The NFL is weird. Sometimes players are on top of their game, and other times they have an off week. The worst part about it all is that it’s super unpredictable. Even Prime time
performers have their off days, and sometimes a no-name receiver steals the show.
In his game against the Texans, Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns. However, Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, who scored four touchdowns in week five, only had one this week and just 74 yards to add to his total.
So whether you have unpredictable guys who need some management or you just need some advice on your bye week players, I’m here to help.
Quarterbacks:
Thursday night we have a prime time match up between the one-win Giants and… one-win Eagles, where everybody sucks. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown twice as many interceptions, six, as he has touchdowns, three, this season. On the other hand, Philadelphia’s quarterback Carson Wentz does have eight touchdowns, but he also has nine interceptions. Both of these guys should be sitting, but, honestly, they shouldn’t even be on your team.
Sunday, Detroit travels south to Atlanta to face off with the Falcons. Lions quarterback Matt Stafford is coming off a 12.3 point performance last week and is looking to put up more against a mediocre Falcons defense. However, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan finally hit his stride last week, airing out for four touchdowns. I like the idea of both of these guys starting against some of the worst defenses in the NFL. They should put up big numbers this week.
Monday night, Nick Foles and Jared Goff see each other in Los Angeles. The Rams defense has looked great so far this year and I don’t see anything getting in their way, especially not the Bears offensive line, which has given up 11 sacks this year. I don’t think Foles will have enough time in the pocket to get good passes off, meaning he should sit this week. Goff, on the other hand, is a must start against this Bears defense. The Bears pass rush last week struggled, with zero sacks against the Carolina Panthers, and I don’t see it doing much better against this Rams offensive line.
Running Backs:
On Thursday, Eagles running back Miles Sanders is listed as out with a knee injury. Although they are going against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, second-stringer Boston Scott just isn’t good enough to get a start on your team. Ever since Saquon Barkley got injured, the Giants running game just isn’t good enough to start anyone. They’ve run with three different “starters” since the week two injury, and all three of them, Devonta Freeman, Wayne Gallman and Dion Lewis should sit this week.
Sunday, Henry is fighting with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Coming off of another amazing start, Henry should be able to steamroll this top-five defense. The Steelers secondary is so intense, it’ll force Tennessee to run the ball more, giving Henry more touches and opportunities in this game. For the Steelers, James Conner is going to try to put up average numbers this week, but I can see him coming up short, as the Steelers will try to pass more, given that the run game with Conner hasn’t been there all season long, averaging just 13.8 points per game. If you have Henry on your team, he needs to start, but if you have Conner, you might need to look for other options.
In the Bears at Rams game, David Montgomery of Chicago is going to have a bad day. Against edge rush elites like Aaron Donald, Montgomery is going to be stopped at the line a lot this Monday. However, Rams running back Darrell Henderson is going to have a phenomenal game and I can see him putting up a lot of receiving yards out of the backfield, helping him add to his fantasy points and leading your team to a win.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends:
For the Giants, I have really liked Darius Slayton all year long. So far, he has 406 yards and three touchdowns. With the Eagles defense allowing 20.6 points per game, I can see Slayton posting over 100 yards and a touchdown or two. Slayton should be starting. For the Eagles, their tight end Zach Ertz is out for the next five weeks with a leg injury, allowing for the receivers to get more targets. Leading receiver Travis Fulgham has been very efficient this year with 294 yards and three touchdowns. If you need a good receiver, Fulgham is a must start.
Sunday, the 49ers travel east to New England. San Francisco’s tight end George Kittle, despite the injuries, has looked amazing all year, and I consider him a top-three tight end in the NFL. Against this older New England defense, I can see Kittle torching them and putting up more than 150 yards and a touchdown. For the Patriots, Julian Edelman has been leading the team in receiving with 302 yards, but he still has no scores. Edelman should remain on your bench until he can hit his stride this season.
For the Bears, Allen Robinson II has led the charge with 474 yards and two touchdowns. Facing the Rams secondary, who has just four interceptions and no defensive touchdowns, I can see him gaining 100 more yards on Monday night, so Robinson is a must start this week. For the Rams, Cooper Kupp has 374 yards and two touchdowns as well. Kupp has done a phenomenal job getting open this season, and Monday night should be more of the same. Kupp should start this week.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
![“[I think being a teacher comes] from a place of experience, where we all enjoyed high school. It had a meaningful impact on us, which was [the case] for me. I had a lot of good mentors in high school, and seeing the opportunity, the impact that they could make, I think [that was] what inspired me. [It] definitely goes back to one teacher in particular [that] I had in eighth grade, he was a huge role model for me, and somebody who I was so appreciative of what he did for me. I figured if I could do even a fraction of what he did I feel like I would be very fulfilled [in] myself, and so there's just that aspect of wanting to do something meaningful every day.” - Kaleb Schumer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9428-1200x800.jpeg)
![Looking out into the audience, senior Jack Mullen solos “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra at the annual winter choir concert on Dec. 10. Mullen volunteered to sing a solo to aid the transition between choir groups on stage. “I chose that song because I really like the crooner genre when it comes to holiday music. [That song] had all the element[s] of Michael bublé, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Also, it's a simple melody, so I did vocal gymnastics when I could and made it my own,” Mullen said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jackedited-1200x800.jpg)
![“Hitting that ball hard is just pure satisfaction. I’m on the varsity tennis team, and it’s funny because I actually got pressured into joining, but we actually [had] a really good season. I’ve been playing for three years now. My favorite part is definitely going to other schools and meeting other girls. Tennis is really fun and it's a good stress reliever, but something that [stresses me out] is definitely tests [at school]. When things [start to] stress me out, I just tell myself that [I] can get there because everyone will move on and [will] get there [too].” Alisha Yin, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/alishayin-copy-1200x800.jpg)
![Under the hoop, senior Chloe Kallaos and the cheer team line up before they begin their cheer routine on Feb. 10. The seniors celebrated by wearing t-shirts that each underclassmen made for them. “My shirt was made by one of my teammates, [sophomore] Elizabeth Knott. It’s a tradition for the underclassmen to make t-shirts for the seniors to wear on their senior night. In my sophomore year, I made one for Madi Nuernberger and Sami Milholland,” Kallaos said. “My favorite part was seeing my fellow seniors fly when some of them don't normally get the chance to fly. It was fun to see my friends try new skills,” Kallaos said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Image_20240217_231546_661-1.jpeg)
![Holding his two smiling daughters in his arms, Principal John McCabe celebrates earning his doctorate degree. He attended Maryville University for two years and reached his goal of achieving a Doctor of Education: Educational Leadership degree after months upon months of hard work and long nights. “I'm not going to lie, I'm glad I have another night of my life back when I'm not at school till very late,” McCabe said. “I can spend more time with my family and with my friends [who] are here at [West]. I'm really happy about that.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/mccabefeature.png)
