Intro
I love writing these storyline pieces. I will go through the games and discuss one dynasty-relevant storyline per team that I’m excited to see. Usually, I’ll split the games into two sets, covering the early games in one story and the later games in another. Also, I’ll do a special spotlight on the Thursday night game from time to time, as that’s a midweek contest. I like to go into more detail for that game, just for a change of pace.
This piece will give you something specific to look for in each contest, which I hope helps you enjoy the games even more. We all play fantasy football to enhance our enjoyment of football, and I’m trying to add to that sense of happiness here. Fun is the most essential part of this hobby for all of us, including me.
I’ve listed the home team first for each game to keep things organized. I won’t waste any more time, so let’s jump straight in!
Washington vs. Giants
Washington
I’m not going to lie. Every time I watch or think of Washington, I want to see them play Alex Smith as their quarterback. I never expected Smith to see the field after his horrific injury, but he managed to play in a game earlier in this season. If Smith is truly 100% healthy, he is a far superior quarterback to Kyle Allen or Dwayne Haskins, and I would love for him to get another chance to start.
Giants
Some of you may know that I’m a Giants fan, so I always watch the Giants especially closely. As a fan, I’m torn on whether Daniel Jones is the Giants’ long-term solution at quarterback. Every week when I watch Jones, I see him make a few spectacular plays, but he also makes horrific errors. As dynasty players in superflex leagues, Jones is the Giants’ key asset, so you should all watch him every week and make your own call on if he’s the Giants’ future.
Falcons vs. Broncos
Falcons
Calvin Ridley missed practice all week, so I don’t expect him to play in this game. Therefore, Russell Gage and Hayden Hurst become my focus as secondary options behind Julio Jones. Gage and Hurst have each had their ups and downs, but neither has been consistent. I believe that Hurst is the player to watch, although he hasn’t impressed me thus far in 2020. Matt Ryan will throw the ball, so someone will put up numbers other than Julio Jones. We have to see who that is.
Broncos
I’m calling it this week: we’re going to see the Jerry Jeudy breakout. Jeudy was one of my favorite receiver prospects coming into this season, behind only CeeDee Lamb. While Jeudy has seen targets as the Broncos’ top receiver, he hasn’t had that massive game. The Falcons are a putrid defense, which could finally allow Jeudy to show his immense talent. I love Jeudy, so he’ll have my complete attention when the Broncos are on offense.
Bills vs. Seahawks
Bills
This game is critical for Josh Allen. He was a top fantasy quarterback early in the season, but he’s slumped in recent weeks. As I’ve discussed many times, the Seahawks are an awful defense versus fantasy quarterbacks. Therefore, if Allen fails to have a big game, I will need to reconsider his value as a top dynasty quarterback.
Seahawks
The Seahawks won’t have Chris Carson or Carlos Hyde once again this week, leaving them with DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer as their healthy running backs. Last week, Dallas dominated the touches, but he didn’t truly succeed in that role. Also, Homer wasn’t completely healthy, forcing the Seahawks to lean on Dallas. This week, I’m curious if the Seahawks return to a committee or even use Homer more. Dallas’ dynasty value is on the line this week as he’s not going to get another game without Carson, and Rashaad Penny could return at any time.
Titans vs. Bears
Titans
I need to decide on Corey Davis and if he’s for real or not. Davis has five or more targets in each game he’s played this year, and he’s overtaken Jonnu Smith as the Titans’ secondary receiving weapon. The Bears are a tough matchup, but if Davis can succeed here, I will start to take him seriously as a long-term dynasty asset. It’s hard to evaluate Davis next to stud A.J. Brown, so I want to focus on Davis specifically in this contest.
Bears
I planned to discuss Nick Foles and the possibility that the Bears could return to Mitch Trubisky as their starter, but Trubisky now has a shoulder injury. Therefore, I’ll turn to Anthony Miller, who has had a disappointing 2020 season. But, he hit 76% of snaps in Week 8, and he saw a season-high 11 targets, catching eight of them for 73 yards. I believe Miller is a more complete talent than teammate Darnell Mooney, although Mooney is also a good player. Let’s see if Miller can begin to build more momentum this week.
Colts vs. Ravens
Colts
The Colts listed T.Y. Hilton as doubtful this week, opening room for other receivers to step up into larger roles. I would love to see Michael Pittman get heavily targeted, but I’m also keeping an eye on Zach Pascal and Marcus Johnson. Someone needs to fill Hilton’s void, as Philip Rivers can’t continue only to target tight ends week after week.
Ravens
I want to see if the Ravens finally involve Marquise Brown more in their receiving game. Brown complained about a lack of targets on Twitter this past week, and Lamar Jackson vowed to get him the ball more often. I know that Brown is a talented, speedy receiver, but he hasn’t gotten into a rhythm yet in 2020. Let’s see if he can do that against a tough Colts’ defense.
Chiefs vs. Panthers
Chiefs
As usual, the main focus for the Chiefs will be on the backfield, specifically the workload split between Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell. We saw Edwards-Helaire and Bell split work last week, but the Chiefs demolished the Jets. I believe the Panthers’ offense can put up points, forcing the Chiefs to use their first-team offense throughout the game. Therefore, if Edwards-Helaire only sees 50% of the work in a close game, it’s time to reduce his dynasty value.
Panthers
Along with everyone else, I only have eyes for Christian McCaffrey’s return for the Panthers. McCaffrey will finally play after missing six games with a high ankle sprain. I need to see McCaffrey return to his full effectiveness because he’s one of the most dynamic players in the NFL.
Vikings vs. Lions
Vikings
The Vikings have a stable offense, but I want to see them finally establish Irv Smith Jr. as their top receiving tight end over Kyle Rudolph. I believe the Vikings should have traded Rudolph at the trade deadline, as he doesn’t fit on their somewhat rebuilding roster. Smith Jr. has all the talent in the world, and he’s only 22 years old. I love his dynasty prospects, and I’m hoping he can start to produce more consistent fantasy numbers in the back half of his second NFL season.
Lions
The Lions won’t have Kenny Golladay this week, so he’ll miss this smash spot against a terrible Vikings’ secondary. Usually, I would think that Marvin Jones would step up into the top receiving role, but he hasn’t been the same player thus far in 2020. Therefore, I want to see T.J. Hockenson become that alpha target. Hockenson comes from the Rob Gronkowski mold at tight end, and he has all the ability to be a complete force at the position. This week is his chance to have that monster game.
Jaguars vs. Texans
Jaguars
I’m entirely focused on Jake Luton’s debut as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback. I know little about Luton, other than that the Jaguars selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Oregon State. Head coach Doug Marrone claimed that he would change the offense, perhaps taking more downfield shots. It might be a mess, but it’ll be fun to watch.
Texans
The Texans flirted with trading all of their wide receivers at the trade deadline, although they didn’t end up moving anyone. Most notably, Will Fuller Tweeted some vague Tweets about his links to the Packers. I’m curious how Fuller responds to remaining on the Texans and if he maintains his role on the offense. I expect the Texans to continue to involve Fuller, but he has to be a bit mad about the trade rumors. Let’s see what happens.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Storyline Articles: Week 6 Early Games, Week 6 Late Games, Week 7 Thursday Night, Week 7 Early Games, Week 7 Late Games, Week 8 Thursday Night, Week 8 Early Games, Week 8 Late Games, Week 9 Thursday Night
