After Week 10’s triumph where we hit 5 out of 8 bold predictions, we followed up with just 1 correct thanks to Blaine Gabbert‘s strong outing. Hopefully we can bounce back today. I’ll give you eight more bold predictions this week that the general public would give no better than a 1 in 10 shot of happening. Shoot me your bold predictions on twitter and I’ll let you know what I think!
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#8 Jonathan Stewart will be a top 20 RB this week
Expert consensus rankings have Stewart outside the top 40 this week despite him rushing for 110 yards in his last outing. When he has been healthy, the Panthers have fed him double-digit carries every week this year except against Philly, who destroys running games. As long as he is a good bet to see 15 carries including goal-line work, I’ll start him any week.
Final Prediction: 14 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
#7 Doug Baldwin is a top 3 WR
As has been the case most years, Seattle’s offense took a few weeks to get going, but they are rolling now and Baldwin is seeing over 9 targets per game since the bye. We have yet to see Baldwin’s prototypical explosion game that seems to happen a few times each year and this is a prime opportunity against a lousy defense like San Francisco.
Final Prediction: 7 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD
#6 Jared Cook has over 100 yards
If you’ve been paying attention, this isn’t actually as bold as it may seem. Cook has more receiving yards over his past four contests than both Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski. In fact, over those four games, he has reached over 100 yards twice. Then, there is the fact that Denver is a bottom three NFL team at defending tight ends this season.
Final Prediction: 5 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD
#5 Jacoby Brissett is a top 10 QB
Brissett is coming off the bye and a concussion that saw him miss some practice this week, but he is expected to play against the Titans. Tennessee’s secondary hasn’t been quite as bad as we expected, but this is more about game script and especially Brissett’s talent. Remember, he didn’t know the Colts’ offense when they traded for him and he has steadily been emerging as a reliable starter in this league. He has five QB1 performances this season including his last three games. The colts are trusting him to throw near 35 times per game over their last 6 contests too.
Final Prediction: 267 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 33 rush yards, 1 TD
#4 Alex Collins won’t be a top 40 RB
With how incredible the Eagles have been against the run this season, it has gone mostly unnoticed that the Texans are near-impossible to run against too. Collins has had some big games and the Ravens have been trusting him with quite a bit of work lately, but Danny Woodhead is back now and Collins is going backward with less than 50 yards in three of his last four contests.
Final Prediction: 13 carries, 29 yards
#3 Sammy Watkins sees 8 targets
Maybe this doesn’t seem that out there to you, but Watkins hasn’t “accomplished” this all season. In fact, he has just 9 targets over his last three weeks combined and is averaging below 4 per game on the season. With Robert Woods out and Marshon Lattimore either out or playing banged up, this could change in a hurry. This game looks to be a shootout and Watkins has the talent to quickly emerge with Woods out of his way and a decent matchup for once.
Final Prediction: 5 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
#2 CJ Anderson is a top 20 RB
If you’ve watched the tape, you’ll know that Anderson hasn’t actually been that bad. Rather, the offensive line is a mess and the play-calling paired with freakin’ Brock Osweiler has virtually halted the running game. Now that there is a new offensive coordinator and Paxton Lynch is under center, Anderson could finally get something going this week against a dreadful Raiders defense.
Final Prediction: 18 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD
#1 Greg Olsen isn’t a top 20 TE
You would think that with Olsen being active, he would be a TE1 lock and a likely top 5 tight end on the week. Consider, however, that he was not a top 20 tight end in either of his starts this season before the injury. After such an extended time off with an injury, and especially with older players, it more often than not bites owners who throw them right back into the lineup. He may need a game or two to get up to speed.
Final Prediction: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 24 yards
**Bonus Super Duper Bold Prediction**
Tyrod Taylor gets shut out by Kansas City. No, I’m not some crazy Nathan Peterman truther. Taylor is a quality NFL quarterback because he doesn’t turn the ball over, but when he is forced to make throws against nickle and dime packages, he is virtually helpless. Seeing that John Miller and Cordy Glenn are both out for Buffalo, I’m betting hard against their run game and for a negative game script that could lead to another ugly day for Tyrod.
Thanks for reading and happy football season!
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