Primetime Preview: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (TNF Week 8)

Primetime Preview: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (TNF Week 8)

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by | Oct 24, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Thursday Night Football is here, featuring a match up between teams heading in opposite directions. The red hot Vikings are riding high on a three game win streak while the Redskins are looking for their first victory over a non-winless team. The Skins are clearly in a transition year with recently fired HC Jay Gruden. Will the Redskins be able to rally around interim HC Bill Callahan and make this a competitive game? Vegas doesn’t seem to think so as the Vikings are big home favorites at -16. 

QB Matchup: Kirk Cousins vs. Case Keenum 

After hearing the complaints from star receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, it looks as though Kirk Cousins may have flipped the switch on his early season performance. The aerial attack is working at new heights with Cousins passing for over 300 yards and 2 TDs the last three games, including 2 games with 4 TD passes. Cousins will be without his favorite target Adam Thielen tonight, as he is resting with a hamstring injury from a heroic TD grab last week in Detroit. 

On the other hand, Case Keenum doesn’t possess the weapons on offense that Minnesota does, and his numbers reflect the fact. Keenum has passed for over 300 yards only twice this year, but his inconsistent play has not been all his fault. The Redskins are missing star LT Trent Williams, who is still holding out. Along with this, they have a banged up backfield and multiple starting Tight Ends missing. Keenum will need to have a big night if the Redskins want any chance at keeping this a close game. 

RB Matchup: Dalvin Cook vs. Adrian Peterson

Dalvin Cook has been absolutely special so far in 2019. Out of his first 7 games of the season, Cook has yet to reach 100 rushing yards in just two of those contests. Head Coach Mike Zimmer made the running game a focal point of the off season and it has been paying off big time, except for the disgruntled wide receivers at times. Cook is in line for another monster game tonight, as the Vikings should be playing with the lead a majority of the game. Expect nothing less than another 100 yard performance from Cook in this one, potentially finding the end zone of numerous occasions as well. 

Adrian Peterson was questionable heading into the week with an ankle sprain, but it looks as though the veteran RB will be ready to go tonight. Peterson is coming off of two strong games where he rushed for 118 and 81 yards, respectively. The Vikings have a sound run defense, and with the projected game flow, Peterson may see some of his work passed on to Wendell Smallwood, the more favorable receiver out of the backfield. 

WR Matchup: Stefon Diggs vs. Terry Mclaurin

With Adam Thielen sidelined with injury, Stefon Diggs will play an even bigger role in the offense for the Vikings tonight. Diggs is coming off of two outstanding performances, totaling 309 yards and 3 TDs over the span. There was plenty of concern about Diggs and his future with the organization after his start in 2019. The star WR had only six receptions over the first three weeks of the season, but looks to be much happier now with Cousins airing the ball out more. 

There hasn’t been too much to cheer for in Washington so far this year, but rookie WR Terry McLaurin has definitely been a pleasant surprise. McLaurin already has 5 TD grabs on the young season, and looks to bounce back from his only disappointing game so far as a Pro when he caught one pass for 11 yards. Last week wasn’t completely on him, as the conditions in Washington were brutal, essentially killing the passing attacks for both offenses. Keenum and McLaurin will need to connect for some big plays if the Redskins believe they can win tonight. 

TE Matchup: Kyle Rudolph vs. Jeremy Sprinkle

Although not the biggest names at the position, this will be a fun match up between tight ends. Kyle Rudolph has been a great veteran presence on the Vikings for a few years now and even though his target count has dropped from previous years, he is always a threat in the red zone. With Thielen out, Rudolph should see an uptick in usage tonight. 

The Redskins are now on their third Tight End, as starters Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis are out with injury. Sprinkle hasn’t contributed much so far in 2019 as he has hovered around the 1-2 reception/game area. Sprinkle is a big 6’5, 250 lbs TE, so he should be able to do some damage around the goal line or in jumbo packages. 

Defensive Matchup: 

Perhaps one of the most intriguing match ups of the game is the defensive units for both ball cubs. Under Mike Zimmer, the Vikings are perennially one of the best units in stopping both the run and pass games, as both their front 7 and secondary are loaded with talent. They have one of the most underrated pass rushers in Danielle Hunter, who already has 7 sacks so far on the season. Their secondary is led by safety Harrison Smith and DB Xavier Rhodes. 

Washington doesn’t have the same star power as the Vikes, but their defense isn’t as bad as their record would show. They rank 21st in both Yards/game and Points Allowed/game, while limiting the opposition to only 237 Passing Yards/game, good enough for 12th in the NFL. A lot of this can be boiled down to game flow, as teams that are leading the Redskins are more likely to run the ball and kill time in the second half. Getting off the field on 3rd down will be crucial for the Redskins tonight, as they look to possess the ball and manage the time of possession battle. 

