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It was a 2-for-4 week for Nostra-Dom-Us, and in most sports that is considered a success. Julio Jones balled out just as I expected him to, while my flyer selection in Rishard Matthews may have been my best advice all week. I struck out on Dez Bryant and my pick of Devante Adams – while he played well and got into the end zone – did not haul in as many passes and see as many targets as I expected him to. Overall, you all were probably happy with the results and I see that I have something to build off of headed into Week 10. Below in the table are my thoughts on the matchups this week, while my picks of the week will be posted in the section at the bottom of the page… Enjoy.
| Off | Left WR | Def | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Larry Fitzgerald | SF | Jimmie Ward | In regards to PPR formats, Fitz is still as good as ever. His targets remain high and his yardage has been adequate. The only critique of him lately is that he needs to get into the end zone more often. Against a bad SF defense, I like Fitz's chances of doing just that. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | PHI | Nolan Carroll | He's matchup proof, so the expectation for 7 catches, 100-plus yards and a touchdown is always there for the NFL's leading receiver. If the Falcons can keep this Philly pass rush at bay, Julio should have yet another excellent game. |
| BAL | Steve Smith Sr./Kamar Aiken | CLE | Jamar Taylor | Smith has been hot and cold so far this season, which makes sense considering he's 37 and coming off of multiple injuries. His matchup against Cleveland is nothing to fear, however keep in mind that this is the same defense that held Dez Bryant to one catch for 19 yards. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | KC | Phillip Gaines | Although he started off hot, Benjamin has really cooled off lately, as has this Carolina offense. Luckily for his fantasy owners, Benjamin's matchup against the Chiefs is not one to fear. They have been one of the more scored upon secondaries this season, despite their rock solid talent amongst the unit. A nice week for the 6-foot-5 receiver is not out of the question here. |
| CHI | Alshon Jeffery | TB | Alterraun Verner | Tampa Bay has been burned a few times this season by star wideouts, and now that Alshon Jeffery has his favorite quarterback in Jay Cutler, I can see them getting burned again. Give Jeffery a look this week, as he will feature low ownership and offer elite upside. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | There is rarely a time when I don't like A.J. Green, so feel free to start him on Monday just as you would any other week. Just keep in mind that this Giants secondary has come to play this season, and have given WR's a tough time in most games so far. Janoris Jenkins – while talented – takes chances often. I expect the savvy Green to burn him a few times on Monday night, but I am unsure if he will have his typical volume of targets and touches. 4 rec, 78 yds, 1 TD. |
| CLE | Andrew Hawkins | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Hawkins is only two weeks removed from scoring two touchdowns, however he is still a fantasy player who I don't like. I never can trust inconsistencies, therefore I will always punt on players like Hawkins. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | PIT | Ross Cockrell | Pittsburgh features a mediocre-at-best defense. Their secondary is also far from stellar, so there is no reason to believe that Dez won't be favored in every matchup on Sunday. It's all a matter if Dak throws him the ball. I believe this week that the Steelers will utilize the strength of their defense – their intermediate pass coverage – to neutralize the strength of this Cowboys passing offense – the intermediate pass game. This should leave Dak with fewer options over the middle and will force him to take more shots down the field like he had to against the Eagles two weeks ago. This should spell success for Dez. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | NO | De'Vante Harris | Thomas will have no problems getting open against this Saints secondary, it's just a matter of if his quarterback can get him the ball or not. He was fine last week against another weak secondary in the Raiders, but still much more was expected from such an elite receiver. Regardless of his underwhelming production of late, I will still advise giving Thomas a shot because his matchups won't get any easier. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | TEN | Jason McCourty | Despite the fact that Nelson doesn’t yet look healthy and Aaron Rodgers doesn’t appear to be nearly the same guy that he used to be, Nelson is still producing as a fantasy wide receiver. With his seven touchdowns, he has been one of the most productive receivers at getting into the end zone this season and that is something that no fantasy owner can ignore. His matchup may be on the tougher side this week, but rolling the dice here is not a bad idea based off of price. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | Ramsey has been great all year and the Texans passing game has been reduced to laughable this season. Despite Hopkins' elite talent, he is someone that I am staying away from in all formats this week and potentially some more going forward. |
