Dein erstes Forum » managers, coaches, quarterbacks ... so

Fantasy players have questions.And I have answers. Its what I do.So when Brian Bardi reached out on Twitter recently, I didnt want to ignore it. But clearly, a response in 140 characters wouldnt suffice. I needed to do a deep dive on this one. Its truly an excellent question.Like @AdrianPeterson why do you have to RUIN MY ENTIRE FANTASY SEASON BY WEEK 2. Also I blame @MatthewBerryTMR for saying it was a good idea- Brian Bardi (@bbardi14) September 19, 2016Why? Why, indeed?It didnt seem like Adrian was responding on Twitter, so I reached out to him, and in an exclusive, definitely not-made-up interview, I asked him about it.TMR: Thanks for taking the time away from your rehab, Adrian.AP: No problem. We can take as long as you need. This is super-important.TMR: Then lets dig right in. Why did you purposely ruin Brians entire fantasy season?AP: I dont want to take all the credit. Its something the coaching staff and my teammates have been talking about since the offseason. Every day, in the weight room, during film study, OTAs, two-a-days, preseason, all the work we were putting in, it was all we talked about as a group. Nothing in football is accomplished individually. This was a total team effort.TMR: But by Week 2, Adrian? Was there ever a consideration given to ruining Brians fantasy season later on, maybe Week 11 or 12, during a playoff push? Or what about Week 14? First round of the playoffs is always a crowd pleaser.AP: We looked at it from every possible angle, and theres always going to be people who second-guess choices, but big home game for us, division rival, debut of the new stadium, national prime-time game ... it just felt like the exact right moment to ruin Brians entire fantasy season.TMR: Take us through that exact moment.AP: Third quarter, 3:23 to go, were on the Packers 38-yard line and driving, up 10-7. Its first down, and as we get to the huddle, I looked at Sam [Bradford]. Now, you think? Sam got the call from Norv [Turner] and gave me a thumbs-up. We were going to try and ruin Brians fantasy season right then and there. So, off tackle up the middle, I gain 5 and then get hit by 51 [Packers linebacker Kyler Fackrell], and as soon as I went down, I knew.TMR: Youre in excruciating pain, being helped off the field by two guys, limping bad, hurt so much you cant even put any weight on your right foot and you turn to the trainer ...AP: ... And I just said, We did it, guys. Brians entire fantasy season ... toast.TMR: Youre 31 years old, team has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, the Vikings have already lost Teddy Bridgewater for the season, so even more of the team success is on your shoulders. Youve had major injuries before and yet ...AP: None of that matters. I told my family, as they were surrounding me in the hospital: Stop your crying, I said. This isnt about you. Or me. Stop being selfish. This is about Brians fantasy team. We had a goal to ruin his entire fantasy season by Week 2, and thats what we did.TMR: Im really impressed, man. Your singular dedication is amazing here.AP: Hey man, come on now, dont get all shy on me. Youre part of this success, too.TMR: Oh, stop.AP: No, you said it was a good idea for Brian to draft me. He credits you, too!TMR: Youre so good about sharing the spotlight. Youre right. Im part of this.AP: Oh yeah, you are. And not just Brian. Did you even read your Love Hate from last week? It was amazing, man. Such an incredibly awful week. Did you even get anything right? Love it! Im just thinking about what you did to Joe.Hey @MatthewBerryTMR thanks for that Emmanuel Sanders love pick. I lost by 0.9 thanks to his measly 3.9 points- Joe (@jmcinerney17) September 19, 2016TMR: Well, we operate differently, Adrian. You were focused on just ruining Brians team. I was thinking about Brian, Joe and Tate. Dont forget Tate!@MatthewBerryTMR I trusted you. You said you liked Golden Tate and Rashad Jennings with their week 2 matchup. 4 combined points. I hate you.- Tate Boyce (@The_Great_Tate) September 18, 2016AP: Haaaaaaa! You got Tate good!TMR: Thanks, man. I was sweating that one, especially with Golden Tate. Nine targets, only two catches. ... Sometimes you get lucky.AP: Nah man, you worked hard on that one. Some of your best work.TMR: (really genuine) Thanks, man. (pause) Hey, can I be honest for a second?AP: Whatcha got?TMR: (motions for AP to lean in close, whispers) Im actually working on ruining everyones fantasy season.AP: (laughs, high-fives me) I knew it!TMR: Yeah, Ive been trying to keep it under wraps, but Hunter is on to me.Why do the Giants hate Rashad Jennings- Josh Goodson (@joshwgoodson) September 18, 2016Because @MatthewBerryTMR loved him this week. @Meeks_M https://t.co/oBmZyIIiLF- Hunter