This Friday, November 11, is Veteran’s Day.
Veteran’s Day, of course, is the day the country designates to thank and honor all those who have served honorably in our military. No one asked me, but I also think it should be included to thank and honor the spouses, children, parents and all family members of our servicemen and servicewomen. Without their sacrifices – and long time away from their loved ones – our military members would not be able serve our country.
One day is wholly inadequate to truly show appreciation for all the incredible sacrifices those who have served our country – past, present and future – have made, but it’s at least something.
I never served but both my grandfather and my beloved Uncle Lester did (RIP), both of whom I was very close to growing up. In fact, my grandfather made his living by running an Army-Navy surplus store after he got out, so my love and respect for our military has been a part of my entire existence.
A quick Google search of suggestions on how to honor Veterans surfaces a lot of different suggestions, from visiting a local VA office, to supporting Veteran-owned businesses, to sending cards or even just simply saying thanks and acknowledging someone’s service.
For me, I try to do as much as I can. We offer significant military discounts for anyone that wants to purchase a subscription to RotoPass. (www.RotoPass.com) (And if you’d like one just email support@rotopass.com from a military address and we’ll get you set up.).
We have donated all the advertising space of the Friday November 11 edition of the Fantasy Life newsletter to try and raise money the Headstrong Project, a 501c3 non-profit that is a national-facing mental health treatment practice of choice for our nation’s military-connected individuals, veterans and their associated family members. They offer confidential, barrier-free and stigma-free evidence-based trauma-focused treatment. (You can learn more about the Headstrong Project and donate here).
Plus, every year at this time I write my column open about a story that involves the military and fantasy football. Over the years I have heard from so many members of the military and about how much fantasy football means to them. They use it as a way to keep in touch with friends and family back home when they are stationed all over the world, as a way to connect with their fellow servicemen and women and as a way to distract from the very real threats and horrors they have to deal with every day.
And this week is the 10-year anniversary of the first time I heard my favorite military/fantasy football story. It was a story that I first wrote about in my book Fantasy Life and I have edited and updated it here for you now.
The story in question comes from Chase Magann -- who I had selected to be part of “The Man’s League” back in 2011 (a 16-team fantasy football listener league we used to run on my old ESPN podcast) and when it was time for him and his friend, Jake Rettig, to draft in this league.
Chase explains: “We were stationed in Northern Iraq at FOB Warrior, just outside the city of Kirkuk. We work as a Scout Weapons Team. Our main mission was to protect the base from rocket attacks, paired with a ground patrol inside the city of Kirkuk.” The guys were excited to be selected for the league, but to put it mildly, it would not be easy.
“Iraq was eight hours ahead of the Eastern United States in time. And we were concerned that we would have to fly a mission during the actual draft. So, we devised a plan: we’d wake up around 4 am, fly the mission, and be back in time to draft. The entire schedule was worked out for our day to revolve around this [salary draft].”
They took off just as the sun rose but it didn’t matter. It was still crazy hot. “September in Iraq is not fall. Sitting in the OH-58D(R) Kiowa Warrior with no doors on and all our body armor and gear made it even hotter. We flew like that for seven hours. As we did our mission, Jake and I discussed who we liked for the upcoming draft. Jake liked Matthew Stafford; I wanted to avoid Peyton Hillis.” (TMR Note for younger readers: Hillis had been a revelation the year before, having a huge year out of nowhere for the Cleveland Browns in 2010. Going into this season people were very divided on him, as many thought he had been a fluky, one-hit wonder type as the former seventh-round pick didn’t profile as a typical superstar RB).
Chase continues: “We strategized how much we were willing to spend on each position and sleepers we thought we could get cheap.” They landed back on the base just before the draft. (Think about that. They had to do their entire prep for this draft while flying over hostile territory during war time in Iraq.)
So, now Chase and Jake go to the computer room that was designed for soldiers to keep in touch with their families. The salary draft was going along fine for a while, Chase recalled, until disaster struck. “I was about to hit pass on Peyton Hillis when the internet froze. We couldn’t do anything. Instantly we decided to go back to my room for the draft, where the internet wasn’t as reliable but was run by a different server.”
