Yahoo Sports’ Fantasy Football Live crew looks ahead to Monday’s matchup between Houston and Tampa Bay and which players could help fantasy managers the most.
Give me one storyline here, Matt, that you’ve got your eye on in this game.
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Uh, your eye on in this game.
Yeah, I mean, you already made fun of me for this, so I hate that we’ve got to talk up Emeka Ibuka one more time, but we learned something really important from him in week number one, and that is that he can absolutely win outside.
Look, number one, I think this is kind of an over-discussed storyline with some of these offenses at this point, um, yeah, especially this offense in Tampa Bay, they kind of blur the lines between what is and is not a slot receiver based on the condensed formations, how much motion they’re doing.
But, again, based on pre-snap alignment, Emeka Ibuka caught 3 of his 4 targets when he was lined up outside for 58 yards and both of his touchdowns on these big post routes.
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And I don’t know how many times we have to learn this lesson as like a prospecting community.
Just because a guy is used as a slot player in college does not mean that’s all he can do.
I’m not saying that Emeka Ibuka is going to be the next Justin Jefferson, but we saw that with Jefferson, obviously coming out of LSU and then even with his former Ohio State alum, Jackson with the jig but now winning outside.
So it’s just like another good signal for a guy who I think is on his way to having a great rookie season in Tampa Bay.
Chris, what do you have your irons in this one?
I’m not gonna have my eyes on it.
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I’m gonna be lifting up CJ Stroud in prayer throughout this game because can we get this man some protection at some point?
I get the fact that the Texans wanted to try and throw as many assets as possible at allowing Stroud to stay upright.
Yes, they let Laremy Tunsil go.
I mean, they did the trade and get some picks and bring in Lake and Tomlinson, Tyus Howard, and they drafted draft one of their offensive linemen in the second round, but we’re still seeing Stroud getting battered behind that offensive line.
Last season, 37.9 41.2% rather pressure rate around 38% in week one.
The number of times he was hit last season.
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A 7 per game, 6.4 or 6.47 on just this past week.
And the man is getting hit.
We’re not able to really see him connect with Nico Collins.
So that’s the thing that fantasy managers should really be upset about because if you sunk an early round draft pick on Collins, this is the reason why you’re not seeing as much Production for your early round wide receiver.
So let’s hope in this game, even though it’s going to be tough going against that Rams defensive front, let’s hope that Trubisky at least gets a bit more time to operate behind the offensive line.
Because things aren’t looking great, fellas.
So that’s the thing that I’m looking for in week two.