Chances are that you saw Deshaun Watson and Jacoby Brisset make ridiculous plays to save the game for their teams, but my goal today is to tell you about some tidbits you may have missed from a fantasy perspective. I went back through and watched every play of every game. I saw the Thursday night game and three Sunday games live then used NFL Game Pass to see the other 8 contests this morning. Let’s do this!

You can watch condensed games too with a free trial from NFL Game Pass

Derek Carr might actually be becoming a thing
The efficiency stats have been quietly excellent for the Raiders’ offense this season despite various injuries and limited talent at the skill player positions. Carr is a big reason why. Well, kind of. You see, Carr is horrendous under pressure and has been playing injured behind terrible offensive lines for years. The last time we saw him behind a good offensive line, he was taken fifth among fantasy QBs the following year. He is finally healthy and playing like that version of himself now that he has primarily clean pockets. Carr scans the field well for an open receiver and leads his receivers when he is given the time to make a strong throw. Don’t be surprised if he leads the Raiders to an AFC Wild Card.

Darrell Henderson is the best back on the Rams
When Henderson was drafted into this offense, the hype was absolutely out of control, but his college tape and production certainly warranted plenty of excitement. While he sat behind Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown everyone seemed to forget just how talented Henderson was. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the box score, but the film this week was shockingly impressive. He snuck out of several backfield tackles and found a way to get an extra yard or two on seemingly every play. Most importantly, the Rams took notice and gave him 11 carries from the second quarter on while a struggling Todd Gurley watched on the sidelines.

Don’t be surprised if Keelan Cole breaks out again
You might remember Cole from his rookie season when he finished the season as a top three wide receiver over the final five weeks of the season. He took a step back as a sophomore and may finally be getting back on the field with regularity after Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee both suffered injuries. Once that happened, D.J. Chark spent some time in the slot and Cole came in to play outside. Cole has plenty of athletic ability and also flashed a great route on his touchdown reception. In fact, Cole scored in Week 7 too, making an excellent adjustment to a poorly thrown ball in the end zone. We’ve known him as an air yards monster before so don’t be surprised if a more mature version becomes one of Minshew’s new favorite targets with Dede out.

You’ll want to scoop up Kareem Hunt this week
Don’t hear me wrong, Nick Chubb is one of the better running backs in football, but let’s not forget that Hunt was as well. What I’m especially concerned about here, is that after losing a fumble in Week 8, Chubb lost two more in Week 9. If that continues, you’d better believe Hunt will be much more valuable than just a high-upside handcuff. That isn’t to say Chubb will all of a sudden go away, but it may become closer to a split backfield like we are seeing in San Francisco. That scenario would make Hunt a weekly start with the weak remaining schedule Cleveland has.

Other notes

• The Titans just “added” another tremendous D-linemen in Jeffery Simmons
• Damien Williams appeared to take the job back from LeSean McCoy following a fumble
• With the injuries they have, Houston has the worst pass defense in  football right now
• Corey Davis looked extremely sluggish–perhaps he wasn’t over his mid-week illness
• The Rams are moving away from forcing the offense to Gerald Everett
• Allen Lazard seems to be Aaron Rodgers‘ #1 with Adams out
• Auden Tate may just be the #1 wideout in Cincy now over Tyler Boyd
• Dante Pettis is no longer a part of San Francisco’s offense
• Sammy Watkins looked as healthy as pre-injury
• Deshaun Watson now has 23 carries in his last three games
• Noah Fant saw his role extended with Emmanuel Sanders gone
• Raheem Mostert could start for a dozen teams in the NFL
• Christian Kirk seems to have surpassed Fitz as Arizona’s #1
• The Saints might have the best offensive and defensive lines in football

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS