Halloween is just a couple of days away now! While I have never been the biggest fan of Halloween and the decorations that my neighbors set out in their yards, I’m starting to enjoy it more and more as I get older. And it’s not necessarily because of things that are geared towards me, but it’s all thanks to the fact that I’m a parent of a young child.
There’s nothing cuter than seeing your toddler walk around in an overstuffed and fluffy tiger costume. As he walks, the little tail from the costume drags on the floor behind him and, as he rounds the corner into another room out of my sight, I can hear his little voice yell out, “roar!” While to him this may sound like the most fearsome and robust bellowing he’s ever conjured, it just comes across as pitiful. Adorable, but pitiful nonetheless.
If you’ve ever had kids in the same age range, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s silly, it’s fun, and it’s entertaining. Maybe it’s just a subconscious decision to make our kids dress up in these costumes that make them look ridiculous because our parents did the same to us? That’s another debate for another time though…we’ve got football we need to talk about.
There are some games on the schedule for this weekend that promise to deliver plenty of fantasy points. Below, you’ll find my projections and notes for every single game. As a reminder, these projections are not meant to predict the future and tell you exactly what each player’s rushing yardage is going to be when the clock ticks down to zero in their respective game. These projections are meant to determine the most likely outcome for these players. A player like Chase Claypool can emerge and score four touchdowns in a single game, but that’s a 1% happenstance. With fantasy football, we need to be looking at things objectively and determining what will happen if everything plays out the way that it should.
Matchup Links: ATL at CAR | MIN at GB | TEN at CIN | NYJ at KC | IND at DET | PIT at BAL | LAR at MIA | NE at BUF | LVR at CLE | LAC at DEN | NO at CHI | SF at SEA | DAL at PHI | TB at NYG
With all that being said, you’ll find everything you need to make your roster decisions below! Stay tuned to my Twitter profile as well throughout the next couple of days to find my weekly rankings, which build off of these projections and then bake in probabilities.
Alright, let’s talk some football.
Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers
Date/Time: October 29, 8:20pm ET
Odds: Panthers -130
Over/Under: 51 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Panthers 26.5, Falcons 24.5
Atlanta Falcons
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Matt Ryan | 26/41 | 308 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 18.85 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Todd Gurley II | 18 | 66 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 15.42 |
RB | Brian Hill | 5 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 3.78 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Julio Jones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 91 | 1 | 18.42 |
WR | Calvin Ridley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 74 | 1 | 16.33 |
WR | Russell Gage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 7.36 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Hayden Hurst | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 0 | 6.8 |
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Carolina Panthers
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Teddy Bridgewater | 21/34 | 236 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 18.69 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Mike Davis | 16 | 62 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 16.84 |
RB | Trenton Cannon | 4 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 3.32 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Robby Anderson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 82 | 1 | 17.36 |
WR | D.J. Moore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 1 | 12.59 |
WR | Curtis Samuel | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 6.74 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Ian Thomas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 2.37 |
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Quarterback
Atlanta: While Ryan didn’t put up ridiculous fantasy numbers in week seven, he’s throwing the ball a ton and is putting up great yardage totals. Continue to plug in Ryan as a low-end QB1.
Carolina: Bridgewater is one the most underrated NFL QBs. His pocket presence is absolutely mesmerizing, but unfortunately, it’s not translating to top-tier fantasy production. However, in this matchup, Bridgewater’s absolutely worth looking at as a solid streaming option. He can be rolled out as a low-end QB1.
Running Backs
Atlanta: Gurley was able to find the end zone twice last week – whoops – but put up pedestrian numbers on the ground otherwise. He simply doesn’t have the athleticism anymore to beat defenders to the edge. It’s probably best to temper your expectations for Gurley if it’s a tough matchup, but this is not one of those times. Fire up Gurley as a locked-in RB1 yet again against the Panthers run defense.
Carolina: Davis disappointed in week seven, but he’s still seeing the clear majority of the touches in this backfield. Against the Falcons defense, Davis worth firing up as a low-end RB1 yet again.
