6) Josh Jacobs vs. Steelers
Don’t look now, but Josh Jacobs is scoring a ton of touchdowns. He has found the painted paradise in five of the Packers’ first six games and has scored two times in each of the past three games. The yardage totals haven’t been eye-popping as he is yet to eclipse the century mark on the ground, but the overall fantasy scoring has been beautiful. Most promising has been his involvement in the Packers passing game as he is on pace for almost 50 receptions with north of 500 receiving yards, which would surpass his career yardage high by over a full football field’s worth of real estate. This week, he is set to face a Steelers defense that struggled to contain Chase Brown and the Bengals backfield that averaged over 6 yards per carry last Thursday. Overall, they rank in the middle of the pack in the league against the run while sitting near the bottom of the league against the pass. The Packers will score some points this weekend, and when they do, Jacobs is usually involved.
7) James Cook vs. Panthers
While the Panthers are no longer the pushover against the run that they were last year, this game looks like it will be a true test of how far they’ve come. After allowing Travis Etienne to run wild for 143 yards on opening day, the Panthers have held every opposing back to under the century mark this season. This list includes some impressive names like Bijan Robinson (72 yards), De’Von Achane (16 yards), Javonte Williams (39 yards), and Breece Hall (38 yards). Cook and the Bills come into Carolina fresh off their bye week, and I expect them to take it to the Panthers from the start and control the ball for most of the game. Look for Cook to get back into the end zone after being shut out in his previous 2 games before the bye. I expect the Bills to win easily, and to do so, they will need to ride Cook and the running game.
8) Saquon Barkley vs. Giants
I’m just being stubborn with this guy, as it makes almost no sense to me why he has been so ineffective as of late. He began the season fine, scoring a touchdown in three of his first five games while averaging over 15 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. Then the Eagles rolled into Met Life Stadium to take on these same Giants, and I predicted a Saquon revenge game much like we saw last year when he rumbled for 176 yards on 17 carries with a score in his triumphant return to Met Life. What we got in week 6 was just 12 carries for 58 yards. He averaged almost 5 yards per carry, but the Eagles decided that 12 carries were all he was going to get. The previous week against Denver, he was only handed the ball 6 times, but masked that with 58 yards receiving and a score. Last week, he received a more robust 18 rushing attempts but only averaged 2.4 yards per carry as the Eagles soared to victory behind the arm of Jalen Hurts. The way I see it, the Eagles are looking to keep everybody involved, and last week, it was Devonta Smith’s turn to get fed. This week, it’s going to be Barkley, and I am willing to guarantee he rumbles for over 100 yards and scores a TD. If you have him, you’re playing him. Don’t panic and trade him; better days are ahead.