Willard (@HunterWillard) September 18, 2016AP: So youre not working alone?TMR: Oh no, not at all. Lots of coordination with Ben McAdoo, Rashad, frankly, the entire Giants organization to make sure we were on the same page regarding Rashads fantasy owners. We agreed, win the game, lose the game, whatever happens doesnt really matter, right? Whatever. The only way this works is if I love him and then they make sure he struggles.AP: Jennings leaving with the hand injury was a stroke of genius.TMR: (sheepishly proud) Well ... that one actually was all me. Looked like they were driving, so I texted the trainer during the game. Pull him now. He might score. Just make up a hand injury or something, he can play next week, he just needs to be out NOW!AP: Well done. Almost makes up for Will.TMR: Will?AP: Dont play dumb with me. You know what I am talking about. What happened with Will?@MatthewBerryTMR you suck for convincing me to start Willie Snead over dez Bryant...dez Bryant! Why did I think it was ok to not start him- will (@wfallon) September 18, 2016AP: You wanna explain that one? Dez had 10, Snead had 11. Seriously, Berry? What the hell happened?TMR: Look ... I dont know, man. I feel bad, you know? I watch all the film, I crunch all the numbers, I talk to everyone I can and then I make a call. I really thought I had Will screwed there but, you know, you cant predict the future. You do your best, play the odds, put yourself in the best position you can, and sometimes it just doesnt work out like it should.But its a new week. Gonna do my best.Quarterbacks I love in Week 3Matt Ryan, Falcons: Ah, 2012. The Curiosity rover landed on Mars, Linsanity was sweeping the nation and the first Avengers movie was released. It was also the last time Matt Ryan did not reach 300 yards (passing and rushing combined) against the Saints. Ryan is traditionally a hot starter -- hes the only QB to be top five at the position after the first month in three of the past four seasons -- and this game features two bottom-10 pass defenses (the Saints are allowing opponents to complete better than 70 percent of their passes this season), so I expect plenty of scoring. It wont last, but for this month at least -- and certainly Sunday -- Ryan (available in 36 percent of ESPN leagues) is an easy top-10 play.Philip Rivers, Chargers: What are you doing Sunday? Yes, you. Are you free? Would you like to play in the secondary for the Indianapolis Colts? Because there might be an opportunity. Only one team in the NFL has allowed opponents to complete a higher percentage of passes this season than the Colts. I mean, Trevor Siemian went 22-for-33 for 266 yards against them and would have had a huge day if the Broncos defense would have stopped scoring. Rivers will have a clean pocket and a bunch of talented pass-catchers to choose from. At some point, not having Keenan Allen will hurt this offense, but not Sunday.Carson Palmer, Cardinals: This seems obvious to me, but after a quick glance at the ranks, only Field Yates and I have Palmer as a top-five play this week. He has recorded at least 265 passing yards and multiple touchdowns in nine of his past 13 games, and only Ben Roethlisberger has more passing touchdowns this season. The Bills can fire as many offensive coordinators as they want, but they still need to stop people, and you saw how Ryan Fitzpatrick (Ryan Fitzpatrick!) carved up Buffalos defense. Palmer should continue where he left off on Sunday.Others receiving votes: OK, OK, I promise. If Kirk Cousins doesnt produce this weekend, Ill shut up, but the recipe continues to be there for fantasy success: inconsistent run game, poor defense, up-tempo pace of play. Cousins needs to hit some open receivers (last week could have been a huge day had he done that) and the Giants have improved their defense, so theres risk there, but certainly upside. I like him as a top-15 play this week. ... Very quietly, Ryan Tannehill is third in rushing among QBs and is actually a top-10 QB so far, based mostly on Week 2. With a banged-up running game and a Browns team that has allowed multiple passing touchdowns in 10 of its past 11 games coming to town, hes worthy of streaming consideration. ... If youve started a QB against the Raiders this season, youve been happy. This week, Marcus Mariota gets his turn.Quarterbacks I hate in Week 3Matthew Stafford, Lions: Look, Im not bailing on Jim Bob and the Cooters, but I do think expectations need to be held in check this week. Ultimately, I stand by Stafford as a top-10 QB this season when all is said and done, but hes a QB2 for me this week at Lambeau. He has traditionally struggled in Green Bay, averaging just 231.3 passing yards in his past four games versus the Packers, and 26.6 percent of those yards and 42.9 percent of his passing