Redskins vs. Giants
Redskins
Coming off of an exciting, last minute victory over the division rival Cowboys, the Redskins now face the tall task of having to feast on the cooked goose that is the New York Giants football team. Life sure can be rough sometimes. Can the Redskins skill players overcome what has been awfully underwhelming play from everyone that isn’t an ageless football god to post decent fantasy weeks against the lowly Giants defense? Let’s find out…
Still….No. Just, No.
The beautiful, gunslinging butterfly that was last season’s Alex Smith seems to have reverted back to being a boring cocoon: safe and boring, but containing huge potential. Do you want the human embodiment of a cocoon as your fantasy starter? I didn’t think so.
Come on…Do Something
Pokes Josh Doctson and Jordan Reed’s prostrate bodies Come onnnnnn. Post more than 50 yards receiving instead of being over-qualified minor role players already! No? Well ok, at least we can hope for an easy touchdown from one of them in this one, or for Paul Richardson to do SOMETHING exciting. Meanwhile, Jamison Crowder remains out, Vernon Davis remains irrelevant, and unfortunately for everyone working downfield for the Skins, Jay Gruden nowadays just wants to…
Run, Run, RUN!
And why not, when you have an ageless stallion like Adrian Peterson as your bellcow back?! Peterson racked up just under 100 yards (again) on a whooping 24 carries as the Skins pounded the rock against a truly formidable Dallas rushing defense. This week, they get the formerly respectable Giants rushing defense which just so happened to have traded away its star run stuffer in Snacks Harrison. With a sound lead early in the second half, look for Peterson to EAT in this one. Oh, and what do ya know, Chris Thompson is coming back this week too! Woo hoo! Look for the always talented, but oft injured, scat back to rack decent yardage and probably a TD in this one.
Boom, Bust, and BSleeper!
Pretty easy for the Skins this week: AP should Boom once again, while Alex Smith is NOT TO BE TRUSTED, despite the choice matchup. The BSleeper is a bit tougher to diagnose, but with Janoris Jenkins still among the leftovers on the Giants defense and likely covering would-be #1 receiver Josh Doctson, it should be Richardson who comes back for a solid BSleeper performance.
Boom! = Adrian Peterson
Bust! = Alex Smith
BSleeper! = Paul Richardson
-Alex Silverman
Giants
Will Saquon Barkley have a bounce-back game on the ground?
Washington’s run defense is ranked #26 in the league, so RB Saquon Barkley should have a stellar performance, but I said the same thing last week when they faced the Falcons’ #31 run defense. When you look at it on the macro level, 94 total yards isn’t that bad of a floor to have, but it came as a result of Barkley trying too much to bounce the ball to the outside and game flow in the second half. The Giants should take rebuilding mode as a time to develop aspects of the offense that are weak, which would mean calling more run plays up the gut, but knowing this team that won’t happen. Either way, Barkley should have a closer to 100 yards rushing on Sunday than he did last Monday, but his catch total may be lower than expected because the Redskins are 4th best at containing running backs as pass catchers.
Will Eli Manning continue to be the scapegoat for the offense’s struggles?
QB Eli Manning’s window is definitely closing, but he’s one of many reasons for the Giants’ offensive struggles. Sunday will be a tough matchup for WR Odell Beckham Jr. likely lining up across from CB Josh Norman most of the game, but the data suggests that it will be even tougher for WR Sterling Shepard, as Washington ranks 12th against WR1’s and 6th against WR2’s. The way Shepard has played the last few weeks, both with and without TE Evan Engram on the field, gives me hope that he’ll continue to do so on Sunday.
Will it be addition by subtraction for the Giants’ defense?
Just when I started to think this defense couldn’t get any worse, DT Damon Harrison and CB Eli Apple are traded. The defense was already ranked 28th, and the draft picks they received in return for these guys will do nothing to help them now. Honestly, these are the kind of trades the Giants need to make since they’re already 1-6, but it will sure make watching the rest of this season even more difficult. I’m mentally in tank for the #1 pick mode, but it’d be nice to see them beat the Redskins too.
BOOM: RB Saquon Barkley
BUST: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
SLEEPER: WR Russell Shepard
-Alex Drennan