By: Jonathan Goad

First, let me apologize for Trey Burton and Randall Cobb. Neither performed like I thought. If it makes you feel better, I felt the impact of my own (bad) advice. Hey, you can’t win ‘em all.

For those of you who started Marlon Mack, you’re welcome. He had a career day.

Let’s get to it.

START

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Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos

With the trade of Demaryius Thomas, there’s no question who the number one WR in Denver is. It’s Sanders and really, it’s been him all season. Expect him to be heavily targeted against the Texans this week. I could easily see 15 or more targets for the wide out. Courtland Sutton will definitely see an uptick in targets as well as he takes over the number two WR spot in Denver. He’s worthy of a flex play and maybe even as a WR2 or 3. The biggest downfall is that both of these guys have Case Keenum throwing to them.

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

Another benefactor of a trade deadline deal, Golladay is at least the number two wide receiver in Detroit now. Golden Tate was shipped to Philly. Golladay and Marvin Jones should see plenty of targets, but I like Golladay in this week’s matchup with the Vikings. Golladay has had a rough couple weeks since the Lions’ bye week, but expect that to change this week. Get Golladay in your lineup this week.

James White, RB, New England Patriots

White has likely been starting for you most of the season, as he should be. He makes this list just to show how much I like him this week. The Pats play the Packers in what should be a shootout of the two best QBs in the game. With Sony Michel still questionable, White could see a decent amount of carries as well as his usual dose of receptions. Outside of Todd Gurley who has a juicy matchup with the Saints, James White is my favorite back this week. Expect a monster game from him.

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BENCH

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LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills

Shady is still on the Bills, so he doesn’t have a ton of value even though he should be getting a lot of volume. The Bills struggled to run the ball against New England last week. Don’t expect that to change this week as the Bills play the Bears. If Shady is going to have any value this week, it’ll be in the passing game. Although, it looks like Nathan Peterman will start at QB. We all know how his games have gone…

Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers

How long did we expect this experiment to last? Well, it appears to be over, as Matt Breida looks set to return to the lineup. Mostert had a decent couple weeks, but barring another injury, he’s going to be regulated to RB3 duties. If I’m being completely honest, I don’t like any of the 49ers backs this week. Avoid them if you can.

Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Mike Williams could eventually be a big time receiver in this league. It just won’t happen this year. While he’s done okay, he likely will continue to only get five or less targets per game. There’s a lot of mouths to feed on the Chargers and Mike Williams is at best the fourth option behind Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, and Keenan Allen. They also have Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin who deserve looks. The Chargers also play at Seattle. While the Seahawks are a long way from the Legion of Boom, they’re still solid against WRs. Plus, we know how hard it is to play in Seattle.

FLEX

Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Excited about the Cowboys’ newest WR? Don’t be too excited. He will likely see a decent amount of targets as he is clearly the best option, but the Cowboys are still a run-first team. It’s also Amari Cooper. His inconsistent hands make me nauseous, well they would if I were relying on him.

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Demaryius Thomas, WR, Houston Texans

Thomas should fare well in the long run with the Texans as Deshaun Watson is a better QB than Case Keenum. I’m not sure that Thomas will make an immediate impact in his first game as a Texan, however. He will also continue to play second fiddle, as DeAndre Hopkins is the clear number one WR. There’s always potential for DT, but don’t get over excited about his new home. He will be a familiar position this week as Houston travels to Denver.

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Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions

I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Johnson over the past few weeks. He looks like he could be a workhorse RB for the Lions for years to come. The issue with him this week is his matchup. The Lions play at Minnesota. The Lions will likely trail early and resort to the passing game. If Theo Riddick is available, he’ll see the bulk of the playing time. If he can’t play, Johnson looks a little better, but don’t expect a big rushing day for him.

Best of luck to everyone who isn’t playing against me.