There are actions you take sometimes that don’t make you proud.
You change your mind on an item when you reach the other side of the store, so you put it down on an empty cabinet, aisles away from its original home. You missed the fact a traffic lane was ending and had to cut someone off to get where you needed to be. You play a player in fantasy football who you look upon in disfavor in real life. All shameful actions, all justified in their specific situations.
In the past, you might have done this on your fantasy teams with Michael Vick or Adrian Peterson or Ben Roethisberger, among others. If you want to blame someone for decisions to use players like this, blame the NFL for allowing them on the field, not the fantasy managers who are navigating the landscape the league created by allowing them to play.
Whether or not this rational makes any logical sense is irrelevant, as long as you can convince yourself it makes sense — thus avoiding any guilty feelings at the actions you take with your fantasy roster.
Using this agnostic shield of fantasy morality we have concocted, we are now free to discuss the football-centric attributes of Deshaun Watson. The quarterback of otherworldly talents will make his return to the field Sunday. Last we saw him, he was leading the Texans in 2020, and also leading the NFL in passing yards. He was on his way to the third of three straight Pro Bowl appearances. He was one of the league’s golden boys.
This week, he will be making his season and Browns debut against his former team, the Texans. Good news for those agnostic Watson fantasy managers: The Texans are awful. So it should be a good matchup, right?
Well, the problem isn’t just that the Texans are awful, it is that they are so bad that teams often don’t have to continue to throw on them all day, so QBs don’t fare great against them for fantasy purposes. Houston ranks third is fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs.
And here is the other, painfully obvious thing: Watson hasn’t played in nearly two years. There is going to be some significant rust. Plus, he is making his debut for a new team in a new offensive system in which he has never played before, with players he has never played with before, in a game against a team that carries a ton of emotional baggage on both sides.
None of that even remotely suggests a blockbuster fantasy outing is in the offing. But considering the sad state of fantasy QBs this season … yes, we’ll play him. Over anyone outside of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson or Justin Herbert, on any given week, even this week. And contrary to Madman tenets, we’re going to do this the rest of the season — make him play his way out of our lineup.
Moral of the story: Bench your morality and put Watson in your fantasy lineup.
Big weeks
Trevor Lawrence QB, Jaguars, at Lions (FanDuel $7,500/DraftKings $5,900)
Lawrence is coming off his best passing day of the season, against a middle-of-the-pack Ravens defense. Now, he gets a Lions pass defense that yields nearly 3 points more per week to fantasy QBs than any other team.
Kyren Williams RB, Rams, vs. Seahawks (FD $5,500/DK $5,200)
Seattle gives up nearly 7 PPR points over the league average each week to running backs. With Cam Akers fighting an illness and his role diminishing, Williams could be a sneaky desperation option or deep DFS play.
Randall Cobb WR, Packers, at Bears (FD $5,400/DK $4,200)
Pro Football Focus grades Cobb’s matchup vs. the Bears’ slot cornerback Jaylon Jones as “excellent.” Worthy of a Flex spot and strong DFS option this week.
Garrett Wilson WR, Jets, at Vikings (FD $6,600/DK $5,300)
Caught two TD passes last week from new QB Mike White. That’s two more than he caught in seven weeks with Zach Wilson. Vikings are in the bottom five in the league defending fantasy WRs.
Zay Jones WR, Jaguars, at Lions (FD 6,400$/DK $4,900)
Has 24 targets the past two weeks — more than No. 1 Jags WR Christian Kirk. We’ll take that spike in volume in what could be a shootout in Detroit, assuming chest injury doesn’t impact his availability.
Small weaks
Kirk Cousins QB, Vikings vs. Jets (FD $7,400/DK $5,700)
Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are only QBs this season to post games above the weekly league average when facing the Jets. We don’t think Cousins is in that same company.
Rachaad White RB, Buccaneers, vs. Saints (FD $7,000/DK $5,600)
The Tampa Bay O-line doesn’t rate well vs. the Saints’ defense, per PFF. New Orleans is in the top third vs. opposing fantasy RBs. And Leonard Fournette is on track to return and steal some carries.
Terry McLaurin WR, Commanders, at Giants (FD $6,900/DK $5,800)
The Over/Under on this game is one of the lowest of the week. Scary Terry just doesn’t get enough “money looks” to take full advantage of a good matchup — he has just two TDs all season.
CeeDee Lamb WR, Cowboys, vs. Colts (FD $8,000/DK $7,300)
Indianapolis allows 7.1 PPR points fewer than the league average to WRs each week. Expect the low end of his normal PPR window, in 10-12 range.
Insanity’s Daily Duel
Site: FanDuel
Slate: Sun. main (12 games)
Type: $9 tourney
Top prize: $25K
Pot: $125K
Drew’s Crew
QB — Trevor Lawrence (Jac, at Det) $7,500
RB — David Montgomery (Chi, vs. GB) $7,000
RB — Nick Chubb (Cle, at Hou) $9,600
WR — Randall Cobb (GB, at Chi) $5,400
WR — A.J. Brown (Phi, vs. Ten) $8,100
WR — D.J. Chark Jr. (Det, vs. Jac) $5,300
TE — George Kittle (SF, vs. Mia) $6,200
Flex — Garrett Wilson (NYJ, at Min) $6,600
DEF — Falcons (Atl, vs. Pit) $3,900
Wilk’s Warriors
QB — Jared Goff (Det, vs. Jac) $6,800
RB — Austin Ekeler (LAC, at LV) $9,200
RB — Aaron Jones (GB, at Chi) $7,400
WR — Amon-Ra St. Brown (Det, vs. Jax) $8,000
WR — David Bell (Cle, at Hou) $5,000
WR — George Pickens (Pit, at Atl) $6,700
TE — George Kittle (SF, vs. Mia) $6,200
Flex — Dameon Pierce (Hou, vs. Cle) $6,500
DEF — Commanders (Was, at NYG) 4,100
Season risked: $90
Season winnings: Jarad $40, Drew $12