Anyone else tired?

By Martin Richardson

No? Must just be below average quarterbacks in Indianapolis then. Looks like that case of Joe Flaccoitis has spread to the coaching staff there as well. I did wonder last week if people had banked on Richardson too much in the preseason, and it would appear as though I was right.

I did also day that Patrick Mahomes would throw an interception or two.

Maybe I should go and put a lottery ticket on?

Anyway, who would have thought that Jameis Winston would have pulled that win out of the bag against the Ravens? Bateman’s drop has lead to the Ravens trading for Diontae Johnson, who was going under the radar as having a very good season.

It was one of those weeks for teams in the NFL, just ask the Chicago Bears and Tyrique Stevenson. I’m sure he will be focused right until the clock stops from now on. But it wasn’t just in Washington that we saw the drama unfold. We had Jordan Love get hurt again, so no doubt we will have the ‘will he, won’t he’ for the next few days and weeks (because we all loved that the first-time round). We had Kirk Cousins have his second good game of the season against a Bucs team that apparently doesn’t like to defend (you’re on notice Bowles in my book) and Cowboys do Cowboy things and throw it away, literally if you’re their QB, to the 49ers.

So with all that going on. What could possibly be going under the radar?

CEDRIC TILLMAN

For once, I’m taking time to talk about a Cleveland Browns player for the right reason: he’s actually been good at football. I know, weird right. All it took was Jameis Winston to be exactly what we now him to be- someone who can sling the ball a good fifty yards or more and create utter chaos for defenses across the nation.

So, let’s have a look at a potential mid-season snag that could have great upside, and in this particular instance, it’s Cedric Tillman. Against the Bengals, he had 12 targets and 8 receptions, totaling 81 yards. Not bad considering Jameis Winston didn’t get a full game and Dorian Thompson-Robinson filled in as well. But it was when Winston got into the groove in his first full game this season against the Ravens, that Tillman had his breakout game: 9 targets, 7 receptions, where he had 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. With games coming up against the Chargers and Saints, sandwiching a bye week, and I expect him to be a focal point on this offense going forward.

Winston won’t change his ways any time soon, and as a Bucs fan I know that will both excite and infuriate Browns fans. However, as a fantasy, if you can get the person on the end of those bombs Jameis loves to throw, then you could be onto a winner.

BO NIX

Who would have thought that Bo Nix would be a top ten fantasy QB? After a slow start of two games with two interceptions, Nix has cleaned up his game to limit it to one turnover in the last six games, which is really efficient and clinical play from the rookie. In those six games, he thrown for eight touchdowns and run for three more, and all bar two games included over 200 air yards to add to the points he his amassing weekly. His next two games could prove a little more challenging, with the Ravens this week and the Chiefs after that, but one thing is for sure is that Nix and head coach Sean Payton have turned a corner and are showing that they can make this offense move and get points on the board for fantasy players. Nix has looked the part when on the field and even when it is going wrong, that passion he has for wanting to win is actually quite endearing and what you want from a seasoned pro, never mind a rookie.

Nix is available in just under 50% of leagues on ESPN and if I were you, I would definitely be looking to pick him up and have in stashed for any remaining bye weeks or injuries.

Jared goff

Speaking of surprisingly available QBs, this leads me nicely on to Jared Goff. Sitting just outside top ten, Goff has been ridiculously effective in fantasy football, just take a look at these stats: 292 yards, 2 touchdowns versus the Seahawks; 315 yards; 3 touchdowns against the Cowboys; 280 yards against the Vikings and 2 touchdowns; and even on a bad week where he only threw for 85 yards against the Titans, he still managed 3 touchdowns. The man has been a machine when it comes to playing the game of football. He has been a top draw QB and with the bye week squarely in the rear-view mirror, I would be more than happy to drive on forward with Goff as my QB.

He has the Packers and Texans coming up, but after that he has the Jaguars, the Colts and Bears. Even then I wouldn’t be shocked if the Lions won all five of those games and Goff threw at least another 10 touchdowns in those games. Hell, he might even catch one or two more as well along the way.

Kyle Pitts

Finally.

And it’s about damn time.

Kyle Pitts has started to do something in fantasy football that isn’t annoy and frustrate people. He is actually scoring consistent TE level points for people who hadn’t given up on him. His best two games have been against the Buccaneers, which pains me to right, but he has over 170 yards and 2 touchdowns in both those games, but even when he isn’t destroying the hopes and dreams of Bucs fans, he is getting huge yards to get those points on the board: 70 yards from three receptions against the Panthers and 65 yards from seven against the Seahawks, as well as 59 yards from two against the Chiefs.

Will this last? I genuinely think it will and it has been a long time coming. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride. Unless you are like me and wish he didn’t have those games against the Bucs. Moving on.

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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