X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Smashmouth: Offensive Lines Impacting Fantasy Football (Week 9)

The NFL season is half over and the fantasy season is nearing its trade deadline. It’s at this point fantasy owners need to make moves to set themselves up for success down the stretch. We’ve seen which NFL teams are for more or less good and bad, and which players have changed their standing since the start of the season. For fantasy owners, we need to determine which NFL offenses we are putting our roster spots and ultimately fantasy futures behind.

Two surprising units thus far have both been the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. Prior to the season, the Panthers and Seahawks both were thought to be two of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. They both have surprised, especially the Panthers, who have outperformed expectations by leaps and bounds and have developed into one of the best offensive lines in the NFL right now.

Will the Panthers be able to keep their momentum going or will that offensive line that has been so productive so far in 2018 turn into the line we all thought to start the season? Can the Seahawks keep Russell Wilson upright long enough for him to continue to make plays downfield? Those questions answered and more below.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Offensive Line to Watch - Carolina Panthers

One of the biggest surprises of the 2018 season in terms of offensive line play has been the Carolina Panthers. Heading into 2018, the Panthers were considered to have one of the worst offensive lines in all of the NFL. Add to that they lost both starting tackles early in the preseason with both Matt Kalil and Daryl Williams heading to IR. Taylor Moton has stepped in beautifully and has found a home at right tackle. He’s currently grading out at the number 8 tackle according to Pro Football Focus with a 78.9 overall grade. He has especially excelled in pass protection earning an 80.8 grade which is in the top-15 of all tackles. His pass protection, along with the protection from the remainder of his linemates was on display on this 2nd and long play from their own goalline. The Panthers drop Cam Newton straight back and the line holds up well so Cam can deliver a strike for a first down.

 

The remainder of the offensive line has been above average in pass protection as well. Even though Trai Turner is having a down year after coming back from injury, he is still playing well in pass protection grading out at a 74.3 according to Pro Football Focus. Greg Van Roten at left guard is also grading above average (71.6) in pass protection. Clearly it does help to have Cam Newton in the backfield as he is able to avoid taking sacks, but their 5.2% adjusted sack rate is top-10 in the NFL. The line as a unit shows its worth in this clip as they pick up a blitz from the Ravens’ linebacker and allow Cam to step up and deliver another big completion.

Not only has the line been impressive pass blocking, but they’ve been much better as run blockers than initially thought. They are currently 8th in adjusted line yards from Football Outsiders at 4.67 yards per carry. The Panthers have also done a good job of staying on schedule with their runs as they rank 9th in “Stuffed” percentage with only 17.9% of runs going for zero or negative yardage. This allows for the Panthers offense to stay in front of the sticks and use some of their exotic looks like having both CJ Anderson and Christian McCaffrey in the backfield at the same time. This is one of those situations where Anderson is in the backfield and McCaffrey is in motion. The line is able to get some horizontal movement to create a natural cut back lane for Anderson on the zone run.

Fantasy Impact

Trust: Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey’s usage has been fairly consistent this season with just one game under 15 touches so far in 2018. He was no doubt been a factor in the passing game with at least four receptions in all but one game as well. Even with the great usage, his rushing totals have been lackluster, but expect those to start to spike with match-ups against the Bucs, Steelers, and Lions in three of his next games. Expect CMC to be a low-end RB1 in PPR leagues going forward.

Pick Up/Acquire: DJ Moore

Moore’s role in the Panthers’ offense has expanded over the past few weeks with at least five targets in each of his last three games. Moore has also seen a carry in three of his last four games, adding to his floor with some rushing production. He also saw an increase in snap count from around 30 snaps in Weeks 3-7 to 46 in Week 8. If Torrey Smith continues to miss time Moore should be guaranteed play time. He can be considered a flex option, and better this week against a bad Tampa Bay defense.

 

Offensive Line to Watch - Seattle Seahawks

Most fantasy football players scoffed at the notion that a run-based offense in 2018 could work, but the Seattle Seahawks have been able to do just that. Seattle’s offensive line was an abomination in 2017, ranking 31st in adjusted line yards and dead last “Stuffed” percentage. Turn the page to 2018 and the offensive line has become a respectable group once again. They are now 14th in adjusted line yards and 6th in “Stuffed” percentage. The overall group is not grading that favorably in run blocking according to Pro Football Focus with just one player (Duane Brown) grading above a 60. Even with their individual performance not equating to massive successes, as a unit they have been fairly impressive. On this run, there is not a ton of movement, but the line is able to keep a hat on a hat so Chris Carson can eventually find a hole for a good gain.

