Fantasy Football Hot Takes: Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Baker Mayfield, Antonio Gibson

Last week’s hot takes were a much better effort. Alas, there were no perfect predictions either. It is encouraging to correctly predict “elements” of NFL games correctly, but I am here for the righteous victory laps when the crystal ball is crystal clear.

The Saints laid a rotten egg in pigeon-infested Pittsburgh, thus relegating star rookie Chris Olave to wallow in insignificance.

The Jags began to mount a comeback in Kansas City, but Patrick Mahomes was overwhelming and the Chiefs put the clamps on Travis Etienne.

Harrison Bryant did score a touchdown but was only TE7 and the Browns and Dolphins were not quite the game with the highest total in Week 10.

Jared Goff did lead the Lions to their second divisional win in a row at Soldier Field but did not score 25 fantasy points or “outduel” the fantastic Justin Fields.

Am I encouraged? Yes. Will I bend the knee and tame the spice in the name of better accuracy? No. This is an exercise in imagination, intertwined with the “Any Given Sunday” mantra. The goal is to be crazy and outlandish, yet plausible. I am the King of Spice. I am the heat and I live in the kitchen. Here’s what I have cooked up for Week 11. As always, follow #PICANTakes on Twitter to keep up with the meandering lunacy I have the intestinal fortitude to make public.

Wan’Dale Robinson Embarrasses Lions Defense With 20+ PPR Points as Giants Prevail by Two Touchdowns

All it takes for the fantasy football community to forget about a player completely is a bye week, followed by a lackluster game in a perceived good matchup. While most of us are tossing dirt on the uber-talented rookie from Kentucky, I’m pushing my chips in on Wan’Dale Robinson this week. Detroit’s defense is atrocious. They also primarily run a zone coverage scheme that funnels passes underneath to slot receivers. Robinson has enjoyed his best games this season when facing this same concept. It isn’t a stretch at all to describe the Giants’ WR corps as “horrendous.” Darius Slayton made the big play last week, but I’m betting on Robinson to make hay with more opportunities in space against a Lions team that couldn’t cover a dead body with a tarp.

Tyler Allgeier Rushes for 120+ Yards and Scores Twice; Bears and Falcons Combine to Rush for Over 400 Yards

One would normally not expect two teams to meet with virtually the same philosophy, but here we are. The Bears and Falcons are among the most stubborn, run-heavy offenses in the NFL this season. Marcus Mariota wishes he had Justin Fields’ flair for the big play, while Fields is certainly envious of Mariota’s receiving weaponry. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith loves to establish the run, so much so that he was still plodding along and chewing the clock while down three scores to the Bengals a few weeks ago. Luke Getsy removed Fields’ training wheels against the Patriots and the rest has been literally history.

Allgeier is the hammer in the Atlanta backfield in tandem with Cordarrelle Patterson. The Bears’ defense has not responded well to blunt-force rushing attacks, which is where I expect Allgeier to make the most of his opportunities and become the hot hand on Sunday. As far as a crazy prediction on total rushing yards is considered, the strong headwind will be the pace of the game. It is no surprise that both Atlanta and Chicago rank near the bottom of the league in offensive plays per game. We’re going to need some chunk plays on the ground to get there.

Baker Mayfield Finishes as a Top-12 QB, Passes for 300+ Yards and Two Touchdowns in Upset Win Over Ravens

Tell me you didn’t just throw up in your mouth a little bit. The former top overall pick by the Browns is back in the saddle for the Panthers this week, which I think is ultimately a good thing for Mayfield. His performance this season has been abhorrent, but I can’t help but recall the talent he showcased not more than two years ago. DJ Moore is fantastic. Terrace Marshall is finally hitting his stride. The running game with D’Onta Foreman has been good enough to cause defenses to bend out of respect and free up space on play action. Baltimore is running into a Panthers team that poses a matchup nightmare on both sides of the ball. Carolina is just dysfunctional enough to win games and ruin a good chance to tank for better draft picks.

Antonio Gibson Goes Thermonuclear Against Houston With 30+PPR Points; Commanders Hold Texans Under 10 Points

The Texans are bad. The Commanders aren’t great, but they definitely found a successful blueprint in their upset road win over the previously-unbeaten Eagles. What better team to flex the physical gap running scheme than the worst run defense in the NFL? Houston simply cannot tackle, so it also might be prudent to roll with rookie plodder Brian Robinson Jr. My bet is on the much more explosive and dynamic Gibson. Move the chains with Robinson, and light up the scoreboard with Gibson.

There are layers to this prediction. The Texans have two very talented DBs in Derek Stingley Jr. and Desmond King II. They figure to have a good chance to neutralize Taylor Heinicke‘s two favorite targets Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. The Texans’ defense is a classic run funnel that also struggles to cover RBs running routes from the backfield. Gibson has filled in beautifully in the J.D. McKissic role, so much so that I don’t think McKissic sees the field much when he returns from injury. The Commanders RB duo is the classic thunder and lightning, except Gibson is thunder and lightning himself and is a much more patient runner with incredible vision and burst. I believe this will be yet another example of Gibson screaming for more work through his performance on the field.