By: Greg Landry | LineStar Chat: @glandry | Twitter: @GP_Landry

Welcome back to LineStar NFL Takeaways! For those of you new to the community here, this article is published every Tuesday and takes a position by position look at several players whose fantasy performance stood out (both good and bad) and what this might mean in the fantasy landscape as we start to prepare for the week ahead.

This just got interesting people. An exciting week of football resulted in some division battles tightening up even further. This sets us up for a really intriguing final couple of months of the season.

First, are the Giants actually the team to beat in the NFC East? I can’t believe I’m writing this but it actually may be the case. The Bucs bounced back from utter embarrassment to keep pace with the Saints. Perhaps the most interesting race of all through is out west where the Rams beat the Seahawks and the Cardinals took down the Bills on a final second Hail Mary play for the ages. Suddenly, we have a three-way tie in that division.

The AFC may even be more interesting. The team on the losing end of that Hail Mary, the Bills, now find themselves just a game ahead of the surging Miami Dolphins who can’t stop winning. The Colts, Browns, and Raiders all picked up critical wins with the Titans and Ravens ended up losing. Counting the Dolphins, we have seven teams in the AFC with a 6-3 record battling for three playoff spots behind the current top three seeds (Steelers, Chiefs, and Bills).

Buckle up this is going to be a wild ride.

What Did We Learn?

Here we'll focus on some players at each position who stood out (both good and bad) and identify if there's any actionable information we can use when building our rosters going forward.

Quarterbacks

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT: 27/46, 333 yards, 4 TD

This isn’t any big secret, but perhaps it’s more obvious than ever in a game where they could have taken their foot off the gas and given their star quarterback a breather - the Steelers are a pass first team. With the Bengals ranked 25th in pass defense DVOA, the only potential thing stopping Roethlisberger was the game script. Instead, in a game they controlled throughout during a week which Roethlisberger was banged up and never practiced due to COVID, he still threw the ball 46 times. Meanwhile, James Connor had just 13 carries. Then again, why wouldn’t you go pass heavy when you have Diontae Johnson (6/116/1), JuJu Smith-Schuster (9/77/1), and Claypool (4/56/2)? Regardless of the potential game script, you’re going to want exposure to the Steelers passing attack going forward. While Johnson seems to be the preferred option (when healthy) it’s notable that Claypool now has seven touchdowns through nine games this season (tied for third in the NFL). JuJu Smith-Schuster, surprisingly, seems to be the least predictable of the three at the moment, but still has plenty of ceiling. Up next for the Steelers is arguably the worst defense in football the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Daniel Jones, NYG: 21/28, 244 yards, 9 carries, 64 yards 1 TD

The Giants have now won three of their last six games including two in a row. What’s notable is that their three losses during that stretch have been by a COMBINED six points. Let’s also not forget this is happening without Saquon Barkley. Jones is still prone to mistakes and carries a little more risk than we’d like at the quarterback position, but he continues to make up for it with his legs. He’s actually led the Giants in rushing in three of their last five games (7/74, 4/92, 9/64/1). I know the thought of roster Daniel Jones gives you that queasy feeling in your stomach, but don’t sleep on this passing attack. There are plenty of weapons here for Jones to work with between Engram, Slayton, Shepard, and maybe Tate coming back after apologizing. The Giants have two games coming up against the Bengals (25th in pass defense DVOA) and the Seahawks (29th in pass defense DVOA). Keep them on your radar.

Running Backs

Nick Chubb, CLE: 19 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD

Kareem Hunt, CLE: 19 carries, 104 yards, 3 receptions, 28 yards

Weather played a factor, but the Browns were still very happy to return to their run happy attack with Nick Chubb back in the lineup. He picked up exactly where he left off, carrying the ball 19 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Kareem Hunt got the same amount of carries, taking his for 104 yards, and also saw some targets, catching three passes for 28 yards. Chubb is going to be the preferred running back moving forward, but there is more than enough work for BOTH of these guys to get opportunities. The Browns have made it clear they want to run as much as possible. They want to keep Mayfield from making mistakes and use the run to set up some passing opportunities.

