#3: Green Bay at Chicago (7-5: BAL, cin, PHL, DAL, kc, tb, LV, ind, NE, SF, nyg, NYJ)
Are you starting to see a trend in some of my picks? I sure am.
The picks are becoming any team who plays against the following:
• Chicago
• Houston
• Los Angeles Rams
• Denver
Ironically, no one would’ve expected two of those four teams to
be on this list early in the season, especially the Rams. But
when you can spot a trend in fantasy football, take advantage
of it.
The Bears may get Justin
Fields (shoulder) back for this game, but it is more likely
that Trevor
Siemian (oblique) starts again. Meanwhile on the other sideline,
Aaron Rodgers
is going to try and give it a go, but Jordan
Love may be back under center with Rodgers dealing with both
a broken finger and fractured/bruised ribs that Rodgers says he
can play through.
So, with that in mind, we need to make some assumptions for this
column and the pick may change at gametime. If Love and Siemian
square off, take the Pack. If Fields plays, take the Bears. If
Rodgers and Fields are the quarterbacks, it’s a draw – leaning
towards to Rodgers and the Pack.
This is your typical divisional rivalry, in cold weather, with
questionable players at key positions. Less than ideal to stay
in your survival pool, but better than picking Jacksonville or
Detroit in a game that is going to be uglier than this one.
#2: Seattle over Los Angeles Rams (8-4: NO, BUF, kc, det, PHL, sf, DAL, MN, MIA, chi, CIN, WAS)
When Russell
Wilson faced off against his old team in Week 1, it was Geno
Smith that stole the spotlight. That spotlight has continued
to shine on the Seattle QB as his Seahawks have wiped the memory
of Wilson from their minds and are looking to keep pace with the
49ers by beating the lowly Rams.
It's tough to stay on top in the Not For Long (NFL) league. You
can be a Super Bowl winner the year prior, and the next year be
3-8. Why? Injuries.
This Rams are a shade of what it was last year with Matthew
Stafford, Cooper
Kupp, Odell
Beckham Jr. and even new fill Allen
Robinson all injured. Playing your second string against NFL
starters isn’t a winning formula for especially when the opponents
are gunning for you.
Seattle’s defense has been ripped and is almost as bad as Los
Angeles this year (30th and 31st respectively). But it is the
output of the 4th ranked Seahawks offense that will be the difference.
Based upon Smith’s NFL history, no one saw this production coming
for Seattle prior to the start of the season. Look for it to continue
despite being on the road and without their 12th man.
#1: Cleveland at Houston (8-3: den, lac, GB, BUF, LAR, tb, PHL, KC, NYG, BAL, MIA)
I am so happy to be able to choose this game, this week. Deshaun
Watson has his first game action in more than 700 days, and
his first game… is against his former team – the Texans. The NFL
loves to drum up the drama with the schedule when they can.
The Texans haven’t had any leadership since Watson made his stand
two years ago. Then, this offseason, all the buzz was about the
trade of Watson and Cleveland’s trade of Baker
Mayfield. In the two years Watson has been on the outs in
Houston, the Texans have gone 5-22-1. Davis
Mills and Kyle
Allen are sporting a 78.1 and 67.71 QB rating respectively
and unfortunately the Texans defense doesn’t offset the lack of
production. Yes, Dameon
Pierce is a find, but this team will be drafting a QB in April.
Browns-O / Texans-D Comparison
CLE Off
Rk
Stat
Rk
HOU Def
376.9
5
TOT YDS
29
385.0
222.5
15
PASS YDS
17
216.4
154.4
5
RUSH YDS
32
168.6
23.9
11
PTS SCORED
23
23.6
15
22
T OVERS / T AWAYS
27
11
Browns-D / Texans-O Comparison
CLE Def
Rk
Stat
Rk
HOU Off
347.6
18
TOT YDS
32
279.0
216.1
15
PASS YDS
27
190.5
131.5
23
RUSH YDS
29
88,5
26.0
30
PTS SCORED
31
15.8
8
30
T OVERS / T AWAYS
26
16
Jacoby Brissett has been good, but the Browns are now a legitimate
contender in the AFC North with Watson under center. As such,
Nick Chubb and the other skill players must be licking their chops
with their new signal caller, especially after Miami posted 30
on Houston last week.
The Browns are talented on offense. Their record just hasn’t
proved it yet. But in Watson’s return to the field, which
ironically is the last field he played on, he and his Browns will
be triumphant.