A Russ rebound is likely after a 142-yard
effort against the Rams - his worst performance since Wk 1.
Grab a Helmet
Cam
Newton vs TB: Picking Newton as my first start is going
to set the tone for this championship SCR. I’m not going to get
cute, so I’m going to zero in on highly favorable matchups that
will hopefully put you over the edge. So let’s kick things off with
Cam. Fantasy’s No.4 scoring quarterback so far this year, Newton
has been a tremendously consistent play for much of the year. His
floor has been about 15 points, and last week we got a sense of
his ceiling, when he threw 4 touchdowns. With Greg Olsen back at
full strength and Christian McCaffrey playing his role perfectly,
Newton is surrounded with reliable short and mid-range targets.
This week they face off against a depleted Bucs defense that played
with gusto Monday night, but going back on the road should take
plenty of wind out of their sails (arrr mateys). The Panthers have
everything to play for, and so do you. Start Newton with supreme
confidence.
Russell
Wilson @ DAL: Wilson and the Seahawks are too proud of
a team to not bounce back from last week’s drubbing at the hands
of the Rams. Despite their depleted defense and struggling offensive
line, this team still has the heart of a champion. Wilson is too
much of a competitor to let this team go down without a fight. The
Seahawks are on life support and Dallas doesn’t possess the talent
the Rams defense has. I think Seattle comes out firing and I expect
Wilson to lead the way. He’s been fantasy’s No.1 quarterback for
most of the year for a reason, so don’t let last week sway you.
Trust Wilson in game that is huge for all involved.
Blake
Bortles @ SF: If you would have told me in early September
that Week 16’s Shot Caller’s Report would feature Bortles in this
spot I would have laughed. But a confluence of factors has brought
Bortles into the limelight and made him a near must start for
fantasy’s Super Bowl Week. Bortles has buzzed around the top 5
for weeks now, and he’s feasting on a string of near perfect matchups.
His defense provides short fields, plenty of opportunities, and
Bortles is throwing darts all over the field. To make things more
impressive, he’s doing so with a cast of receivers that most people
haven’t even heard of. The Niners are 3-0 in their last three
games, but still don’t play effective pass defense. He’s still
Blake Bortles, but you can’t argue with the production. Fire him
up as a strong QB1.
Grab a Headset
Eli
Manning @ ARI: Manning turned back the clock with a
lights out performance last week in a near upset of the Eagles.
The offense was astonishingly effective for the first time all
year, but I don’t feel good about a repeat. Manning is still an
aging vet on his last legs, and although Arizona is far from world-beaters
on defense, they have the personnel to make life miserable for
Manning and his receivers. If you start Eli this week it’s a classic
case of chasing points.
Brett
Hundley vs MIN: After being eliminated from the playoffs
the Packers officially shut Aaron Rodgers down for the season.
Doing that was best for him, but clearly not for your fantasy
team. Hundley has had a few respectable games, but he’s not only
facing the best defense in the league, but he’s likely to do so
without his most reliable receiver, Davante Adams (concussion).
Hundley has had a clear affinity for Adams, and I’m not exactly
excited to see what he does when he doesn’t have him. Minnesota
has a bye to play for, and I don’t expect this team to let up.
That’s bad news for Hundley and the Packers offense.
Tyrod
Taylor @ NE: Taylor has wavered between average and
awful against the Patriots over the last several seasons. In their
Week 13 matchup he left early with a knee injury, but before he
left he only completed 50% of his throws and had an interception.
Taylor has done most of his damage against the Pats on the ground,
an area New England has been pretty generous at. New England is
also showing defensive cracks again, so I can see why Taylor looks
like an interesting option this week. But the Bills lack offensive
weapons outside of Shady McCoy, and I expect he’ll be the
focal point of the defense. I just don’t feel good about
Taylor on the road in New England in late December. Proceed with
extreme caution.
