Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (Mike Roemer/ AP)
Well it’s Week Eight and there are no more undefeated teams in the NFL. However, that does not mean your fantasy teams cannot be undefeated, and with my advice they can stay that way. It’s simple, start the Patriots players, sit down players from Cleveland and start rookie quarterbacks, right? Well, it’s not that simple.
Start QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons and Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
I know that in standard ESPN leagues you can’t start two quarterbacks, however I am telling you, this Falcons and Packers game is going to be a gun show. I cannot help but talk about both of these guys a little bit. Matt Ryan is an early season MVP candidate with almost 2,400 yards, 16 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 113.6 QB passer rating. Those statistics are crazy. Ryan has obviously shown that he is not afraid to throw the ball and he arguably has the best wide-receiver in the league in Julio Jones and two backs who play like receivers. Now, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been in his MVP form necessarily, however this guy is going up against a Falcons defense who gives up a lot of points, and I have never seen Rodgers back down from a gun-slinging show. I find it hard to believe he will let Ryan show him up. Also, Rodgers might not be playing up to his standards, but he has his team at 4-2 and has 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and about 1,500 yards this year. That’s not too shabby. This will be an offensive show, people.
Sit QB: Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Just don’t do it. Do not start Jay Cutler this week, please don’t even think about it. Coming off of an injury, do not forget that this guy probably shouldn’t be starting anyway. He has five turnovers and one touchdown in his two appearances this year. On top of that, the Vikings may have lost their first game Week Seven against the Eagles, but come Week Eight, these guys are going to show you on Monday Night Football why they’re up for one of the best defenses we have seen in a long time. I mean, the Vikings defense is ranked No. 1 in the league and Jay Cutler coming off of an injury is pretty pitiful in itself, do I need to say more?
Start RB: Matt Forte, New York Jets
Well the Jets got a win last week and it was confusing. Through all of the quarterback drama, Matt Forte had a nice bounce back week and helped lead his team to victory. Forte had 100 yards on the ground, 54 yards through the air and a receiving and rushing touchdown last week. This week his opponent is the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 139.9 yards per game and, let’s just be honest, there are no signs saying it is going to get any better. The Jets can avoid more quarterback drama this week by just pounding the ball up the middle with Forte for 60 minutes.
Sit RB: Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
All season long, Mark Ingram has seemed like a shoe-in for a RB2 or flex position in your fantasy lineup. Yet this week, I would suggest finding somebody to take his place. Ingram is on a team that is already pretty pass-heavy and, although last week he put in a solid 12 fantasy points and as well as two other weeks this year with 15 or more points, do not expect the same this week. Ingram is playing against the Seahawks’ defense and their rush defense is crazy-good. The Seahawks only give up 84 yards per game on the ground and only have given up three rushing touchdowns all year. They are coming off of a tie football game in which they kept the Arizona Cardinals (whom have an elite running back in David Johnson) out of the end zone for the entirety of the football game. Ingram may have the chance to break out here and there and is going to get the majority of the touches out of the backfield, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to go anywhere with the ball.
Start WR: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I am not afraid to say it: Mike Evans has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL so far this season. He has made a touchdown in all but one game this year, has at least five receptions and 50 yards in every game and is coming off of a game where he had two touchdowns, to go with his 96 yards, eight receptions and 21 fantasy points. If you watched last week’s game you may have thought, “Wow, that San Francisco secondary is awful” and yes, it’s not great and that definitely helped Evans with his great game, but this week, he faces the worst pass defense in the NFL, the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders allow 302 yards in the air per game, 13 touchdowns on the season and over eight yards per pass attempt.
Sit WR: Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions
Well, Marvin Jones started off hot this year, in the first three weeks of the season he had 408 receiving yards, two touchdowns, 18 receptions and most importantly, 51 fantasy points. Since then he hasn’t been as sharp. He is coming off of his best game since Week Three where he totaled 94 yards on four receptions, but I just don’t see him getting back to where he was earlier in the year. His opponent this week is the Houston Texans and although they are coming off of a pretty bad outing versus the Broncos, I put a lot of the blame on their offense. The Texans pass defense is top ten in the NFL and only gives up 185 yards per game through the air and just five passing touchdowns this year. Now, I am not guaranteeing a Texans win, especially with $72 million quarterback Brock Osweiler under center, but I wouldn’t put Jones anywhere more than the flex this week.
Bobby Farris is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at robert.farris@uconn.edu.