Annoying but reasonable, right? Until Chase told me that “The hangar where we were was surrounded by giant concrete barriers and baskets filled with dirt and sand. They are all designed to protect from rocket attacks that happened on the base.”
That’s right. Rocket attacks. You have the same concerns where you draft, right?
The trip to Chase’s room wasn’t going to be easy. “The fastest way to our living quarters was through this maze of barriers. But we had no choice. So, I took off running. I hadn’t had time to change out of my uniform from earlier, so I had on my ACU patterned flight suit, combat boots and my 9mm pistol strapped to the side of my hip as I jumped on the side of barriers trying to get to our living areas.”
Personally, I get tired with repeated trips to the fridge in shorts and a T-shirt, but for Chase and Jake? “It took about two minutes to run at a full sprint back to our rooms about a quarter-mile away. Once I got there, I flipped up my computer and saw that at that time I was missing money and had filled a roster spot. That roster spot was now filled... with running back Peyton Hillis. He was auto-drafted onto our team at a much higher price than we could afford.”
And as we enter Week 10 I want you to remember this story as you look at your roster and lament the mid-round pick you spent on Allen Robinson. As you wish you had any other QB than Aaron Rodgers. As you wonder if Kyle Pitts is ever going to get enough targets to justify that third-round pick you spent on him. As you sit there and pray that the new Colts coaching staff figures out some way to get Jonathan Taylor healthy and productive.
Before you curse them again, remember my guys, Chase and Jake, from many years ago. They woke up at 4am, flew all day over Iraq, ran through concrete barriers that were open to potential rocket attacks, completely risked their lives serving our country and what was their reward?
Just 10 games played, three touchdowns, 717 total yards from Peyton Freakin’ Hillis. There was one week that year when Hillis couldn’t play because he got “a cold.” True story. And Jake and Chase were flying over Iraq in 100-degree heat. Just saying.
But that’s typical of the men and women who fight to protect our country, right? Going above and beyond, risking their lives, doing whatever they have to do in order to get the job done and not worrying about what, if anything, their “reward” would be.
So, once again I just want to thank all members of the military and their families for their service and sacrifices. Here’s hoping your team is filled with nothing but Cooper Kupp‘s and Austin Ekeler‘s.
Let’s get to it. A reminder that our Sunday morning show, Fantasy Football Pregame, airs every Sunday from 11am-1pm ET on Peacock (and 12-1 on CNBC). Peacock has an ad-supported, free to watch option, so download the app (PeacockTV.com) or check it out on your cable system. We answer more questions than any other pregame show and will get you set with fantasy help and smart bets for Week 10.
Here we go:
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Quarterbacks I Love in Week 10:
Justin Fields vs. Detroit
Last week during Miami’s game against the Bears, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel yelled at Justin Fields to stop scrambling because Fields was killing his team with his legs. I think I can speak for the entire fantasy football industry when I say to Coach McDaniel: “YOU SHUT YOUR DIRTY ####ING MOUTH!” Fields led the league in rushing in Week 9 with 178 yards. Had he not thrown a single pass, he still would have put up 23.3 fantasy points. Over his last four games, he has 408 rushing yards and three rushing scores. In fact, on the season, Fields is now 11th in the league in rushing with 602 yards — ahead of Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler. He’s also been much improved throwing the ball. Since Week 5, Fields is QB3 in PPG (25.5) and has five straight games with 17-plus fantasy points. He’ll keep it going this week against a Detroit defense allowing 20.9 PPG to quarterbacks this season, third-most in the league. Justin Fields is my QB 4 this week and there’s nothing Mike McDaniel can do about it.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Cleveland
At least Mike McDaniel‘s hatred of fantasy goodness isn’t hampering Tua Tagovailoa‘s production. If you take out the two games Tua left this season due to injury, he’s averaging 24.6 PPG and 336 passing yards. He’s also averaging a whopping 9.4 yards per pass attempt in his three games since returning from concussion and is also top-five in deep ball rate over that same stretch. It turns out that stocking your lineup with big-play receivers results in big plays. Huh. Good note. Here’s another note: This week Tua gets a Browns defense that, over the past four weeks, is allowing the sixth-highest passer rating. I have Tua inside my Top 5 in Week 10.