Wide Receivers
Atlanta: Jones didn’t appear to be 100% last week, but he was still out there soaking up targets. As long as Julio’s on the field, he belongs in your lineup as a locked-in WR1. Ridley continues to tear it up and he’s been utterly dominant for fantasy football this season. Even though the Panthers have been tough on opposing WRs, Ridley should have no problem putting up a dominant day. Gage looked to be a solid play last week due to the matchup. He was injured in the first quarter, but he came back in and put up a respectable fantasy outing. However, Gage is still nothing more than a low-end FLEX play.
Carolina: Anderson just continues to dominate the target share in Carolina and he’s been as consistent of a fantasy wideout as you could hope for this season. In this matchup, Anderson should be viewed as a high-end WR2 with tremendous upside. Moore continues to only see four to six targets when Samuel is in the lineup, but he’s producing with his opportunity. Moore should be viewed as a low-end WR2 with upside in this matchup. Samuel got more involved in the offense this past week and was able to find the end zone as a runner. He was a drop candidate early on in the season, but he’s now played his way back into FLEX consideration. He can be viewed as a low-end FLEX play against Atlanta.
Tight Ends
Atlanta: With the Atlanta offense back to being one of the better units in the NFL, Hurst can be viewed as a solid mid-range TE1 every week.
Carolina: None of the Carolina TEs are worth considering for fantasy this week.
FantasyProjection Buster: The Panthers are playing extremely well on defense and Ryan struggled last time he played them. While that was with Julio out of the lineup, Ryan could certainly struggle again in this game. It’s a small percentage chance, but it’s in the realm of possibilities.
Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers
Date/Time: November 1, 1:00pm ET
Odds: Packers -305
Over/Under: 51.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Packers 29, Vikings 22.5
Minnesota Vikings
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Kirk Cousins | 22/31 | 273 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 17.71 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Dalvin Cook | 17 | 70 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 17.05 |
RB | Alexander Mattison | 5 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 3.78 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Adam Thielen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 84 | 1 | 17.22 |
WR | Justin Jefferson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 74 | 1 | 15.73 |
WR | Olabisi Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2.13 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Irv Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 5.28 |
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Green Bay Packers
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Aaron Rodgers | 23/35 | 233 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21.94 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Aaron Jones | 16 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 16.54 |
RB | Jamaal Williams | 7 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 1 | 14.68 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Davante Adams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 77 | 2 | 23.26 |
WR | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 4.62 |
WR | Darrius Shepherd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 2.23 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Robert Tonyan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 4.17 |
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Quarterback
Minnesota: Cousins has not looked stellar the past few weeks, but he’s getting it done for fantasy football with garbage time production. This should be another high-scoring matchup, which puts Cousins in the streaming conversation. It might not be pretty, but he should do enough to finish as a high-end QB2 against Green Bay.
Green Bay: Rodgers is on absolute fire lately and he could go nuclear yet again in this matchup against the Vikings secondary. Plug in Rodgers as a top-5 QB.
Running Backs
Minnesota: Cook appears to be on track to play in this matchup, which is good news for the Vikings and fantasy managers alike. Cook should produce against the mediocre Packers run defense and can be viewed as a top-5 lock in week eight. Mattison failed to deliver in his prime matchup in week six and now goes back to being a backup option behind Cook. He can be avoided this week.
Green Bay: Jones was apparently fighting to play in week seven, but he wasn’t 100%. The Packers chose to play it safe and let Jones rest, but his status for this game is still up in the air. If he suits up, Jones is a no-brainer start this week and has No. 1 overall RB upside. If he sits, Williams would become a must-play option again. Williams has been more involved in the offense recently and he delivered last week in Jones’ absence. If Jones suits up this week, Williams should be viewed as a high-end RB3 that will provide more value in Full PPR formats. If Jones sits, Williams moves to a top-12 option.
Wide Receivers
Minnesota: Thielen’s a locked-and-loaded start every single week. He can be viewed as a mid-range WR1 against the Packers corners. Jefferson has emerged as one of the best fantasy wide receivers this season and he can be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in this matchup that should see points go up on the board.
