Week 8 was one of those weeks that highlights why we love fantasy football so much.
In my home league, I dropped nearly 140 fantasy points and lost to a team that scored nearly 160. That’s just a week you shake your head and accept defeat. After all, your team balled out. Some teams just happened to have players like Derrick Henry and AJ Brown tearing you apart.
It happens!
It’s Week 9 now. Remember, fantasy is a weekly game.
FAVORABLE WR MATCHUPS
Chris Olave vs Baltimore Ravens secondary
Michael Thomas, we hardly knew you. To quote Fall Out Boy, “One night and one more time, thanks for the memories even though they weren’t so great.”
If there was a silver lining coming from Thomas’ injury, it’s that Olave will remain an air yard hog the rest of the year.
Olave has dominated both zone and man coverage this season (sixth-best grade vs. man coverage and 12th-best against zone coverage), and the opportunity is fruitful this week.
With his 960 air yards and 23.4% target share Olave should pick slide and glide through the Baltimore secondary like butter.
Other favorable matchups: Darnell Mooney vs Miami Dolphins, JuJu Smith-Schuster vs Tennessee Titans
AVOID THESE WR MATCHUPS
Davante Adams vs Tyson Campbell (proj. shadow)
Going back to the well this week! Campbell and Josh Allen remain the primary bright spots on the Jacksonville defense.
Don’t take my word for it, look at the numbers. Campbell has shadowed twice this season and the results are raising eyebrows.
Week 3 vs Mike Williams – one reception for 15 yards and one touchdown on six targets. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Williams still scored a touchdown.
What did he do the rest of the game?
Week 8, last week mind you, Campbell shadowed Courtland Sutton, who also caught only one pass for 13 yards on four targets.
Need more? I got more. Jacksonville has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to targets on the left side, where Campbell lines up almost 90% of the time.
Adams and Derek Carr appear to have, maybe, overexaggerated their chemistry as Adams has caught three or fewer passes in three of his games. After last week’s one reception for three yards game on five targets, faith in Adams and the Raiders’ passing attack has to be shaken.
Other risky matchups: DK Metcalf vs Byron Murphy (proj. shadow), Michael Pittman vs New England Patriots