I will just get right to the fantasy questions this week, everyone. There’s tons of important stuff to get to, like waiver-wire running backs, algebra, and London games that start earlier than when I woke up this morning. Aren’t you glad you stopped by for some insight?
The Sack: SB Nation’s fantasy football mailbag answers your Week 8 questions
Got fantasy football questions? Come to SB Nation’s Fantasy War Room or tweet @TheSackSBN for answers. Every Thursday, a few will be pulled and answered here. This week, we address start/sits, injuries and what to make of the St. Louis Rams’ backfield.
Here we go:
@TheSackSBN Doug Baldwin or Doug Martin as my flex this week? Standard scoring. THX #thequestforletha
— bill l (@oldstylebeerman) October 22, 2014 Typically I like to go for broke with my flex plays, which means I won’t go for the safe points, but the player who can give me the highest ceiling.
I think we saw Baldwin's ceiling last week. Eleven targets to lead his team, while racking up an impressive seven catches, 123 yards and a score is probably as good as it gets for a receiver in a run-heavy offense. I'd also have to caution that this WR1 production may not be indicative of things to come. Russell Wilson's never been averse to spreading the ball around, and though Baldwin's a solid receiver, he's not a talent that warrants force-fed targets. I expect Jermaine Kearse and Paul Richardson to be more involved as time goes on.
Martin on the other hand, has not shown anything recently in terms of a high ceiling, so even a plus matchup with the Minnesota Vikings can't instill much confidence. Martin hasn't had a great fantasy line since 2012, and behind a woeful offensive line coupled with injuries, he just hasn't gotten going. He'll be the bell cow, but that means nothing if he isn't cashing in on his volume. He'll have the chance to do so versus a Vikings defense that is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs in standard leagues, but if he can't make much of it, then it may mean exploring new options.
I'm more inclined to trust the player who's already shown me something opposed to the one who's done nothing yet, and that's Baldwin. No team has allowed more touchdowns to wide receivers this season than his upcoming opponent, the Carolina Panthers, so I'd take the gamble and see if Baldwin has a nice encore.
@TheSackSBN Pick 2: Bradshaw, Joique, or Kelvin. 0.5PPR
— Craig P. Ephraim (@heyeph) October 22, 2014 Ahmad Bradshaw would be the play by a mile if Trent Richardson sits, but as of Thursday morning it seems as if T-Rich will play, according to beat reporter Mike Wells.
Joique Bell, on the other hand, might monopolize his backfield with Reggie Bush being downgraded in Thursday's practice to "out," but it will be something to monitor all the way until Sunday (wake up early, though! Lions play at 9:30 a.m. ET). That remains the case with Richardson as well.
Either way, Bradshaw and Bell could see themselves keeping the bulk of the workload with injured counterparts, and when you factor in that Kelvin Benjamin is facing one of the most formidable pass defenses in the league in the Seattle Seahawks, it makes the decision a little easier. Go with your running backs this week, and deploy Benjamin in Week 9 when he draws the New Orleans Saints defense.
@TheSackSBN Michael Floyd, Kelvin Benjamin, or Alshon Jeffery. Pick two and show your work.
— Dan Seed (@dseed5) October 22, 2014 The fact you told me to show my work implies this is math. So let us math:
Since you’re dealing with three different players, I need to open my algebra textbook to find a formula with three variables. How about the quadratic equation? That looks smart.
Now, I will enter the values of the variables. Michael Floyd, No. 15, can be a, Kelvin Benjamin, No. 13, can be b, and Alshon Jeffery, No. 17, can be c. Now we have something that looks like number salad, and you know what? I'm ready to eat!
As requested, I show my work. PEMDAS still comes into play, probably, which I can only conclude stands for Pillage Every Math Demon And Solve. This is what I came up with after pillaging said math demons:
Your answer, of course, is math, which was the question in the first place. The answer always lies within the question. This is very profound stuff we’re teetering on.
But your real answer is Michael Floyd and Alshon Jeffery. The Eagles pass defense blows chunks.
NEXT QUESTION!
I would take both backs over Crowell this week, and long-term. Denard Robinson gave the Jaguars a spark that was non-existent in Toby Gerhart, but it's tough to imagine his frame being able to withstand 22 touches again and again. I think that number goes down to the 10-15 range going forward, but that still gives Shoelace some nice flex value.
As for Mason, I don't know what to make of him just yet. His snap count of 27 was pretty low despite his 18 touches for 85 yards on Sunday, and it's something that has me concerned since Benny Cunningham and even Zac Stacy are in the fold. Also, I'm not one for putting too much stock into coach-speak, but what Jeff Fisher had to say about his running backs has me a little nervous for Mason's outlook going forward.
“It’ll be a week-to-week thing,” Fisher said. “Zac [Stacy] could get 25 carries this week. We had some things in early this week. It was working so we decided to stay with ‘Mase.’ It’s nothing that Zac has done or hasn’t done. He’s been a little banged up the last couple of weeks, but obviously he’s an outstanding runner as well.
Well, crap. So Mason still has flex value this week, but it sounds like his grasp on the "lead" role is far from firm. Stash him and hope for the best, but there's no guarantee he continues the season with games like he had in Week 7. I'd roll with Robinson this week to hold you over, and maybe the Rams backfield sorts itself out in the meantime.
Hey, guys, thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Sack. If you would like to be in next week’s The Sack, please post your fantasy questions in the comments or tweet me at @TheSackSBN. Be sure to also visit SB Nation’s Fantasy War Room so I can pull questions from there as well.
