Fabiano’s Fantasy Focus: Week 8, Volume I

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Every week during the season NFL Network and NFL.com Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano joins Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat to share his insight on building and developing your fantasy team for success.

Here are some hi-lights from our most recent conversation (October 25th) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.

Man Michael, you brought out the hammer on Brock Osweiler this week! “He deserves it! Listen, fantasy football owners are not very forgiving. You can forgive a bad game or two but Osweiler has ruined the value of one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League DeAndre Hopkins. Lamar Miller has still played well. He was banged up a little bit last night but everyone, including myself, thought Osweiler was at least an upgrade over Brian Hoyer and Brandon Weeden from last season and that simply hasn’t been the case.”

Are you “buying” on Jameis Winston in Tampa? “I play the match-ups with him. He’s not a guy that I want to stick in my lineup every single week but I like the match-up this week against Oakland. Mike Evans to me is one of the most underrated wide receivers in fantasy football. Right now he’s second in targets among wideouts and he’s already had a bye. He is putting up double digits almost every single week in standard scoring leagues and Jameis Winston only has eyes for Mike Evans.”

I need waiver wire help at running back…is Jerick McKinnon worth rostering? “McKinnon…I just never believed in him. I told people that Matt Asiata was the better pickup when Adrian Peterson went down and I’ll stick by that. If you’re looking for names off the waiver wire, in competitive leagues these guys may not be available but you mentioned Jacquizz Rodgers, he’s a guy I’ve been talking about for three weeks. He’s in the featured role while Doug Martin is out. Charles Sims is out, as well. He looks really good…Davontae Booker, who had more snaps than C.J. Anderson last night, he’ll be a popular name on the waiver wire this week, as well.”

Are you looking more at J.J. Nelson with so many receivers hurt in Arizona? “I’m not because Carson Palmer looks terrible. I could not probably pick five better match ups for a quarterback than Carson Palmer this week and I refuse to start him. Something’s not right. It’s the same thing that’s going on with Brock Osweiler. It’s the same sort of thing that’s going on with Blake Bortles. Something is not right. Palmer has had the opportunity to exploit match-ups, like against the Jets a couple weeks ago and couldn’t do it. Road game going to the east coast. Again, road game and I don’t trust him…that’s going to hurt the value of his wide receivers, including J.J. Nelson. He’s a player I would keep an eye on, not necessarily someone I’m picking up right now.”

What are you seeing out of Michael Thomas in New Orleans? “Pick him up. Michael Thomas has been good for three or four straight weeks now. I don’t like the matchup this week against Seattle but he should be owned in 100% of leagues.”

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