This group is performing much better in terms of pass blocking. Four of the five starters are currently grading above a 70 in pass protection according to PFF. The only one how has not surpassed this threshold is center Justin Britt, who is currently ranked 31st among all centers. The guards next to Britt are both in the 60s among guards (DJ Fluker 65th and J.R. Sweezy 68th), but this group has been better than 2017 for sure. In these next two clips, Russell Wilson does not have any real pressure in his face and is allowed to make some clean pocket throws. In the first clip, Wilson is given a clean pocket which lets him survey the field. After being unable to find anyone open, Wilson then spins out and backward to provide himself more time to unload downfield. The interior three of Sweezy, Fluker, and Britt hold up against the interior pass rushers, giving Wilson no pressure in his face.

This next clip the Seahawks give Wilson time to take a deep drop-back on 2nd and 19. Wilson can stand in the pocket with some slight movement as both tackles do a good job building a pocket. Duane Brown looks like his dominating self, stonewalling the pass rusher.

Even though some of the metrics are not favorable for this group, they have been able to stick to their game plan of running the football to set up the play-action passing game. Russell Wilson is back to his efficient self in the passing game, and the running game has been a dominant force over the last few weeks.

 

Fantasy Impact

Hold: Chris Carson

We all saw flashes of what Chris Carson could be in 2017 prior to his injury. Now he’s healthy in 2018 and scoring fantasy points in bunches. Besides the Seahawks’ Week 6 victory over the Raiders, Carson has at least 19 carries in each of his last three games with at least 102 rushing yards and a touchdown in two of three games. In tighter match-ups, expect Carson to continue to shoulder the load and produce at a high-end RB2 level.

Sell: Tyler Lockett

It’s been amazing how Lockett continues to find the end zone despite no game over seven targets this season. The volume has to be concerning for fantasy owners, so the choice is either to ride out the production and hope it continues or sell Lockett before his luck runs out for a more stable RB2 or WR2. The goal for the Seattle offense is to be run first and then use play-action, which can allow Lockett to get behind defenses, but you cannot expect that to continue to happen week in and week out.

 

Top Five Offensive Lines

1) New Orleans Saints
2) Los Angeles Rams
3) New England Patriots
4) Pittsburgh Steelers
5) Green Bay Packers

 

Bottom Five Offensive Lines

32) Buffalo Bills
31) New York Giants
30) Arizona Cardinals
29) Houston Texans
28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For any questions about offensive line play in the NFL, feel free to contact me @TheRealHalupka on Twitter.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

19 mins ago

Pete Alonso Receives Qualifying Offer From Mets
23 mins ago

Clayton Kershaw Declines 2025 Option
51 mins ago

Titans Hopeful Will Levis Will Return In Week 10
1 hour ago

Titans Looking To Reduce Tony Pollard's Workload?
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

Micah Parsons Expected To Play In Week 10
Dereck Lively II3 hours ago

A Late Scratch On Monday
3 hours ago

Amari Cooper Listed As Day-To-Day
3 hours ago

Joe Flacco Named Week 10 Starter
Robert Williams III3 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Jordan Hawkins3 hours ago

Out Versus The Blazers
Zion Williamson3 hours ago

Sidelined Again Versus Portland
Rudy Gobert4 hours ago

Available For Minnesota On Monday
Immanuel Quickley4 hours ago

Still Out On Monday
Jalen Smith4 hours ago

Available Against Jazz
Brandon Miller4 hours ago

Will Play Versus Minnesota
Josh Giddey4 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
Lauri Markkanen4 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Monday Night
4 hours ago

Browns "Highly Unlikely" To Trade David Njoku
John Konchar4 hours ago

Ruled Out Monday Versus Nets
5 hours ago

Chase Brown Appears To Be OK Despite Suffering Bruised Rib
5 hours ago

Tee Higgins Estimated As DNP On Monday
5 hours ago

Jameson Williams' Suspension Is Lifted
5 hours ago

Alex Bregman Given Qualifying Offer
5 hours ago

Saquon Barkley Will Be Ready For Week 10 Despite Back Soreness
5 hours ago

Juan Soto Receives Qualifying Offer
Anthony Davis5 hours ago

Available Monday Versus Detroit
5 hours ago

A.J. Brown Considered "Day-To-Day"
Austin Reaves5 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
5 hours ago

