Fantasy Football: Volume II: Chapter 4

Volume II: Chapter 4: Allusions

“Never affirm, always allude: allusions are made to test the spirit and probe the heart.”

– Umberto Eco

After taking a break from our column for one week (Jamie has two sprained knees) due to injury, we are back. Two weeks ago, we witnessed a shooting star; two players tied. Peter and Steven tied, yet with no determined tiebreaker. As such, we turned to our idol and asked for its help in determining our tie breaker. Eventually, the idol doled out a player for each Steven and Peter in the Monday Night Football game. Eddie Royal for Peter, Nelson Agholor for Steven. From there, it is history, with Peter winning.

Matchups from Week 2

Peter Snodgrass beats Steven Marinkovich 93-93 on a tiebreaker (see intro)

Ben Cleasby beats Dillon Scheel 101-70

Jordan Schilling beats Jamie Cullen 111-74

Ethan Stern beats Eric Maser  104-64

Matchups from Week 3

Steven Marinkovich beats Jamie Cullen 123-114

Ben Cleasby beats Ethan Stern 110-52

Dillon Scheel beats Eric Maser 100-68

Peter Snodgrass beats Jordan Schillig 97-86

Love/Hate List

Steven Marinkovich

Love: Ezekiel Elliott – Ezekiel Elliott is an absolute animal. The number four overall pick showed out this past week, shredding the Chicago Bears, putting up a 16 on pure yards. The Cowboys travel to Santa Clara to take on a Niner defense that Christine Michael tore apart. Elliott, the far superior talent, will have no problem putting up a 20+ this week.

Hate: New York Giants Running Backs – Whether it’s Orleans Darkwa or Rashad Jennings, they will find no success against the Minnesota Vikings defense. The Vikings defense has single handedly carried the team to a 3-0 start to the season. Somebody with the last name Darkwa may be perceived as somebody who will succeed, but it’s all just an illusory correlation, expect less than ten points for all of the Giants running backs.

Ben Cleasby

Love: Isaiah Crowell – Coming into the season, I hated this man as he has never succeeded in the NFL since he was picked up in 2014. However, entering the 2016 season the dread head is the second leading rusher in the NFL with 274 yards behind only Legarrette Blount. Loging the majority of the carries out of Cleveland’s backfield, The Crow looks to shred a Washington defense that just surrendered an ugly amount points to Giants running backs Shane Vereen and Orleans Darkwa. Start this angry Crow because he’s going to turn into a large raven and take to the skies as a predator by throwing up RB1 numbers.

Hate: Matt Forte – Forte only can do well against defenses who fold. Cincinnati loves to fold, Buffalo crumpled at the knees and folded in the first two weeks, Kansas City flattened Forte to only 65 yards on a decent 15 carries. I expect a burly Seattle D to flip Forte like a flapjack and pancake him to a disgusting week. Don’t expect much.

Ethan Stern

Love: Travis Benjamin – As I’ve observed, the wily veteran Phillip Rivers is in fact a fan of my boy Travvvy Benjamin. With Keenan Allen gonzo, Benjamin is clearly the top option to flex on a defense in San Diego. The Saints have consistently brought the heat to make explosively high scoring games and against an equally potent Chargers team this is a guaranteed game to have high fantasy scoring. I forecast young stud Travvvy to put up anything north of 14 points this week.

Hate: Allen Robinson – Most of the time I am fan of Mr. Robinson, but this week is a special occasion. A-Rob and the Jags are taking the treacherous trip over the pond to perform for her Majesty the Queen. The five hour time change can be lethal for a high caliber athlete. Going against a Colts defense that is coming off their first win, it seems like all of their tools are coming together perfectly, just in time to show out at Wembley for all of Great Britain. For a soon to be frazzled Allen, I forecast a seven or lower.

Peter Snodgrass

Love: Cam Newton – With Atlanta’s offense clicking, and Carolina’s defense screeching to a halt, the Newton and his Panther offense looks to be humming in a potential high scoring game.  Even after a rough week thtrr, Newton will rebound and reassert his team as a contender for the title once again.

Hate:  Mike Wallace – In the words of Jamie Cullen, “That dude is a boom or bust.”  Even though he comes into this week as the number nine fantasy football wide receiver, Wallace is playing the one and only, RAAIIIIIIIDDDEEERRRRRSSSSS.

Jamie Cullen

Love: Carlos Hyde – Blaine Gabbert is not good at football. The 49ers know this, but for some reason, they still start him, so they give the ball to Carlos Hyde almost 20 times per game. On volume alone that’s a good reason to have Hyde in your lineup, but he also faces a weak Cowboys defense this week, Carlos will tear them up.

Hate: Devonta Freeman – After a breakout year last year, Devonta has regressed this year. He’s splitting carries with Tevin Coleman and doesn’t have a rushing touchdown yet this year. Facing a tough Panthers defense and not getting enough carries to make up for it, Freeman won’t have a great week.

Dillon Scheel

Love: Terrelle Pryor – He is the most versatile player in the game. Pryor is a truly the most exciting option at the wide receiver position, as he has been designated as the Browns’ “goal line quarterback.” Oh, and he’s the number one target for the gunslinger josh McCown with Josh Gordon suspended. Last week he had 23 fantasy points spread out across three different categories: 14 receiving, 8 rushing, and 1 passing. He is utilized on virtually every offensive play, which will give him many ways to find holes in the Redskins defense.

Hate: Latavius Murray – He faces a Baltimore defense that has led the Ravens to 3-0, allowing the second least yards to opposing offenses thus far. On top of that, Murray was not very effective last week with 3.7 yards per carry, against an average Tennessee rush defense. Unless he gets into the endzone, his fantasy upside is limited this week.

Bold Prediction of the Week – Terrelle Pryor to have 100 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards

It may seem a tad out there, but as big man Dillon Scheel says, “he is the most versatile player in the game.” After starting to show out in all aspects of his game, he is going to set records this week.

This Week’s Matchups

Steven Marinkovich V. Eric Maser

Ethan Stern V. Dillon Scheel

Jordan Schilling V. Ben Cleasby

Peter Snodgrass V. Jamie Cullen

Tweet the gurus any questions you have about your team @VikingFantasyFB