WEATHER ISSUES:
Several games have rain ahead of the game with 10-25% chance of rain in their games, but there are two ‘absolute’ rain issue games to worry about. The 25% or less games, I don’t really bring their pass game/player projections down.
MIA-WSH has 50%+ rain ahead of kickoff, but 20% chance at/after kickoff. I project this as normal/unaffected. Ditto less percentages in the other Florida game CAR-TB.
SF-PHI has dropped to 25% chance of rain in game.
KC-GB has snow and cold all before kick, but 15% chance and lower as they go chance of any snowflakes. Temps will be around 30 degrees, but the field heaters will be on. Will be somewhat slick from the warm field and cold atmosphere. More drops coming from MVS and R. Rice, but fine otherwise.
The two issues...(and we've been projecting for this the past 3 days, so already baked into the last few projections updates)
LAC-NE 80%+ chance of rain all game with temps in the 40s. Does not help a Herbert-Allen upside.
ATL-NYJ 90%+ chance of rain all game with temps in the mid-40s. This has heavy run game written all over it as it is, but for sure in the wet.
-- What to expect from De’Von Achane today? No one knows. Unless Mike McDaniels comes out and discusses his plan in detail, which he hasn’t/won’t...then no one knows if they’ll take it easy or go to ‘normal’ touches, and what is normal for this guy?
The easy thing to say is: They’ll ease him into the action. Logical...like how the Rams were gonna ease Kyren Williams back into their lineup last week. Isn’t that what we heard about Kyren leading into last week’s game? Yet, there he was taking touches midway into the 4th-quarter of a game his team had a 20+ point lead in.
None of us knows what McDaniels will do.
Things we ‘know’:
Achane practice in full Friday.
They need to get him reps for the upcoming stretch run.
They are facing Washington, a team they should beat easily...but you never know in the NFL.
Miami is battling for the division and the #1 seed in the AFC...every game is a must win and thus a team’s best players will be used.
There is a chance for a light rain/wet field...adding concern for a runner slipping around.
My guess is: Achane plays rotationally, like normal. He’s in-and-out the 1st-half like he normally would, or slightly less than normal. If the Dolphins get up by 2-3 scores...then he will likely stay off the field from there. If it’s a game in the 2nd-half, he’ll keep rotating like normal with Mostert-Wilson.
I think he can get 10 or so touches here...and he can do more with 10 touches than any RB in the league...but he could also go 10-50-0, 0-0-0/1...or he could only see 6-7 touches in a blowout...or go 10-122-2, 1-40-0/2.
Enter at your own risk. Nothing I can say is absolute here. He, to me, is the nuclear option for sure...if you got DK’d or Lamb’d or whatever on TNF, if you’re an obvious dog...I’d be itching to play Achane. If you are the opposite, a nice favorite and have options...play it safe away from Achane if obvious other RBs are available to you.
-- Tee Higgins playing, but we have no idea his connection with Jake Browning...we just know it’s a Cincy must win, and the Jags are a bad pass defense.
-- Travis Etienne, we can only assume, is mostly playing as normal...maybe a 10-20% discount of normal/expected. It’s a must win for Jags as well. If Jacksonville gets way up...then Etienne will be gone, you’d think.
-- Chris Olave should be cleared today and get a ton of targets.
-- Tank Dell and Marquise Brown are projected to be fine but are the kind of players you can hold out of practices all week but play normally in games.
-- Michael Wilson is OUT this week, so Greg Dortch is a legit WR2/3 this week.
-- Joe Flacco starting for CLE...I expect the new-normal Browns offense. Safe passing and heavy run game.
-- Jerick McKinnon out...KC is activating UDFA rookie RB Deneric Prince off the practice squad. He’s the future running mate/cuff for Isiah Pacheco, but not now...but note he may get some touches on national TV tonight, and...people get excited by any rookie with a story like Pacheco’s (the way the TV people will say it).
-- Jonathan Taylor is now expected out for 3-5 weeks. What a disaster FF season.
-- FINAL NOTE: FFM App users...
We ran an update to fix the options screen issue. Be sure to update the App and then you’ll be updated to the fix. But, take note...
Your sign-in to the App will likely be signed out after the update...so, you’ll need to sign in again. If you know your FFM App sign-in credentials...none of the below info applies.
If you don’t know your user/password on the App, you’ll have to go through the ‘lost password’ route (like all web things). If you email me today, Sunday football...I can’t help you. We don’t have your passwords anyway, for security...so tech support can only recommend the ‘lost password’ option, or they delete your App (not main FFM site) account, and you start anew on the App.
Might be best to wait until after 1pmET kickoff today to update the FFM App if you have no idea what your user/password is on the App. Your username/password on the App is not automatically your FFM website sign-in info...unless you set it up that way. The App is a different brain/item with its user/password that is whatever you made it at signup...might have been same as your FFM web credentials, but it’s whatever you wanted it to be.
