Alright, alright. So The Pug may have been off last week saying to bench Ezekiel Elliot, but nailed the call of starting Case Keenum. With the fantasy season reaching the halfway point, where do you stand? No one’s season is over yet, but if you need help, look no further. The Pug is here to guide you to a fantasy championship. Have line up or trade questions? Contact The Pug via Facebook or Twitter@thescrumsports.
Must Start
Kirk Cousins- QB- Washington Redskins- After a rough start to the season where everyone including his teammates were turning against him, Cousins is heating up. He has the Redskins cruising. Winners of four straight, the Redskins face the Lions this week who have given up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Cousins has eight touchdowns to just three interceptions over his last four games, and a dream match up should help him continue his hot streak.
Hunter Henry- TE- San Diego Chargers- The Chargers are placing tons of faith in rookie Hunter Henry and you should as well. He filled in quite well for the hurt Antonio Gates, and didn’t loose production when Gates returned from injury. The Chargers have a match up with the Falcons this week, and since the Falcons usually force opposing teams into shootouts, and Rivers should be slinging the ball quite often. The Falcons defense allows the fifth most points to opposing tight ends this season, and Henry should be in line for a break out day.
Cody Kessler- QB- Cleveland Browns- Kessler is coming off a solid performance against the Titans who have been tough against opposing quarterback this season. This week Kessler faces the Bengals defense who has been surprisingly suspect against opposing quarterbacks, giving up the eighth most points against opposing quarterbacks. After last week’s call of starting Case Keenum, trust the Pug and start Kessler as needed.
High Risk, High Reward
Frank Gore- RB- Indianapolis Colts- Gore is an interesting play this week. He is coming off a week where he is the first Colts player in four years to break the century mark. The Colts also face the Tennessee Titans this year, who are giving up the second most points to opposing running backs this season. Problem here is Gore is not happy with the Colts, and he isn’t hiding it. Gore came out this week saying he didn’t sign up to play for a loser, and this might effect his performance and divide the locker room. Proceed with caution.
Quincy Enunwa- WR- New York Jets- Enunwa has been a small bright spot on the Jets offense that has been otherwise bleak. This is a risky play because the Jets are not saying who their quarterback is going forward and their offense has been nothing short of anemic since week 3. The Jets face the Ravens this week who are giving up more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers to every team but the Bears. With the Ravens paying close attention to Brandon Marshall, Enunwa could be the main beneficiary, that is if someone can get him the ball.
Jamaal Charles- RB- Kansas City Chiefs- Although he is finally healthy, the great play of Spencer Ware has limited his break out opportunities. If ever there was a week for Charles to return to fantasy relevance, this would be the week. Problem is Ware is still healthy and running the ball with fury. Risky start for that reason alone. The Saints defense has been laughable this year, and Charles could be in line to have the breakout game owners have been waiting for since drafting him.
Players To Avoid
Matt Forte- RB- New York Jets- After a promising start to his Jets career, Forte has fizzled into borderline irrelevance. Forte had a massively disappointing appearance on Monday night, and things won’t get any easier for him this week. The Ravens defense is giving up the second fewest points to opposing backs this season, and Bilal Powell is looming to steal playing time against the opposing Forte. Until he shows signs of life, he should be avoided if possible.
Jimmy Graham- TE- Seattle Seahawks- After a reassurance and making the list of must starts last week, curb your enthusiasm this week. Their opponent this week, the Arizona Cardinals not only give up less points to opposing tight ends than any other team in the league, they haven’t allowed a single touchdown to opposing tight ends yet. There is a chance he can be solid this week in a huge divisional match up, but all signs point to a coming back to Earth week.
DeAndre Hopkins- WR- Houston Texans- Last week, it took late game heroics to save a disappointing week for Hopkins. This week, he faces a much more difficult defense on a short week. The Broncos defense will focus on shutting down Hopkins, and more often than not they are successful. The Broncos are the stingiest team in the league against opposing wide recievers, and you should find a better option for this week.
Waiver Wire Gem Of The Week
Knile Davis- RB- Green Bay Packers- When your the last in the fantasy season and have a chance to nab a running back who will receive a lot of work, you grab him. Jay Ajayi will be the popular choice after last week’s dominating performance, but unless you are high on the waiver chances are you won’t grab him. Davis was just traded to the Green Bay Packers, and is currently the only healthy back on the roster with Eddie Lacy and James Starks both out for multiple weeks with injuries. Grab him while you can.
