Is That A Dolphin or a Shark?

Just like when you see a dolphin for the first time in the water and you get scared because oh wait, maybe that’s a shark.  The Dolphins looked more like an apex predator in Week 7, putting up big numbers against the Texans.  Ryan Tannehill was nearly perfect, completing 18 of 19, for 282 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.  Lamar Miller had his biggest game of the year, rushing the ball 14 times for 175 yards and a touchdown, while also catching three balls for 61 yards and an additional score.  Jarvis Landry didn’t disappoint either, catching five Tannehill passes for 83 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

The head coach gets fired and the team is reborn, they couldn’t have drawn it up better for the organization moving forward.  All three of the players I just spoke about have been disappointments to this point.  Do I think this is a sign of good things to come?  Maybe.  Looking forward, the schedule isn’t favorable or a matchup nightmare for the Dolphins offense.  If you benched Tannehill, or made a move to acquire another quarterback, I’d look at your options of moving Tannehill right now as his value is the highest it’s been all year.  Ask the guy who owns Peyton Manning what he thinks of Tannehill, and see what you can get there.  Lamar Miller is someone you want to target, and he may come at a steep price with back to back weeks of healthy production, but a trade talk you want to be a part of.  See what the price is for Miller, and if you have a piece that the owner of Miller wants, and that piece is disposable to you, I’d look at making the move for Miller as I expect a healthy dose of him the rest of the year.  Landry is the No. 1 receiver on a team full of weapons and targets; But this was his first game with a touchdown and Tannehill has many guys he can look at.  Landry’s value is at its peak this year, meaning you should be able to move him for something decent in return.  See what the market looks like for Landry, and make those offers to receiver needy teams, or teams who lost Jamal Charles or Arian Foster and need able bodies on deck.  They may have a quarterback or tight end that can help you, or a couple pieces that would help round out your roster.  Either way, the Dolphins had a great week bring themselves back to the surface of fantasy conversations.

Colts Pieces Are Not Elite

You know why I’m not a fan of drafting a quarterback early?  Because of what Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck have proved to me once again this year.  There’s so many quarterbacks you can plug and play, and it hurts your roster when you take a QB so early in drafts.  Andrew Luck, the face of the franchise in Indianapolis, and who I said was the better quarterback to draft prior to the year.  Boy was I wrong if you drafted Luck over Aaron Rodgers.  Luck, for the first time has made me question if he deserves to be placed in the elite category.  In a year I thought would make Luck the best player in the league, has been quite the opposite.  He continues to not look good on tape, and the entire team is in a downward spiral.  It’s not just Luck, the defense puts them in bad spots, and his offensive line is nothing to get excited about.  The former first-overall pick is missing throws he used to make, and continues to try and do too much with the ball.

If not for garbage time second half bombs to T.Y. Hilton, we would be seeing Luck owners possibly benching their star quarterback.  What to do with those Colts pieces?  Well it’s a perfect time now to trade Hilton, who has been disappointing with the Luck issues, and has not been a WR1 by any means.  He’s coming off back to back weeks with touchdown catches, and this is situation where the stat line shows a much better game than what Hilton has actually had.  In Week 7 he had 150 yards and two touchdowns, on just four catches.   While he is being targeted the most on his team, he’s not producing what you would expect out of a guy seeing the bulk of the targets in a pass happy offense who is supposed to have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game.

Hilton could explode if the Colts figure things out, but he isn’t the possession receiver the Colts want him to be, and in fantasy if he doesn’t catch a bomb for a touchdown, he’s basically a bust and a WR2 at best.  See if you can buy low on a piece like Cobb or a similar type of play and move Hilton.  You can’t move Luck, he won’t yield what you drafted him for.  I’d continue to play him and ride this out, and obviously hope for the best.  I would though try to acquire or target a backup quarterback you could see yourself starting in a few weeks if things get worse for the Colts on offense.

