Surely everyone has run into those “Why me?” scenarios, when the world, or the fantasy football gods, want you to wallow in misery — you seem constantly matched up against the highest scoring team in a given week, your team suffers an ill-timed injury, you drop a player right before they go off.
Like any fantasy manager, we are not immune from nasty visits from the fantasy gods. And we made a move this week that we surmise set in motion a series of events that require an apology on our behalf to Kirk Cousins.
Let us explain: Cousins is lost for the season with a torn Achilles. This can be pinned on the Madman, because we cut Will Levis. We promise, this will make sense eventually.
The Madman’s office league is a Superflex format — you can start two quarterbacks. Our QBs are Justin Herbert and Cousins. But in a Superflex, it is smart to have a backup QB to cover for bye weeks. We had Levis.
Alas, we recently cut him to add some wide receiver depth. Big deal, right? Herbert already had his bye, Levis wasn’t playing anyway, and we can survive plugging for just one week later in the season when Cousins has his bye.
The risk of doing this: We then had zero depth at QB, and the fantasy gods didn’t like that. So they showed their wrath by making Cousin’s Achilles go “pop!” And then they rubbed it in by gifting Levis with four touchdown passes in his first NFL game.
Kirk, we’re sorry. We really are. We wish we hadn’t angered the fake-football deities. Alas, all we can do now is try to find a duct-tape fantasy fix. The good news for readers: Most of you aren’t in Superflex leagues, so finding a replacement is possible, even if the options aren’t exciting.
First, test to see how good your luck is. There is an outside chance Kyler Murray has been hiding on your waiver wire. He is slated to make his season debut this week, returning from last season’s torn ACL.
As awful as the Cousins injury is, the timing of Murray’s return couldn’t be better. Did we mention we cut Murray from that same team a few weeks earlier? Because of course we did.
No Kyler on your waiver wire? There is one other option we like. Remember that Will Levis guy?
He is largely an unknown beyond his huge debut Sunday, so it’s possible he could become the next great QB — possible but not necessarily likely. That is upside most other waiver options will not provide.
After Levis, you could look for C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Geno Smith or Russell Wilson. None of them are terrible, so there’s that.
No luck? How about Sam Howell? He is wildly inconsistent, but on a given week he could go off — as he showed Sunday. Jimmy Garoppolo is aggressively average when healthy. And Derek Carr normally scores something, and that is better than zero.
Betting on the NFL?
Hopefully, Kirk and his fantasy managers find a way out of this mess, brought upon us by the fantasy gods’ anger at the Madman.
Hopefully, Kirk and his fantasy managers find a way out of this mess, brought upon by the fantasy gods’ anger at the Madman.
Rev the engine
Khalil Herbert RB, Bears
He might find his way to waivers before his Week 10 return. If so, grab and stash now. He was taking over the Bears’ backfield before his ankle injury.
Gus Edwards RB, Ravens
Two straight games with 20-plus in PPR. Yeah, we worry about his TD dependency and the fact he scored in single digits in five of the first six games. But as far as back-end bench options and bye-week fillers go, not bad.
DeAndre Hopkins WR, Titans
If he has been buried on your bench, like he has on ours, dust him off and get him in lineup now that Will Levis is his QB.
Quentin Johnston WR, Chargers
Finally looked like he was getting in sync with QB Justin Herbert this past week (5-for-50). Could be emerging as the No. 2 target behind Keenan Allen. If Joshua Palmer’s knee continues to be bothersome, it could happen even quicker.
Pump the brakes
Leonard Fournette RB, Bills
Don’t expect a huge impact by the newly signed RB, particularly immediately. But he could further undermine James Cook — who will likely drop to third in the goal-line-carry pecking order behind Fournette and Josh Allen.
Jonathan Taylor RB, Colts
Thought Taylor was playing his way toward his traditional bell-cow role. Apparently not. Three straight weeks of virtually 50-50 split with Zack Moss. The Colts must have read the “Don’t Lean on Stars” chapter of the “Falcons Strategy Guide.”
Chuba Hubbard RB, Panthers
Dominated the workload compared to Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, but Hubbard had less than 2.0 ypc (15-for-28). We don’t think he will maintain his Week 8 workload, but that horrid lack of efficiency is here to stay.
George Pickens WR, Steelers
His one catch was for a TD, lest Week 8 would have been a disaster. That doesn’t inspire confidence if Mitchell Trubisky has an extended run at QB.
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