Week 8 is upon us and its crunch time for our fantasy season. Most league’s regular season ends week 13 or 14, so we are in the crucial weeks of the season that can shape the playoff landscape in your league. You‘ve been navigating injuries and the bye weeks and it is now extremely important to find productive players to put in your flex spots. That is exactly why I write this column, to help you make these tough decisions and win your weeks!
As you know, every Thursday here on Razzball, I will be posting the weeks “Sexy Flexies” to give you a couple of players to consider starting in your flex spot. The objective isn’t to point out the obvious guys you’re starting in your RB or WR slots, but to take a look at a couple of players who are a bit more under the radar. These will likely be guys that you won’t start every week but will be good rotational pieces in the flex spot of your lineup based on matchup and opportunity.
What I do here is look at the match-ups and opportunities and highlight for you a couple of guys who I believe will perform in the situation they are in for the given week. For this column, we will be looking at players who are ranked 60th or later at the flex position for the week, according to Fantasy Pros Consensus Ratings, but will still get you double digit fantasy points in your flex spots. Let’s take a look at the players who will be the “Sexy Flexies” for week 8!
Le’Veon Bell – RB – Kansas City Chiefs – vs New York Jets
Revengggggeeeee Gameeeeeee!! We always love to use the “revenge game” narrative and I don’t think its ever been more in play as it is this week with Le’Veon Bell against Adam Gase and the Jets. It’s no secret that Bell and Gase did not get along during Bell’s tenure in New York and their disagreements were displayed out in the open for all to see. Bell was outright cut by the Jets and landed in a great spot signing with the defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs. He played his first game as a member of the Chiefs last week, sharing the backfield with rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. While still getting acclimated to the offense, Bell played 17 snaps to CEH’s 27 in a game that was a blowout in a snowstorm. He was effective on his touches in the game rushing 6 times for 39 yards, an average of 6.5 yards per carry.
After getting his feet wet last week, Le’Veon Bell should have his role enhanced in the Chiefs offense this week in a great match-up. The Jets are well below league average in rushing yards allowed and I think both KC backs can be effective this week in a game they should be winning big once again. I believe CEH is still the lead back, for now, but they want Bell to be involved and he showed his ability last week on the ground. Bell is an exceptionally good pass catcher and excellent in the red zone and the Chiefs would be wise to use him in those facets of the game, which we love from a fantasy standpoint. Andy Reid is a well-liked, players coach, so I think he will do his best to scheme something up to let Le’Veon get in the end zone this week to stick it to his former coach and team. Even 10 carries for 50 yards, a couple of receptions, and a touchdown makes Bell a solid flex option this week.
Tyler Johnson – WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at New York Giants
Quick – run to your free agents list in your league and see if Tyler Johnson is still available. If he is, drop a guy at the bottom of your bench, pick him up, and get him in one of your flex spots this week to have a Monday Night Hammer! Buccaneers primary slot receiver, Chris Godwin, had surgery this week for a fractured finger and will miss this game. In addition, outside receivers Mike Evans and Scotty Miller are both banged up and playing through injuries. Evans, the Bucs primary receiver, will also likely draw shadow coverage from James Bradberry who has had success against Evans during his time in Carolina and is playing at an even higher level this year. With all these factors, Johnson becoming more involved in the offense, and having a history of success from the slot, this looks to be a great opportunity for the rookie to step up.
Tom Brady has been playing at the elite level we have come to expect from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Like him or not, he is an extremely efficient passer, and he knows how to find the holes in a defense and squeeze passes into places that only his receivers can get. We all know that Brady loves his slot receivers and that will be predominantly Tyler Johnson this week. Johnson has had at least 8 fantasy points in a PPR league the past 3 weeks and has caught a touchdown in the last 2. With Godwin out and Evans shadowed, Johnson will see an uptick in targets this week. Even dating back to his college days, Johnson has a knack for being a red zone weapon and I look for Brady to look his way while the defense focuses on Evans and Gronk. A 6 for 60 game with a touchdown from Johnson gives us a solid double digit fantasy performance to cap off our week on Monday night.
As always, lets crush this week and hopefully these Sexy Flexies will help you get some wins. Both players have great double-digit point upside and should have significant roles in their team’s game plan this week. Don’t forget, for some more help with setting your lineups check out Rudy Gamble’s Pigskinator for weekly projections! I always encourage you to follow me on twitter @fantasycoachjb and ask me all your questions there as well. Good luck in all your matchups this week!
