We're talking Bo Nix, Sincere McCormick, Marvin Mims and more...
Game overview:
The Raiders led this game 13-9 at the half. They outplayed Denver all first half...held the Broncos to all FGs. Denver then heated up in the 2nd-half as Vegas started to wobble...and a Denver defensive pick kinda turned the tide and they scored 19 second half points and held LV to a couple field goals and got the double-digit win. That’s the story of the Raiders in 2024...no consistency, but good effort...not a player letdown, per se...I think it’s a coaching/planning letdown.
Denver (7-5) continues to hold the final wild card spot. Tough schedule ahead...there’s likely 2 more wins out there for them, possibly 3. Nine wins should be the final AFC wild card, but 10 wins would likely be a lock. CLE-IND next 2 games...if they win them both they are going to the playoffs most likely.
Raiders are now (2-9)...fighting for the #1 overall pick, which would be a wasted opportunity if they keep the Antonio Pierce regime and allow him to botch it. We’ll see if part-owner Tom Brady puts his foot down. LV likely gets to 3 wins for the season...their final win likely will be vs. JAX, which would push LV down the draft slots and push JAX ahead of them in draft order (most likely, projecting out).
Player Scouting Notes from the game:
*Note any fractional numbers in parentheses (4/2) or (2/3), etc., are a 'split' stat on our definition of a 'quality start' (or not) marker on a player -- using 14 PPR points in a game for RB-WR-TE and 21 (6pts TD pass) for a QB ...point levels that are good/productive/well above average starts for a Fantasy week. Trying to identify trends, consistency (or not) in players we might not normally realize.
A (3/2), for example, means: 3 times the player hit at/above the QUALITY mark, and 2 times they did not (this current season).
-- Another ‘banger’ from Bo Nix (25-42 for 273 yards, 2 TDs/0 INT...4/8 QS, 4/4 last 8 games). LV had two CBs out and Nix did what he had to/should do in that case.
Nix is the #8 PPG (4pts) QB in FF this season...#5 in PPG since Week 5...ahead of Allen and Mahomes and Daniels among others in that span.
And yet the public still doesn’t believe in Nix that much. He’s still FF-benched in games by non-FFM owners too often week-to-week. He’s been on waivers a lot the past month -- but most of us/FFM were on him 6+ weeks ago and in recent weeks for sure. The schedule is about to get a bit tougher, but he is playing really good football...and I can see his improvement every game he plays.
I didn’t think he’d be a for-sure QB1 for FF, but now I think he might be the best QB for FF out of this 2024 draft class...Nix v. Daniels.
-- DEN WR report...
Helping Nix rise is the rise of his WRs.
Courtland Sutton (8-97-2/10...7/5 QS, 5/0 the past 5 games)...I don’t know what has gotten into him, but I love it. He’s working like a real #1 for several weeks now...one of the most consistent WRs in FF the past month+. The #22 PPG PPR WR this season...since Week 8, he’s the #3 WR in PPR PPG.
Devaughn Vele (6-80-0/9...2/8 QS, 2/0 the past 2 games) is a beautiful rookie thing...a very smooth, long slot WR coming into his own. Playing his most snaps the past 3 weeks, he’s averaging 5.3 rec. (6.0 targets) 61.7 yards, 0.33 TDs per game in that span.
Really coming on now is Marvin Mims (3-44-0/5, 2-0-0). Ever since they switched MM to a half RB/half WR, he’s really coming into his own...becoming a weapon...and he’s gaining confidence. That’s the thing I’ve noticed the most over his last-3-weeks transformation -- the confidence he carries and catches the ball with now. He’s looking like a mini-Deebo/generic rookie-year Tyreek/with a dash of some Jayden Reed.
Mims might FF useful soon...like any week now. A season high 5 targets here...and I think they are holding him back of late -- when they have control of the game...saving him for when they need him/not wanting to show their tough schedule ahead too much...so this game got dicey, and thus he got more touches...once they got hold of the game, no real heavy Mims work.
-- Gardner Minshew (25-42 for 230 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) broke his collarbone late in this game and is done for the season. Aidan O’Connell will come off IR and start for LV. He’s not terrible...he’s about as good as Minshew, give or take.
-- LV RB report...
All that Dylan Laube (0-0-0) hype from Antonio Pierce in the week leading up, due to the Mattison-Zamir injuries...and he played Laube zero point zero snaps. What an A-hole Pierce is...not only burning me on some FF usage on Laube, but the poor kid was all hyped up to play his first meaningful snaps because of Pierce’s proclamations, and then he stiffs him totally.
Laube even had a 59-yard kick return early on and got everyone fired up...and you woulda thought that was the perfect time for a touch opportunity that series. Nope. A-holeTonio Pierce goes with *checks the program* something called Sincere McCormick (5-33-0), however.
Pierce deserves all the losses...and a firing, that I’m not sure Mark Davis has the guts to make.
This week (13), if Mattison is back it will be Mattison with this game’s backfield lead Ameer Abdullah (8-28-0, 5-37-1/6). If no Mattison, then it will be Abdullah led vs. the very tough run defense of the Chiefs.
-- DEN RB report...
Ugly.
Very ugly.
Jaleel McLaughlin (7-44-0, 0-0-0/1) was the only thing working, so he had good carries (for him) here.
I think Audric Estime may get a boost ahead...as a 1st-2nd-down runner mixed with Jaleel, and then Javonte becomes just a 3rd-down back, mainly. Actually, it’s just gonna be a hot hand RBBC where no one is really that valuable or predictable for FF output.
The best RB on the Broncos, right now? Marvin Mims...WR/RB.
-- Since Week 3, Jakobi Meyers (10-121-0/15) is the #15 PPR PPG WR in FF. What a nice season. In one particular Dynasty league, I traded Jakobi right before Adams flaked out...traded him like a trinket in a multiplayer deal...my worst deal of the year.
I think he’ll be fine with AOC.
-- IDP Notes...
Nik Bonitto (3 tackles, 1 sack) has a sack in nine of his last 10 games. Been banging that prop the last few weeks. I see no end in sight...
Tyree Wilson (4 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2 TFLs) is starting to heat up a little bit...3.0 sacks, 4 TFLs in his past 4 games with a FF.
Snap Counts of Interest:
69 = Abdullah
08 = McCormick
58 = Sutton
44 = Vele
38 = Lil’Jordan
27 = Franklin
16 = Mims
38 = Javonte
20 = Jaleel
05 = Estime
