The desk's two tight ends project for 9.79 each, so for once there is nothing to argue about, and the desk's franchise still trails jsdivine by 11.8. Also: one starter on a bye, a tight end file that will not stay closed, and 10.4 points sitting on BrennaLynne's bench.
Filed Wednesday night, after the morning's waivers cleared. The league spent $21 of FAAB before breakfast, and the biggest bid was $11. Pittsburgh and Tennessee are off, which leaves exactly one starter on a bye at press time. Every projection below is given two ways: as the lineup is set, and as it ought to be. Thursday is Baltimore and Jacksonville, and it locks a handful of slots early.
Disclosure: the desk's own franchise, four losses running. Malik Washington, a $4 claim this morning, starts at receiver (10.4), and Rachaad White, on his second tour of this roster, starts at FLEX (11.1). Kenneth Walker (21.2) and Ja'Marr Chase (20.1) lead the projections. Chase plays in London on Sunday morning, and Derrick Henry plays Thursday. DeVonta Smith is off injured reserve, questionable at press time, and on the bench. At tight end, Dalton Kincaid and Kyle Pitts project for 9.79 each. The gut and the analytics department agree to the hundredth for the first time this season, and both have been asked to leave the room before anything else happens. As set: 119.4, which is also the best this roster can field.
The bench quarterback file is back where it started. Josh Allen starts (20.6), and Jordan Love projects for 17.1 on the bench. James Cook is in the lineup this week (16.2), and so are Josh Jacobs (15.2) and Christian Watson, who is questionable at press time (15.3). Jaylen Waddle (12.0) and Tre Tucker (10.1) sit, and so does Cam Skattebo, questionable at press time. Last week jsdivine scored 132.36 and lost to Dawnieo by 13.50. The lineup as set is already the best this roster can field: 131.2.
Desk pick: jsdivine, by 11.8. The desk is picking against itself, and with a perfect lineup on both sides there is nothing left to fix.The busiest morning in the league: three claims, $11 total. Mike Gesicki ($11) replaced Dalton Schultz and is on the bench. The Buffalo defense ($0) replaced Green Bay's and starts Monday night. J.K. Dobbins ($0) starts at running back (8.3), because Jaylen Warren is on the Pittsburgh bye and Jeremiyah Love is on injured reserve. Christian McCaffrey, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Garrett Wilson are all questionable at press time and all start. Tyler Shough projects for 16.8 on the bench, which keeps the quarterback room at three. The lineup as set is already the best this roster can field: 125.2.
Coming off 145.86 and a win over jsdivine. The carousel holds: Drake Maye starts (20.6), and Trevor Lawrence (19.5) sits and plays Thursday. Jahmyr Gibbs projects for 26.3, the best number on the board at any position. Tony Pollard starts at FLEX and is on the Tennessee bye. A.J. Brown, questionable at press time, is the best bench option at 10.4. As set: 115.3. Fixed: 125.7.
Desk pick: Dawnieo, by 0.5, with Pollard out of the lineup. As set it is alyssagenther by 9.9. The desk has picked the fixed lineup every week, and it is not changing policy over one bye.Coming off 145.00 against the desk's franchise. Geno Smith, last week's $0 claim, is on the bench (14.3), and Caleb Williams starts (18.8). Caleb Douglas, the $15 claim, sits. Trey McBride projects for 15.8. Bhayshul Tuten is questionable at press time and starts Thursday. The lineup as set is already the best this roster can field: 119.9. There is nothing on this roster for the desk to write about, which the desk has noted.
Last week sammyyy29 beat first-place divinethought by 39.84, and the quarterback file was right on time. This week it holds: Kirk Cousins starts (16.1) over Bryce Young (15.7). The tight end file, closed with honors in Week 6, has reopened. Jake Ferguson is questionable at press time and starts at tight end (6.4). T.J. Hockenson starts at FLEX (10.3). Isaiah Likely projects for 12.7 on the bench. Mike Evans (15.9) and Deebo Samuel (11.2) are also on the bench, both questionable at press time. As set: 99.2. Fixed: 111.6.
Desk pick: ITouchd0wnThere, by 8.3 against the fixed lineup and by 20.7 against the one on the screen.Coming off 140.78. Two claims this morning: Keenan Allen ($4) is on the bench, and Chad Ryland ($2) starts at kicker. Brock Purdy starts (22.3), and Matthew Stafford, questionable at press time, sits (18.2). The chair has made the projected call. Puka Nacua projects for 24.0, the best receiver number on the board, and Brock Bowers for 17.2. Michael Wilson, questionable at press time, is the only bench change the projections would make. As set: 134.2. Fixed: 135.7.
Malik Nabers projects for 15.9 on the bench. Blake Corum (8.8) and Makai Lemon (8.1) start. C.J. Stroud (16.9) sits behind Michael Penix (16.0), Omarion Hampton (9.5) sits, and the Houston defense (8.0) sits behind Kansas City's (7.0). Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects for 23.2. The bench beats the starters again, this time on paper and by 10.4 before a down is played. BrennaLynne still has all $100 of FAAB, and so do mmcatee01 and sammyyy29. As set: 113.2. Fixed: 123.6.
Desk pick: jgirsby, by 12.1, and that is with all four bench players moved in.Coming off 158.18, the week's high. Joe Burrow starts (21.2) over Patrick Mahomes (20.0) and plays in London. Saquon Barkley (14.2) and Rashee Rice (14.3) are on the bench, and Zach Charbonnet (10.6) and Josh Downs (10.7) start. George Kittle projects for 15.1. The round-9 kicker projects for 9.1, the best kicker number on the board, and the belief system has filed that away as a matter of record. As set: 124.4. Fixed: 131.6.
Coming off 78.74, the week's low, and a 39.84 loss in a game the desk picked divinethought to win by 55.4. Bijan Robinson (21.2) and Drake London (17.4) play in London on Sunday morning. Tetairoa McMillan is on the bench again (13.4). The screen is still off. Quinshon Judkins (12.6) sits behind Ashton Jeanty (12.5) and Rhamondre Stevenson (12.0). DK Metcalf is on the Pittsburgh bye and correctly benched. As set: 122.8. Fixed: 125.0.
Desk pick: mmcatee01, by 6.6 fixed. As set it is 1.6. The desk picked mmcatee01 last week too, and that one landed.Five lines for the group chat, all of them checkable:
The desk will not be taking questions. For the first time this season, it has nothing to argue with itself about.