The Washington Redskins take on the Arizona Cardinals this week; check out the iSportsWeb fantasy advice for all things HTTR.
Who to start
The Redskins offense continued to put on a show in Dallas on Thanksgiving, but the defense did not hold up their end of the bargain. The Cowboys cruised to 31 points, and could’ve put up more if the game ever got super tight. Now, the Redskins offense faces perhaps their toughest test: the Arizona defense. The Cardinals rank first in yards allowed this season, including second in passing yards.
Kirk Cousins, QB
Even going up against this stingy defense, Cousins is still a worthwhile start. He is averaging over 320 passing yards per game, and has finally started to turn all those passing yards into touchdowns (10 touchdowns, one interception over the last four games). Patrick Peterson is one of the game’s elite corners on the outside for the Cardinals, and losing Jordan Reed will hurt. But Vernon Davis has been a big-play threat all season, and while Arizona is allowing under 200 passing yards per game, they haven’t really played a quarterback of Cousins’ quality yet. Arizona has only faced one truly above average passing quarterback with a host of weapons, and that was Matt Ryan, who led the Falcons to a 38-19 victory last week over the Cardinals.
Who to sit
Redskins D/ST
The Redskins rank 25th in rushing yards allowed per game, meaning this week’s matchup against David Johnson figures to be another bloodbath in the trenches. Not only does Johnson run through opposing defenses (his 921 rushing yards rank third overall), he has also racked up over 600 receiving yards, tops for a running back. Johnson is one of the rare backs who can play in the backfield or split out wide, and the Redskins have not shown themselves capable of stopping those types of flexible players.
The Redskins one saving grace on defense might be their pass rush. Washington is eighth in the league with 28 sacks, while the Cardinals are ranked 30th in sacks allowed. The Redskins figure to give up plenty of yards and touchdowns, but they might be able to recoup some of those fantasy points with pressure on Carson Palmer.
Injury updates
Jordan Reed, TE
Reed had a monster game last week, totaling two touchdowns after suffering a serious shoulder injury. Reed is out this week, a big blow to the Redskins’ offense, and fantasy teams on the cusp of the playoff everywhere. Still, Davis has proved to be a quality option so far this year; he totaled eight catches for 129 yards and a touchdown in the two games Reed missed earlier this season.
Under-the-radar options
Jamison Crowder, WR
Crowder is a tough start because of the tough Arizona secondary, but he is still an option to consider. He ranks 11th among wide receivers in ESPN fantasy leagues, and with Reed out, he should see plenty of targets over the middle of the field. Cousins and Crowder have clearly built a relationship over the past two seasons. He deserves a look at the FLEX spot, even against this defense.
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