Tyler O'Neill Not Given Qualifying Offer, Headed To Free Agency
Ryan Blaney5 hours ago

Wins At Martinsville And Has Chance To Earn Second Straight Championship
5 hours ago

Bucky Irving Officially Active Against Chiefs
Christopher Bell5 hours ago

Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
D'Angelo Russell5 hours ago

Available Monday
5 hours ago

Nick Pivetta Receives Qualifying Offer
5 hours ago

Colin Rea Heading To Free Agency
6 hours ago

Tigers Decline Casey Mize's 2025 Club Option
6 hours ago

Drake London Considered Day-To-Day
Dean Wade6 hours ago

Won’t Play Against The Bucks
Caris LeVert6 hours ago

Remains Out Versus Milwaukee
Noah Clowney6 hours ago

Won’t Suit Up Versus Memphis
Ben Simmons6 hours ago

Out Against The Grizzlies
Kevin Huerter6 hours ago

Still Out On Monday Night
Jake Allen6 hours ago

Faces Oilers On Monday
Stephen Curry6 hours ago

Back For Monday’s Game
BOS6 hours ago

Tyler Johnson Signs One-Year Deal With Bruins
Giannis Antetokounmpo7 hours ago

Won’t Face The Cavs
Zach Benson7 hours ago

Considered "A Possibility" For Tuesday's Game
Artem Zub7 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Monday
Bryan Rust7 hours ago

Will Join Penguins Road Trip
7 hours ago

Braves Exercise Marcell Ozuna's 2025 Option
Juraj Slafkovsky7 hours ago

Practices On Monday
Macklin Celebrini7 hours ago

Ready To Return On Tuesday
7 hours ago

David Fry To Miss 6-8 Months After Having Elbow Surgery
7 hours ago

Gerrit Cole, Yankees Agree To Stick Together
Samuel Ersson9 hours ago

Misses Monday Practice
Carolina Panthers9 hours ago

Panthers Haven't Decided Starting QB For Week 10
Connor McDavid9 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery
9 hours ago

Panthers Optimistic Jonathon Brooks Will Debut In Week 10
Philip Broberg9 hours ago

Will Miss Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
9 hours ago

Derek Carr To Start In Week 10 For Saints
Valeri Nichushkin9 hours ago

Will Return When First Eligible
9 hours ago

Texans Non-Committal On Nico Collins For Week 10
9 hours ago

Erick All Jr. Officially Out For The Year With Knee Injury
9 hours ago

Mike Macdonald "Optimistic" DK Metcalf Returns In Week 11
10 hours ago

CeeDee Lamb Tagged As Week-To-Week, Optimism He Can Play In Week 10
Tyler Reddick10 hours ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson10 hours ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski10 hours ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott10 hours ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
10 hours ago

49ers Open Christian McCaffrey's Practice Window
11 hours ago

Nathan Eovaldi Declines His Player Option
11 hours ago

Brewers Decline Option On Devin Williams
11 hours ago

Michael Wacha, Royals Agree To Three-Year Deal
11 hours ago

Braves Sign Reynaldo Lopez To Three-Year Deal
Rose Namajunas15 hours ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield15 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus15 hours ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Zach Hyman15 hours ago

Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Marc-Andre Barriault15 hours ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Matt Boldy16 hours ago

Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Jared Spurgeon16 hours ago

Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Trevin Giles16 hours ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Alex Ovechkin16 hours ago

Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Dmitry Orlov16 hours ago

Nets Two Goals Against Capitals
Jeremy Swayman16 hours ago

Collects First Shutout Of The Season
Connor Bedard16 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Mike Malott17 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
NASCAR1 day ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen1 day ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
MMA1 day ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius1 day ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro1 day ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi1 day ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Artturi Lehkonen1 day ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
NJ1 day ago

