Last Week’s Suspects:
Andre Roberts: 1 REC, 5 YRDS
Brandon LaFell: 4 REC, 107 YRDS, 1 TD – 17th RB/WR
Jeremy Kerley: 2 REC, 19 YRDS
Season to date: 6/15, 40%
Week 7 Suspects:
Rueben Randle, WR, Giants:
I fully expect Randle’s fantasy hot streak to continue on Monday night against the Vikings. In 3 WR sets, Victor Cruz will slide into the slot leaving Randle to do whatever he wants against the leagues least effective starting CB Josh Robinson. Last week Brandon LaFell toasted Robinson on his way to a WR9 PPR finish in a Carolina blowout win. There’s no reason to think the more talented Randle won’t be able to produce at a similar level in a game which should be a lot closer and cater more to the passing game. New York’s run game had struggled up until last week against the Bears where Brandon Jacobs actually ran like he had two legs. I wouldn’t bank on a Jacobs’ resurrection, nor the Giants’ poor offensive line to block like they did against Chicago again this week. If the Giants are going to move the ball Eli is going to have to find a groove and there aren’t many better teams to find your groove against than Minnesota, especially with Harrison Smith down with a turf toe injury.
Bilal Powell, RB, Jets:
Not many expected this during the offseason, but the Jets backfield is Powell’s to lose. Powell has been quiet the past few weeks, but he’s worth a flex play when he gets his second crack against New England this Sunday. Powell posted 15 points against the Patriots in week 2 while splitting carries with former Saint, Chris Ivory. Flash forward a few weeks and Ivory is barely seeing the field, although he will likely see an uptick in snaps this week with Mike Goodson out. With a large workload Powell should put up start-able numbers. Also since his solid performance in week 2, the Patriots have lost their anchor in the middle, Vince Wilfork, and Jerod Mayo for the season. Powell should have a much easier row to hoe this week in the Meadowlands.
Jerome Simpson, WR, Vikings:
With the Christian Ponder era ending in Minnesota, in steps Greg Schiano’s favorite tomato target Josh Freeman. Ponder handicapped the Vikings’ offense during his time as a starter with his inability and unwillingness to throw the ball down field. The 6’6” Freeman has a big arm built for the big play. The former Kansas State Wildcat could mean good news for Simpson moving forward. Known for his athletic and big play ability, Simpson isn’t going to be a guy who consistently gets open, but he should see at least a couple deep balls per game. Freeman will likely come into the game with a condensed playbook which will feature tons of Adrian Peterson, but against the Giants’ week pass rush and poor pass coverage, there’s a decent chance Simpson could be in store for a big game. New York’s #2 CB Terrell Thomas has allowed four touchdowns in the five games he saw action in as he comes off of knee surgery. This game featuring two of the NFL’s worst teams should stay close enough too keep the ball in the air through the fourth quarter.