| JAX | Allen Robinson | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | It was a miracle of sorts, as Allen Robinson got into the end zone last week. I traded him from my fantasy team a few weeks ago citing that I could no longer trust him to do anything productive. Regardless of my cyincisim, Robinson actually appears to be turning the corner. He's now posted games of 6 rec, 70 yards and 7 rec, 76 yards, and 1 TD in consecutive matchups, which is great news for his owners, however I expect that nice run to end on Sunday with his matchup against a great Houston secondary. |
| KC | Albert Wilson | CAR | Daryl Worley | With Jeremy Maclin sidelined with an injury this week, the Panthers secondary will have a breather of sorts. I expect Albert Wilson to do very little on Sunday against Carolina. |
| LA | Kenny Britt | NYJ | Buster Skrine | Britt is having himself a pretty solid season and the Jets secondary is not. He has 70-yard potential in this game with a single TD upside. If that is good enough for you, then start him on Sunday. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | SD | Craig Mager | Parker is one of the many faces of WR inconsistencies, so as you can expect, I will be passing on him – especially against this surprisngly good San Diego defense. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | WAS | Josh Norman | Diggs has been a PPR machine lately, but this week I expect him to be significantly slowed by the daunting shaddow of Josh Norman. At his inflated price, Diggs may not be worth it this week. |
| NE | Chris Hogan | SEA | Jeremy Lane | Hogan is another one of those terribly inconsistent plays each week. Considering he and the Pats will be taking on Seattle's elite defense, I'm inclined to pass on Hogan this week. |
| NO | Willie Snead | DEN | Chris Harris | Denver was emasculated last week against an elite Oakland offense. This week they will be taking another top-notch offense in New Orleans. I expect a much different outcome this week and thus Snead shouldn't serve as a very attractive fantasy option. |
| NYG | Odell Beckham | CIN | Adam Jones | Jones is excellent in man-up situations, but Beckham is one of the toughest matchups in the NFL. Expect him to get plenty of looks, but his volume of actual touches is always inconsistent based upon his routes and Eli Manning's accuracy. Regardless, Beckham should get into the end zone considering his recent run in that regard (5 TD's in last four weeks) and that is all that really matters in the fantasy world. |
| NYJ | Brandon Marshall | LA | E.J. Gaines | Marshall has not declined, make no mistake, the Jets offense has. If the Rams defense that we think will show up does, the Jets will have a long day and it may finally be the end of the shortlived Ryan Fitzpatrick era. Regardless, I do believe that Marshall should still be a solid play this week because no matter what, someone has to catch the ball. Marshall is all the Jets have and he will get the looks. Start him despite the offensive instability of the Jets. |
| PHI | Jordan Matthews | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Matthews continues to maintain his relevancy in PPR formats, however he is struggling to make a name for himself in the end zone. I don't see that narrative changing much this week with his tough matchup against Desmond Trufant. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | DAL | Anthony Brown | This Cowboys secondary has been really tough on opposing WR's all season long, however they have yet to play Antonio Brown. Worst of all for them in this matchup, they are coming in limping of sorts, as they are without two of their top defensive backs in Morris Claiborne and Barry Church. I highly doubt that Dallas will task rookie Anthony Brown to handle the league's best reciver all day and actually half expect them to sick slot corner extroadinare – Orlando Scandrick – on him for most of the contest. As always Brown's floor is around 5 rec and 80 yards, so fantasy owners nee to not worry too much about his tough matchup here, but the question is about his upside. If Dallas can control the ball with their running game, as they typically do, Consider Brown limited. |
| SD | Travis Benjamin | MIA | Tony Lippett | Miami's secondary is nothing to write home about, so I see Phillip Rivers having himself a nice game on Sunday as the leader of this red hot Chargers offense. That bodes well for Benjamin's fantasy potential headed into this matchup – that is of course if he ends up playing. Considering his PCL strain last week, the belief is that Benjamin will not be ready for Sunday. If that is the case, then Tyrell Williams will sub in for him just fine. |
| SF | Torrey Smith | ARI | Marcus Cooper | Forget that Smith exists in the fantasy world. |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | NE | Logan Ryan | Baldwin has been playing better of late, but he has yet to hit his second half stride like he did last season. I like his chances this week against a slightly overrated New England defense, however expecting elite production from Baldwin anymore may be a fools errand. |