Score Prediction: Vikings 28, Redskins 13 

Oct 24, 2019 No Comments
SR Fantasy Football Week 7: Winners/Losers & Waiver Wire Advice

SR Fantasy Football Week 7: Winners/Losers & Waiver Wire Advice

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by | Oct 22, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Winners:

  • Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers and HC Matt LaFleur may have just found their chemistry. Yesterday was a vintage Rodgers performance, absolutely terrorizing the Raiders defense all game to the tune of 430 total yards and 6 TDs. The crazy thing is Packers were still without top wide out Davante Adams. After some uncertainty during the first 6 games, Rodgers’ 44 point fantasy performance should give owners optimism as to what’s to come.  

  • Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders

After signing a contract extension this week, Waller was huge for the Raiders in their loss against the Packers. The emerging TE hauled in 7 REC for 126 Yards and 2 TDs. Waller has been one of the best TE so far this year, and his connection with Derek Carr is only growing with time. 

  • Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions

Who could have predicted a 4 TD explosion from Marvin Jones against one of the best secondaries in the NFL? Jones seemed to pull down everything especially in the red zones on perfectly thrown fades and outs by Matt Stafford. With Jones and Golladay, it’s somewhat of a week-to-week dilemma, as opponents coverage’s dictate the game plan and who will receive more targets. 

Losers:

  • Atlanta Falcons 

The Atlanta Falcons have been the epitome of underwhelming this season. With a defense that can’t stop anyone, there offense has been forced to play catch up almost every week. But it wasn’t just the defense this week as the offense was lifeless, showing no capability of moving the ball downfield and converting drives. They didn’t have a touchdown until backup Matt Schaub led the team to a garbage time TD, after replacing Matt Ryan who sustained an injury. 

  • David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had David Johnson active for the game in New York, he took the first carry, then didn’t enter the game again. Post game Kliff Kingsbury claimed Johnson was ‘only to be used in an emergency’. Why they didn’t release this BEFORE the game is beyond me! If you started DJ in fantasy, you got screwed. Nothing you can do. 

  • Damien Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

You would assume in a game when the Chiefs roll to a 30-6 victory that Damien Williams would at least fall into the end zone. Nope. How about 9 rushes for 7 Yards while getting his snap count significantly decreased from LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams. The Kansas City backfield is such a crowded mess right now that you can’t feel confident starting any of them, especially with Mahomes possibility missing time due to injury.

Waiver Wire Advice:

  • Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals (31% Rostered)

The one beneficiary of David Johnson’s absence this Sunday was Chase Edmonds. He put on a show from the start, rushing for two TDs in the first quarter of the game. He ended the game with 126 yards and 3 TDs. With David Johnson banged up, Edmonds is a fantastic handcuff and needs to be rostered immediately. 

  • Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (39% Rostered)

With lots of teams heading into the BYE week, Kirk Cousins is a very viable streaming option at the QB position. The Vikings have a Thursday Night showdown against the Redskins this week, and as long as game flow doesn’t completely take the passing game away, Cousins should be in for another solid week. 

  • John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills (66% Rostered)

The fact that John Brown is still not rostered in ⅓ of leagues is crazy! He has had over 4 catches and 50 yards in every game and he is clearly one of Josh Allen’s favorite targets. As if it couldn’t get any better, Brown has Philadelphia on the schedule next week, who deploys the league’s worst secondary. 

Oct 22, 2019 No Comments
SR Fantasy Football Week 7: Start/Sit & Love/Hate

SR Fantasy Football Week 7: Start/Sit & Love/Hate

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by | Oct 17, 2019 | Featured, NFL

After six tremendous weeks of Football, most fantasy owners have come to expect a certain level of production from all of their players. You have the guys who are match up proof, rolling them out each and every week possible. Then there are the ‘tweeners’, the guys that you may not always play but could propel you to a victory on any given week. Lastly, there are the end of the roster guys, either for backups to your stars or young talents who haven’t gotten their chance to shine. 

Today I want to focus on those middle tier players who you don’t know whether to start or bench. I’ll cover players who I would Start/Sit as well as players who I believe will exceed or fall short of their projected points on ESPN/Yahoo Fantasy Football.

Start Em

  • All Rams WRs (Kupp, Woods & Cooks) (At Falcons)

Even after a despicable performance last week against the 49ers, you should start any and all of the Rams WRs that you roster. The Falcons have been one of the worst defenses overall this year but especially in the passing game, as they have given up the 3rd most Fantasy points to opposing WRs. Expect the Rams to rebound nicely from what has been the toughest stretch of young Sean McVay’s head coaching career. 

