Aaron Rodgers, RGIII, and two other guys who occasionally throw the football are all on bye this week. So are all the people they throw to. What does this mean? It’s time to check the matchups.
Did you see The Titans’ most recent embarrassment? They had lost that game before the first quarter was over and Brandon Marshall still ended the game with 3 TDs. In short, The Titans’ defense is still atrocious and that makes Ryan Tannehill , Brian Hartline, and Davone Bess all excellent options this week. The Bears only threw for 229 yards because they really only had to worry about running the clock out once the first 8 or so minutes had elapsed. Miami will likely need to keep playing at least heading into the 3rd quarter so look for Tannehill to pass 300 yards this weekend. Hartline and Bess should both be good for a score as well; perhaps even more than one.
The Buccaneers’ defense is also pretty lacking which should keep the good times rolling for San Diego. The Chargers did just fine against The Chiefs, but with The Bucs’ potent offense, Philip Rivers will need to keep throwing the ball all day. This gives players like Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates a significant bump as well.
Also, since we’ve already mentioned The Chiefs poor defense, fantasy owners should make a special note of their Monday night game against The Steelers. The Steelers are the type of team that can spread the ball around a lot, but WRs Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown should both see improved numbers from their game against The Giants this past Sunday. NOTE: Antonio Brown does have “mild” high ankle sprain so keep an eye on that. While The Chiefs cover the TE position relatively well, Antonio Gates did score against them last Thursday so Heath Miller still has a chance for a score.
One game you may want to sit some players in is the Eagles/Cowboys game. Both teams have had their struggles early on this season, but they remain two of the best pass defenses in the league. If you have alternatives to Michael Vick and Tony Romo this week, use them. The same goes for DeSean Jackson and Miles Austin who will both likely get a lot of attention from top corners. Even Jason Witten and Brent Celek will have their work cut out for them in this one so if you’re going to rely on any players in this one, make it the running backs.
Are you relying on any Jets receivers or QBs in your fantasy leagues? If so, this is definitely the week to stop. The most yards that any Vikings receiver accumulated against The Seahawks last weekend was 14. Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson both had less through the air and there isn’t a single person on The Jets’ offense as talented as either of those guys. Now, The Vikings’ ground game was a different story, but what you should take away from all of this is The Seahawks have a stellar pass defense. Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes, and Jeremy Kerley should all be placed firmly on your bench this week.
Finally, you saw what they did to Tennessee so you should already be aware that The Bears defense is tough. Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels will still see plenty of action when The Texans travel to Chicago, but you may not want to set your hopes to high for them this week. For many, Matt Schaub was a popular backup QB option, but Rodgers and RGIII owners still may want to pursue other options this week.
