It’s time for our weekly fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. We surf through lots of fantasy football topics as we approach the playoffs in most leagues.
Are Buffalo Bills running backs smart plays after what Washington did to Pittsburgh last week? On the surface, no, because those guys don’t catch the ball a ton. Buffalo’s running backs have a combined 44 catches (31 for Devin Singletary).
Yet, Washington’s J.D. McKissic had 10 receptions for 70 yards Monday evening. And as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pointed out, he expects that to be noticed on tape by Buffalo’s coaching staff. Perhaps those numbers translate more to Cole Beasley in Buffalo than anyone out of the backfield.
We also investigate the issue of drops as they relate to Steelers pass catchers. And, yes, I’m using the word “catchers” loosely there.
Fantasy owners of players such as Diontae Johnson and Eric Ebron have to be frustrated, as are those who have Ben Roethlisberger. After all, it’s not just the dropped passes that are burning the Steelers quarterback. It’s also the lack of yardage on the short routes and the failure to convert in the red zone that have hurt his statistics.
Elsewhere, Erickson tells you if you should buy into Lamar Jackson’s big return from the covid-19 list Tuesday night. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback had 94 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. He also threw for two scores. Running back J.K. Dobbins jumped back into the lineup with 74 yards and a score. Plus, Gus Edwards had 101 yards on the ground.
Baltimore visits Cleveland on Monday night. The Browns are eighth in the league in stopping the run. So Erickson breaks down whether it’s wise to subscribe to a “Ravens are back” theory after just one game against the woeful Cowboys.
Although Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews is back from the covid-19 protocol, too. So maybe Jackson will get a bump in the pass department as well.
Beyond the AFC North, we delve into a few wide receiver conundrums, talk about some screwy playoff scenarios we have encountered in our leagues and analyze some early impact that may occur in the Thursday night game between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
Listen: Tim Benz and Jeff Erickson of RotoWire break down this week’s fantasy football plays