| TB | Adam Humphries | CHI | Deiondre' Hall | Humphries got into the end zone last week, which was encouraging, but make no mistake, this is Mike Evans' offense and he will see the significant targets. The Bears defense is nothing to write home about, so Humphries has the chance to perfrom similarily to what he did last week again this week. It is up to you if that is good enough for your fantasy team this week. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | GB | Ladarius Gunter | I clued you in to Matthews last week and he delivered. No reason to expect anything different from him this week considering the current state of the Packers secondary. |
| WAS | Pierre Garçon | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | Rhodes has been excellent all season long and Garçon has been mediocre at best. That should be enough information for you to make a fantasy decision. |
| Off | Right WR | Def | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | J.J. Nelson | SF | Tramaine Brock | I moved Nelson's name into this slot, because Michael Floyd has finally be relegated to the second team. Nelson has been playing great football lately and coach Arians has gone on record saying the he is officially the number two receiver in this offense. Considering the Cards great matchup against an awful 49ers defense, I will give everyone the green light to start Nelson this week, just as the Cardinals coach has done himself. |
| ATL | Mohamed Sanu | PHI | Leodis McKelvin | Sanu has had a nice two game stretch here, however I expect that run to end in Week 10 as he and the Falcons take on a good Eagles defense. He's a start that I would avoid in most fantasy formats. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | CLE | Joe Haden | Like Sanu, Wallace is riding a two game streak, only his streak is white hot, as he has tallied 14 catches, 244 yards, and a TD over the span. The Browns defense is nothing special – I mean come on, they are win less – so all systems should be go for Wallace in Week 10. |
| CAR | Ted Ginn Jr. | KC | Marcus Peters | Each week I laugh at anyone who would start Ginn. |
| CHI | Cameron Meredith | TB | Brent Grimes | Meredith hasn’t been relevant for a few weeks now and he doesn’t seem to have the same rapport with Jay Cutler that he had with Brian Hoyer. Skip him this week during his matchup with the fiesty Brent Grimes. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | NYG | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | LaFell is one of those all or nothing plays that I fear each week. The Giants secondary has been good all season long so I don’t like LaFell's chances here. |
| CLE | Terrelle Pryor | BAL | Shareece Wright | TP has been banged up for a large portion of the year, but that has yet to stop him from producing consistently. Baltimore offers a vulnerable defense, so Pryor should remain a safe play going forward, despite his ailments. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | PIT | William Gay | The coorelation between Williams production and Dez Bryant's presence is unmistakable. So long as Dez is healthy, Williams is a player to avoid. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | NO | Ken Crawley | Sanders has been one of the few able to persevere throughout the mediocre-at-best play of Trevor Siemian, so considering the Broncos matchup against a sorry New Orleans secondary, I will take my chances with Sanders once again. |
| GB | Randall Cobb | TEN | Perrish Cox | Cobb has now scored in three straight games, despite limited snaps and injury concerns. If healthier like many have indicated, I believe that Cobb will play even better this week against the Titans. |
| HOU | Will Fuller | JAX | Davon House | Fuller is so damn talented, but unfortunately the Texans passing game is holding him back. Until the play calling or Brock Osweiler proves otherwise, I will continue to stay away from both Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins. |
| JAX | Allen Hurns | HOU | Kareem Jackson | Hurns is currently in the concussion protocol, which makes it tough to project him for Sunday. Assuming he is healthy, I still don't like him this week while taking on a tough Texans secondary. |
| KC | Chris Conley | CAR | James Bradberry | Conley is a non-factor in all fantasy formats. |
| LA | Tavon Austin | NYJ | Darrelle Revis | Just when you thought that the Rams have a plan for Austin, then they allow him only two touches in the following week. Luckily he will be taking on a demoralized Jets secondary this week, so he has a chance to burn the suddenly old Darrelle Revis a couple of times on Sunday. Regardless, starting Austin is always a gamble. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | SD | Brandon Flowers | Stills may be the most reliable fantasy receiver on this Miami roster right now, but that is not saying much. Taking on a good SD defense this week, I would skip him if possible. |
| MIN | Charles Johnson | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | I've said it many times before, Johnson is one of the worst starting WR's in the league right now… That should be enough. |
