Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Just like last week with the London games, we have another aspect of the NFL schedule starting up this week – bye weeks!

  

This can play big in your season long pools. If you have had a solid start and are sitting comfortably towards the top of the standings, you are loving bye weeks as the top numbers aren’t in play! You can’t have 15 and 16 point games where there are only 14 games played in a week!

 

On the flip side, if you need to make up ground, you need to make sure you hit as many picks as you can in a week.

Lucky for you, you’re reading my picks, so you’re good to go 

  

Week 6 – HERE WE GO!!!!

 

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

 

14 – INDIANAPOLIS over Houston – The fact that the Colts are on the top line this week show’s how good the matchups are this week!

 

13 – PITTSBURGH over Seattle – Do you really have any confidence in Geno Smith going cross-country for a prime-time game?

  

12 – Los Angeles Rams over NEW YORK GIANTS – This wouldn’t be close even with a full, healthy Giants offense. 

  

11 – Dallas over NEW ENGLAND – As you are reading this, Trevon Diggs just intercepted another pass.

 

10 – Tampa Bay over PHILADELPHIA – I credit my mocking the Eagles last week for their win in Carolina…no way it happens against Tampa though.

  

9 – CAROLINA over Minnesota – This is based on Christian McCaffrey playing – if he doesn’t, feel free to drop the Panthers down the list…maybe even pick the Vikings.

  

8 – DENVER over Las Vegas – I’ll need at least a week after all of the off-the-field issues to have confidence that the Raiders can win a 

game again.

  

7 – JACKSONVILLE over Miami – After the Falcons and Jets, London now gets to see the Jags and Dolphins!! … … … sorry London.

  

6 – Green Bay over CHICAGO – A big road win last week has the Bears looking better than most thought they would this year…which will just be motivation for Aaron Rodgers to bring them back down to Earth.

  

5 – Kansas City over WASHINGTON – At this point, pick the Chiefs to win on the road just seems like holding on to something that needs to be let go.

  

4 – BALTIMORE over Los Angeles Chargers – It’s scary to think that Lamar Jackson is having a better year than his MVP season. My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that LAMAR JACKSON WILL FINISH WITH 4,000 PASSING YARDS AND 1,000 RUSHING YARDS THIS SEASON. 

 

3 – CLEVELAND over Arizona – This is just going to be a fun game to watch! 

 

2 – TENNESSEE over Buffalo – The way the Bills are playing, if you think they will lose, you better keep them on a lower point line. 

 

1 – DETROIT over Cincinnati – I mean, I just feel bad for the Lions and their fans at this point – feel free to call this a pity pick.

As we head into week 5, we also head into another feature of the NFL schedule – the London Games!

 

This week, in a game that starts at 8:30 CST, the league was kind enough to schedule the Falcons and the Jets so that if we oversleep, 

it’s OK…it’s the Falcons and the Jets! 

 

 

Week 5 – HERE WE GO!!!!

 

 

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

 

16 – TAMPA BAY over Miami – Now that the New England is in the rearview, Tom Brad can just focus on winning…that’s a little scary.

 

15 – MINNESOTA over Detroit – Yes the Vikings lost at home last week, but it still seems like they are one of the most underrated teams in the league. 

 

14 – LOS ANGELES CHARGERS over Cleveland – The Chargers proved last week that they are the team to beat in one of the league’s most competitive divisions.

 

13 – DALLAS over New  York Giants – Not really sure why Jaylon Smith was cut, but a hit to the defense shouldn’t be an issue against the Giants.

 

12 – CAROLINA over Philadelphia – I have no faith in Jalen Hurts or the Eagles this season. In the lowest of lowly divisions, my BOLD PREDICTION is that THE EAGLES WILL FINISH LAST IN THE NFC EAST,

 

11 – BALTIMORE over Indianapolis – The city of Baltimore will FINALLY get revenge on the franchise that left them years ago! (I legit didn’t have anything to say about this game)

 

10 – ARIZONA over San Francisco – I would put the Cardinals higher if it wasn’t for a potential Trey Lance start.

 

9 – LAS VEGAS over Chicago – I’m not comparing them to Garrett and Clowney in Cleveland, but Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby will probably be making it a similar rough time for the Bears’ new QB1.

 

8 – Tennessee over JACKSONVILLE – When you lose to the Jets, you don’t get to have double-digit number confidence against the Jags.

 

7 – PITTSBURGH over Denver – The Steelers should just be lucky this is a home game.

 

6 – KANSAS CITY over Buffalo – The AFC Championship should end the same way as it did last January.

 

5 – SEATTLE over Los Angeles Rams – Finally a fun Thursday game to start the week off!

 

4 – New Orleans over WASHINGTON – This just seems like one of those matchups that Winston will find a way to win.

 

3 – New England over HOUSTON – If Tyrod Taylor were playing I would probably pick Houston in this one. 

 

2 – CINCINNATI over Green Bay – Pure hunch on this one. 

 

1 – New York Jets over ATLANTA – Not having any receivers cross the pond with you makes it hard to win a game. 

 

Well, here we are, the week with the game that everyone circled as soon as the schedule was announced back in the spring…The Return! I think we are all looking forward to see the reception the scorned city will give. Cheers? Boos? Tears? We’ll all find out in prime time…on Monday when the Raiders return to Los Angeles after playing nearly 15 season there a few decades ago.

