3) Matthew Stafford vs. Falcons
You could really see how much Stafford missed Davante Adams last week, couldn’t you? The veteran QB didn’t miss a beat and simply took the volume that he had been splitting between Puka Nacua and Davante and just gave it all to Puka. Some of us would have appreciated a few more of those 457 passing yards to go Colby Parkinson’s way, but that’s a rant for a different article. Stafford is one of the few actual stud quarterbacks still standing, and you have to play him if you have him. The Falcons aren’t quite as strong against the pass these days as they were earlier in the season, but they are still a decent unit overall. The only concern we have with Stafford is the potential for a blowout in a game so close to the end of the season. It would make a lot of sense for Sean McVay to rest his veteran signal caller as soon as the game is in hand, so just be aware.
4) Jalen Hurts vs. Bills
Hurts is probably the best option available when you consider skill set and health, but this matchup isn’t the greatest. The Bills rank second in the league against the pass and fifth overall against the quarterback position in fantasy. If you have Hurts, he’s a must-start as there just aren’t any better options around the league that give you his rushing upside combined with his offensive weapons. My biggest fear in this game is if Buffalo decides to rest Josh Allen in favor of Mitchell Trubisky. If that should occur, I would move Hurts down behind players like Jacoby Brissett or Bo Nix. We’re playing Hurts here, expecting Allen to start and for this to be a competitive game.
5) Josh Allen vs. Eagles
It only makes sense to come right back with Allen, as he is directly linked to Hurts this week. I didn’t move Allen down on my list because of last week’s performance, as that would be breaking another of my fantasy commandments: “Thou shalt not sit your studs because of one bad game.” No, we are a little concerned here because of his foot injury and how it appeared to affect his contributions to the rushing game. Allen had four carries in the first half of last week’s contest against the Browns for a total of 17 yards, He went to the locker room to get x-rays just before halftime and when he returned in the second half he didn’t run the ball at all until the very end of the game when he managed a 2 yard run just before two kneel downs. Even if he isn’t able to help us with his legs, he’s still a great quarterback who is capable of passing the ball for 300+ yards and multiple scores, but he does make us nervous. If he’s cleared to play, you have to fire him up, but I wouldn’t blame anybody for benching him in favor of a healthier option with a better matchup, like Trevor Lawrence or Brock Purdy.
