There is nothing better than some overreactions after the dust settles on a football Sunday. All of us armchair quarterbacks go and make our critiques and tell all our friends and family about what we would have done differently.
The great thing for me is, they asked me to do this and YOU’RE sitting here reading it! How about that?
For this piece, each week we’ll take a look at some players that either potentially overachieved or underachieved and what the outlook for them is moving forward — specifically for next week’s game. Are they set up for more success or could someone have simply had a bad week? My job here is to try and figure that out and relay that information to you. Let’s take a look!
Oh, feel free to tell me how wrong I am by getting at me on Twitter @SBuchanan24.
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Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans
Week 8 Fantasy Total: 29.8 DKFP
This is the second-straight game we’ve seen Davis targeted 10 times, but this time around he did a lot more with those targets than he did in Week 7. Making eight catches, Davis went for 128 yards and a touchdown, good for 29.8 DKFP. So can this type of production carry over to Week 9 against the Bears?
Davis was able to feast particularly on CB LeShaun Sims, who was targeted against five times in coverage against Davis and allowed all of them to be caught for 58 yards. Davis had the softer matchup of the group, as A.J. Brown was blanketed in this game. The loss of Adam Humphries also was a boost to Davis, paving the way for him to draw double-digit targets for the second straight week.
With Humphries likely out for Week 9, Davis should continue to be busy in this offense. However, his matchup against a strong Bears secondary isn’t in his favor. The Bears are allowing an average of just 28.8 DKFP to the wide receiver position, which is the third-lowest in the league. In particular, with Davis playing 55% of his snaps on the right side of the field, he’ll see CB Kyle Fuller in coverage, who has allowed just a 52.4% catch rate for an average of 10.2 YPR on 42 targets. An $800 bump in salary for Davis this week doesn’t make this spot more attractive, either.
Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts
Week 8 Fantasy Total: 21.2DKFP
I’m sure we all saw Hines flipping and dipping in the end zone twice on Sunday. Give the man credit, he’s one athletic dude. I think the most athletic thing I’ve ever done in life was flipping over my handlebars on my bike after inadvertently hitting a rock. So there’s that.
Hines is always a great target when we’re expecting the Colts to play from behind. Week 8 saw him line up as a receiver more than any game this season, as he played seven snaps wide, one in the slot and eight out of the backfield. If you notice though, those aren’t a lot of snaps. So trusting him is tough, but at least when he is on the field, the ball is usually going to him. With five carries and five targets, Rivers went his way on 62% of the snaps he played.
The Colts opened as +3 underdogs against the Ravens here in Week 9 on DraftKings Sportsbook, so if you follow the game script, it’s looking good for Hines. Hines is much more effective as a pass catcher and faces a Ravens defense that’s allowing an average of 40 receiving yards and a 68.4% catch rate to the position. Between that and Hines drawing 20.6% of the total red zone opportunities prior to last week, this is another good spot to target the Colts’ main pass-catching back.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 8 Fantasy Total: 6.1 DKFP
CEH and Le’Veon Bell had nearly identical stats in their Week 8 blowout against the Jets. Both carried the ball six times and drew three targets while separating themselves only by their yardage. Bell went for a total of 38 yards while CEH had 31. CEH had the snap advantage, playing on 50% of the offensive snaps while Bell was on for just 25%. While this isn’t a great situation to deal with from a fantasy perspective, the matchup they draw in Week 9 is going to likely reel us all back in.
The Chiefs will host the Panthers, who are one of the worst run defenses in the league. Allowing an average of 31.2 DKFP to the position, the Panthers have given up 100-plus rushing yards in six of their eight games and over 70 receiving yards in three of them. He’s been one of the best backs for yards after contact in the league and is averaging 3.18 per attempt. Of all backs with a minimum of 80 attempts, that ranks sixth in the league. While it doesn’t sound appealing to get him in your lineup, this could be one heck of a game for him, even in limited opportunities.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is steveazors) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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