I am taking part in my first Movember and it’s not pretty – meaning the facial hair. You can check out my progress by hitting that link. While the mustache is not up to standards, folks have donated over $700 so far and it’s only Movember 2nd.
I chose mental health and suicide prevention because I have struggled with depression my entire life. When I saw that Calvin Ridley had bravely elected to step away from football to take care of his mental health I was glad. I thought about Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka and how they had helped normalize prioritizing mental health over sport. And I thought about all the other athletes who have suffered in silence under the guise of sucking it up, playing through the pain, even though that pain was not physical.
Sports culture, especially football, constantly praises toughness, so displaying the vulnerability to admit problems with your mental health is laudable. But one of the reasons Movember exists is to help people that don’t have the means to step away from work and focus on their mental health. It’s wonderful that Osaka, Biles, and Ridley all have those means, and have earned them through achieving greatness in their respective sports, but depression and suicide afflict the wealthy and the less fortunate, and can be even more deadly when combined with food and shelter insecurity, homelessness, or just the simple stress of living paycheck to paycheck.
The Movember movement seeks to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues, and encourage men to seek help when they need it, which requires admitting they need help. Reducing the stigma of depression and suicidal ideation is crucial. It isn’t easy, but the more it gets talked about the easier it becomes for millions of men to deal with their issues as Ridley has.
Movember is also investing in research-based interventions to help improve mental health and reduce suicides. Encouraging physical fitness and community-based intervention programs can go a long way to beating depression by making it more manageable and providing treatment and interventions that work.
The money you and others donate (if you can, if not please share this so it can reach more people) will go towards these important steps that if implemented widely can not only normalize admitting being depressed and needing help, but actually fund programs that can save lives.
Huge thanks to everyone that has donated to any campaign supporting mental health, and to those that both inspire and encourage others to admit having a problem and seek help.
Week 8 may not have been the worst injury week in terms of quantity, but it definitely was in quality.
Derrick Henry has a foot injury requiring surgery that will most likely end his record-breaking season. Calvin Ridley, a top-5 wide receiver in ADP, is walking away from football to take care of his mental health (and good for him, I hope he gets where he needs to be). Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending torn ACL, a major setback on what was slowly becoming a successful reclamation project.
Of course these departures do mean opportunity for others, as sad as they may be for the departing.
Waiver Wire Quarterbacks Week 9
Taysom Hill, 3% rostered, 80% FAAB
According to saintswire Hill is expected to clear the concussion protocol prior to this week’s game against the Falcons. The severity of this concussion can’t be understated – it has kept him out since October 10, and the Saints needed him despite Winston starting. We likely won’t have clarity on him vs Siemien for this week until after waiver clear, but Hill is your top add at the position regardless. An average passer but effective runner, Hill will provide a safe floor every week.
Justin Fields, 22% rostered, 70% FAAB
Another guy who emerged as viable this week is Justin Fields. It’s hard not to let correlation stand in for causation as Fields looked night and day better without Nagy in the building. Still developing as a passer, but Fields finally looked loose and comfortable using his legs to produce on the ground. The further Nagy distances himself from this team, the better they seem to perform. Maybe there’s something there? Anyway Fields is still developing but turned in a plus week. Might be more to come.
Mike White, 2% rostered, 35% FAAB
White actually turned in a decent game before this weekend, as he threw for 202-1-2 while coming in cold off the bench for Wilson. After a week with the 1s White went for 405-3-2 and the interceptions weren’t totally his fault. That one performance was leagues better than anything Wilson has done this year. Also, he helped create one of the most memorable betting stories I’ve heard in a while.
That’s $125,000 on a $1,000 bet. If this guy is willing to risk a grand on him, you should be willing to risk your fake FAAB. And if he plays like this again and the Jets win, is there really a reason to rush Wilson back?
Jimmy G, 11% rostered, 20% FAAB
Jimmy just turned his best performance of the year by far, but anyone who watched the game will tell you the Bears defense gave up. At one point in the second half the Niners got 7 consecutive first downs. I don’t think Jimmy will have this much luck against the Cardinals or Rams, and by that point the Niners are likely going to be 3-5. I think Jimmy’s final chance to retain his starting job is beating both teams, and I just can’t see that happening.
Drops: Jameis, Ben, Zach Wilson, Keenum
Waiver Wire Running Backs Week 9
Jarret Patterson, 2% rostered, 55% FAAB
Patterson got 11 carries to Antionio Gibson’s 8 and was just as effective running the ball (4.2 ypc to Gibson’s 4.3). Gibson has been playing hurt all season and it simply doesn’t make sense for a floundering 2-6 team to continue playing one of their best assets while he’s hurt. I could easily see Patterson taking over this backfield the rest of the way very soon, possibly as soon as their next game, which unfortunately is not until week 10.
