Sunday Morning Huddle: Week Thirteen

Ken Kelly Posted On December 2, 2018

Let’s face it, there’s an enormous amount of information out there on Sunday mornings. We’re not going to waste your time by repeating the news and notes about who’s in or out this week, since that’s really not what you visit us for. We’re also not going to do another article on starts or sits this week – we already have the personalized lineup advice for you on the premium content. Again, there are 100 places you can go for that, so no reason to repeat ourselves or others.

The Sunday Morning Huddle goes through each game and states what we’re looking to see from a dynasty perspective. One player will be picked from each team who has dynasty value tied to the game – players at a pivot point where their value could increase or decrease based on opportunity and performance.

EARLY GAMES

BALTIMORE AT ATLANTA

For the Ravens, the player to watch this week is clearly Gus Edwards. The upstart running back has another great chance to shine this week now that Alex Collins is out for the season. Edwards could be the waiver wire steal of the year.

As for the Falcons, I continue to track Ito Smith‘s progress very closely. He’s had his ups and downs and I’m still not convinced he’s going to be the future of a true two-headed committee for the Falcons next season.

CHICAGO AT NEW YORK GIANTS

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There have been some very disappointing players this year, but few more than Jordan Howard. He was supposed to return to his rookie form this year but the Bears just haven’t really figured out how best to use him. He needs a strong finish this year to restore some faith with his owners.

Speaking of disappointing performance, where in the world has Sterling Shepard gone? He’s getting to the point where he’s unstartable and bordering on roster clogger. He’s always been a little up and down, but we need to see an up here again.

BUFFALO AT MIAMI

The Robert Foster hype train is at least chugging down the tracks slowly while it drops off some holiday packages. It could pick up some steam with another solid performance.

As for the Dolphins, the Kenyan Drake roulette wheel continues to spin. Will they finally give him more than a few touches after he showed yet again what he’s capable of? It’s bordering on insanity.

DENVER AT CINCINNATI

For the Broncos, it’s become crystal clear that Phillip Lindsay is the future of their backfield. I’m curious to see just what Courtland Sutton does as he’s been a little slow to seize the job opposite Emmanuel Sanders, who seems to be the whole passing game at the moment.

I’m not exactly running to the waiver wire to grab Jeff Driskel, but I’m always intrigued by new quarterbacks taking over for mediocre ones. While Driskel is likely not the future for the Bengals, Andy Dalton will become pretty expendable if Driskel moves the offense better than he did this season.

LA RAMS AT DETROIT

The Rams have weapons everywhere but Gerald Everett had been quiet until recently. Are we really finally seeing the breakout we’ve longed for here or will he go right back into the tank?

For the Lions, the story continues to be Kenny Golladay. He’s going to get all the attention he could ask for this week and it’s fair to wonder just how he’s going to handle being the true WR1.

INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE

The running back position continues to be one to watch for the Colts. Marlon Mack has been fantastic when he plays, but the injuries with him continue to be a huge concern. He really needs to get cleared and put together a solid string of games to end the season if he expects to be the unquestioned lead dog next year.

For the Jags, it’s easy. Can Cody Kessler finally right the ship? It’s fair to wonder if there’s really anything he can do, but we’re quickly going to find out. If he can at least give the Jags some competent play, the whole offense could improve dramatically.

CLEVELAND AT HOUSTON

We thought Duke Johnson was out of the woods once Hue Jackson left town, but the inconsistency is there again. Nick Chubb is starting to catch more passes and Johnson isn’t getting near the volume he’s used to. Will that continue today?

As for the Texans, they did their best last week to get Demaryius Thomas involved. If he gets targeted heavily again today, he could end up re-ermging as an option at a time his owners need him the most.

ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY

The Cardinals have been terrible and we really need to see some progress from Josh Rosen. While it’s easy to give him a pass because he’s a rookie, he’s also being boatraced by Baker Mayfield, who clearly “gets it.” Rosen has been awful at times and hasn’t really shown the ability and talent many thought he’d show early.

