Although the NFL is entering its seventh week, this marks the first week of an ongoing ‘start ‘em, sit ‘em’ fantasy football competition between The Journal and Western Gazette’s sports sections.
Not only will this instalment serve to continue our school’s friendly rivalry in a year without sports, it may give some Gaels in the thick of their fantasy football seasons a valuable second opinion on who to start their games in a season wracked with more uncertainty than ever.
Here’s how it works: each week, both sports sections will release five picks for players to start, and five to keep on the bench. After the week has finished on Monday night, we’ll subtract the bench’s points from our starters’ points and calculate overall net points.
To ensure this competition relies on creativity—and may provide some use to fantasy owners—there are some guidelines.
The five players must comprise a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and defensive player, and their combined values cannot exceed $100, according to fantasy pro’s valuation calculator. The same goes for the bench—in order to make it a challenge, these players also need a combined worth of approximately $100. Let the games begin—below are The Journal’s picks for the week.
Starters
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers take on the Houston Texans this week as Green Bay looks to bounce back from a loss to Tampa Bay. Rodgers has had a quarterback rating of 100 through the first five weeks of the season, leaving the impression that his lacklustre performance against the Bucs in week six was a fluke. Houston’s defence is ranked 26 on the season.
Josh Jacobs and the Las Vegas Raiders will take on Tampa Bay this week as both teams look for consistency. Jacobs had 77 yards and two touchdowns last week in an upset win against the Chiefs and now goes up against a Tampa defence ranked third for the season.
Tyreek Hill and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos this week after a win against Buffalo in week six. Hill was targeted only three times in that game due to the rain, but consistently plays roughly 92 per cent of all offensive snaps. In his last game against Denver, Hill went for 67 yards and two touchdowns. The Denver defence is ranked 15 this season, which shouldn’t pose a threat to the dominant Chief’s offence.
Austin Hooper and the Browns take on the Cincinnati Bengals this week in a battle of Ohio. Hooper was the most targeted player for the Browns last week, with six targets and five catches for 52 yards, a dramatic improvement from his week two performance. He’ll be playing against a Bengals defence ranked 24 in for the season.
The Saints defence faces off against the Panthers this week as New Orleans comes off a week off, and the Panthers look to recover from a loss to the Bears. Ranked 20 among defences this season, the rest should help this team and have allowed it to reorganize.
Bench
Deshaun Watson and the Texans face off against the Green Bay Packers this week as Houston comes off a loss to the Titans. Watson played well last week, but now faces a defence ranked 12 against quarterbacks this season and comes into the matchup with a 1-5 record.
Kenyan Drake and the Cardinals face off against the Seahawks this week as Seattle looks to extend its perfect season. Though Drake had a season-high two touchdowns last week against the Cowboys, this week he faces a defence ranked 13 in the league instead of one ranked dead last.
Robert Woods and the Rams face off against the Chicago Bears this week as LA looks to come back from a loss to San Francisco. Woods caught only four passes in 10 targets last week and didn’t score in his last matchup against the Bears in 2018.
Darren Waller and the Raiders face off against the Buccaneers this week as Las Vegas comes off an upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Waller didn’t start that game and had only 48 yards with seven targets and had his second-lower catch percentage of the season. The Buccaneers defence is ranked third in the league.
The San Francisco 49ers face off against the Patriots this week as New England looks to bounce back from a loss against the Broncos at home. The Patriots have had more practice time and Cam Newton has averaged a quarterback rating of 89 through the first three weeks of the season, and should be hungry to prove himself.
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