plus total yards end at three
after he saw just seven carries for 34 yards in the team's overtime loss
to the Washington. Mathews played only 15 snaps in Week 9 after playing
35 or more in each of his three 100-total-yard efforts.
• Danny Woodhead led the Chargers runners with 46 snaps in Week 9 and
had 16 touches for 99 total yards. He caught seven passes for 77 yards
and had a touchdown overturned, so it was almost a massive day! Woodhead
has at least four catches, 47 yards receiving and 70-plus total yards in
six straight games.
• The Broncos have allowed a running back to
score in every single game this year and they have allowed a league-high
four receiving scores to running backs, which is great for Woodhead.
Running backs have scored 15-plus Fantasy points against the Broncos in
seven of eight games this year and have topped 100 total yards in three
straight and four of the last five.
• Keenan Allen has at least six catches, 100 yards and a touchdown in
three of his last four games. He has been a Top 12 Fantasy tight end in
every one of those games. Two of the last four opposing No. 1 receivers (Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon)
have produced at least 140 yards receiving and 19 Fantasy points. The
other two -- Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne -- combined for six Fantasy points. Allen is hot though
and I expect the Chargers to be airing it out.
• Antonio Gates has not scored in four straight games, but he has six or
more catches in three of them. Amazingly however, he has topped 60 yards
in just one of those games and is averaging just 4.25 Fantasy points per
game. The good news is that two straight, four of the last six and six
of eight tight end groups this year have produced at least nine Fantasy
points against the Broncos. Denver is giving up 83 yards per game to
tight ends, second most in the NFL.
Cowboys at Saints, Sun., 8:30 p.m. ET
• Last year in Week 16, Tony Romo
helped win many Fantasy Football championships when he lit up the Saints
for 416 yards and four touchdowns. Only two quarterbacks have thrown for
300 yards, multiple scores or topped 15 points against the Saints pass
defense all year. Matt Ryan (23) back in
Week 1 and Jay Cutler (26) in Week 5.
Romo has tossed multiple touchdown passes in five of his last seven
games and has thrown 17 total touchdowns during that run.
• DeMarco Murray received only four carries but ran for 31 yards against
the Vikings in Week 9. He is expected to receive a much bigger workload
this week against the Saints, who have allowed a running back to score
10-plus Fantasy points in five straight games. The Saints have also
given up a running back touchdown in three straight games and five of
the last six with six total scores allowed during that span.
• Dez Bryant leads all wide receivers and tight ends with six goal
line touchdowns (five yards or less) this year. He trails only Jamaal Charles (seven) among all position players. Dez, who has scored
or reached 75 yards in just one of his last four games, had 224 yards
and two scores against the Saints last year.
• After catching 18 of
his 21 targets from Week 4 to Week 7, Terrance Williams has caught just four of his last 16 looks from Romo.
Williams has scored in four of his last five games, but he has two
catches and less than 65 yards in three of those games.
• Jason Witten came back with a big game against the Vikings, catching
eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. He had just 80 yards in the
three previous games combined. In the four games in which Witten has
been targeted nine or more times, he has a total of 28 catches for 336
yards and four touchdowns. In the other five games, he has 17 catches
for 169 yards and no touchdowns. This should be a high volume game for
Witten as the Cowboys try to keep pace with the Saints, who have not
allowed a tight end to score in four straight games.
• Pierre Thomas has at least 80 total yards in four straight games and
90-plus in three of them. With Darren Sproles
(concussion) banged up, Thomas -- who is fifth among all running backs
with 44 targets and fourth with 39 catches -- hauled in seven passes for
66 yards in Week 9 against the Jets. He could repeat that this week
against a Dallas defense that gives up the third most catches (7.12) and
second most yards (57.3) receiving per game to opposing running backs.
•
Lance Moore led the Saints receivers in
targets (10) and catches (six) while netting 70 yards against the Jets,
but was third amongst the receivers with 30 routes run. He scored in
Week 8, so he has been very solid since returning from injury and he did
score against the Boys in Week 16 of last year. Dallas has given up only
one receiver score in their last four games, but I bet that changes
after Week 10.
• Nick Toon
actually led the Saints receivers with 55 snaps played and 43 routes run
last week. Kenny Stills was second with
44 snaps and 37 routes.
• Marques Colston
has not scored since Week 1 and has not produced 20 yards receiving in a
game since Week 5.
• Drew Brees
is averaging 361.5 yards and 3.5 touchdowns per game at home this year.
He has at least 330 yards with multiple touchdowns in every single game
there and threw for 446 yards and three scores in his last meeting with
Dallas.
Dolphins at Buccaneers, Mon., 8:30 p.m. ET
• Ryan Tannehill has six total
touchdowns in his last two games, but still does not have a single game
of 20 Fantasy points this year. The Bucs have given up at least three
quarterback scores and 28 Fantasy points to the position in four
straight games, so maybe Tannehill will be a Monday night delight.
• Lamar Miller (4.8 yards per carry) has at least 20 touches and 110
total yards in each of his last two games and set his career-high in
rushing yards each week. Miller is coming off of his first 100-yard
rushing game against the Bengals and takes on a Tampa defense that has
allowed five backs to post 10-plus Fantasy points in their last four
games. During that span, backs are averaging 141 total yards, one
touchdown and 18.5 Fantasy points per game.
• Mike Wallace has not scored in six straight games (but did have six
catches for 82 yards last week) and it has been five straight for Brian Hartline. With Darrelle Revis
playing more man-to-man in Week 9, No. 1 receiver Golden Tate was kept in check by the Bucs, but both No. 2 Jermaine Kearse and slot receiver Doug Baldwin
scored. Tampa Bay has given up six receiver scores in its last four
games alone.
• Charles Clay
has not reached 40 yards receiving in three straight games. Tampa has
not allowed 50 yards to a tight end since Week 2.
• Mike Glennon has been a Top 12 quarterback in three of his last four
games, but will take on a Miami defense that has not allowed a
quarterback to produce 10 Fantasy points in four straight games.
• Mike James will try to build on his impressive 28-carry, 158-yard
effort (and awesome jump pass touchdown) against the Seahawks and should
have success against the 'Fins. Miami has allowed at least 17 Fantasy
points and a running back touchdown in seven straight games. Five of the
last six running back groups to face Miami have produced at least 24
Fantasy points, and Miami has given up 298 yards and four scores rushing
(55 Fantasy points) in the last two games alone.
• Vincent Jackson saw only four targets in Week 9 and was held to a
season-low two catches and 11 yards against Seattle. Prior to that game,
Jackson averaged 15 targets, 6.5 catches, 89.5 yards and a touchdown per
game with the rookie quarterback. He will take on a Miami team that has
allowed a league-low one touchdown to receivers this year, but A.J. Green did torch them for 128 yards and 11 catches last week.
•
Timothy Wright has a touchdown in each
of his last two games and has produced at least nine Fantasy points in
three of his last four games. In fact, since Week 6, Wright is the No. 5
overall Fantasy tight end. After giving up six tight end scores in their
first four games, the 'Fins have not allowed a single tight end score or
six Fantasy points to the position in their last four.
Thanks for reading another installment of The Fantasy Fact Sheet and good luck in Week 10.
Stay in touch with the most passionate Fantasy staff in the business by following us via Twitter @CBSFantasyFB . You can also follow Nathan at @nathanzegura .