Onto the next week. Often in sports, this is the motto. In the NFL/Fantasy Football, that is never more true than right now. Teams want to be playing their best ball so they’re firing on all cylinders come playoff time. In fantasy football, it’s semi finals week. The stakes are never higher, unless of course you survive and advance to the finals next week. If you’re new here, first let me say welcome. In this column we take a look at what’s to come in this week. Then, I take a stab at some bold predictions. Some weeks are good, others are not, like last week, which we will recap. Is the talk legitimate? Or are we just talkin’ crazy?
Last Week’s (Week 15 Bold Predictions)
JK Dobbins has another big game at Cleveland in the Ravens win. The Ravens passing attack was stuck in neutral for a majority of the game, and we all know they lost 13-3 to the Browns. However, Dobbins had another fantastic game with over 100 yards rushing with a robust 9.6 YPC. He didn’t score that ever elusive TD, though. Chalk up this prediction to a half-hit. Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs Disappoint I was feeling super confident in this one during the first half of the Minny-Indy game, then the Vikings offense decided to show up. While Jefferson finished the week as a top 5 scoring WR on the week, Stefon Diggs missed the cut. Chalk up another half-right prediction here. The Panthers Use Ground Game to Another Win Yeah, safe to say I absolutely botched this one. I really thought the Panthers ground game would thrive against Pittsburgh. Boy, was I off on this one. Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman rushed for less than twenty yards COMBINED. Not my best prediction here.
Miscellaneous Quick Hits of Week 15
1. Lions win again over the Jets. Yes, I’m riding with the Lions, and I will die on this hill. The news of Zach Wilson starting for the Jets makes me feel better about this one, too. I think it’s safe to say I’m fully on this Lions bandwagon (and have been for weeks) and I’ll gladly see where the destination ends up. 2. Desmond Ridder looks capable in the Falcons-Saints game, but the Saints win (although I think the Falcons will cover +4). Had some good moments and some bad, which is what you would expect from a mid-round rookie making his first start on the road. Oh, and the Saints covered. 3. The Jags (+4) cover at home versus Dallas. Are the Cowboys looking ahead to their Christmas Eve matchup against Philly? This game will give us that answer Absolutely nailed this one, and I’m pretty happy with it. For what it’s worth, I was so confident in this one I put some money on it on the SportsBook. When a team has such a big game lurking they can overlook their current opponent. We’ve seen it before, saw it here, and will undoubtedly see it again.
This Week’s (Week 16) Bold Predictions
I’ll keep this week short since it’s Christmas weekend. The weather is going to be downright frigid in all outdoor games on Christmas Eve with some heavy wind gusts as well. I’m expecting relatively low scoring fantasy performances league wide. 1. Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco each top over 12 fantasy points. Both are getting heavy volume, and up next is the Seahawks defense, which is the second worst rushing defense in the league, right above Houston. If you have either of these players, you should start them. 2. The Texans (+3) cover versus the Titans. They’re going to win one more game before the season is over. Is this the week? I like their chances to at least cover. 3. Speaking of teams covering, I like the Giants to cover (+4) versus the Vikings. Emotional, historic win for the Vikings last week, and as we’ve seen countless times before, the situation is ripe for a letdown. 4. Lions win again. I’ve said it countless times, and I’m going to die on this hill, damn it! 5. The Ravens defense shows up in a big way in their win over the Falcons. They’re my favorite D/ST play this week. 6. This one may be partially due to my Eagles fanhood, but I think the Birds cover (+4.5) versus Dallas. Gardner Minshew is capable, and he is auditioning for a starting gig next year, and could have 3 games to do it. 7. I like Tampa Bay big this week versus Arizona. Did you read Jeremy Fowler’s piece on the turmoil that is in Arizona, and how coach Kliff Kingsbury is considering resigning at year’s end? It was an eye-opening piece, and I think Arizona snowballs from here. Give me Tampa with the points (-7.5). I’m also not forgetting my predictions for the playoff seeding, which we will recap at season’s end. Let’s check those receipts next week! Also feel free to reach out on social media @DLorenzDPT (Twitter) and @TheFantasyDoctors (Twitter) and follow/subscribe to our YouTube channel. I can handle the heat.
