Fantasy Football Hot Takes: Joe Mixon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Travis Kelce (Week 7)

If there’s food on your plate today, thank a farmer. Most people know I’m from Northern California, the crucible of sustainable and regenerative farming in the United States. Sacramento is the farm-to-fork capitol and I reside in a nearby town that recently changed its slogan from “City of Trees” to “Bee City, USA.” My calling card is beaming with pride when high-level athletes and societal figures grew up in the same region as me, but I’m even more proud to call such a glorious place home myself. My childhood home was encircled by prune and walnut orchards in the Olive City of Corning, CA. The jobs are in agriculture and food processing. Silicon Valley is only a bit more than an hour away, so it is no surprise my wife works in Agriculture Technology (AgTech).

Where someone comes from doesn’t necessarily play a role in where they end up. The twists and turns often uproot us, with hopes of a successful transplant somewhere better. As Johnny Cash sang, “I’ve been everywhere.” A cat always finds their way back to the saucer of cream. The grass is truly greener where you water it. Along the banks of the mighty Sacramento River sit hundreds of unique farms that feed all of us. Shoutout to those hardworking men and women who provide for their families and ours.

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I probably have spent a total of 20 minutes considering moving somewhere other than here. The swift reminder of how flush my feet rest on this soil snaps me back into reality. The pepper plants I grow don’t stop bearing fruit until they are ripped from the earth and composted. As I sit here today, I have never felt more spicy and full of flavor.

Week 6 featured another partially correct prediction. Sam LaPorta‘s flea-flicker touchdown was awesome. Too bad it was his only catch of the day in Detroit’s 47-9 pinata for Jerry Jones’ 133rd birthday. The league is still buzzing with fun headlines. Here’s hoping one of these home-grown, organic predictions will top the sports page next week.

Fantasy Football Hot Takes: Week 7

Texans Put White Cheddar Packers on Ice in Highest Total of the Week; Joe Mixon Scores 30 PPR Points to Lead All RBs

The all-white color rush uniforms are sharp. Cheesy jokes aside, Green Bay and Houston have each lit up the scoreboard in 2024. The Packers withstood Jordan Love‘s absence and were fortunate Christian Watson‘s injury was not more serious. They have combined their potent offense with opportunistic defense. Houston’s offense didn’t miss a beat without stud wide receiver Nico Collins last week.

C.J. Stroud doesn’t give defenses as many opportunities to get off the field, trodding down the field with uncanny balance and precision. Joe Mixon is the catalyst. His return to the field was an explosive boost and one the Packers will need to contend with.

Jordan Love will need to be his best self, instead of the dark side of the coin he sometimes flashes in big games. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson need to have big games to keep the Cheeseheads within striking distance in this clash of playoff teams.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Disembowels Atlanta Defense with 10 Receptions and 130 Yards; Seahawks Hold Falcons Under 300 Scrimmage Yards in Double-Digit Win

I’m tired of the disrespect. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a fantastic wide receiver. His role is sometimes muddied by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but the talent is undeniable. Most offenses have avoided the middle of the field against Atlanta because Jessie Bates is a game-wrecking player at safety. He will have to cover more grass in this one. Smith-Njigba is a zone coverage annihilator.

Mike Macdonald has done a fine job in Seattle thus far, but some are already displeased with his record. Look what happened to the Ravens’ defense when he left. His scheme is perfect to shut down the Falcons, who still haven’t figured out how to consistently feed their best players. Kirk Cousins is streakier than a window wiped with old newspaper. The Seahawks will trick him into turning the ball over while controlling the clock on offense to keep him on the sidelines.

Chiefs Toast Sourdough Sam and 49ers (Again) in Super Bowl Rematch; Travis Kelce Leaves Teardrops on 49ers Defense’s Guitar with Multiple Touchdowns on 12+ Targets

Every dynasty goes through multiple revolutions. The 49ers went from Joe Montana to Steve Young. New England reinvented themselves four times over around Tom Brady. Andy Reid seems to keep trotting out varying forms of Division III receiving corps around Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce after Tyreek Hill was traded.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is the coal furnace that keeps the undefeated Chiefs chugging down the tracks. The defense is so good Reid can roll out JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s corpse on five-yard zone beaters to keep the chains moving and still win.

Kareem Hunt‘s post-Cleveland era is going exactly how most would expect. It’s almost like there’s a pattern forming. Kelce is the glaring healthy player who has underperformed in 2024. He will be itching to light up this defense again.

The 49ers aren’t a great team anymore. Their once-heralded defense is among the worst tackling units in the NFL. That won’t fly against Kansas City. On the other side of the ball, Kyle Shanahan is running out of warm bodies at running back. Isaac Guerendo picked up the musket dropped by Jordan Mason last week.

I’m worried Brock Purdy will have similar trouble connecting on small-window throws as he did in February. The Chiefs’ pass rush is even better this season, so San Francisco’s only hope is to gain chunk plays on the ground and hope Purdy can take a step up when under duress.

Jets Welcome Their New NorCal Weapon and Hold Steelers Without a Touchdown; Aaron Rodgers Throws for 300 Yards and Four Touchdowns, with 100 Yards Each for Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson

I correctly predicted the Davante Adams trade from Las Vegas to New York back in August. The second stanza of that prediction was that the deal would vault the Jets to the AFC Championship. That part doesn’t look great with a 2-4 team entering Week 7. What I do believe is Adams’ arrival makes this offense extremely dangerous. Aaron Rodgers has been very good this season and now has a receiver with whom he has a telepathic connection.

Garrett Wilson is not downgraded. If anything, he faces weaker coverage and should be running more vertical routes. Breece Hall is heating back up now that Nathaniel Hackett isn’t allowed to keep running Braelon Allen out there for no reason. Hall is New York’s balance point.

The Steelers beat up on a terrible Raiders team last week. Arthur Smith’s offense scored 30 points for the first time since 2020. The Jets will embarrass Pittsburgh, especially if their hair-brained plan to start Russell Wilson is put into action. Justin Fields was awesome. While Wilson blessed us with nine consecutive QB1 seasons, his prime has been over for years now. The Jets have an awesome defense, especially when facing inferior offenses like the Steelers. Don’t be surprised if Fields still sees action and regains his starting role before the Week 9 bye.