scores in those games went to Calvin Johnson. Im expecting Sam Shields to play in this game, so if he doesnt, that would boost Stafford, but Im concerned the loss of Ameer Abdullah hurts them here. Without a consistent run game, the Lions might be a little more predictable, which takes play-action and deep shots away from them. Im not seeing a top-10 day from him here.Andy Dalton, Bengals: Insert QB playing Denver here. The Red Rifle does not like to be under pressure (he completed just 39.2 percent of his passes from 2013-15 when under pressure, with just six of his 199 pressured pass attempts resulting in a score). Denver already has eight sacks this season after leading the NFL in the category last season. This has the feeling of a low-scoring battle. In general, I am on board with the idea of Dalton as a legit fantasy starter, but on Sunday, hes not a top-15 play for me.Running backs I love in Week 3Melvin Gordon, Chargers: Two first names, always a crowd-pleaser. So is this fun fact: The Colts have allowed 391 yards and five touchdowns to running backs this season. With Danny Woodhead out for the season, Dexter McCluster still finding his Hello, My Name Is ... sticker and Kenneth Farrow unlikely to be used much, this is the Melvin Gordon show. The Chargers seem to have solved the offensive line issues from last year, as they are sixth-best in the NFL in yards before contact this season, and now get to feature Gordon as a legit No. 1 play this weekend. If you listen closely, you can hear all of his owners from last year banging their heads against a wall until it bleeds. Field, is that you?Mark Ingram, Saints: At least hes healthy! It has been a disappointing two weeks for Ingram owners, and I am one. The usage hasnt been there, the passing-down work hasnt been there, and he has yet to score a touchdown. OK, OK, calm down Coby Fleener owners, I know. Weve got nothing to complain about. Still, I like this one as a week for Ingram to break out of his slump. Since the beginning of last season, Ingram is fourth in yards after contact per carry. Meanwhile, the Falcons are giving up the most such yards so far this season. They allowed 112 RB catches last season (most in the NFL) and so far this season, theyve given up the second-most receptions to running backs, the fifth-most yards to running backs and two touchdowns. The Saints know they cant stop the Falcons, but they can delay them a bit by trying to control the clock. Expect a nice amount of Ingram in this one and I say he gets into the end zone.Isaiah Crowell, Browns: A funny thing happened while everyone was traveling on the Duke Johnson Jr. hype train: Crowell became a workhorse back. Hes averaging 5.6 yards per carry during his past seven games (101 carries for 566 yards, and even without last weeks 85-yard TD run hes still averaging almost five yards a carry). We know Hue Jackson wants to run the ball and I believe he doesnt want Cody Kessler to throw it. Even if the Dolphins load the box, Crowell might touch the ball 30 times on Sunday. Legit top-15 play this week.Frank Gore, Colts: Its not just the Chargers who have a good matchup here. No defense has allowed more rushing yards before first contact on a per-carry basis since the beginning of last season than the San Diego Chargers. Gore should get plenty of work here, as during his past 16 games (Week 3 last year through Week 2 this year) only four running backs have more carries than Gore (Peterson, Doug Martin, Devonta Freeman and Todd Gurley). Hell get a big workload against a run defense coughing up 5.1 yards per carry so far this year, so the Chargers should make Gore look like he is 45 again. Wait, what?Others receiving votes: The passing-down back on a pass-first team (11th in passing yards this season), Shane Vereen is also eighth this season in red zone snaps and gets a Skins team that has allowed 48 points to running backs in just two games this season. He also has 20 carries, his most since 2012. Some of that was due to Rashad Jennings leaving early, but still. Hes a significant part of an offense that is running a lot of plays. ... I dont love anyone going against the Broncos, but almost 40 percent of fantasy points scored by running backs against Denver since the start of 2015 have come via the reception. Coming off a big game, Giovani Bernard should be useful here in a flex sort of way. ... Its gonna be all Charles Sims on Sunday, and the Rams dont scare me at all. Im not saying Sims will outscore Gurley here, but I will say if he manages to do it, it shouldnt be a huge shock. The whole Bucs offense will bounce back here, and Tampa has an underrated run defense, too. ... Its only a matter of time before Tevin Coleman overtakes Freeman in this backfield, and Sunday against the Saints, he takes another