“Take the cookies when they are passed.”
This is the old family my sister likes to remind us of. Even though we work hard and have earned much of our good fortune, this quote reminds us to be grateful for the blessings we may not have asked for or deserved. We – all of us – love our cookies too.
Writing this reminds me, as an avid pickleball player, of the unwritten rule of apologizing when your shot inadvertently crosses the net into your opponent’s body or meekly slides in for a point. These weren’t the intended results, and they weren’t exactly how I was going to draw the play, but the result worked for me. The purpose of the game is to score points, so why should I apologize? Take the biscuits…
I had a similar moment with my Week 6 fantasy lineup. My list of breeds was a series of little red words and goodbyes. I stared at the starting roster of Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, Tyler Allgaier, (TG!) Joe Mixon, Gabe Davis, Jalen McMillan, Keon Coleman, likely Isaiah, Theo Johnson, and Hunter Henry. Very bleak. If you’re curious about my three tight ends, it’s a SuperFlex league, premium TE with flexible roster construction. I literally had no reserve players or WRs – from a 30-man roster – to start. Yet, somehow, they managed to pull out the victory even as McMillan avoided every one of the Bucs’ 51 points.
I felt bad about it, honestly. My opponent had good NFL players in his squad, like Mike Evans, Sam Laporta and Jahmir Gibbs. I didn’t feel like I deserved to win, but it was in my lap. So I take it by thanking the football gods, fickle as they are. A lot about our game goes against expectations. We mostly focus on the negative, so I hope I remind you that sometimes, good things come out of nowhere too, and it’s good to acknowledge them with gratitude. I hope each of you receives fantastic wealth from an unexpected source this week. With that in mind, let’s move on to the players you shouldn’t overthink, as well as the duos you can feel good about mixing with if there’s a need or desire to make adjustments.
Don’t overthink it…Bucky Irving, quarterback, TB (vs. PAL)
Even though Shawn Tucker stole the show and is a popular name on waivers, don’t penalize Irving just yet. He still played more snaps than Tucker and got one more goal than Tucker. The talented rookie has outplayed Rashad White all season and is the safest play for the potential Three-Chiefs panel. The Bucs will face the Ravens on Monday night, a below average matchup at linebacker, unfortunately. However, the game must be high-scoring and competitive – or in other words, fantasy-friendly (on both sides).
Tank Bigsby, RB, JAC (vs. NE)
Granted, the Jaguars are in a bit of a mess at the moment, languishing in London while the world points fingers and tries to shift blame for this disastrous 1-5 start. The only place I’m sure he doesn’t belong is on Bigsby’s shoulders. He is the team’s leading rusher with nearly 300 yards and has been very effective with a smaller workload than Travis Etienne Jr. (Bigsby averages 7.2 YPC). He wasn’t involved in the passing game but was outpacing Etienne in both rushing tackles and rushing attempts even before Etienne’s hamstring injury in Week 6. Even if Etienne plays in this weekend’s game against New England, I think Bigsby is a must-start fantasy. The Patriots are among the most generous defenses in the league in terms of fantasy, and the Jags are somehow favored in this showdown between two of the worst teams in the AFC.
Josh Allen, QB, BUF (vs. TEN)
The Titans boast one of the best pass defenses in the league and are also the sixth-worst against fantasy QBs, giving up an average of eight fewer fantasy points to the position this season. Have you faced Tennessee QBs? Joe Flacco, Tyler Huntley, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, and Caleb Williams (in his first NFL game). I like to check the DvP system when making tough decisions, but this can’t be done in a vacuum. With so many QBs on the rise and Allen struggling through Weeks 4-5, I wouldn’t necessarily consider him a starter against the Jets. So, of course, he had an essentially perfect game, passing for two TDs and his first rushing score since Week 1. It remains to be seen how adding Amari Cooper to the mix will pan out, and I’m still not excited about the Bills’ receivers, but Allen is back in full confidence mode against a defense that’s more vulnerable than it first appears.
Messing around with…Bub means WR and NO (versus DEN)
With the Saints playing Thursday night against Denver, Chris Olave will not be on the field. Although things were somewhat rocky with rookie QB Spencer Rattler taking over for the injured Derek Carr, it meant he was looked to again and again after Olave was out. With five catches for 45 yards and eight scores, Means is another hot waiver name this week. While it’s certainly not a fantasy matchup like the Bucs’ matchup was last week, a player with Means’ usage metrics is one I would have no problem including on the roster.
Demario Douglas, WR, NE (at JAC)
I mentioned this game before, and it kind of scares me because I don’t usually draw fantasy inspiration from the worst teams in the league. However, Drake Maye took over for the Pats in Week 6, and although he failed to beat a much better Houston Texans team, he gives the team something exciting to build on in Week 7. The biggest problem the Jaguars face this season is their defense, or lack thereof. Maye seemed to have an instant connection on the field with Douglas, targeting him nine times for a 6/92/1 line for the second-year receiver. My money is on New England winning this game outright, but at the very least, there should be some fantasy value in starting Douglas.
Jacoby Myers, WR, LV (at LAR)
It’s easier to manipulate at WR than other positions this week, so hopefully your roster allows for that flexibility. Myers should return from an ankle injury this week and would immediately help Aidan O’Connell find his footing in a good matchup for the Rams. Los Angeles allows opponents to have the fourth-most points while ranking in the middle of the pack against the pass. Myers is, and always has been, more of a PPR play, but he and O’Connell shared four TDs at the end of last season, so there’s hope.
(Top photo of Bucky Irving: Matthew Hinton/Imagine Images)
