What a week for some outrageous scores!

By Martin Richardson

Last week was a great week for fantasy football players, with some outrageous scores that helped people push for the playoffs. Cj Stroud led the way with over 35 points, five touchdowns and nearly 400 yards of offense against the Chargers; wide receivers Watson and Golden continue to shine in Green Bay and Ceedee Lamb turned in a stellar performance in the absence of George Pickens. 

With the NFL trade deadline done and dusted for another year, fantasy players too are also approaching their deadlines, and after some injuries they may be in need of some reinforcements. 

As we hit week ten, the end is in sight for the regular fantasy season, so lets have a look at those who are locked in successes, and those who you may need to watch to if you need to move them on.

ONES TO WATCH: THE GOOD

Before I take a look at a couple of running backs taking the fantasy world by storm, I want to point something out that was just awesome to see, and that’s Tank Dell catching a touchdown and getting over a hundred yards.

It would have been easy for Dell to never get on the field of play again after those horrible injuries, so to see him back on the Texans roster and hitting the end zone, that was something special.

Back to fantasy football and there is a world, in the fantasy multiverse, where your first overall pick landed Jahmyr Gibbs and then decided to double down at RB and picked up Kenneth Walker.

Would I be wrong in surmising that that person is either top of your fantasy league standings and probably locked in for the playoffs.
That’s already the case in my league and it makes me sick.

But, real talk; Kenneth Walker has been outrageous for the Chiefs this season, and his three touchdowns last week against a lost Jets team emphasised just how dominant he has been. This week he rolls into a game against the Falcons that could be a massacre by half time. With five games over 100 yards rushing, Walker could be in line for a monster game given that Mahomes isn’t 100% after that what appeared to be nasty injury last week. There will be no need to sling it and risk it when they have someone as powerful and influential on offense like Walker.

Returning to the multiverse of awful outcomes, I have just looked at the Walker stats and from that, I am the one in line to play the team with Gibbs and Walker in my fantasy league if I make the playoffs at the moment. That sucks. Fantasy football is cruel.

Speaking of people who have maybe lucked out in fantasy, that will be those who probably picked up Bucky Irving as a lower mid round pick in the summer.

I don’t care if it’s a bye week for the Bucs, I want to celebrate Bucky Irving.

With four games over that ended in over 20 points in his last 5 games, Irving is flying for the Bucs when their offense is stumbling overall. Now whether this is because the of the poor star the Bucs, and the what feels like a forced return for Baker and his thumb issue, it doesn’t matter for those who have Bucky in their lineups. He has been lights out with Baker handing him the ball over and over and over again. With 90 attempts rushing in the past five weeks, its clear to see that he has found the trust of potentially under fire OC Zac Robinson and Head Coach Todd Bowles.

And what’s great for those fantasy players who have had Bucky over these past few weeks, is that he has a favourable set of matchups coming out of this bye week: the Lions, Panthers, Chargers, Ravens and Saints. They are more than advantageous for Bucky to continue to amass points for people who are maybe pushing for the playoffs.

The Ones to Watch: The Bad

This week I want to look at a team that will have a direct impact on your fantasy lineups in some way.

I want to look at a team that has lost two of its stars at wide receiver: the LA Rams. Losing veteran Devante Adams was bad enough, and increased the volume of targets for star wideout Puka Nacua, but that’s ended in the worst possible way. The injury he sustained on the last play of the game has put the Rams in a tricky spot.

So not only have fantasy players lost a veteran who was a valued mid round fantasy pick up, but now the Rams have lost their star and fantasy round one pick Puka Nacua. Add this to the conversation that TE Terrance Ferguson is still out, this could not be worse all round.

So where does this leave the Rams? 

Not in a good spot, that’s where. Outside of running back pair Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, the next best fantasy option is either their defense or kicker, Brandon McManus. Which is less than ideal for the notion of next man up on this roster. 

Now, hope is not lost, as the next man up did have a near 100 year game against the Denver Broncos in week 3, and that was Konata Mumpfield. This week he could be a streaming option before the Rams’ bye week as this week they play the Cardinals. Maybe he is worth a stash on your bench to see how McVay and Stafford look to use him this week before a tougher run in post bye against the Packers, Chiefs and 49ers.

Ones to Watch: The Wildcards

And finally, I want to go where most people will be looking this week and that’s over the Las Vegas to the new QB1 and rookie sensation, Fernando Mendoza. This is going to be a real test for the Indiana alum as he comes up against the Seahawks defense that has been more than capable most weeks, followed by the Broncos defense that is also more than capable to make life difficult for the talented rookie.

But, with over 40 touchdowns in his final year of college, and months of mentoring from Kirk Cousins, as well as the unreal TE talent that is Brock Bowers, who knows what this would mean for Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders, as well as fantasy players as they near the players.

MARTIN RICHARDSON

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

A Yorkshireman living in Lancashire, Martin is a massive NFL fan but his heart belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also a huge Fantasy Football enthusiast and spends far too long crunching the numbers! Follow him at @MRBucsFan31

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