Green Bay: Adams is unstoppable with Rodgers throwing him the ball. The Texans refused to adjust their game plan last week to account for Adams and he absolutely torched them. While it’s hard to say that Adams has another 200-yard performance in him this week, it’s in the realm of possibilities against the Vikings corners. Adams should be viewed as a top-3 option at the WR position yet again. MVS failed to bring in any of his four targets last week in a fine matchup. Against the Vikings corners, MVS has low-end FLEX appeal, but he should be avoided if you have the chance.
Tight Ends
Minnesota: Smith has continued to see his involvement in this offense grow and he can be viewed as a high-end TE2 this week that should provide a safe floor due to his target opportunity.
Green Bay: Tonyan has seen his involvement in the offense decrease every week since his three touchdown performance. He’s nothing more than a streaming option that you can plug into your lineup only if you’re in a pinch.
FantasyProjection Buster: Tonyan has the potential to find the end zone in this game, which would blow my projections for him out of the water. Recently, he has not been involved in this offense much, so the likelihood of it happening is minimal. However, it’s certainly in the realm of possibilities.
Tennessee Titans vs Cincinnati Bengals
Date/Time: November 1, 1:00pm ET
Odds: Titans -235
Over/Under: 53.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Titans 29.5, Bengals 24
Tennessee Titans
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Ryan Tannehill | 23/35 | 279 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 20.76 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Derrick Henry | 23 | 102 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 25.51 |
RB | Jeremy McNichols | 6 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 4.48 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | A.J. Brown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 80 | 1 | 17.03 |
WR | Corey Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 59 | 0 | 8.07 |
WR | Adam Humphries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 3.76 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Jonnu Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 59 | 1 | 14.4 |
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Cincinnati Bengals
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Joe Burrow | 27/43 | 296 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 19.99 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Giovani Bernard | 13 | 46 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 0 | 16.58 |
RB | Samaje Perine | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Tyler Boyd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 69 | 1 | 16.07 |
WR | Tee Higgins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 64 | 1 | 14.82 |
WR | A.J. Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 71 | 0 | 10.09 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Drew Sample | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 2.78 |
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Quarterback
Tennessee: Tannehill came back down to earth slightly last week after putting up ridiculous numbers previously, but he did a tough matchup against the Steelers defense. However, now Tannehill gets to face the defense that just gave up five passing touchdowns to Baker Mayfield. Tannehill belongs in your lineup as a mid-range QB1.
Cincinnati: Is Burrow matchup proof at this point? While he struggled mightily against Baltimore, Burrow has been absolutely unstoppable outside of that performance. This Titans defense is solid, but Burrow’s been lighting it up recently. He should be viewed as a safe low-end QB1 with upside every single week.
Running Backs
Tennessee: Henry was able to produce in a tough matchup last week and he now gets to face off against the Bengals defense that is having problems slowing down anyone. Fire up Henry as a top-5 option this week.
Cincinnati: At this point, it seems unlikely that Mixon suits up as he’s dealing with his foot injury. With that being the case, Bernard shoots up to a top-15 option this week. This is a fine matchup for opposing RBs and points should go up on the board in this game. If you’ve still got Gio on your roster, make sure to get him into your starting lineup.
Wide Receivers
Tennessee: Brown’s been on fire ever since he got back into the lineup. He belongs in your starting lineup every week as a low-end WR1 with upside. In this matchup, he could push for a top-5 finish. Davis was able to find the end zone last week, but he’s nothing more than a FLEX play. Granted, he has upside in this matchup, but he comes with a wide range of outcomes in this matchup where Tennessee should be able to run the ball all over Cincinnati. Humphries is nothing more than a low-end FLEX play in Full PPR formats now with the full allotment of Titans pass-catchers in the lineup.
Cincinnati: Boyd put on a show last week and he should be viewed as a solid low-end WR2 in this matchup with upside. Green continues to see a ridiculous amount of targets in this offense and he’s now producing enough to be viewed as a solid FLEX play with upside every single week. Higgins continues to get the job done for fantasy and can be viewed as a safe high-end WR3 this week.
