Team of the Week

 

QB: Kyler Murray

The Cardinals were expected to be a difficult team to defend in 2020,  but the volume for Murray on the ground has been a surprise, and he had a career fantasy day with 283 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 106 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. Murray (37.9 fantasy points) just edged out Josh Allen (36.0 fantasy points), and we’ll see them square off next Sunday in Arizona.

 

RB: Dalvin Cook

Cook followed up a monster game in Week 8 with another one yesterday—rushing 22 times for 206 yards and two scores (along with two receptions for 46 yards). The highlight was a 70-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game away, and barring a shocking performance tonight, Cook will have been the top fantasy scorer in back-to-back weeks.

 

RB: Christian McCaffrey

Most were viewing McCaffrey as slightly less than a high-end RB1, but that was clearly a mistake, and his 32.1 fantasy points put him right back into cheat-code territory. Overall, McCaffrey rushed 18 times for 69 yards and a score with a 10/82/1 receiving line (on ten targets).

 

WR: Richie James

He was outshined by Davante Adams because Green Bay dominated the game, but James was surprisingly the top fantasy player on Thursday Night Football (and the WR1 heading into Monday night)—catching nine-of-13 targets for 184 yards and one touchdown. San Francisco is expected to have mostly everyone back in the receiving corps, but James has earned a bigger role down the stretch.

 

WR: Davante Adams

With six touchdowns over the past three weeks, Adams has been on an absolute tear, and the 49ers had zero answers for him in a primetime showdown (10/173/1). There probably isn’t a better wideout to have for those looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs.

 

TE: Travis Kelce

Kelce certainly hasn’t disappointed as the clear TE1 with George Kittle (ankle) out, and he had season-highs in receptions (ten) and yards (159) in Sunday’s win over Carolina. Anyone with the All-Pro tight end has a clear advantage at the position every week.

 

FLEX: Tyreek Hill

They started slow, but the Chiefs are essentially unstoppable when Kelce and Hill get hot, and that’s what happened yesterday in their 33-31 victory. Fantasy owners had nothing to complain about with Hill having eight touchdowns entering the weekend, but the 113-yard day was actually his first 100-yard receiving game of the year.

 

D/ST: Titans

Tennessee had three sacks and two takeaways—including a 63-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Desmond King in his first game with the team—on Sunday, and they did it without Jadeveon Clowney (knee) on the defensive line.

 

K: Jason Sanders

Sanders had has a few big games this year, and he remained perfect with four-of-four PAT attempts and a couple of 50-yard field goals—the latter of which won the game for Miami.

 

Surprise of the Week: Jake Luton

Luton probably wasn’t used by many fantasy owners outside of two-quarterback leagues, but he shined in his first career start (304 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a 13-yard rushing touchdown in the final minutes that gave Jacksonville a chance to tie the game). Plus, the strong-armed rookie opened up the passing attack for D.J. Chark (7/146/1).

 

Disappointment of the Week: Tampa Bay offense

Saints-Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football felt like it would be one of the games of the year, but Tampa Bay couldn’t do anything offensively, as Tom Brady was under consistent pressure. From Mike Evans (8.4 fantasy points) to the Bucs defense (-1.0), it was a night to forget.

 

Rookie of the Week: Jerry Jeudy

Jeudy had been a little quiet since flashing in the first quarter of the year, but he led the Denver offense on Sunday with seven receptions, 125 yards, and the second score of his young career. We’ll see if Jeudy can stay hot next week when he visits former Alabama teammate Henry Ruggs III and the Raiders.

 

Week 9 MVP: Dalvin Cook

Already up to 13 touchdowns at the season’s midway point for Minnesota (despite missing a game), Cook is suddenly in pole position to be the Fantasy MVP at the end of the year. The 85.8 fantasy points over the past two weeks is probably a number that won’t be topped or replicated this season.