Thursday Night
Another Thursday has come and gone, NFL has all the particulars of the game. Here is a breakdown of the scoring between the Dolphins and the Texans. In the first quarter each team scored a TD, it looked to be what the experts predicted, a close tight game. In the second the Texans scored another TD with the Fins scoring a lone FG. The half ended 10-14 the Texans.
Things heated up in the 3rd with each team equaling their scores in the first half in just 15 minutes. The Texans added 2 TD’s and the Dolphins another 10 points. In the fourth quarter the Texans kept their foot on the gas adding another 2 touchdowns, while the Dolphins just another field goal. The night ended with the Texans winning over the Dolphins 23-42.
Deshaun Watson is finding his groove and returning to the form we saw at the start of last year. I mentioned in Thursday’s article how the Texans were going to be a team to watch going forward, more on that later. A player that some have waited for to have a breakout game is Kenyan Drake RB, Dolphins. Drake ended the game with 12 carries on 58 yards and a TD. He also went 2 for 2 on receptions for another 37 yards and another TD. DeVante Parker WR, Dolphins also showed his value with 6 catches and 134 yards.
The Texans stars were equally, if not more impressive. Lamar Miller RB, Texans rushed 18 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. Will Fuller WR, Texans had 5 catches for 124 yards and a TD. Fuller went down late in the 4th with a knee injury and did not finish the game. Friday it came out that he had torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. I wish a speedy recovery to Fuller. DeAndre Hopkins WR, had 6 receptions for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns of his own. Next week the Dolphins are at home against the Jets and the Texans travel to the Mile High City to take on the Broncos.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday
This week’s games on Sunday are some of the best match-ups we have seen all year, as far as win/loss records. The Eagles and Jaguars are both 3-4 on the year. They play at 9:30 a.m. ET, from Wembley Stadium in London.
The Jets 3-4 take on the Bears 3-3 at Soldier Field, 1 p.m. ET. Buccaneers 3-3, head to Cincinnati to face the Bengals 4-3, this game could be a little wet as rain is predicted. Seahawks and Lions are dead even at 3-3, they face each other under the dome in Detroit.
The Broncos 3-4, head to Arrowhead to face the second best team in the NFL the Chiefs 6-1. The Redskins 4-2 go against the Giants 1-6. The Giants at home are 0-3 so this may be the most lopsided game of the week.
The Browns 2-4-1 face the Steelers 3-2-1 for the second time this year, this time in the Steel City. Ravens 4-3 take on the Panthers 4-2 in Carolina. The Cats will need their 3-0 at home record to beat the number one defense in the league.
The Colts 2-5, head to northern Cali to face the 1-5 Raiders in the Black Hole. The Packers 3-2-1 leave the frozen tundra to take on the 7-0 LA Rams in sunny SoCal. If anyone can derail the Rams freight train its Rodgers and the Packers.
Two of the worst teams this year face off, the 49ers 1-6 head to Phoenix to take on the Cardinals also 1-6. The 49’ers are 0-4 away while the Cards are 0-4 at home this year, its a coin flip for the winner.
Most likely the game of the week puts the Saints 5-1 against the Vikings 4-2-1 in a possible repeat of the Minneapolis Miracle. Both of these teams are riding winning streaks as well as being number 1 in their respected divisions.
Monday lays waste to the Bills 2-5 at home vs the Patriots 5-2. This game should be the blowout of the week and will be seen on prime time Monday night. Expect a 35-10 score Patriots. For a complete list of players to watch, weather, and over/under see ESPN.
Bold Predictions
This week potentially has some of the best match-ups this year. However, it leaves room for some of the biggest upsets. Starting off with a biggie, Mahomes and the Chiefs will face a determined Von Miller and Broncos defense, bringing on the second loss for the Chiefs this year. Miller will have 3 sacks, one of which will be a strip sack leading to the deciding factor of a very close game.
Second prediction of the week pits the Browns vs the Steelers. Round two between these teams will go to the Browns with a knock-out game 42-35, much higher score then previous meetings.
Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews will be the difference makers when they face off against the Rams in LA. The Packers will be victorious over the Rams in a nail biter 24-21.
For a team that has beaten both the Packers and the Patriots this year, they will fall to the Seahawks. Yes, I am talking about the Lions and Seahawks game. The Hawks will defeat the Lions at home 31-17.
Last game is the Saints and the Vikings in Minnesota for the rematch of last years thrilling game. I believe the Saints will return the favor of the Minneapolis Miracle by beating the Vikings in the very same fashion in which the Vikings won. But the bold part of this prediction is that the Saints will hold Adam Thielen to just 20 yards receiving. Thielen has had 100+ yards receiving in each of the 7 games this year.
Fantasy
On Thursday I said I was going to explain Strength of Schedule or (SoS). So what is Strength of Schedule? SoS is a measurement given to teams to show the winning percentage of their opponents from the previous year ESPN. There is also a SoS ranking for fantasy players by position. This is fantasy points allowed by position for each team. Scout Fantasy Sports has one that can break down by the entire season or partial season, even during fantasy playoffs.
Based on last year the team with the toughest schedule this year is the Green Bay Packers. The opponents they face this year had a winning percentage of .539 last year. On average the teams they play in 2018 won 53.9% of their game last year.
On the flip side the team with the easiest SOS is the Texans. Their opponents had a .453 or 45.3% winning average from last year. This info can be used to figure out what teams may be the strongest when it counts at the end of the fantasy Season. It can also be the deciding factor to figure out whether or not a trade is in your best interest.
Picking the two teams from above and looking at the next five games can give you a glimpse of how useful this tool can be. Over the next 5 week’s the Packers are away 4 of them and at home only 1. The 4 away games are against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks and the Vikings, they host the Dolphins. Three of the 4 teams are leaders in their divisions and the Seahawks are showing promise with a revitalized running game.
The Texans are at home 3 out of their next 5 games not including Thursdays game. The two away games are against the Broncos and Redskins while the home games are against the Titans, Browns and Colts. None of these teams pose a real threat if the Texans play like they did on Thursday. So you can see how this tool and others like it can be helpful planning ahead and setting your lineups for optimal performance during your fantasy season.