Sunday Six Pack: Week Eight

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We bring you the Sunday Six Pack, an article featuring six of the biggest storylines heading into each and every week of the season. Keeping tabs on these events will keep you prepared and informed throughout the season – just don’t drive within six hours of reading this.

1. Better Megatron

Memories back when he was bold and strong. Lions stud receiver Calvin Johnson is just the PPR WR19 in average FPs per game at 16.2 so far. Although the Lions are seventh in the league in average passing yards per game at 278.6, it just has not translated to consistent dominating success for Megatron, who has only reached double-digit targets in three games this year. Not to mention that the lions are 29th in the league in average points per game at 19.9. Now that the Lions have fired seemingly overmatched Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi and replaced him with the amazingly named Jim Bob Cooter, perhaps the Lions will figure out a way to run the ball, which should open things up for Calvin and company. The Chiefs’ conservative offense will look to get Jeremy Maclin back on track now that he’s recovered from the concussion that knocked him out of the Week 5 game against the Vikings. He gets a good matchup against a Lions passing defense ranked 24th in the league, giving up an average of 268.9 yards per game. Maclin was on a three game roll prior to his injury, averaging nine receptions for 124.67 yards and .3 touchdowns on 12 targets in Weeks 3 through 5. Also, this is the weekly call to get more targets for Travis Kelce who has averaged 6.5 targets per game the past four weeks, way too few.

2. Elderly Wide Receiver Behind the Counter in Baltimore

He changed by not changing at all. Ravens receiver Steve Smith is what he always has been, a tough S.O.B. The PPR WR9 in average FPs per game, Smitty missed just one game with four microfractures in his back suffered Week 4 against the Steelers and has averaged six receptions for 107.5 yards and .5 TDs on 9.5 targets since returning. On a team devoid of other pass catching talent, Smith is a near-lock for target hog status and should be able to maintain his elite level of play for the foreseeable future. While he did tail off towards the end of last year, he did see double-digit targets in three of his last four games. The volume will make Smith startable even if fatigue catches up with him again. The bigger question is with Smith playing at an elite level, is retirement really a fait accompli? Keenan Allen has had a very nice rebound from his sophomore slump and is currently the PPR WR4 in average FPs per game. Allen has received double-digit targets in five of seven games, including the two in which future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates has played. Both his usage and effectiveness bode well for Allen’s continued success. If you bought low based on his lackluster 2014 production, kudos to you.

3. Randall Cobb is in Hiding

Maybe he’ll surface when all of his shoulders are enlightened. After Week 3, Packers receiver Randall Cobb was the PPR WR7 in terms of average FPs per game with 23.3. Now, through seven weeks, he’s fallen to the PPR WR28 and is averaging just 15.0 FPs per week. From Weeks 4 through 6, Cobb averaged just 6.8 FPs per game which made him just the PPR WR79 during the span. His targets have dropped from 12 in Week 3 to eight in Week 4, six in Week 5 and five in Week 6. It may not be just his shoulder that’s holding Cobb back, as the Packers as a whole scored just an average of 15.7 points per game during that span. Now having had the bye week to heal and gameplan, Aaron Rodgers and company get the fiery hot Broncos defense which ranks first in the league in total defense, giving up just 281.3 total yards per game, first in the league in passing defense, giving up just 192.2 passing yards per game and fourth in the league in rushing defense, giving up an average of 89.2 yards per game. All of these facts make Cobb more of a low-end WR2, albeit one with a highish ceiling, this week. Oh, and it won’t get much easier against Josh Norman and the Panthers next week, either. Peyton Manning’s struggles have held Demaryius Thomas out of the top tier of PPR receivers this year, where he’s the PPR WR14 in average FPs per game 17.8 with Emmanuel Sanders just above him at WR13 with 18.1 FPs per game. Both are WR1s this week against a Packers team ranked 22nd against the pass, giving up an average of 236.8 passing yards per game, but they just don’t have the excitement level they used to.

4. OBJ is Not in a State of Love and Trust

[inlinead]Promises are whispered in the age of darkness. Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the PPR WR18 in average FPs per game through seven weeks. While he’s averaging 9.4 targets per game, he has received just 14 total targets in the last two games, including only six in Week 7 against the Cowboys. With no other reliable receiving threat on the field, teams are double and triple teaming OBJ while Eli Manning often has to take a sack or throw the ball away (or to Larry Donnell – same difference) because no one is open. The Giants should be forcing the ball to their stud receiver with an extremely large catch radius – that is especially true this week against a Saints defense ranked 26th against the pass, giving up an average of 275.7 passing yards per game. New Orleans is ranked in the middle of the league in total sacks with 16 through seven games. Hopefully the Giants offensive line can give Eli time to find Beckham. Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead are ranked as the PPR WRs 37 and 41 respectively in average FPs per game. Getting a Giants defense ranked 30th in the league in passing defense and giving up an average of 288.3 yards per game and still missing CB Prince Amukamara should put both Cooks and Snead in the low-end WR2 conversation and both will have high upside. Drew Brees is just the QB15 in average FPs per game, but he gets the same boost.

5. Antonio Brown is Still Alive

Is something wrong he said. Well of course there is. Steelers receiver Antonio Brown was the PPR WR2 through three weeks averaging 28.9 FPs per game. Then quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had to go and get his MCL hurt and Brown averaged just 10.3 PPR FPs per game from Weeks 4 through 7 to fall to the PPR WR12 in average FPs per game with mostly Michael Vick at the helm. He bounced back with six receptions for 124 yards on eight targets in Week 7 with Landry Jones under center and now looks to be reunited with Big Ben for the Steelers’ Week 8 matchup against the undefeated Bengals. While the Bengals are certainly playing good football overall, they are ranked just 21st in the league against the pass, giving up an average of 261.5 yard per game. It should be a good week for Brown, Martavis Bryant and even good ‘ole HEATH Miller. On the other side of the ball, other than his Week 3 explosion against the Ravens’ sieve of a defense (ten receptions for 227 yards and two TDs on 13 targets), Bengals receiver AJ Green has been relatively disappointing, averaging just 12.3 PPR FPs in his other five games, and reaching ten targets just once. That average would take him from the PPR WR15 where he currently resides to the PPR WR36. Perhaps the Bengals used the bye week to figure out how to involve Green more, but it’s not too realistic to think that they will mess with the formula that got them to 6-0. That being said, the Steelers 27th ranked passing defense is just one stop and 6.1 yards per game better than the 28th ranked Ravens, so maybe Green will find that Week 3 magic again this week.

6. Mind Your Marshall

I know they hating on us. Jets receiver Brandon Marshall has had a bit of resurgence this year, reemerging to WR1 relevance and currently standing as the PPR WR7 in average FPs per game at 20.5. He’s averaging a healthy ten targets per game and other than a bonehead play or two, has been a big playmaker (like when he carried some Colts into the endzone in Week 2). Eric Decker had had some issues staying healthy and is questionable again this week with a knee injury, but he’s also been effective when he’s been on the field and is the PPR WR24 in average FPs per game. Decker is a solid WR2 against the Raiders’ bottom ranked passing defense that is giving up a whopping 303.8 passing yards per game this year. It also makes Ryan Fitzpatrick a decent streaming option this week. Amari Cooper has been as good as advertised, coming in as the PPR WR17 in average FPs per game at 17.2. He’s seen his targets dip a little the last two weeks as the Raiders found themselves in the unchartered of playing from ahead. He also has a stiff matchup this week against the Jets’ 4th ranked pass defense and may find himself marooned on Revis Island. Cooper is more of a low-end WR2/high end WR3 this week and has an extremely low floor in this difficult matchup.

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