JD McKissic, WAS: 8 carries, 6 yards, 1 TD, 7 receptions, 43 yards

McKissic’s role in this offense continues to grow. In his last six games, he’s seen 8,8,6,2,14, and 15 targets. Washington wants to get the ball out of Alex Smith’s hands quickly to limit how many hits he takes as he gets back into form from his gruesome injury. Continue to expect Washington to lean on the short passing game with dump-offs to the running backs and tight ends (Terry McLaurin should still get his as well). McKissic’s performance, of course, was aided by his opponent as well. Coming into this game, only three teams had allowed more receiving yards to running backs than Detroit and only one team had allowed more rushing yards. The Lions have now allowed 18 touchdowns (13 rushing, 5 receiving) to running backs which is the most in the league. In other words, attack the Lions with running backs!

Salvon Ahmed, MIA: 21 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD, 1 reception, 5 yards

Miami continues to hold open auditions for several positions on their team as they try to use the second half of the season to figure out what they have and where they should be spending their ample draft capital this off-season. After gaining 38 yards on only seven carries the week prior, Brain Flores decided to give Salvon Ahmed a shot as the lead back and he didn’t disappoint. With backfield mates, Matt Breida (hamstring), Jordan Howard (coach's decision) and Myles Gaskin (IR) all sitting out, Ahmed was the clear-cut bell-cow option, with Patrick Laird and DeAndre Washington both a distant second with a pair of carries apiece. Depending on Breida’s health, expect Ahmed to be the lead back for a Miami team that continues to impress and continues to be productive on offense even with a rookie quarterback. As for Tua, again he didn’t blow you away with his numbers, but he’s not making major mistakes, he’s not turning the ball over, and he’s moving the chains. With the Bills losing on a last second hail mary, the AFC East is (for the first time in over a decade) arguably the most interesting battle at the top of any division.

Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin, TB: 6 receptions, 92 yards

Mike Evans, TB: 6 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD

Antonio Brown, TB: 7 receptions, 69 yards

As expected, all three of them were heavily involved. Evans led the way with 11 targets, followed by Brown with eight and Godwin with six. At the very least, it proves all three of them can be productive side by side. The tight ends saw a noticeable drop in looks with Gronkowski and Brate getting just three targets each. However, both scored a touchdown in this game, along with Evans, further complicating this situation. It’s going to be very difficult to predict which of these three players will be the “the guy” in any given game. Brady loves to spread the ball around, using all his reads and moves the ball downfield however he can. He’s not going to favor any one target. At this point, your safest bet is to get your exposure through Brady, particularly in cash games, and take out the guesswork of which pass catcher will see the most opportunities. In tournaments, you can stack up any combination of these guys, this Tampa Bay offense is going to be dangerous. I haven’t even mentioned Ronald Jones yet, who carried it 23 times, for 192 yards, and a score. I’m not sure what happened last week when the Bucs were embarrassed on Sunday Night Football, and I realize the Panthers are a soft defense but don’t sleep on this Brady led offensive attack in Tampa Bay.

Josh Reynolds, LAR: 8 receptions, 94 yards

The box score itself here isn’t overly impressive, especially considering it was against the Seahawks with the 29th ranked pass defense. What’s more notable is Reynolds' continued rise to the top of this offense. Even with a healthy Woods and Kupp, Reynolds has seen 8, 9, and now 10 targets in his last three games. This is second on the team during that span behind Kupp who saw a whopping 20 targets last week in Miami. Reynolds saw the most targets this week, hauling in eight of them for 94 scoreless yards. This wasn’t a pass-happy game script where Reynolds “lucked” his way into opportunities. He’s seeing consistent usage week after week.