step toward that.Running backs I hate in Week 3Ryan Mathews, Eagles: So yeah, Mathews was on my hate list last week and when people werent reminding me of it on social media -- for future reference, I am aware when Ive made a bad call; save yourself the energy -- they were celebrating his two touchdowns. And no doubt while his owners were happy, they actually should have been freaking out. Look closer. Yes, he handled all six touches inside the opponents 10-yard line in Week 1, but in Week 2 ... look what happened:? First quarter, first-and-goal at the Bears 9: Darren Sproles gets the carry, gains 2 yards and then Mathews gets the next carry. They dont punch it in and settle for a field goal.? Second quarter, second-and-6 at the Bears 10: Kenjon Barner gets the call.? Third quarter, after a pass to Nelson Agholor gets them to the Bears 6, its second-and-2 ... and Barner gets the call again. He doesnt convert, so Mathews gets the ball and gets into the end zone for his first touchdown.? Fourth quarter, first- and-goal at the Bears 2: Mathews gets the call, but loses 4 yards. Following an incomplete pass and a 4-yard run by Sproles, the Eagles decide to go for it on fourth down and Sproles is stopped shy of the goal line ... but hold the phone. The Bears were offside, so the Eagles get another chance from the 1-yard line. Mathews gets the rock this time and punches it in for his second score.Mathews ends the night with nine carries for 32 yards, 30 of which came on one carry. Sproles out-touched him 14-10 and actually got more red zone carries.If I am a Mathews owner, I am thanking goodness I got bailed out Monday night with the scores and I am very nervous about Sproles. Weve discussed this on the pod before (and Ive mentioned it in this column), that Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported how Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, formerly of the Chargers, wants to use Sproles in a way similar to how they used Woodhead. We will see if Sproles is as successful as Woodhead, but Monday night seemed to indicate that, at any rate, Sproles will get some red zone looks and Mathews is in more of a time-share than you realize. Ive written a novel here, so Ill just finish with the fact that the Steelers have a really good run defense. No thanks. Mathews is not a top-20 play for me.Jeremy Hill, Bengals: Im on record as saying this should be a Gio game (see running backs I love) and Im so not feeling Hill here. Theres always a chance he falls into the end zone. I mean, Indy did have two RB scores against Denver last week, but ultimately, the Broncos rank third in terms of fewest yards allowed before first contact per carry since 2015, among many other very good stats about how they rock, making Hill a touchdown-dependent flex play this week. There are better options out there.Jerick McKinnon, Vikings: Many people rushed to their waiver wire to grab McKinnon, and while I have no issue with that per se -- theres certainly some upside there -- the truth is the Vikings have a subpar offensive line and just lost left tackle Matt Kalil. Whatever you think of Kalils skill, the Vikings dont have anyone they think is better than he is, so that should tell you something. Peterson struggled to get something going behind that line and now McKinnon heads to Carolina where hell receive a 65-35 split (or so) with Matt Asiata. And Asiata should get the red zone work. Id like to see McKinnon be productive first before I automatically put him in the lineup.Wide receivers I love in Week 3Alshon Jeffery, Bears: Just in case you were worried about Brian Hoyer, dont be. First, Im not convinced Hoyer is a downgrade from the current version of Jay Cutler, and whether it was last season with DeAndre Hopkins or a few games with Josh Gordon, Hoyer has been good enough to get elite wideouts the ball consistently. Against a Dallas secondary that doesnt scare me at all, Jeffery is an easy top-10 play.Travis Benjamin, Chargers: I think the main point I am trying to make this week is that I dont think very highly of any facet of the Colts defense. Benjamin has caught 13 of 14 targets this season, Antonio Gates is banged up and Rivers will definitely be working to get Benjamin and that speed in open space on the turf. Yummy ... which, now that I actually typed it out, comes across as much creepier than when I was saying it in my head.Willie Snead, Saints: Im going to keep saying it every week until folks believe me. Not a fluke. You already know that no team has given up more passing touchdowns than the Atlanta Falcons, but I liked this stat from my friend Matt Harmon: The Falcons have given up seven catches for 125 yards and a TD to the left slot and 10 for 100 yards and a score to the right slot. Theyve played only two games. Snead