The Dolphins defense inexplicably held Bijan Robinson in check
last week, as they sold out to stop the run, and Kirk Cousins
simply couldn’t take advantage. With the expected return of Lamar
Jackson that won’t be possible. Henry has gotten back on track
after an early season slump, and should feast against a Miami
run defense that's at the bottom of the NFL.
I was really surprised to see that the Raider defense has yet
to give up a 75-yard rusher this season, but with three blowout
losses teams have pulled starters for more than a few 4th quarters.
Etienne and the Jags offense have cooled significantly in the
last month, but the bye week should help restore some of the early
season shine. Etienne has dominated touches in this backfield,
and should be the focal point of the game plan against a spiraling
Vegas team.
The 7th round rookie has been sprinkled in sparingly over the
first half of the season, but the knee injury to Pacheco opens
up a massive opportunity against a Buffalo defense that has been
a wet paper bag against the run all year. With Kareem Hunt stealing
short yardage and goal line work Smith is certainly a risk, but
he’s been talked up by the coaching staff recently, and this is
the perfect opportunity to give him an extended look. If you’ve
been holding him all year, or need a sneaky FLEX play with upside,
I’m calling a shot here with Smith.
Since returning from a calf injury, Hubbard has limped to a 2.5
yards-per-carry average while backfield mate Rico Dowdle has flashed
a different level of speed and elusiveness. This 50-50 backfield
split is about to tip heavily into Dowdle's favor. The snap shift,
combined with the elite rush defense of the Packers make Hubbard
nearly impossible to start.
Everyone’s favorite 7th-round darling has been a Halloween
level nightmare for a good chunk of the season. Outside of Week
1 and 5, he’s been unstartable. I know the offense has been
a mess with revolving quarterbacks and receivers, and Merritt
might have some late-season value as this offense gets healthy,
but the brutal matchup combined with scant passing game work,
firmly plants him on the bench in Week 9.
Mason was a decent starter during the games he had the backfield
to himself, but this team has fallen apart due to poor offensive
line and quarterback play. With Jones back in the mix, the snap
distribution becomes muddled, and neither player can be trusted
as anything more than a desperation FLEX play.