  • Josh Allen (Vs. Dolphins)

A matchup with the winless Dolphins is quite intriguing if you roster Josh Allen. Miami is giving up an astounding 24.8 Fantasy points/game to opposing QBs, a number that ranks them last in the league. Although Allen has had trouble protecting the football so far this year, his presence in the run game gives him a high floor. He has tallied over 5 carries in every single game this year, scoring a TD on the ground in three of them.

Sit Em

  • Tarik Cohen (Vs. Saints)

With a matchup at home against the Saints, you would think Cohen’s ability in the passing game would be vital to the game plan. Unfortunately, things just haven’t turned out the way Cohen was looking for this year. Rookie David Montgomery is eating into his snap count (which was already limited due to size) and QB Mitchell Trubisky has been sidelined with an injury. Cohen had 6 grabs in week 5 before his bye week, but don’t get too excited as he hasn’t topped 13 Points (PPR) all year. 

  • Stefon Diggs (At Lions)

After a 40+ point performance you are telling me to sit Stefon Diggs??? That’s ludicrous!!! Or is it? Have you been watching the same Vikings games I have? Last week was a fluke against one of the worst secondaries in the league right now. The Vikings have reshaped their offense around Dalvin Cook, and Diggs has paid the price for it. Along with this, Adam Thielen has become Cousin’s preferred target and it’s easy to tell. Don’t get mad when Diggs has 4 receptions for 31 yards this week. I told you so. 

Love 

  • Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys (Vs. Eagles)

Speaking of great match ups that Stefon Diggs exploited, this week is Amari Cooper’s turn. Facing the 32nd ranked secondary, look for Prescott to take chances deep early. Michael Gallup deserves love as well, as both of these guys have the ability to take the top off the defense. Cooper is dealing with a thigh injury but a report from Dallas claimed that he will be ready to go on Sunday.

  • Tevin Coleman, San Francisco 49ers (At Redskins)

Game flow is an easy way to explain why I love Coleman in Week 7. The 49ers head to Washington looking to stay undefeated, and my guess is they take care of business pretty easily. Over the last two weeks Coleman has proven that he is the leader of Kyle Shanahans running back by committee. With 16 and 20 touches and a TD in each of the last two, Coleman is a lock to perform this Sunday. 

Hate

  • Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets (Vs. Patriots)

As a Le’Veon Bell fan and fantasy owner, this one kills me. Projected at 15 points (.5PPR), the safe bet is the under. The Patriots defense has been historic so far in 2019 and what is telling me that the New York Jets will do anything about that. Yes, they got Sam Darnold back, but you really think the Cowboys and Patriots are comparable defenses with comparable coaches? Yea, that’s what I thought. With backup Luke Falk, Bell totaled only 8.3 fantasy points (.5 PPR) in the week 3 match up with the Patriots in Foxborough. I’ll give him more than 8 this week, but definitely under 15. 

  • Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins (Vs. 49ers)

Peterson is coming off his best performance of the year with 25 touches for 136 total yards in Miami. Unfortunately, the Dolphins and 49ers are almost opposites on the defensive spectrum. Like I stated before, this game shouldn’t be too competitive. With that being said, I don’t want anywhere near the Redskins RBs, especially Peterson who isn’t known for his pass catching ability. Projected at 10 points (.5 PPR) the only way Peterson reaches this is with a TD run from inside the 5. Expect to see a performance similar to his games versus good opponents like his 1.8 point performance against the Patriots or his 3.8 versus the Bears. 

 

Oct 17, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (MNF Week 6)

Primetime Preview: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (MNF Week 6)

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by | Oct 14, 2019 | Featured, NFL

To end week 6 of the NFL season we get a great match up between division rivals at Lambeau Field. The Lions are two weeks revoked from almost handing the Chiefs a loss, but somehow Mahomes and crew pulled out the win. Matt Patricia has the defensive unit working exceptionally well and Rodgers and LaFleur will have their hands full tonight. The Packers are also coming off a strong performance at Jerry World, where Aaron Jones and the rushing attack sliced the Cowboys to shreds, as Jones totaled 4 TDs in the 34-24 beat down. Both teams will be trying to control the clock tonight, so look will Kerryon Johnson and Aaron Jones to get involved early and often. 