Tight Ends
Tennessee: Smith disappointed in week seven, but he came extremely close to hauling in an end zone target. With Davis, Humphries, and Brown all on the field, there’s reason to be concerned about Smith’s involvement in this offense moving forward, but it’s not enough to pull him from your starting lineup. The Titans should look to rectify their mistake from last week and work to get the ball in Jonnu’s hands in this plus matchup. Keep plugging Smith into your lineup as a solid mid-range TE1 with upside.
Cincinnati: Sample saw an increased target share last week, but his usage is too unpredictable every single week. You can leave him on your league’s waiver wire.
FantasyProjection Buster: As of right now, Smith’s a difficult projection. While this is a smash spot for opposing TEs, Smith just hasn’t been involved in this offense much over the past couple of weeks. The smart thing for the Titans to do would be to feature Smith in this game, but will they actually do it?
New York Jets vs Kansas City Chiefs
Date/Time: November 1, 1:00pm ET
Odds: Chiefs -2000
Over/Under: 49 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Chiefs 34.25, Jets 14.75
New York Jets
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Sam Darnold | 16/25 | 165 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8.99 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Lamical Perine | 10 | 44 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 13.96 |
RB | Frank Gore | 9 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4.46 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Braxton Berrios | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 41 | 1 | 12.26 |
WR | Denzel Mims | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 0 | 6.52 |
WR | Jeff Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 2.68 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Ryan Griffin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 2.63 |
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Kansas City Chiefs
POS | NAME | COMP/ATT | PASS YDS | TDs | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDs | FPTS |
QB | Patrick Mahomes II | 22/33 | 270 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 21.19 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
RB | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 17 | 69 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 16.89 |
RB | Le’Veon Bell | 8 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 11.87 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
WR | Tyreek Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 78 | 1 | 16.45 |
WR | Demarcus Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 0 | 6.84 |
WR | Mecole Hardman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 2.93 |
POS | NAME | CARRIES | RUSH YDS | TDs | RECS | REC YDS | TDs | FPTS |
TE | Travis Kelce | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 71 | 1 | 15.84 |
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Quarterback
New York: Darnold isn’t on the redraft radar in this offense. He can remain on your waiver wire.
Kansas City: Mahomes wasn’t needed much last week with the Chiefs pummeling the Denver Broncos. There’s the possibility that that happens again here against the Jets, but he’s still worth plugging into your lineup as a solid high-end QB1.
Running Backs
New York: Gore is now splitting carries with Perine, which limits his fantasy outlook in a terrible offense. Gore’s a RB4 this week. Perine continues to see his role increase in this offense, but it’s not enough to warrant standalone fantasy value. He’s a low-end RB3 this week.
Kansas City: CEH saw the majority of the work on the ground last week, but it wasn’t by much. Bell figures to be more of a part of this offense than fantasy managers anticipated and CEH takes a hit because of it. CEH can be viewed as a mid-range RB2 this week that will need to score to crack the top-12. Bell saw six carries in his first game with the Chiefs and showed some explosiveness that simply hasn’t been there for the past few years. However, with CEH still above him on the depth chart, Bell’s not worth looking at as anything more than a mid-range RB3.
Wide Receivers
New York: Crowder seems unlikely to suit up in this matchup. With that being the case, Berrios is someone that you can plug into your starting lineup if you’re desperate and need a FLEX play. Otherwise, it’s probably best just to avoid this receiving corps altogether.
Kansas City: Hill was the clear target leader this past week against Denver. Hill saw a total of 10 targets and the next closest was CEH with four. This is a good sign moving forward for fantasy managers that were starting to have concerns over Hill and his usage. He’s a locked-in WR1 every single week in this offense that could go off in this matchup against the Jets corners.
Tight Ends
New York: None of the Jets TEs are worth considering for fantasy this week.
Kansas City: Kelce had a down week last week, but he simply wasn’t needed much. He’s still a top-tier option every single week.
FantasyProjection Buster: Am I able to put any of the Chiefs receivers? There’s the possibility that the Chiefs simply just lean on their run game and barely utilize Hill, Kelce, etc. If that were to happen, all of them would fall significantly short of their projections.