When I saw that Ferris State dropped 70 points on Lake Erie last weekend, I knew that my fantasy team was going to have a tough time matching up this week. I was right.
The Bulldogs put a beating on Lake Erie and could have produced many more fantasy points to beat me this week. Ferris State’s second-string quarterback Tyler Birmingham would have put up 26 fantasy points this week with an impressive stat-line.
Birmingham completed 10 of 12 passes for 181 yards, a TD, and an interception. He also ran the ball five times for 57 yards and two touchdowns in the 70-19 victory. He replaced Vander Laan late in the second quarter after the Bulldogs had already pulled ahead to a 42-6 lead. The FSU defense stepped up big, forcing four turnovers in the contest and compiling six sacks. David Churchwell led the Dawgs with 10 total tackles and 2 interceptions.
My record sits at 3-5 against the Bulldogs in fantasy football. Their record on the gridiron is 8-0. Lets see if we can both get a win this week as Ferris takes on Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 in Marquette, Mich.
QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: Ryan has been iffy lately but I expect him to have a big day against the 49ers. San Francisco is ranked 29th overall in pass defense.
RB: Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Martin matches up against a Giant’s defense that let up 52 points last week. Sure all of the touchdowns were through the air, but Tampa Bay’s offense revolves more around their ground game with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston at the helm. Look for Martin to put up big numbers.
WR1: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones might actually be from a different planet. If San Francisco keeps him to under 100 yards and a couple touchdowns, I’ll be very surprised.
WR2: Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders: Crab and the Raiders take on a Steelers defense that is ranked 28th in pass defense. He has been getting consistent targets from Derek Carr. I expect the Steelers to key in on Amari Cooper, leaving Crabtree with single coverage and the possibility of a big day come Sunday.
FLEX: Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals: This is a hit or miss option. Despite only getting one carry last week, I think Bernard will pick up the work load against the horrendous rush defense of the Cleveland Browns.
D/ST: Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles match up against a Dallas Cowboys team who is currently starting their third-string quarterback. Romo will be back soon but I don’t think it will be this week. I don’t know if Matt Cassel has what it takes to make a huge impact for an NFL team.
K: Blaire Walsh, Minnesota Vikings: Walsh has been kicking the football very well lately and he’ll be playing against a stout St. Louis defense that doesn’t allow many touchdowns.
Look for Walsh to make some long field goals to get the Vikings on the board this week.