Trevor Lawrence at Kansas City
Kansas City is allowing touchdown passes at the third-highest rate this season. Prior to last week when they faced Tennessee’s high school passing offense, the Chiefs had allowed multiple touchdown passes in every game. Plus, quarterbacks facing the Chiefs are averaging 38.4 pass attempts per game, third-most in the league. To be clear: Kansas City’s defensive struggles are fine by me. The more other teams score, the more it forces Patrick Mahomes to do Patrick Mahomes things late in games. And who doesn’t love that? But it’s why I also love Trevor Lawrence against the Chiefs this week. In addition to the positive passing matchup for Lawrence, he’s also been running pretty well of late, too, with 20-plus rush yards in three of his last five games. Lawrence is actually a Top 10 quarterback for me in Week 10.
Others receiving votes: … The Houston Texans have allowed the most rushing yards in the league this season, while Daniel Jones has at least six rushing attempts in every game and is averaging 45 rushing yards per game. … Maybe Tom Brady won’t waltz in and take the 49ers job from his former backup next season after all. Jimmy Garoppolo has four-straight games with multiple touchdown passes and is QB11 in PPG over that stretch (17.3). He also has 250-plus passing yards in three of those games. … Speaking of quarterback changes, Jacoby Brissett isn’t long for the job in Cleveland, but he has a good matchup this week for those of you in deeper leagues. Browns-Dolphins has the second-highest Over/Under on the slate this week (49.5 at Bet MGM as of this writing) with Miami sitting as a 3.5-point favorite. In Cleveland’s last four losses, Brissett is averaging 35.3 pass attempts and now he gets a defense allowing touchdown passes at the seventh-highest rate on the season.
Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 10:
Aaron Rodgers vs. Dallas
There was a time last season when Aaron Rodgers seemed to achieve near-perfection on the field and total enlightenment off it. But now he’s kind of Football Big Lebowski. Aging, past his physical prime, career in shambles and everyone who comes into his home stadium is peeing all over his rug. I guess the only real difference is that The Dude’s bowling team is better than Rodgers’ football team is right now. Honestly, Walter and Donny might actually be an upgrade over Green Bay’s current batch of receivers. But I’ll say this about Aaron Rodgers: at least ruining fantasy teams is an ethos. Over halfway through the season, Rodgers sits at QB25 in PPG (14.0) and now he has a particularly tough matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas leads the league in both pressure rate and sack rate and they have allowed just 8 passing touchdowns all season — tied for the third-fewest. Only two quarterbacks have thrown for more than 215 yards against the Cowboys this season and only one quarterback, Justin Fields, managed to score more than 17 fantasy points. But Fields did that thanks to putting up 60 rushing yards and a score. Honestly, I don’t think Rodgers should even be on fantasy rosters in leagues where you only play 1 QB but I certainly don’t see a big performance from Rodgers this week, either on the ground or in the air. I do I see him finishing outside the Top 20 fantasy quarterbacks. The Dude does not abide.
Russell Wilson at Tennessee
Well, the good news is that the last time we saw him, Russell Wilson had his third-best fantasy performance against the Jaguars. The bad news is that was just 13.8 fantasy points. Wilson still has just a single game on the season with multiple touchdown passes and is 29th among quarterbacks in touchdown rate. The Over/Under in this one is the lowest on the slate (36.5 at Bet MGM) and in games with less than 50 points scored this season, Wilson is averaging just 12.5 PPG. I see the mediocrity continuing in Tennessee against a Titans defense that is allowing touchdown passes at the third-lowest rate over the past four weeks. Wilson is well outside my Top 15 quarterbacks in Week 10.