is an easy top-20 play for me this week.Jarvis Landry, Dolphins: I dont think Miami can run the ball and after listening to some quotes from Adam Gase, he doesnt seem too sure of it either. The Browns dont have anyone in the slot who can guard Landry, who will be another safe bet for double-digit targets.Sterling Shepard, Giants: He has run 73 routes, same as Odell Beckham Jr. Eli Manning is completing 91.7 percent of his passes to Shepard this young season, while just 64.5 percent to all other Giants wideouts. With Josh Norman expected to shadow Beckham for most of the game, Eli will take some shots but hell also be looking elsewhere. Last year against Norman and the Panthers, Manning completed 23 passes for 169 yards and three TDs to non-Beckham pass-catchers. Now, some of that was Shane Vereen and Will Tye, but still. Shepard will get his looks and is a WR3 with upside in this one.Other receiving votes: Back home where he got 11 targets in the opener, Tajae Sharpe will get a lot of looks against a Raiders team that already has given up 808 passing yards and seven TDs, including a league-high five TDs on passes thrown shorter than 15 yards this season. (Sharpe has caught nine of his 11 targets less than 15 yards downfield). ... Fantasy zombie Mike Wallaces resurgence tour should continue unabated in Jacksonville on Sunday, as the Ravens will struggle to run here, leaving Wallace and Dennis Pitta as the only ways to move the ball. And move the ball they shall against a Jags team that already has coughed up six passing scores in two games. ... Gut call here, but Victor Cruz always seems to hurt the Redskins. I feel like he gets loose for one here. ... Im all-in on San Diego this week, so whats one more? Gimme some more Tyrell Williams, please.Wide receivers I hate in Week 3Sammy Watkins, Bills: Man, I hope I am wrong about this one. Certainly Rex Ryan and new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn have made getting Watkins the ball a priority, so I suspect they feed him here. How successful that is against Patrick Peterson remains to be seen. I own him in a 16-team league, so maybe I can reverse jinx him into putting up productive numbers while hes on my hate list. But given the matchup and struggles so far, its hard to have him as a top-20 guy with confidence. Watkins is more of a risk/reward flex for me this week.John Brown, Cardinals: I loved him in the preseason and he is still a talented player. But until he gets 100 percent right and we see something on the field, he cant be started in any league. Brown has played just 61 snaps so far this season (92nd among wide receivers) and hasnt had a catch longer than 21 yards in his past seven games. And while I am hanging onto him in the 14-team league I won him in, I have no issue if you feel like dropping him for someone else in a shallower ESPN standard league.Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos: With seven or fewer fantasy points in five of his past seven games, its hard to get excited about Sanders on the road, in a run-first offense, with inconsistent quarterback play, in what should be a low-scoring game. He s a WR4 until we see something.Tight ends I love in Week 3Delanie Walker, Titans: A fairly obvious name, but I am the only one who has him as a top-two tight end and it wouldnt surprise me to see him finish the week as the No. 1 tight end. Hes a strong cash-game consideration for those who play daily. Since the beginning of last season, TEs are averaging 2.04 fantasy points per catch versus Oakland, most in the NFL. The Raiders cant seem to stop anyone these days -- think about what Jacob Tamme just did to them -- and Walker is a much more central person to his teams offense than Tamme is. As the Titans strong running game continues to open up things in the passing game, Walker continues to be an elite tight end.Dennis Pitta, Ravens: Joe Flaccos best friend on the team is finally healthy and Joe is looking his way. Like, a lot. Talking with our scouts, the feeling is that the Jaguars will either play man under/Cover 2 and/or Cover 3, or they will just blitz and hope that their corners can hold up. Either way, the Jags like to keep the short passing game in the front of them, and this should bode well for Pitta on crossing routes and underneath stuff, especially because the Ravens will struggle to establish the run in a consistent manner. Pitta is a top-10 play for me.Dwayne Allen, Colts: Following the Donte Moncrief injury, the Colts are thin in the passing game, so they will definitely use more two-tight-end sets. Allen is always a threat to score and hes a nice red zone target against a Chargers team that already has given up almost 200 yards and a score to opposing tight ends this season.Others receiving votes:?Tamme has received 