NFL Week 9 Fantasy Freaks

Filed in archive Fantasy Football on November 2, 2007

Week 9 of the NFL season has arrived, and so has another week of fantasy football. Let's take a look at some potential fantasy freaks (that's meant in a good way) who have favorable match-ups.

QB Matt Hasselbeck: The Seahawks travel to Cleveland to face the Browns and their 31st ranked pass defense. Hasselbeck has played better this season that last when he was trying to overcome some injuries. He has had a few issues with his oblique, but nothing too serious. Although WR Deion Branch will likely miss this game, the good news for Hasselbeck is that WR D.J. Hackett is expected to return from injury, giving Seattle another perimeter weapon. The game is in Cleveland, but the Browns are giving up 29 points and over 270 pass yards per game. The Browns can score, so this could turn into a shootout, which is a good thing in fantasy.

WR Lee Evans: Evans was considered an enormous bust, and players had been dropping him, but good things are on the horizon for the Bills wide receiver. Evans has played well the past two weeks and really busted out a week ago against the Jets, hauling in 5 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Also helping is the fact that J.P. Losman has returned to the starting QB role, as the two clearly play well together. Oh, and it certainly doesn't hurt that the Bills are playing at home against the Bengals, who give up over 30 points and 246 yards passing per game.

RB Clinton Portis: Last week against the Patriots, Portis only rushed for 27 yards, but he did snag over 50 yards in receptions. Overall, Portis hasn't been great in 2007, as he is averaging less than 4 yards per carry. However, he has scored 5 touchdowns in 7 games, and that's the kind of production fantasy players love. This week Portis travels to the Meadowlands to face the Jets, who have the 27th ranked run defense and allow nearly 135 yards per game on the ground. Expect yards and at least a touchdown from Portis this week.

RB Kevin Jones: There's nothing a fantasy player likes more than knowing one of his running backs is going up against the Denver Broncos, who allow 166 rushing yards per game, worst in the NFL. Even somebody who plays for the Packers named Ryan Grant piled up 104 yards last week against Denver. Grant's career total before the game was 27 yards. Not only that, but Jones has gotten better week after week since returning from injury. Both his carries and yards have gone up in each game since his week 3 debut, and he's scored a rushing TD in four of the five games he's played.

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