Hot Fantasy Updates
Sam Bradford- QB- Philadelphia- Bradford only completed 15 passes in Sunday’s loss to Washington, but made them count, finding the end zone for three passing TD’s. Bradford also racked up 270 passing yards and 14 yards on the ground. Owners who drafted the Oklahoma product or picked him up after his phenomenal preseason have likely been unhappy with his output, as he had not completed more than one touchdown pass in a game this season. It may be tough for Bradford to duplicate this output regularly, but he may serve as a good streaming option next week vs. the Saints.
Allen Hurns- WR- Jacksonville- Hurns broke out in a big way for the Jaguars against the Colts on Sunday, catching 11 of 15 targets for 116 receiving yards and a touchdown. Hurns was the #1 receiver for the Jaguars on Sunday, out-catching and out-gaining expected top-target Allen Robinson. Hurns had been dealing with a thigh injury heading into this week, but outplayed all expectations this week. He may still look good next week vs. the Buccaneers, but expect his output to fall off in the next few weeks once Julius Thomas returns.
Cairo Santos- K- Kansas City- Kickers rarely merit inclusion here, but Cairo Santos had a performance for the ages on Sunday. Santos nailed all seven field goal attempts for the Chiefs in their game against the Bengals. Here’s one of those occasions where it’s good to have the kicker for a good, but not great offense, as the Chiefs consistently bogged down in field goal range, allowing Santos to earn all of the Chiefs’ points. Santos showed good range, making two 51-yarders, two 40-yarders, and then three from within 35 yards out. Kicking performances are often fluky, but Santos may be worth a pickup on a good, but not great Chiefs offense.
Duke Johnson Jr.- RB- Cleveland- If you look at Johnson’s rushing stats, his performance looks ordinary, given his eight carries on 31 yards, but Johnson made magic happen by catching passes out of the backfield. PPR owners in particular will be happy with Johnson catching 9 passes on 10 targets for 85 receiving yards and a touchdown. Johnson benefitted from a big game from Browns QB Josh McCown, serving as the QB’s leading target. Johnson should have upside in PPR leagues and may also have a chance to earn at least a split of the carries along with Isaiah Crowell.
Not Fantasy Updates
Odell Beckham Jr.- WR- New York Giants- OBJ made a fantastic catch resembling his legendary one-handed grab this week, but it did not count because he was out of bounds. QB Eli Manning tried to find Beckham, targeting him 12 times, but Beckham was only able to snag 5 catches for 38 yards. The Bills were able to contain Beckham and prevent the big play, which was expected to a certain extent given Buffalo’s ability to contain passing yards. Beckham should be a big part of the Giants’ offense next week and throughout the season, so write off this performance as an anomaly.
Carlos Hyde- RB- San Francisco- This week against the Packers, the second year back couldn’t run, and probably wishes he could hide. (I’ll show myself out…) Hyde had an abysmal 20 yards on 8 carries and couldn’t get anything of note done against the stingy Packers D. He also added 1 catch for 2 yards, but yet again was stymied by game flow, as the 49ers fell behind and gave up on handing Hyde the ball. Hyde hasn't made the fantasy news since his huge Week 1 performance. If the 49ers can get things going against the Giants next week, Hyde will be a solid RB2 and could push RB1 with a good game.
Lamar Miller- RB- Miami- Miller fell victim to the general offensive plight that the Dolphins had in London, as they largely abandoned their running game in the second half when they had fallen a ways behind. He had only seven carries for 26 yards plus one ten yard catch on two targets. He started off promisingly with a 13-yard rush on his first carry, but did little else afterward. This is the third straight game in which he has rushed for under 40 yards and had fewer than 10 carries. In most shallow leagues, you can probably bench him if you have another starting running back.
Kansas City Chiefs- Defense/Special Teams- The Chiefs gave up 36 points in their loss to the Bengals Sunday, allowing 35 points or more in their second consecutive game. The Chiefs unit forced no turnovers and had no sacks, allowing 445 total yards. In the process, the Chiefs allowed Bengals running back Jeremy Hill to find the end zone three times and quarterback Andy Dalton to pass for 321 yards and a touchdown pass. While the Chiefs get a more favorable matchup against the Bears next week, you should still look elsewhere if you’re considering options for a starting defense.
Stay tuned to ASL for the most comprehensive fantasy analysis coupled with updated sporting news!
