Recapping Week 7

By Joey DeClercq

What happened to Brett Favre? Why did the Raiders score so much and how are their chances the rest of the season? In this week’s recap I’ll dive into those questions as well as welcome back “Big Ben” into fantasy relevance.

Darren McFadden led the Raiders to their highest scoring game ever as he ran for a blistering 165 yards and 3 TD’s. The Raiders welcomed McFadden back after being out the last two weeks with injuries and immediately incorporated him into their offense. He is finally proving himself as a useful back in the fantasy realm on the field as the Raiders are now making a charge at the Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC West. McFadden is owned in 100% of ESPN leagues, but only started in 57%. Go get McFadden if he is available for trade in your league.

Amidst all the ruckus surrounding Brett Favre’s off field behavior recently he was determined to make a stand against his former team the Packers last week, but was unable to do so. After throwing for only 212 yards and 1 TD in the Vikings’ 24-28 loss to the Packers on Sunday, Favre sustained an injury to his ankle that won’t need surgery, but may keep him off the field for this coming Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

In just his second game of the season after coming back from a suspension, Ben Roethlisberger showed why he should be a coveted QB this season. “Big Ben” threw 302 yards and 2 TD’s en route to a close 23-22 win over Miami. He is owned in 99% of ESPN leagues, but I suggest that you go out and trade for him. He has a lot of football left this season and can be the difference between the playoffs and an early off-season.

Marshawn Lynch is the player I hate to love. After drafting him hoping he could flash some of his once promising talent, I quickly dropped him after a disappointing start. However, after his trade to Seattle, maybe he is finally tapping into his inner Barry Sanders. He has shown fantasy importance in back to back weeks as he ran for 44 yards and a touchdown in week six, and then for 89 yards this past week. Keep an eye on him because he may become a more useful player down the stretch. He is currently owned in 75% of ESPN leagues.

Week 8 Fantasy Forecast

By Caleb Taylor

Monday night the injury list got a little bit longer as Cowboys QB Tony Romo broke his left collar bone after sustaining a painful hit from Giants linebacker Michael Boley in the second quarter. Cowboy fans may have lost hope, but that means Tony Romo fans don’t have to.

Quarterback Pick Up

If you are in need of a starting QB, either because of injury or because the Falcons, Bears, Browns, Giants, Eagles and Ravens have byes this week, Ryan Fitzpatrick should be added to your team right away. Over the four games Fitzpatrick has started at quarterback, he is averaging 20.5 fantasy points per game, that is more than Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning so far this year.

Wide Receiver Possibilities

Two other possible pick-ups this week are Patrick Crayton or Legedu Naanee (yes that is his name), wide receivers for the San Diego Chargers. With Malcom Flyod injured and Antonio Gates banged up, I predict that one of these Charger receivers will have a big game this week. However, It depends on the health of Naanee. If he’s100% I would start Naanee as a number three WR, if injury becomes a problem, I would confidently start Patrick Crayton against the Titans on Sunday.

Choosing a Running Back

I’ve given you a quarter back pick up and a wide receiver pick up, why not a running back next? If you are searching for a running back with the potential to help you out down the stretch, add LeGarrette Blount to your fantasy team. He is a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who has been overshadowed by Cadillac Williams. However, Blount has been far out-performing Williams and is expected to see significant increase in workload this coming week.