Waive Wire Adds

Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr had a really nice game against the San Diego Chargers, and walked away with a nice upset win over a veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.  The first half was an absolute clinic by Carr, as he put his team up 30-6 entering halftime.  Think about his numbers if he would have continued to throw the ball in the second half versus handing the ball off to kill the clock.  Carr has a ton of weapons around him, with Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper looking like cornerstone skill players for this Raiders offense.  I only expect Carr and the Raiders to improve, and I think Carr can start for you on weeks where he has favorable matchups.

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Darren McFadden benefited from the early injury to Joseph Randle, and hit a lot of open holes that the best offensive line in football created for him.  He looked more explosive than he has since his rookie season.  Randle has been spotty, and for some reason the coaching staff refuses to give him the nod as the bell cow.  If he is banged up thru practice this week at all, I’d expect McFadden to receive the bulk of the carries in Week 8.  Will McFadden finally become the NFL star back that he was hyped up to be out of Arkansas?  Highly unlikely, but he’s in the best position he could possibly be in, and will be as hungry as ever to become the Cowboys starting back.  If you own Randle and have the roster spot, or need a fill in flex/running back play, McFadden is a good bet.

Khiry Robinson, RB, New Orleans Saints

Khiry Robinson had two rushing touchdowns in Week 7, giving him four on the year.   He also had 14 touches, which was almost double than his next highest week total.  He’s only filling in for Mark Ingram when he needs a breather, but he his getting the goal line touches, and becoming quite the vulture.  He’s an able back who can run over people, and on a different team would probably be the starter.  If Ingram goes down, Robinson becomes a starter on every fantasy roster.  And he still can be a nice fill in at the flex spot for the time being, as he is getting goal line touches and I don’t see any reason why that would change.  If you own Ingram, Robinson is a must-add handcuff.

Alred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

The guy I told everyone to draft, but then Arian Foster recovered oh so quickly, and everyone dropped Blue.  The time has come to tell him sorry, and welcome him back to your roster.  The time will come where people stop drafting Foster, as he and Jamaal Charles seemingly get a serious injury every year.  Foster is out for the rest of the year, and Blue will most likely become the starting back in Houston.  He had the chance at the beginning of the year, and wasn’t that impressive.   We saw Chris Polk make an impact and get carries and third down looks.  The bulk of the running load will once again fall on Blue’s back.  And any time a back gets the bulk of the carries, he’s a must add in fantasy.

Rishard Matthews, WR, Miami Dolphins

Rishard Matthews has been great this year, and on a roster full of receivers, he seems to be the clear second option for Ryan Tannehill.  Matthews caught another touchdown in Week 7, his fourth this year.  He’s the deep threat, and is getting behind secondaries a lot this year.  The Dolphins face a lot of opponents the rest of the year that can put up points, making Matthews a good player to add as he’s been producing well and will continue to get more looks moving forward.

Nate Washington, WR, Houston Texans

Nate Washington missed the last couple weeks nursing a hamstring injury, and came back in a big way in Week 7.  He caught nine of 16 targets for 127 yards and two touchdowns.  His targets were so high because Cecil Shorts was unavailable in Week 7, so we will most likely not see this output once he returns.  With Arian Foster now gone, it’s not like the Texans have a boatload of elite skill players.  Washington will have the opportunity to have big weeks again, and with his big Week 7, he may be a nice plug and play next week as the Texans play the Tennessee Titans at home.

Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions

Eric Ebron was having a nice year, and someone I wrote about prior to this season and his injury kept him out for two weeks.  Ebron returned in Week 7, and had 5 catches on 5 targets for 89 yards, and a touchdown.  He’s an elite talent, and may be on the rise as one of the league’s best pass catchers at the tight end position.  If he stays healthy, I would be completely fine with starting him at tight end on my roster.  Maybe you can make a move and trade your tight end if you can make a deal that helps you elsewhere, and add Ebron into your lineup moving forward.