| NE | Julian Edelman | SEA | Richard Sherman | Edelman will likely line up in the slot on Sunday, so this is misleading. Regardles, this season he hasn’t been the consistent play that we all have come to love over the years, so it's best to stay away from him this week, especially taking on a great Seattle defense. |
| NO | Brandin Cooks | DEN | Aqib Talib | If Talib doesn’t play this week, Cooks has a chance to have a big day, however if he does play, Cooks still has a chance to burn this defense a few times, but it will just be harder going against Talib. Regardless, he is likely to be lower owned while going against the Broncos defense, so give him a shot if you want a nice cash play. |
| NYG | Sterling Shepard | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | The targets just arent there for Shepard yet, so it is best to lay off of him going forward, especially this week taking on a good corner in Dre Kirkpatrick. It was encouraging to see him get into the end zone last week though. |
| NYJ | Quincy Enunwa | LA | Trumaine Johnson | Enunwa's production is the perfect microcosm of this Jets offensive season… Hot and cold. On the other side, the Rams defense is similar. I expect the Rams defense to show up in this one, while the Jets offense should falter. Enunwa is avoidable in most formats going forward. |
| PHI | Nelson Agholor | ATL | Robert Alford | Agholor hasn’t caught more than four passes in a game this season and hasn’t caught a touchdown since Week 1… No thank you. |
| PIT | Sammie Coates | DAL | Brandon Carr | If Carr is matched up with Coates for most of the night, he should handle himself well. Coates is not an ideal play this week against a good Dallas secondary. |
| SD | Dontrelle Inman | MIA | Byron Maxwell | With Travis Benjamin likely out on Sunday, Inman becomes Philip Rivers most reliable wide receiving option. He should fare just fine against a Dolphins secondary that isn't that impressive. |
| SF | Aaron Burbridge | ARI | Patrick Peterson | You're joking right? |
| SEA | Jermaine Kearse | NE | Malcolm Butler | Butler is a very good corner and Kearse is second fiddle at best in this passing game. Pass on Kearse and don't think twice about it. |
| TB | Mike Evans | CHI | Tracy Porter | Evans is a go every week in my eyes, however when taking on a particularly bad defense, I really get excited about him. I feel that way this week about his matchup with the Bears. He should have a big day on Sunday. |
| TEN | Tajae Sharpe | GB | Demetri Goodson | Sharpe is a fantasy non-factor in my eyes going forward. |
| WAS | DeSean Jackson | MIN | Terence Newman | D-Jax is an all or nothing play each week. I don't like his chances this week against a good Minnesota defense, but he always has the chance to burn someone over the top. If you love Russian Roulette go with Jackson this week. |
NOSTRA-DOM-US PREDICTS
ELITE PLAYS
Mike Evans ($9,000 on DraftKings) vs. Tracy Porter
I feel like every week it’s either Evans or Julio Jones in this “Elite Play” slot, but they honestly have been the two most consistent elite receivers this season. For all of the reasons I have listed before, I love Evans. He sees a heavy dose of targets and is incredibly productive with them. Expect him to handle him self well on Sunday against a mediocre defense in the Bears.
A.J. Green ($8,500 on DraftKings) vs. Janoris Jenkins
Green made a statement in Week 8, as he put up some impressive numbers against the infamous Josh Norman. I believe that he is arguably the most physically gifted receiver we have in this league today, so it is no surprise that he has the edge in most matchups. That brings me to this one on Monday night, because conventional wisdom would tell you that while he will still put up respectable numbers, Jenkins has been good enough this season that you might want to stay away from him when forced to pay an elite price. My response is that he takes far too many gambles for an elite and savvy receiver like Green not to burn him at least once or twice for a touchdown. This was Green vs. Jenkins in 2015:
If you don’t keep track of Green, he will kill you. I like him this week and he may have low ownership, which bodes well for us.
BARGAIN PLAYS
Rishard Matthews ($4,200 on DraftKings) vs. Ladarius Gunter
I clued you in to Matthews last week and he really delivered. This week I’m doubling down because his price still hasn’t really gone up and his targets are real. With the retirement of Andre Johnson, Matthews’ snap count and usage rate spiked, while his targets nearly doubled in Week 9. He’s the best receiver on Tennessee and this week will be facing a really banged up secondary in Green Bay. Start him in cash and GPP.
J.J. Nelson ($4,200 on DraftKings) vs. Tramaine Brock
This past week, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians went on record claiming that J.J. Nelson was officially the number two receiver in their offense. Nelson took that inspiration and subsequently posted an eight catch, 79 yard, and two touchdown performance, likely cementing his place on the depth chart. I love his talent and I love his matchup. He’s a 4.28 burner in an offense that absolutely loves to throw it deep. Flex Nelson this week, and watch the points and cash flow in.