21.9 percent of Matt Ryans targets this season (for comparison, Rob Gronkowski was targeted on 20.9 percent of passes in games he played last season) and you know, its New Orleans. ... Said it once, will keep saying it. You cant teach 6-foot-7 -- and you cant guard it. The Eagles dont have anyone in their pass defense taller than 6-foot-2 and most are 5-foot-11, so I like Jesse James this week. ... Everything I wrote above about Allen also means more Jack Doyle in a nice matchup. Doyle is a better player than you think. ... As of this writing, there was talk that Gates might have to miss the game. If he does, Hunter Henry would become an interesting TE2 with upside given the matchup with the Colts.Tight end I hate in Week 3Gary Barnidge, Browns: Now with Kessler at quarterback and so few receiving options (the injury to Corey Coleman adding to it), I can see the case for Barnidge. But so far, he has been asked to block on 46.7 percent of his snaps this season (up a decent amount from last season), I have no confidence in Kessler as a QB and this is a tough matchup against the Dolphins, despite what you saw last week, as Miami is strong against the tight end in general.Defenses I love in Week 3Texans D/ST: Already leading the league with nine sacks and now they get a rookie on a short week? Yeah, thatll work.Dolphins D/ST: At home against a third-string rookie QB who many people at the draft felt was a reach by Cleveland? The Dolphins are this weeks top streaming option.Others receiving votes: Very quietly, the Buccaneers are allowing the fewest yards per carry since the beginning of last season (3.40). The only way to attack Tampa is through the air and I dont think the Rams can do that. ... At home against a conservative QB, the Bengals may not get a ton of turnover opportunities, but I also dont see the Broncos coming in and blowing them away.Defenses I hate in Week 3Eagles D/ST: The Steelers are a top-five offense and top-five in preventing sacks since the beginning of last season. Phillys two-game streak of scoring double-digit fantasy points ends this week.Jets D/ST: They are facing a ball-control, conservative offense (Alex Smith has turned the ball over just nine times since the beginning of last season) and this game is in Kansas City, where a heavy running game and short passing by the Chiefs will limit the Jets opportunities for fantasy points.Matthew Berry, The Talented Mr. Roto, wishes every injured player a speedy recovery and lots of time off social media. He is the creator of RotoPass.com, a paid spokesman for DraftKings.com and one of the owners of the Fantasy Life app. Wholesale Real Jordans . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Discount Air Jordan . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.wholesaleairjordanchina.com/ . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Wholesale Jordans Free Shipping . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Air Jordan Outlet . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. I hate my team.If youre a fantasy football owner, youve surely had that thought -- and likely articulated it -- at some point. Who knows? Maybe it was late on a Week 7 Sunday night while watching Russell Wilson play five whole quarters without a touchdown, after Jordy Nelson and Allen Robinson combined for three catches. Just picking a random example there, of course. If anyone had actually had such a ludicrous case of bad fantasy luck befall him, hed potentially be too distraught to write his weekly What We Learned column.Anyway, it occurred to me Sunday that fantasy football owners arent the only ones who go through this. Real NFL owners, general managers, coaches, quarterbacks ... some of them apparently go through some form of it too, when the week doesnt go their way.So it was on Sunday that Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher cracked, Ill make changes at receiver before I make a change at quarterback. It was on Sunday that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick groused that his coaches and front office no longer believed in him. It was on Sunday that Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer followed his FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON by calling his offensive line soft and saying it looked like a sieve. And this was all hours before Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians got to the podium.Yes, it was still two months before Festivus, but Sunday was a regular airing of the grievances around the NFL. And as I sat in that cramped interview room at Lincoln Financial Field, listening to Zimmer absolutely go off on his 5-1 Vikings, I learned theyre not that much different from you and me, these guys. No, I dont think Zimmer hates his team. But in that moment? I dont