Running Backs I Love in Week 10:
Dameon Pierce at New York Giants
I was doing some research on Dameon Pierce and accidentally typed “Dame Pierce” into the Google machine and discovered there is a Dame Pierce who is a British diplomat. In fact, she is the current British Ambassador to the United States. What does this have to do with fantasy football? On its face, probably nothing. But what if in order to relate to her American counterparts, Dame Pierce is in a fantasy league with members of the U.S. State Department … and she drafted Dameon Pierce because of the similar name … and because she has Dameon Pierce on her team, she’s dominating the league … and U.S. diplomats get jealous … and then relations fray between our two nations and … one thing leads to another and then … World War III. Whoa. Could it happen? I don’t know. Probably not. Should I be more precise in my Googling so I don’t waste my time and then your time? Definitely. So let me stop wasting your time by telling you that Dameon (not Dame) Pierce has at least 20 touches and 100-plus scrimmage yards in five of his past six games. But he’s not just pounding the ball. Over that same stretch, Pierce has four games with a double-digit target share. This week Pierce faces a Giants team that, over the past four weeks, is allowing 6.1 YPC to running backs. Backs with 15-plus touches against the Giants this season are also averaging 91 scrimmage yards per game. I have Dameon Pierce as my RB 8 in Week 10, which is good news for Dame Pierce’s fantasy team. (But maybe bad news for global peace.)
Tony Pollard at Green Bay
When asked this week if Dallas has a new RB1 in Tony Pollard, Jerry Jones said: “No, there’s no argument … We’re going to go as Zeke goes. I really mean that.” And I really mean this: In fantasy, I’m going to go as Tony Pollard goes. Ezekiel Elliott is having a solid, productive season. But even with Pollard’s touches limited as Dallas’ RB2, he’s been lights-out. In five games this season with 12-plus touches, Pollard is averaging 16.8 PPG and 102 scrimmage yards. A similar workload will allow Pollard to do serious damage this week against a Packers team that allows the third-most rushing yards per game to running backs this season. Green Bay has also given up 75-plus scrimmage yards to a back 11 times this season. Zeke can remain Jerry Jones’ RB1. It doesn’t matter. I still have Pollard as my RB 16 in Week 10.
Cordarrelle Patterson at Carolina
Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley held their own during Cordarrelle Patterson‘s month-long absence, but last week proved Patterson is still Atlanta’s primary back. In his Week 9 return, Patterson played just 38 percent of the snaps but had a team-high 13 carries and was given three of Atlanta’s four goal-to-go carries. I mean, the Falcons are trying to win a prestigious NFC South title, so the youth movement can wait, right? This week the 4-5, tied-for-first Falcons take on a Panthers team that is just two games out of first. But despite being right in the thick of the playoff hunt, you may be shocked to learn that the 2-7 Panthers aren’t actually all that good, especially when trying to stop the run. Carolina ranks bottom five in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs this season. Considering Patterson has scored in four of his five games this season, I like his chances of cracking the end zone again on Thursday. I have Patterson inside my Top 20 running backs.
Others receiving votes: Despite arriving mid-week and barely knowing the Miami playbook, Jeff Wilson out-touched Raheem Mostert 12-10 in Week 9. Wilson also led the Dolphins’ backfield in snaps and target share. It seems like Mike McDaniel doesn’t want to break up with Raheem Mostert, but he definitely wants to see other backs. Mostert will still get his, but I think Wilson will be useable this week against a Cleveland team that allows the fourth-most fantasy PPG to running backs this season. … My former ESPN colleague, Jeff Saturday, is now head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. I’ll admit, that was an incredibly weird sentence to type just now. Anyway, I talked to Jeff about fantasy all the time, so if Jonathan Taylor is out again this week, I hope he keeps giving Deon Jackson looks in the passing game because Jackson can have a big fantasy day against the Raiders. In the three games Jonathan Taylor has missed this season, Jackson has a 14 percent target share. Meanwhile, the Raiders have allowed the most receiving yards to backs this season. … In three consecutive games, Leonard Fournette has single-digit carries and less than 25 rushing yards. Not great! But over the same period, the workload for Rachaad White has only increased, including a season-high 11 touches in Week 9 and three-plus receptions in five of his past six games. In deeper leagues, White is a viable FLEX option against a Seattle defense that ranks bottom five in catches and receiving yards allowed to backs. … Jerick McKinnon has led Kansas City’s backfield in snaps for each of the last four games, including a season-high 62 percent snap rate in Week 9. McKinnon also had eight targets last week, which suggests good things for this week against a Jaguars defense allowing the second-most receptions to backs on the season.
