Injuries are a nauseating part of fantasy football, but often it seems some teams are clearly snake-bitten. In my league, the OFFL, Kevin and his team SuperNova must feel like they’ve fallen into the snake pit with Indiana Jones. Three of his top four picks are possibly done for the year: Malik Nabers, Joe Burrow and Tyreek Hill. It’s even more ominous because he drafted Christian McCaffrey with his No. 1 pick, the most injury-prone player in the NFL. Is it just a matter of time before reptile dysfunction sets in? I can just hear Kevin looking at his lineup this week, channeling Indiana and saying, “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?”
GIDDY UP!
QB Jaxson Dart at Saints — Elated Giant fans were blowing up my cell phone as Dart led Big Blue to the biggest upset victory in Week 4. Next up is the Saints’ 26th ranked pass defense, a cushy spot for Dart’s second career start.
QB Kyler Murray vs. Titans — “Leave no doubt!” is a memorable quote from the movie “Remember the Titans.” Well, leave no doubt that Murray will put up memorable numbers against a Titans defense that allowed 30 points per game over the first four weeks.
RB Omarion Hampton at Commanders — Hampton comes alive in D.C. this week both rushing and receiving in what should be a high scoring affair. After a slow start and no longer splitting carries with Najee Harris, Omarion has crushed it in back-to-back games.
RB Javonte Williams at Jets — I benched Javonte last week because he faced a stout Packers D. 85 yards and a TD later, and I’m back in therapy. He’s averaging 20 points per game and earned my respect. He should have yours as well.
WR Darius Slayton at Saints — Wan’Dale Robinson plays in the slot and will catch more short passes, but Slayton is the potential home run hitter for the G-Men. Robinson had three catches for 14 yards last week when Nabers went down. Slayton had three for 44. Small sample size for sure, but interesting to see how this plays out.
WR Jameson Williams at Bengals — With only 10 receptions on the year, it appears the Lions’ new offense has forgotten the speedy Williams. The Bengals are the perfect tonic to snap Williams back to his high-flying ways. Amon-Ra St. Brown can’t have all the fun every week.
TE Dalton Kincaid vs. Patriots — Kincaid scored in three out of four games. The Bills didn’t need him much to defeat the Saints last week, but his lone catch was a beautiful 28-yard touchdown.
WHOA DOWN!
QB Trevor Lawrence vs. Chiefs — Lawrence with the flowing golden locks makes $10 million more per year than Patrick Mahomes, which feels like paying extra for decaf — it just doesn’t seem right. I have 10 million reasons to believe the Chiefs will make chump change out of Lawrence.
QB Dillon Gabriel vs. Vikings (in London) — I recommended drowning your sorrows with a pint of Guinness if you started the 41-year-old QB Aaron Rodgers (200 yards, 1 TD) against a stout Vikings defense in Dublin. Now the 24-year-old Gabriel makes his first NFL start against the Purple People Eaters in London. Might I suggest a tasty pint of Camden Hells Lager?
RB Nick Chubb at Ravens — The Chubb era has hit the skid … Marks. Woody Marks out-touched, outscored and outplayed Chubb last week. Marks has become the lead dog, leaving Chubb following on a short leash.
RB Ashton Jeanty at Colts — Sure, the rookie Raider was spectacular (138 rushing yards) against the Bears’ 29th-ranked run defense. But the Colts have yet to cede more than 77 yards to any RB, and they’ve played some good ones: Kyren Williams, De’Von Achane and J.K. Dobbins.
WR Chris Godwin at Seahawks — Big respect for Godwin’s brave comeback from a gruesome ankle dislocation. But with 10 targets last week, he only caught three for 26 yards. The rust is still evident, and against a solid Seahawk secondary, best to give Godwin more time to get in game shape.
WR A.J. Brown vs. Broncos — %$#@#$%! If this wasn’t a family-friendly paper, my comments for Brown would be laced with foul profanity that would make a sailor blush. The receiving yardage in three of Brown’s games looks like the combination to my luggage: 8, 27, 7.
TE Tyler Higbee vs. 49ers — The bye weeks start with a host of TEs missing. There are better subs to pick up than Higbee: Okonkwo, Otton, a resurgent Darren Waller or Dart’s new BFF, Theo Johnson.
Thursday Night Special: The mangled 49ers were beaten up by Jacksonville of all teams. The Rams blew a 19-point lead on a frantic comeback by the Eagles. But the Rams smell blood, knowing the 49ers are wounded and reeling. L.A. moves to 4-1 and first place in the NFC West. Rams 24, 49ers 17
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Bill Reinhard is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a columnist for FantasyGuru.com. Catch Bill every Wednesday night at 6:15 on “This Week in Pro Football” on YouTube TV.
