Quarterback
MVP: Justin Fields (Bears)
Over the past few weeks something remarkable has happened: Bears OC Luke Getsy has started calling designed runs for Fields. Turns out that allowing a 6'3, 227 lb QB that can run 40 YDS in 4.46 seconds to use his rare athletic gifts can indeed yield positive results for an NFL offense! The effectiveness of this strategy was on full display on Sunday as Fields managed to set a new single game rushing record for a QB by hanging a preposterous 178 YDS (and a TD) on the Dolphins. He further sweetened the pot by throwing for 123 YDS and 3 TD's in what ended up being a narrow loss for a Bears team that is still young and lacking talent, but suddenly very compelling to watch. Fields looks like he's starting to figure out how to use his dual threat skill set in the NFL and if he keeps this up, he'll be an every week QB1 the rest of the way. If for whatever reason he's still on your waiver wire and you don't have Mahomes, Hurts, Burrow, Jackson or Allen at QB, make a claim for Fields right away.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)
LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)
The good news is that Herbert is looking the healthiest he's looked in 2 months coming off the bye. The bad news is that his injury-depleted receiving corps (Josh Palmer and Gerald Everett are the only guys out there right now that played even semi-regular snaps at WR or TE in Week 1 when this group was fully loaded) had a hard time consistently getting open against the Falcons awful secondary, which led to him posting a very pedestrian 245 YDS/1 TD/1 INT line on the afternoon. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams likely to sit once again, starting Herbert in Week 10 against a talented albeit banged-up 49ers secondary feels like a shaky bet that shouldn't be taken.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Tom Brady (Buccanners)
Running Back
MVP: Joe Mixon (Bengals)
Watching the scoring updates from Bengals/Panthers frequently pop up on the CBS ticker during the Patriots/Colts game was the only enjoyable part of that unwatchable slog. Mixon atoned for a season's worth of middling play with one of the most comical displays of athletic dominance you'll ever see in real life or fantasy football by crushing the will of an unsuspecting Panthers defense that has been generally alright this year with a 211 scrimmage YD (153 rushing, 58 receiving)/5 TD performance. Now, Mixon gets a week to reflect on this career day and hopefully use it as motivation to finish the year strong.
Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Derrick Henry (Titans)
LVP: D'onta Foreman (Panthers)
If it wasn't clear from the ode to Joe Mixon above, the Panthers weren't exactly in a position to commit to the running game for very long on Sunday after they ceded 35 points before halftime-which subsequently tanked Foreman's fantasy prospects for the week. The Panthers current RB committee leader only managed a whopping 21 YDS on 9 touches (7 carries, 2 receptions) as his team put together quite possibly the single worst game that any team has played in 2022 thus far. Forman should go back to a being a fine RB2/FLEX play on Thursday night when he squares off against a Falcons defense that he ran for 118 YDS and 3 TD's against 9 days ago.
Dishonorable Mentions: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), D'Andre Swift (Lions), David Montgomery (Bears)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Davante Adams (Raiders)
Adams celebrated being free from the "bad flu" that severely limited him in the prior game with the kind of vintage performance that the Raiders expected to see more of when he came to Vegas. The Jaguars secondary had no answer for Adams (in the 1st half at least) as he caught 10 passes for 146 YDS and 2 scores in what proved to be yet another rollercoaster of a game for the 2022 Raiders that saw them got outscored 27-3 after they took a 17-0 lead 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter. Trick or treat Adams will square off against the unhinged circus otherwise known as the Colts on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Cooper Kupp (Rams)
LVP: DJ Moore (Panthers)
Well, that was a short-lived WR1/2 resurrection for Moore. The Panthers star wideout was limited to 2 garbage time catches for 24 YDS as his good buddy P.J. Walker got benched at halftime for his arch nemesis Baker Mayfield-who keyed in on 2nd year guys Terrace Marshall Jr. and Tommy Tremble during the 2nd half of their lopsided loss to the Bengals. Steve Wilks did confirm yesterday that Walker will return to the starting job for Thursday's game against the Falcons, so fantasy owners can fire up Moore and hope for another tremendous showing against that putrid secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts), Gabe Davis (Bills), DeVonta Smith (Eagles)
Tight End
MVP: Dallas Goedert (Eagles)
A strong Texans corner group lining up against their receivers made Goedert the focal point of the Eagles passing attack last Thursday night and the star tight end delivered in a big way-securing 8 catches for 100 YDS and a TD in a not quite as easy as expected win for the Birds. Goedert will be an elite TE1 play for the Eagles Week 10 contest with the Commanders-who have really struggled to slow down the pass all year long.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Cardinals), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)
LVP: Evan Engram (Jaguars)
Engram wasn't really a part of the gameplan as the Jags leaned on Travis Etienne and Christian Kirk to dig them out of an early 17-point hole against the Raiders. He received 2 looks from Trevor Lawrence the whole game and only caught one of them for a measly 8 yards. The predictably unpredictable tight end should be a boom-or-bust play for a Week 10 contest with the Chiefs that has the potential to get real ugly real fast.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Dawson Knox (Bills), Tyler Higbee (Rams)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
The ease in which the Patriots non-offensive units manhandled the Colts this week can't be properly quantified by the written word. The Colts offensive line/kick team blocking was non-existent, and the visibly overwhelmed Sam Ehlinger rarely had the chance to work through his progressions, let alone make a throw or an improvised run-which led to the Patriots defense/special teams putting together a stat line (9 sacks-which is a new single game franchise record, blocked punt, pick 6, 3 points allowed) that shouldn't be possible in a real NFL game. While nothing will match the euphoria of this particular showing, they should be able to have another productive day against the below average Jets offense when they return from their bye in Week 11.
Honorable Mentions: Ravens, Dolphins, Buccaneers
LVP: Packers
While they didn't have nearly as bad of a day as Aaron Rodgers had, the Packers defense did also fail to take advantage of the golden opportunity to play the helpless Lions. Outside of an early interception of Jared Goff, the Packers defense was very quiet (0 sacks or additional takeaways) in a 15-9 loss to a Detroit team that hadn't won since Week 2 that further illustrated just how stunningly bleak things are right now for this longtime NFL powerhouse. They shouldn't even be considered as a starting option in Week 10 against a Cowboys offense that had their best showing of the year before their Week 9 bye.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chiefs, Rams, Bills
No comments:
Post a Comment