Jeremy McNichols, 9% rostered, 50% FAAB
Before we go crazy blowing whatever is left of our FAAB on this guy, realize that there is no replacing Derrick Henry. Henry was running through walls all season. Henry is hulk-sized and amazingly fast. His vision is superb and his stiff-arm is a destroyer of worlds. McNichols will see his share of the pie increase, but it takes a village to replace Derrick Henry. Expect geriatric Adrian Peterson to sap his value, and Mekhi Sargent could as well. Plus his next two opponents are the Rams and the Saints, two good defenses against the run.
Derrick Gore, 2% rostered, 5% FAAB
Gore looked good last night against the Giants, running decisively north when given the opportunity. Problem is that opportunity is likely to get a lot smaller with CEH returning as soon as this week. And Reid running the ball just goes against his genetics. It was encouraging and the Chiefs do need to run the ball more to win, but I don’t see a 33% share (which is the best Gore can hope for absent injury) being enough to be productive, and a 10-15% share is more likely. Intriguing enough for speculation but don’t drop anyone with a solid role for him.
Ty Johnson, 5% rostered, 5% FAAB
Johnson has now turned in two good receiving performances with White under center. Problem is he is only averaging about 30% snap share in those two games, and Carter is outplaying him. I think his production is dependent on the increased passing game volume and efficiency under White, but really, do the Jets have any reason to rush Wilson back?
Drops: Henry, Gainwell, David Johnson, Perine
Waiver Wire Wide Receivers Week 9
Van Jefferson Jr., 13% rostered, 40% FAAB
I have no idea how this guy is only on 13% of rosters. He playing for the best offense in the NFL, one of the best QBs, and he’s getting almost as many chances as Woods and Kupp. The last two weeks he has been in on offensive snaps 94% and 84%, and last week he saw only 2 fewer snaps and 3 fewer targets than Woods and Kupp. Grab this guy, legit WR3 the past two weeks.
Jamison Crowder, 19% rostered, 20% FAAB
Crowder was one of the beneficiaries of the increased passing volume from Mike White. I don’t see that changing for any reason so Crowder should be a safe bet for about 6-8 targets a week. Not a major talent, but knows how to get open.
Elijah Moore, 16% rostered, 20% FAAB
Moore is the more intriguing Jets WR to benefit from Mike White. Now, White did almost all of his damage less than 20 yards downfield, as the chart shows, and Moore is more of a go-route type of guy. So he may not benefit immediately, but he has the edge on talent and could be an interesting guy to own towards the end of the season.
Mike White didn’t find success by throwing deep
Jamal Agnew, 2% rostered, 10% FAAB
I would say I wonder if Laviska Shenault banged Meyer’s wife but based on recent events I’m not sure that would be enough to get him into the doghouse. But for whatever reason, Agnew got 12(!) targets last game. He caught 6 for 38 yards and a TD, but probably worth a dart throw to see if this sticks.
Darnell Mooney, 42% rostered, 10% FAAB
Rivaling only Kenneth Gainwell in WW yo-yo status, I’m sure Mooney has been picked up and dropped several times in your league. There are some rumors the Bears could be trading Robinson today, none substantial enough to bear repeating, but it would make sense and would likely funnel more targets Mooney’s way. If Nagy can be traded as a throw-in that would increase Mooney’s stock even more. He saw 9 targets last week and it was the best Bears offensive performance since Fields took over.
Drops: OBJ, Peoples-Jones, Sterling Shepard
Waiver Wire Tight Ends Week 9
Obviously if Ertz is available still grab him. Engram could get traded today so he’s worth a look if available, but I don’t think his problem in New York has been lack of opportunity.
Dan Arnold, 5% rostered, 15% FAAB
Arnold saw 10 targets (8-68), second on the team to Jamal Agnew (?). There’s no reasoning out what is happening in Jacksonville because Urban Meyer is not a reasonable or smart man. But Arnold for whatever reason is higher in the pecking order than Shenault.
Pat Freiermuth, 11% rostered, 10% FAAB
Big Ben can’t throw downfield anymore. Honestly it’s like watching a formerly great race horse trying to lug his way down the track when clearly he should be out to pasture. Well, maybe Pat benefits from Ben’s aging arm and he certainly has had the opportunity the last two games, getting 7 targets a piece and catching a TD pass last week. Also had a 78% snap share up from 60% week 6.
Drops: Jonnu Smith, Jared Cook
Streaming DST Week 9
New Orleans Saints vs the Falcons, 47% rostered, 1% FAAB
New Orleans is coming off a really impressive win against the Bucs, where they sacked Brady 3 times, picked him off twice, and scored a touchdown. If the Falcons are reverting to their uber-conservative ways as they did in week 8, this should be a solid play.
Miami Dolphins vs the Texans, 14% rostered, 1% FAAB
I don’t really think they are worth 1% but every team that has played Houston this year has done well. Watch news reports on Tyrod, if he’s in might not be a good play.