know. Lets just say I think a lot of us have felt like he sounded.On to what else Week 7 in the NFL taught us.Adam Gase should bottle and market whatever tough love he gave Jay AjayiRemember back at the start of the season, when the Miami Dolphins second-year running back couldnt even get a uniform because his rookie head coach didnt like the way he was carrying himself in the locker room? Well, Gases hard coaching seems to have located the on button on Ajayi, who followed up Week 6s 204-yard rushing performance against Pittsburgh with a 214-yard rushing performance against Buffalo. Ajayi is averaging 7.9 yards per carry the past two weeks. He had 117 yards in the Dolphins first five games, and after their seventh game he is?the sixth-leading rusher in the NFL. Obviously, the numbers here are not sustainable. But if Ajayi is going to be an effective starting running back after the way the season began for him, count him as an early coaching win for young Gase.The Raiders are WAY ahead of the Jaguars in the preseason sleeper standingsThe Oakland Raiders flew 2,400 miles to play an early Sunday game in Jacksonville and wiped the floor with the OTHER team everyone pegged to take a big leap in the AFC this season. All is not perfect with Oakland, the only team in the league that has allowed 3,000 yards already. But the Raiders?wouldnt trade problems with the Jaguars. Blake Bortles is 28th in completion percentage, 27th in yards per attempt, 28th in passer rating, 27th in Total QBR and has the third-most?interceptions. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who went 33 picks laterr than Bortles did in the 2014 draft, is looking just a touch more advanced at this stage, and the Jaguars high hopes are stuck in neutral with their quarterback.ddddddddddddThe Rams might be doing Jared Goff a favorI dont go as far as Fisher did in absolving Case Keenum for Sundays loss to the New York Giants in London, but I do get his point. The Rams offense right now has a lot of problems, including a lack of reliable pass-catchers, a shaky offensive line and the fact that defenses are loading up against second-year back Todd Gurley. This isnt exactly a unit thats humming on all cylinders and ready to help maximize the performance of a rookie quarterback. The Rams have said repeatedly that they will play the No. 1 pick Goff when hes ready. They havent said theyre waiting to be able to put him?in a better position to succeed than hed be in right now. But Ill bet theyd tell you that if they were being totally honest with you.The Chiefs should be AFC West favoritesAnd no, this notion does not disrespect the Denver Broncos, who are Super Bowl champions and have won this division five years in a row. The Chiefs have won 15 of their past 18 games. Theyre winning in all different kinds of ways -- grind it out with the running game one week, hit them with the big passing plays the next. The defense scores a touchdown nearly every game. This is a team that won 11 in a row before losing to the Patriots in the playoffs last season. This is a coach who won six division titles when he was in Philadelphia. Jamaal Charles isnt all the way back yet. Justin Houston has yet to play this season. The Chiefs are real good right now and could get better.The Bengals have a chance to right their shipCincinnati doesnt want to be 3-4, of course, but four of their first six games were at Pittsburgh, home to the Broncos, at Dallas and at New England. So the Bengals took care of business against the Browns (who they see again!) on Sunday, and looking ahead its fair to say they should be favored in at least five of their next six games, if not all six. Cincinnati has gone to the playoffs every year since drafting Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, and this years rough start didnt automatically mean the end of that streak.People are too mean to kickersNo doubt, Chandler Catanzaro and Steven Hauschka should have made their potential game-winning chip shots Sunday night in Arizona. But if youd told either the Cardinals or the Seahawks right before the game that theyd need only seven points to win, theyd have signed up. You dont score a touchdown, you dont have the right to get upset at your special teams when you dont win.Next years No. 1 pick is probably going to be a quarterbackThe 0-7 Browns already have used six quarterbacks this season. The 1-6 Bears have used three. The 1-6 49ers have used only two, but its well documented that they dont love either one. No idea which team ends up with the pick (Sundays Browns-Jets game is potentially HUGE for this!), but if its one of these, get ready for a lot of misspelled DeShone Kizer/Deshaun Watson debates on the shores of Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and the San Francisco Bay. ' ' '