Michael Thomas, NO: 2 receptions, 27 yards

The nightmare season for Thomas continues between injuries, a suspension, and some not great games when he has actually played. A year after posting 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns, he has just 95 scoreless yards receiving on 10 receptions total this season. You can blame it on the matchup, but the 49ers, mainly due to injuries, are not the shutdown defense we are used to seeing, ranking 19th in pass defense DVOA this season. Thomas actually lit them up last year for 11/134/1. Up next, Thomas has by far his best matchup of the season next week against a weak Falcons pass defense. The problem, however, is he’s unlikely to be catching passes from Drew Brees who cracked a rib and after further evaluation, it was discovered he has a collapsed lung as well. Just about any quarterback replacing Drew Brees is immediately going to result in a downgrade to the receivers, but it’s also possible we see Winston lean on his star player to build confidence. If people are writing off Thomas next week, in a fantastic matchup, because of his bad season and a backup quarterback, it could be a really good buy-low opportunity.

Tight Ends

Marc Andrews, BAL: 7 receptions, 61 yards

Last week I talked about being patient with Andrews and a game against the Patriots (1st in DVOA against tight ends) was not the time to jump back on this train. Of course, Andrews had his best game in weeks. The weather forced some of this as both teams had to rely on short passing in the pouring rain and wind. Nick Boyle also went down with a season-ending injury here so Andrews is likely to be all by himself for tight end passing routes the rest of the way.

Rob Gronkowski, TB: 2 catches, 51 yards, 1 TD

Cameron Brate, TB: 3 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD

We talked about this a bit already, but this Tampa Bay passing attack has SO MUCH talent and Brady LOVES to spread the ball. I think this game was a pretty good indicator of what we are going to see moving forward. The tight ends are going to be heavily used in the red zone but the number of targets they see will be scattered (and possibly split) between each other.

Hunter Henry, LAC: 4 catches, 30 yards, 1 TD

Holy sh*t he’s alive! I really thought this might be his year to finally step up as one of the top producers at this otherwise weak position. Thankfully, he’s finally staying healthy. But, unfortunately, he’s not doing much with his opportunities. The targets have been there, with at least seven targets in six of his nine games this season, but the yardage has been awful having not gone above 40 yards since week three. He did find the end zone this week, just his second of the season and first since week five. As long as the yardage continues to be minimal, and the touchdowns are few and far between, it’s going to be difficult to rely on him even with the consistent targets.

Key Injuries To Watch

In this section we'll take a look at some key injuries and what the potential impact may be for fantasy purposes.

Note: As a reminder, I’m writing this on Monday, so the news below may change depending on when you read this. Use the NFL beat writers Twitter feed (which is directly inside your LineStar account) as well as the news page to get up to speed.

There weren't a ton of injuries this week, but several quarterbacks got hurt which could have widespread implications on multiple offenses.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers

His MRI apparently didn’t reveal anything major and it looks as though he avoided serious injury. It’s even possible he plays this week. PJ Walker finished the game and either he or Will Grier would be the backup if Bridgewater does end up needing to miss a game.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

It turns out Brees has a cracked rib and a collapsed lung and will almost certainly miss some time. Expect Jameis Winston to be their starter for the next several weeks. Winston can sling it with the best of them, which could be good news for the Saints receivers from a fantasy perspective. In real life, he needs to limit the turnovers or they will be in trouble. If you recall, the Buccaneers last year were involved in a lot of shootouts because Winston would throw for 300 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions basically every game. He’ll provide enough offensive firepower to stay in the game but give the opposing defense opportunities to give their own offense short fields.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Stafford finished the game despite injuring the thumb on this throwing hand. He commented there was discomfort and he’ll need to get it checked out. Should the x-rays reveal anything more serious, it’s possible he ends up needing to miss time.

Danny Amendola, WR, Detroit Lions

No offense to Amendola, but normally I wouldn’t bother commenting on an injury to him for fantasy purposes given his limited role. But, with Kenny Golladay already hurt, Amendola had been seeing increased work. If they are BOTH out next week, Marvin Jones, Marvin Hall, and TJ Hockenson will all see a boost in targets.

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