 

What? … … … is there a more relevant and timely return this week?

 

Week 4 – HERE WE GO!!!!

 

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

 

16 – BUFFALO over Houston – Deshaun Watson isn’t walking through that door anytime soon…and it probably wouldn’t help anyway.

 

15 – CINCINNATI over Jacksonville – After this week, Trevor Lawrence will have lost as many games in four weeks  in the NFL as he did in his entire time in college…AND high school! 

 

14 – Tennessee over NEW YORK JETS – No AJ Brown, possibly no Julio Jones…but if you still have Derrick Henry, the Jets won’t be a problem.

 

13 – GREEN BAY over Pittsburgh – Safe to say the Steelers front office is realizing that this era is coming to an end. My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that THE STEELERS WILL FINISH UNDER .500.

 

12 – Baltimore over DENVER – Can’t play the bottom of the league’s barrel every week, Denver.

 

11 – Tampa Bay over NEW ENGLAND – I wonder if Gronk is sad that no one outside of his family is talking about HIS return to Gillette Stadium.

 

10 – NEW ORLEANS over New York Giants –  I really want to think that this will be a good game…but then I remember…the Giants.

 

9 – DALLAS over Carolina – This will definitely be a game where the Panthers miss Christian McCaffrey.

 

8 – MIAMI over Indianapolis -  The Colts should be better than they are. If they turn it around this year, it won’t start this week.

 

7 – Seattle over SAN FRANCISCO –  It’s hard for me to think Seattle will lose three games in a row. After last week, it’s pretty easy for me to think that the 9ers can blow a game again.

 

6 – LOS ANGELES RAMS over Arizona – These two teams are just going to be fun to watch! If you are a bettor, take the over! 

 

5 – Las Vegas over LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – Yes it’s a “road” game, but SoFi Stadium is expected to be 75% Raiders fans on Monday Night. 

 

4 – Kansas City over PHILADELPHIA – It might sound crazy, but then again maybe it doesn’t. If you wanted to pick the Eagles to win this game, I wouldn’t be mad at you! 

 

3 – MINNESOTA over Cleveland – If Dalvin Cook is ready to go, you can bump this up a few lines if you want.

 

2 – Washington over ATLANTA – I have nothing entertaining to say here…which is pretty fitting for this matchup I think. 

 

1 – CHICAGO over Detroit – It’s a no-lose situation for Bears fans. If you win, hey you won a football game! If not, then it’s hard to see Matt Nagy on the sidelines for Week 5 let alone a new Arlington Heights stadium!

 

The allure and grandeur of the start of a new season is starting to fade and we are now getting a better idea of how teams actually look. With it comes a week where we have some tough decisions on our hands. Most of the “sure thing” games have the favorite on the road, which never makes it a “sure thing”. 

 

My best to those who have to make picks for a survival pool this week.

 

We’re not worried about that here though so let’s get some confidence!

 

 

Week 3 – HERE WE GO!!!!

 

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

 

 

16 – DALLAS over Philadelphia – You know it’s a week of good matchups when the Cowboys are sitting on the top line!

 

15 – CLEVELAND over Chicago – The Justin Fields era officially begins…and probably gets off to a rocky start. 

 

14 – PITTSBURGH over Cincinnati – Joe Burrow had one of the worst games of his young career last week – not a good run to be on when you head to Pittsburgh.

 

13 – DENVER over New York Jets – The Giants…the Jags…and now the Jets…how were the Broncos so lucky to get this start to a season?

 

12 – BUFFALO over Washington – The Bills dominated a mid-level team who was playing their backup QB on the road last week….look for a lot more of the same at home this week.

 

11 – Carolina over HOUSTON – The surprise of the young season has been the Carolina defense. They should have no problem against a rookie quarterback making his first start with a questionable offense.

 

10 – Arizona over JACKSONVILLE – I don’t think anyone has spent more time looking at college yearbooks than Trevor Lawrence must have this season. Well, maybe Urban Meyer has. 

 

9 – LAS VEGAS over Miami – Just like the first two weeks, I REALLY want to pick the Raiders…so this time I will :)  My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that DEREK CARR WILL LEAD THE LEAGUE IN PASSING YARDS THIS SEASON.

 

8 – TENNESSEE over Indianapolis – I said last week that that Titans needed to show me something before I pick them – a win in Seattle is a pretty good “something”.

 

7 – Baltimore over DETROIT – After two incredibly dramatic games to start the season, Ravens fans should be able to breath a little 

easier this week.

 

6 – LOS ANGELES RAMS over Tampa Bay – The Rams are one of the few teams that will be able to keep up with the Tampa Bay offense.

 

5 – SAN FRANCISCO over Green Bay – Rodgers and Friends looked like their old selves last week. Can’t play the Lions every week though. 

 

4 – KANSAS CITY over Los Angeles Chargers – It’s weird having the Chiefs this low for a home game…but have they seemed like the same dominant Chiefs we’ve seen the last few seasons? 

 

3 – NEW ENGLAND over New Orleans – I told you the Saints week 1 success was a fluke! The real Saints will continue to come marching in to week 3.

 

2 – MINNESOTA over Seattle – The Vikings may be the best 0-2 team in recent history.

 

1 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Atlanta – Daniel Jones has quietly been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the first two games. That should result in a win this week.