The Packers new look offense under rookie HC Matt LaFleur hasn’t looked too special so far. Statistically, their offense has been tolerable but not up to par with a normal Aaron Rodgers led attack. They are only averaging 23.8 Pts/game with a measly 244.2 Pass Yards/game. Even with Aaron Jones running the ball well, they only account for 93 Yards/game on the ground. The biggest jump that the Packers took over the off season was the improvement of their defense, especially in the secondary and LB Corps. Their secondary has held opponents to 238 Pass Yards/game, good enough for 13th in the league, while also being a top ten scoring defense allowing only 18.6 Pts/game. 

The Lions have been a pleasant surprise so far in 2019. With the defense looking more like a typical Patricia-led unit, the Lions have been in a position to win all of their games so far. Matthew Stafford has been terrific as well, posting the 9th best QBR so far this year. Their offense has been a splendid mesh of the run and passing games, as they rank 9th and 12th in those categories respectively. 

So many memorable games have been played between these two, with the last as the ‘Miracle in Motown’ highlighted by the Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers hail mary for the win in week 13 of 2015. The Packers hold the series lead with a record of 100-73-1 against the Lions. 

The latest line for the game has the Packers as 3.5 home favorites with an Over/Under of 45.5. Even with two Quarterbacks known for slinging the ball down field, the over isn’t a sure bet here. Both teams want to establish the run and keep the ball away from the other. As both teams currently stand with only one loss, this game will have significant impact on the outlook of the NFC North.

Oct 14, 2019 No Comments
Dame Lillard and Shaquille O’Neal Battle It Out

Dame Lillard and Shaquille O’Neal Battle It Out

Celebs

by | Oct 14, 2019 | Celebs, Featured, NBA

Damian Lillard is no stranger to the fire. Whether leading the Portland Trailblazers or behind the mic, Dame runs head first into battle. In an interview on Joe Budden’s podcast, Dame declared himself a better rapper than Shaquille O’Neal, who Dame said gained notoriety for his larger-than-life personality rather than his technical rapping ability. “I think he was viewed as Shaq People weren’t looking like this a real rapper. It was like, ‘That’s Shaq rapping.’ So, of course, it was a big deal.”

 Shaq took Lillard’s comments as an affront and took to Instagram to release a response on wax, taking shots at Dame’s ringlessness several times over the 4 minute track over Dr. Dre’s “What’s The Difference.” “Legendary I’m a hip-hop scholar / I’m tryin’ to get a billion who gives a f**k about a D.O.L.L.A / Take ya time to respond, there’s no hurry / You’ll never be Westbrook, never be Steph Curry,” Shaq spat at the 4x NBA All-Star. Dame then released his response, a verbal flurry titled “Reign Reign Go Away” a coy reference to Diesel’s 1996 album “Can’t Stop The Reign.”

 Whereas Shaquille’s disses equated to surface level “RINGSSS” talk, Dame cut deep, “Said yourself that I’m a Tesla, no longer need diesel gas/ Kinda like the Cavs ain’t really need Diesel ass/And even in Miami, won that on the strength of Flash”

 To add insult to injury, Dame used the now famous meme crying Shaq meme born from his appearance on Hot Ones. Dame waited patiently for a response from the Big Aristotle but apparently had more to get off his chest and let the shots ring off with another diss song called “I Rest My Case” where Lillard takes shots at Shaq and any pundits that believed Shaq prevailed in their war of words. 

On the track, Dame cleverly leverages Shaq’s record on the court and his underwhelming diss track, rapping “Raised real solid, I’m DOLLA but not for dollar  sign/Only Dame you beat was 2000 and that was Stoudemire.” Much like Dame’s on the court demeanor, Dolla attacked Shaq relentlessly throughout the bought referencing his shoe line, his love for EDM festivals, and generally goofy persona. 

But the Big Diesel isn’t one to go down without a fight, and after taking some ferocious blows, he came back with another verbal lashing towards Dame this time over Puff Daddy’s Victory. Shaq leans heavily on the familiarity of the instrumental, even co-opting Puff’s flow in the “intro” portion singing  

“Yo, the sun gon’ shine forever/ All my statues and retired jerseys, I’ma live forever/Better now or never, kill Damon, my pleasure/ We see you lose every year, nobody do it better”

Shaq’s coworker Charles Barkley takes a stray as Shaq attacks Dame, spitting 

“What, you think I wasn’t gonna respond?/ Droppin’ little grenades, I’m droppin’ them nuclear bombs/ Everybody gon’ hear this ether/ I don’t like your ass, I don’t like Charles Barkley either”

Dame has yet to respond to the latest diss track but with there still being a few days before the season starts there’s still a chance that Dame fires back at Kazaam. 

Oct 14, 2019 No Comments