We’re over halfway though our fantasy football season! Last week feels so far away for some reason. I guess that’s what happens as we approach the trade deadline. Seeing the return of DeAndre Hopkins, Matt Ryan get benched, Kadarius Toney get traded and Tom Brady get divorced were all such shocking events this week that it feels like it’s been a month. Let’s look at the picks I made last week.
- Los Angeles Chargers: 2 pts – BUST
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6 pts – HIT
- New York Jets: 6 pts – HIT
- Cincinnati Bengals: 6 pts – HIT
- Week 7: 3 Hits – 1 Bust
- Season: 13 Hits – 9 Busts
I seriously thought last week would be a good week for the Chargers. I said last week that in weeks they get 4 or more sacks, they hit. They couldn’t even do that! An interception, fumble recovery, a pair of sacks, and a safety can’t be a hit if you allow the opponent to put up 37 points on you. I guess as long as they’re winning, it doesn’t matter. Same can be said for my D/ST fantasy football picks. I couldn’t decide on a good fourth pick, so only three again this week. Sorry about that. Let’s look at them!
New York Jets – 56.5%
The Jets get to face off against their northeastern rival Patriots. Who knows for sure who the starter will be! Michael McCorkle “Mac” Jones? Bailey Zappe? Either way, the game plan will be revolving around establishing the run and checking down to the running backs. The Jets D/ST have hit on five out of seven weeks so far this year. They may have lost rookie running back Breece Hall (hoping for a swift recovery!), but they did trade for James Robinson. Their offense will be the same, just not as electric. Right now, their defense is what’s carrying them though! The Jets have only let their opponents score 20 points or less over the past four weeks! Add in the 2.5 sacks and the 1.5 interceptions per game average over the same four weeks and you see a trend that’s sure to continue against an injured Mac Jones if he’s the starter again.
Washington Commanders – 27.7%
As much as I hate to say it, the Colts look bad; to the point they benched Matt Ryan kind of bad. That whole “let’s start a 6th round rookie from a Power 5 college conference that no one thought would ever start” kind of bad. At this point in time, the only Colts player I trust for fantasy football is Jonathan Taylor; and even then who knows how he will be used since it seemed like he was on a snap count last week. Washington is coming off of a win where they looked good. Not great by any means, but better than 2-4. While maybe it was a one off, the Commanders are looking to build on it. They have averaged 2 sacks per game this year, but 10 of those have come in the last three matchups. That’s good news for their D/ST as the Colts offensive line continues to struggle.
Carolina Panthers – 9.0%
“What?! The Panthers?! Seriously?!” As you yell at me. “Yes” I say calmly back. The Panthers have a solid defense and have been doing well in fantasy football. 10 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 3 D/ST touchdowns are all good signs of a young, solid defense. They get to play the Falcons this week to decide which of them will be leading the division. The Falcons are a team that like to establish the run and continue to run the ball even when down by 21 points. Much to the detriment of all Kyle Pitts managers. If anything, the fact that the Falcons love to run the ball is a good thing for the Panthers because that’s a lower chance for big plays for massive yardage.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a D/ST with high upside, look no further than the Panthers. Want a solid team to play? Check out the Jets or the Commanders. If you want advice for fantasy football, check out theleaguewinners.com! Good luck this week! As always, may the Streams flow your way!
Hunter Greene
Hunter started writing for The League Winners in the summer of 2021. Hunter has been playing fantasy football for about a decade, starting in middle school. Now he’s a professional landscaper and avid Colts and Purdue fan.