Week 9 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some thoughts and observations about Week 9 as I bid a fond farewell to the Packers' Super Bowl chances.

Let's begin close to home where the Packers have been exposed as a decent but hardly great team. No Jordy Nelson a rattled Aaron Rodgers and a defense poorly coached by Dom Capers and horribly assembled by Ted Thompson have doomed this season. I realize there's still a lot of football to be played but I don't see how this team turns its fortunes around to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

I'm waiving the white flag with Ed Lacy. I'm done. I don't know if he's hurt, fat, both or what but I'm done.

Oh and Lacy's poor season has been a huge problem for Green Bay as well.

The Broncos' defense was looking legendary. Andrew Luck was looking lost. So of course Luck carved Denver up on Sunday. Of course he did.

Talk about your season saving wins. The Colts may not be a legitimate Super Bowl contender either but that was all about manning up and beating a (yes) superior team in a game the team just had to find a way to win.

Strength of Schedule is one of the most meaningless fantasy tools in my opinion since so much changes week-to-week in this game but take a look at the Colts' schedule after the Week 10 bye and then ask yourself - Will Andrew Luck be QB1 the rest of the season?

The answer is yes.

Don't know if it was guts, painkillers or what but T.Y. Hilton looked pretty damn good for a guy with a supposedly bad foot.

Really Aqib Talib? Really?

I love you Mike Evans but you gotta hold onto the ball. You just gotta.

Nobody turns a deflected pass into a long touchdown better than Delanie Walker. Nobody.

Damn Dion Lewis.

Damn.

#SadFace

Anyone else get the feeling the Patriots weren't trying very hard this week? They did not look sharp and the whole game felt as if they were sleepwalking through it. A better team would've been able to capitalize on that and spring the upset but the Redskins are ... well ... the Redskins.

Welcome back Dez Bryant. You've been missed.

A hearty welcome back to you as well Jordan Matthews.

Not sure you'll see a more athletic play in the end zone than the one Dez made on his touchdown catch Sunday night. That's why we watch these games - to see amazing athletes make amazing plays. Fortunately, there wasn't a moronic rule in place to nullify it.

In one league I was forced to choose between Garrett Celek, Clive Walford and Will Tye for a bye-week tight end this week. Guess which one I picked?

Yup.

Assuming Jay Cutler and Antonio Gates don't go out together, get drunk and miss tonight's game I'm going to cash in DFS this week. Why do I mention this? Because that means I will have cashed in every odd week of the season and failed to cash in every even week.

A smart man would look at the schedule, see Week 10 is coming up next and not play DFS next week. Which has me wondering ...

When does Fanduel open up its contests for Week 10?

Have I mentioned how good Mike Crabtree has been this season?

I don't know about you but I'm getting tired of watching Ben Roethlisberger being carted off the field. I don't own Ben in a single league so this isn't about me bemoaning a fantasy fate; I just hate seeing great players get hurt all the time.

Antonio Brown.

Wow.

I mean ...

WOW

The crazy thing about Brown's day is it should've been even better. Roethlisberger underthrew him on a long completion in the first half that should've gone for an easy touchdown.

You watch how easy it is for Landry Jones to get the ball to Brown and it's absolutely mystifying that Mike Vick couldn't even come close to doing it properly. Why in God's name did the Steelers sign him? What a truly awful personnel decision.

And now my weekly "The Walking Dead" update:

How did Rick get out of the RV?

Yawn.

Filler episode.

Teen angst.

How did Rick get out of the RV?

Bun in the oven.

Lesbian Love.

No really, how in the hell did Rick get out of the RV?

Honestly, how in the hell did he get out of the RV?

Now back to football.

If you didn't gain a real appreciation for just how good the Vikings' defense is after watching them bottle up #TheKraken all game long I don't know what to tell you. That was one helluva performance against a star running back.

With #TheKraken and Tavon Austin the Rams have two legitimate threats defenses have to contend with who are honest-to-goodness difference makers. Unfortunately, their quarterback is Nick Foles who ... isn't.

Get well soon Ted Bridgewater.

Darren McFadden played every single snap Sunday night. Every single one. I can't remember the last time I saw a player his team did not want to play more than Christine Michael right now.

Blaine Gabbert outplayed Matt Ryan and Shaun Draughn outplayed Devonta Freeman because ... well ... ummmm ... football.

Yes Atlanta, that was about as embarrassing a display as one can imagine for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Have yourself a day Marcus Mariota.

Remember when people were concerned Drew Brees couldn't throw anymore? That was cute.

Seriously Antonio Brown. WOW.

I guess I should've trusted Sam Watkins in his return to the lineup, huh?

In the Sirius Hosts League all five of my running backs had a Week 9 bye so I had to start Dexter McCluster and C.J. Spiller. I also started Dwayne Harris over Watkins. You'll be genuinely surprised to find out I got my ass kicked this week. Shocking, I know.

On the bright side in my top league I heart me some Antonio Brown, Jordan Matthews, #TheKraken and the Philly defense. Now give me some love tonight Antonio Gates and Bob Gould and I'm gonna sleep like a baby.

And finally, if you started Matt Cassel, Karlos Williams, Shaun Draughn, Cole Beasley, Bryan Walters, Devin Funchess and Garrett Celek this week can you set my lineups for me? I have a couple of leagues where I just can't seem to do anything right. Thanks.

[KenGill]

Has anyone seen Bishop Sankey since week 1???

How can a guy picked as the first RB taken a year ago, not even be getting any snaps?

[Tom Kessenich]

Has anyone seen Bishop Sankey since week 1???

How can a guy picked as the first RB taken a year ago, not even be getting any snaps?

He stinks?

[KenGill]

Tom, that explanation works for me.
But if he stinks, what does that say for the Titan's management & scouting, which picked him last year?

[Tom Kessenich]

Tom, that explanation works for me.
But if he stinks, what does that say for the Titan's management & scouting, which picked him last year?

They stink?

[FantasyJC]

So many injuries to key players. Also the competition in these leagues is tough. Some of you guys are plugged in and have a really good strategy. Depth is a big key to winning because you can overcome injuries and byes.

Also hitting on a sleeper or two is key, there are people in all leagues who have Devonta Freeman, McFadden and other sleeper players. In my best league I lost Keenan Allen which may end up being too much for me to place despite hitting on Adams, Miller and a other players to a lesser extent.

Also it is key to stay on top of your leagues, I have focused on DFS and I have made mistakes where I do not see players being questionable or on byes and end up being short a player.