Other than multiple players on the home fantasy league team, Sunday was a lot of fun! The first window went down to the wire, and we had really fun games in the second window of games with divisional battles between teams that hate each other, and the Jags refusing to let the Eagles go full Jaguars. But, some interesting things developed in week nine, and we are going to highlight a bit from some games to help you determine what matters—and what doesn’t—as we enter week ten of the fantasy football season.
Is Mike Gesicki a Must-Start Tight End?
Mike Gesicki had 5 catches for 100 yards, and two scores on Sunday. This comes on the heels of his 7-catch, 73-yard effort in week eight. So, with 12 catches for 173 yards over the last two games, he’s starting to look like an extremely intriguing pickup. But, he had a hot stretch earlier in the season. Is he fool’s gold?
As much as I love Mike Gesicki, unfortunately, there is a very easy switch to flip for when Mike Gesicki matters (as we outlined this week on our Patreon episode of the Football Absurdity Podcast). When Tee Higgins doesn’t play, then it’s Mike Gesicki SZN. When Higgins plays, it’s all bets off. Higgins played in weeks 3-7 so far this season, and in those games, Mike Gesicki averages a paltry 1.6 receptions and 14.2 yards on 1.8 targets per game. In weeks 1, 2, 8, and 9, when there was no Tee Higgins? Mike Gesicki averaged 5.5 receptions and 70.5 yards per game, on 6.75 targets per game.
So, it’s a pretty easy answer, here: no, Mike Gesicki is not a must-start tight end… unless there’s no Tee Higgins, in which case, fire up all your Mikes Gesicki.
Are the Saints Cooked?
There was a glimmer of hope heading into Sunday’s game in Carolina. Derek Carr was returning, he the 91 combined points in weeks one and two. Unfortunately, that was the highwater mark for the Saints, who have now lost seven straight games and are yet to top 28 points in a game (and their 27-point mark came in a blowout at the hands of the Buccaneers). Yet, they lost the game to the Carolina Panthers, and did it in annoyingly exhausting fashion, losing Chris Olave in the process. He suffered his second concussion in a month, and and his fifth-known concussion overall. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill provided the solemn thing that we are all thinking, about here:
Chris Olave is likely headed to the IR, and given how this team is going, I doubt that we see him again this season. This comes on the heels of Rashid Shaheed, Bub Means, and Kendre Miller hitting the IR. That leaves them with nothing in their passing game, with Mason Tipton, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Cedrick Wilson as their likely starting receivers next week. That’s a major problem and one that probably destroys all fantasy value in New Orleans (except Alvin Kamara).
I have zero interest in Taysom Hill, nor his BS since this team is going to have an immensely lower ceiling week-to-week, and it brings the ceiling down for Alvin Kamara precipitously (I know he had 200 yards this week, but it took 35 touches, something Kamara cannot hold up to).
Are the Titans a Defense to Avoid?
The Tennessee Titans did a strange thing on Sunday: they held the Patriots to only 316 total yards of offense on the day. That in and of itself isn’t particularly interesting, but when you consider that 95 of those came on Drake Maye scrambles, you get the idea that this defense might just be legit. The Patriots averaged just 4.5 yards per play in this one, which is below their season average. The Titans are third in the league in yards per play allowed, and first in yards per game allowed. There are currently 11 teams that allow lower than -0.1 EPA per rush on defense, and only 10 teams that allow lower than -0.1 EPA per pass attempt; there are five teams that allow both: the Bills, Vikings, Rams, Broncos, and… the Titans.