Running Backs I Hate in Week 10:
D’Andre Swift at Chicago
In his two games since returning from injury, D’Andre Swift has 18 touches. Total. Last week, Swift played just nine offensive snaps. Nine. He was only on the field nine times! Nine times! [Principal Ed Rooney voice] On the season, Swift has just a single game with more than 10 touches — that coming way back in Week 1. And he still has yet to get a goal-to-go carry. Hate, hate, hate, HATE all of that. On top of that, Chicago has allowed 30-plus receiving yards to a running back only twice this season. Swift may not get a lot of run for the Lions this week, but he’s my featured back on the Hate List. If starting a Lions RB this week it should be Jamaal Williams as I have Swift outside my Top 25 at the position.
Devin Singletary vs. Minnesota
Devin Singletary‘s fantasy stock is crashing like a Bills fan through a flaming folding table. Okay, that’s kind of a dated reference. Let’s go with this instead: Devin Singletary‘s recent fantasy production is even worse than a supposed Super Bowl contender losing to the New York Jets as double-digit favorites. There you go. Topical! In three of Singletary’s last four games, he has put up single-digit fantasy points and only once this season he has put up more than 15. Plus, since Week 4, he has only two touches inside the 10-yard line. I don’t see anything changing in Week 10 against a Vikings defense that, over the last four weeks, is allowing less than 55 yards per game to running backs and under 3 yards per carry over the same stretch. Singletary is outside my Top 20 running backs in Week 10.
Melvin Gordon at Tennessee
Melvin Gordon has only cracked 55 rushing yards in a game once this season, that coming back in Week 1. He hasn’t had more than 3.6 YPC in a game since Week 2. He only has more than three receptions in a game once this season, that happening back in Week 3. I can keep going, but the point is the same: stay away from Melvin Gordon in fantasy. Especially after the Broncos added Chase Edmonds to an already-crowded backfield and Gordon has to face a Titans defense that, over the past four weeks, is allowing a league-low 37.3 rushing yards per game to backs and just 2.55 YPC.
Pass Catchers I Love in Week 10:
Christian Kirk at Kansas City
CK@KC is a palindrome. See, this is the kind of incisive fantasy analysis you can’t get anywhere else. And yet you get it here for FREE. Wow! Other analysts simply need to get on my level. (“Level” is also a palindrome.) Anyway, you read earlier in the Trevor Lawrence write-up about Kansas City’s issues stopping the pass, and it all applies here, too. The Chiefs are bottom five in catches and yards allowed to the slot this season and their seven touchdowns surrendered to the slot are tied for the most. Kirk has a 26 percent target share over his past four games, so I expect Lawrence to hit him early and often in Week 10. I have Christian Kirk as a strong WR2 in Week 10, so definitely keep him on your fantasy radar. (“Radar” is another palindrome. Hooray!)
Chris Olave at Pittsburgh
Maybe the problem with Pittsburgh’s offense is that it looks amazing in practice, but then they play in a game and suddenly none of the same plays work. Because in practice, Kenny Pickett and friends go against a unit that has allowed the most yards to wide receivers this season and a league-high 13 touchdowns to the position. That’s good news this week for Chris Olave, who gets to face the Steelers in an actual game with real-life fantasy points on the line. In six of Olave’s last seven games, he has 70-plus yards or a touchdown, averaging 15.4 PPG over that span. Look for him to eclipse the average on Sunday. He’s my WR 17.
Allen Lazard vs. Dallas
I know, having the likes of Aaron Rodgers throwing to him hurts Allen Lazard‘s fantasy stock, but sometimes the peripheral numbers are just too good to ignore and they outweigh the dead-weight of a subpar quarterback. (I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence. I also can’t believe I’m not being entirely sarcastic.) In a Packers offense without Romeo Doubs and Aaron Jones banged up, Lazard will get increased usage. And he’s already been a focal point of the offense. Lazard has five straight games with a target share of 20 percent or better, earning 42 targets over that stretch -- and last week he saw three end zone targets, as well. Lazard has scored in five of his seven games this season and, since Week 2, has at least 11.5 fantasy points in every game. There aren’t too many Packers you want in your fantasy lineups these days, but Allen Lazard is one. I have him inside my Top 20 wide receivers in Week 10.