For the Packers, we continue the Aaron Jones watch. With his quarterback begging the embattled coaching staff to get Jones more carries, it will be very interesting to see if the “other” Aaron gets his wish this week.

CAROLINA AT TAMPA BAY

There have been a lot of MVP candidates emerge this year and Christian McCaffrey is clearly one of them. However, my attention here is squarely on DJ Moore, who is quickly emerging as a viable weapon in fantasy and reality late in his rookie season.

For Tampa Bay, Adam Humphries has continued to be impressive as he’s caught a touchdown pass in back-to-back games. Will the streak continue today for the woeful Bucs? On a side note, I’ve given up even paying much attention to Ronald Jones.

LATE GAMES

KANSAS CITY AT OAKLAND

Well, this is your time, Spencer Ware. It seems there are always some late emerging players who decide fantasy titles and Ware could be one of those players this season after the shocking developments with Kareem Hunt. If Ware can re-emerge, he will quickly become a massive trade target and could even establish himself as the future for the Chiefs. This will likely be the story of the day in dynasty leagues.

As for the Raiders, they’ve been a bit of a wasteland. However, if Derek Carr can’t perform well against the Chiefs, you shouldn’t expect him to do much for the rest of the year. Today’s game could go a long way in determining just what way the Raiders may go at quarterback moving forward into the future.

NEW YORK JETS AT TENNESSEE

The Jets may have just found their tight end of the future in Chris Herndon, who has scored double digit fantasy points in four of the past six weeks. He’s also caught a ball on nearly 20% of his routes the past two weeks. After apparently being made an offensive priority in New York, his performance today will clearly be worth monitoring.

Will the real Corey Davis please stand up? The enigmatic receiver has been extraordinarily frustrating to own as he’s been prone to both explosive games and total duds. In fact, he has 297 yards and two touchdowns over the past four weeks with 221 and both of those scores coming in two games. Davis has to put together three or four solid outings in a row to be relied upon in the fantasy playoffs and the up and down nature of the Titans just may not allow him to do that.

SAN FRANCISCO AT SEATTLE

The last stand of Nick Mullens will likely happen in the Emerald City this week. Mullens was a great story but his play has been mediocre at best since his stunning debut. The Seahawks may just extinguish the Mullens fire today.

For the Seahawks, Russell Wilson is finally playing like Russell Wilson again. Now boasting a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 25:5, Wilson’s quarterback rating is actually the best of his seven year career. He’ll look to keep it going against a team with little to play for.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Wouldn’t be really nice to see a breakout game from Dalvin Cook? We’re waiting, Dalvin!

After a brutal start to the season, Rob Gronkowksi finally scored his first touchdown last week. Gronk owners would surely love to see more of that as we hit the playoffs. It just seems he’s lost a step and I’m personally going to be a little surprised if this isn’t the final year we see him playing football – it just looks painful.

SUNDAY NIGHT

LA CHARGERS AT PITTSBURGH

The loss of Melvin Gordon is significant for the Chargers. However, this is going to open up a game for us to see a lot of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson. We have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to get with Ekeler, but Jackson is intriguing after a solid showing last week.

As for the Steelers, it’s time we see the early season James Conner again. With Le’Veon Bell long gone, Conner has a golden opportunity to permanently grab the reigns in an offense that produces fantasy gold. He needs more than the combined 35 carries he’s received the past three weeks combined to get that done. Let’s see if the Steelers oblige.

MONDAY NIGHT

WASHINGTON AT PHILADELPHIA

When you’re the last pick in the draft, not much is expected of you. However, Trey Quinn is quickly proving to be a bit of a steal for Washington. He’s been limited in practice this week, but he has my eye if he plays this week and Jamison Crowder sits again.

The story on the Eagles is clearly Josh Adams, who has taken hold of the running back position in Philadelphia. It’s concerning he showed up on the injury report today, so let’s hope it’s nothing too serious. If Adams suits up on Monday, he’s must see TV after getting 22 carries in their last game. If he shows well the rest of the season, he could enter next year as the starter.

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK