After a one week of truly terrible advice, this column is back in the Larry Fitzgearld like hands of mine. For the record, I won this week, so ignore everything Cody Tusler said last week. But don’t ignore the fact that there is another early game this week because the NFL is an international brand now. So with that, some burning thoughts are going on this week.
Quarterbacks
With the injury to Ben Roethlisberger, I would not be quick onto the Landry Jones bandwagon. Reports have Big Ben coming back sooner rather than later. He has come back strong in the past. Steelers have a bye in Week 8 and return against Baltimore. There are still two games against Cleveland for the Steelers, and even an 85 percent chance Roethlisberger will torch them in Weeks 11 and 17. All in on Le’Veon Bell though, even more than usual.
Even though they are on bye, a quick word on the Cowboy situation. Best case scenario, you own both Dak Prescott and Tony Romo. However, that is unlikely, so which one. I still see Prescott as the starter moving forward. Romo is an above average quarterback at best and what is going on with Prescott is impressive. If worried, find some sucker and sell high on Prescott, but do not drop him. The biggest threat to Prescott’s job is not from Romo, but from Jerry Jones, who best not screw this up.
Wide recievers
As an owner of Odell Beckham Jr. I wondered if he would get going at some point this year. Not going to lie, thoughts of a stint on the bench were there. But finally, the answer came, and it was as beautiful as his proposal to the kicking net. A pair of long touchdowns, and it appears the slump is over. Bring on a London kickoff against the St. Louis, I mean London, no, Los Angeles Rams.
Speaking of those Rams, hold off on Kenny Britt for long term. 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week makes it look like a solid option, but those were his first touchdown catches of the year. For me, not a long term option, but could be a half decent one week pick up during the bye weeks of your starters.
Running backs
On occasion, you accidently make a smart move. As a precaution two weeks ago, I picked up James White in case my starter LaGarret Blount could not play. Now I find myself in a perfect situation with both New England backs, who are sharing points now. Moving forward, I’m going to put my money on the pass catching White. Both are good options, but right now, with Brady back, White seems to be the better of the two.
At this point, get selling all Philadelphia Eagles running backs. The fact that there are three of them is never a good thing. Ryan Matthews does not spell confidence. Darren Sproles is reliable, but not high enough quantity. And Wendell Smallwood is up and coming, but not ready just yet. The suspension of the right tackle spells disaster for the Eagles’ backfield in fantasy. Oh, and the Vikings are visiting this week. The only thing scarier than that defense are clowns, and the presidential candidates.
Tight ends
Jimmy Graham is back, and it could not be a worse time. He has finally found a connection with Russel Wilson in Seattle and is starting to tear it up. He had no less than 89 yards in the last three games. He is finally a lock to start, except for one thing. The Seahawks travel to the desert to take on Arizona. That is a tough call. Take a good look at backups this week, but I am still in on Graham.