Greg Dulcich at Tennessee
Greg Dulcich has been one of the few bright spots for the Broncos this season. (The other bright spot being that one game I was the only one who picked the Broncos to win on national TV and they actually won that game. Ok, that was more about me than the Broncos but what do you want? Pickings are slim). Since coming off IR three games ago, the rookie tight end is averaging over 60 receiving yards per game and has a Top-12 TE finish every week. I see another Top-12 finish this week against a Tennessee defense allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends on the season.
Others receiving votes: … Brandon Aiyuk has three games in a row with 80-plus receiving yards. And over the same stretch he’s received a 24.8 percent target share and six red zone targets. … Darnell Mooney has 50-plus receiving yards in five of his last six games and his 28.6 percent target share on the season is eighth among all receivers. This week he gets a Lions defense that allows the most yards per game on deep passes. … Is the long-rumored Mecole Hardman fantasy breakout season finally upon us? I’m not going to go that far, but Hardman is producing: four straight games with 10-plus fantasy points, including a double-digit target share in each. He also has seven red zone targets over his last four games. … Donovan Peoples-Jones has 70-plus receiving yards in four of his past five games and, since Week 4, a 20 percent target share. … If Cade Otton keeps playing like this, Tom Brady can stop texting Gronk 700 times a day asking him to un-retire again. In two of Otton’s past three games, he has 60-plus receiving yards and Brady clearly has developed some trust in him, because Otton has five-plus targets in four of his past five games. This week, the rookie tight end sees a Seattle defense that has allowed the most yards to tight ends on the season. … Once Cole Kmet caught a touchdown pass, he decided he wanted to do it all the time. After going 0-for-2021 and 0-for-the-first-seven-games-of-2022, Kmet has reeled in three scores in his last two games. He also has a 15.6 percent target share since Week 3. Kmet has a good matchup in Week 10 against a Lions defense that allows the third-most fantasy PPG to tight ends.
Pass Catchers I Hate in Week 10
Amari Cooper at Miami
In road games this season, Amari Cooper is averaging just 5.7 PPG and 33 receiving yards. Oof. And this week is another road game, as Miami, is decidedly not Cleveland. In Miami, Cooper will likely have the dreaded Xavien Howard shadow, too. And that’s not the end of the bad news. Since Week 5, Miami is allowing the eighth-fewest yards to perimeter wide receivers. They also have the fifth-lowest aDOT allowed to perimeter receivers over the same stretch (9.5). You’re still likely starting him, but lower expectations for this week.
Terry McLaurin at Philadelphia
Philadelphia had a rough weekend. The Phillies lost the World Series. The Union lost the MLS Cup. The Sixers lost James Harden for a month. The Flyers … well they won. Because it’s the regular season. But worst of all: the undefeated Eagles couldn’t save the weekend for the city because they played on Thursday. But now the Eagles are back, and that’s very bad news for Terry McLaurin. Despite a 6-102 game on nine targets versus Philadelphia back in Week 3, McLaurin has less than 65 yards in four of his last five games against the Eagles. A big reason for that is Darius Slay, who will shadow McLaurin again on Monday night. And the Eagles have only improved since their Week 3 matchup with Washington. Over the past four weeks, Philadelphia has allowed the second-fewest yards to perimeter wide receivers. I am downgrading McLaurin to WR 22 in Week 10.
Mike Gesicki vs. Cleveland
Since Week 2, Mike Gesicki has just one game with more than 40 receiving yards. In games in which Durham Smythe is active, Gesicki averages 5.6 PPG and has eclipsed a 12 percent target share one time. And now this week he faces a Browns defense that has allowed only two tight ends all season to score more than nine fantasy points against them. So that’s the bad news. The good news is that I don’t think we’ll be subjected on Sunday to seeing Mike Gesicki butcher another celebratory Griddy.
Matthew Berry, the Talented Mr. Roto, is willing to join any ownership group that will have him.