Nathan Bastian To Miss "Several Weeks"
Brayden Point1 day ago

Exits With Injury Sunday
2 days ago

Austin Barnes Returning To Los Angeles
2 days ago

David Robertson To Test Free Agency
2 days ago

Giants Exercise Club Option On Wilmer Flores
2 days ago

Owen Miller Shipped To Colorado
2 days ago

Merrill Kelly Staying In Arizona
2 days ago

Eloy Jimenez Headed To Free Agency
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith2 days ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano2 days ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar2 days ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric2 days ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield3 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott3 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado4 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz4 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: MUST ADD Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 10! Fantasy Football 2024

Our top 2024 fantasy football Week 10 waiver wire pickups for RB, WR, TE, and QB. This week's must-add fantasy football free agents -- potential waiver wire winners heading into Week 9 for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) - every […]


Rachaad White - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 9 MNF? Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, Baker Mayfield, Jalen McMillan, Kareem Hunt, Xavier Worthy, Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Sterling Shepard, more

Who Should I Start for MNF? Who Should I Sit for MNF? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions for Monday Night Football are regarding players like Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, Baker Mayfield, Jalen McMillan, Kareem Hunt, Xavier Worthy, Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Sterling Shepard, more. But not to worry, we […]


Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, WR, Waiver Wire, NFL DFS, Rookies

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For C.J. Stroud, Tank Bigsby, Marvin Harrison, Brian Thomas, Kyle Pitts, Nick Chubb, more

The ninth Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Justin Herbert, Isaac Guerendo, Quentin Johnston, Demarcus Robinson, Taysom Hill

RotoBaller's Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire pickups article for 2024 will cover everyone you need to know that could help your team find replacements for injured players, fill in for players you want to drop, or even help you win a championship. Every week, new players are breaking out. From bench stashes in the […]


Ray Davis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Waiver Wire Express - Week 10 Lightning Round Including Quentin Johnston, Xavier Legette, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Ray Davis, Jauan Jennings, Cedric Tillman, Bo Nix

October is in the past and many of you are here with shifted clocks, seeking help at wide receiver. Amidst the usual chaos of Sunday's football, we absorbed several high-profile losses at wideout. We're all doing our best to stay hot in November with our fantasy football waiver wire pickups lightning round heading into Week […]


Tyler Allgeier - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Quentin Johnston, Jalen Tolbert, Ricky Pearsall, Ray Davis, Tyler Allgeier, Mike Gesicki

Week 10 will be here in a few days, and it's time to start bolstering those rosters for the fantasy football playoff push. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice to help build those fantasy rosters with our Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024. There were more crucial […]


Justin Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Week 10 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Russell Wilson, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and more

It was not a banner week for the quarterback position in fantasy football. There wasn’t a single quarterback that surpassed 300 passing yards between Thursday and the main Sunday slate. We did get a five passing touchdown performance (Joe Burrow) and three quarterbacks with three passing touchdowns, but that was it. Four teams have a […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Alvin Kamara And More

The running back renaissance is truly upon us in 2024. While rushing touchdowns were down this week, matching the lowest number of the season thus far (23), the top-10 RBs had their best week yet. Week 9 was the first time all season that each athlete to be featured on this list all hit 21 […]


Mike Gesicki - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Mike Gesicki, Quentin Johnston, Ray Davis, Demarcus Robinson, Josh Oliver

Week 9 of the NFL regular season provided fans with some exciting action. The Bills defeated the Dolphins in an AFC East clash thanks to Tyler Bass' game-winning 61-yard FG in the final moments. The Titans and Rams also contributed a pair of overtime victories that enthralled audiences. Many big names showed out for fantasy […]


Ray Davis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10: Top Free Agent Adds Include Ray Davis, Jaylen Warren, Tyler Allgeier, Justice Hill

As you read this week’s recommendations from the waiver wire, the planning process for Week 10 roster construction has begun. You have already navigated a collection of obstacles that have emerged through the first nine weeks of the regular season, and should now sustain your efforts to minimize the impact of additional injuries, underwhelming production, […]


AJ Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Fantasy Football Injuries From Sunday's Games: Chris Olave, Drake London, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, More

The Week 9 injury report was pretty light compared to the rest of the season. Even still, some big names went down, and they will definitely affect fantasy rosters everywhere. We saw several wide receivers leave games early and had another injury to a starting quarterback. Let’s get into the injury report from yesterday's games […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Buccaneers vs. Chiefs MNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, DeAndre Hopkins, Kareem Hunt, Rachaad White, Jalen McMillan, Cade Otton

Week 9 is already here, and setting optimal lineups has never been more crucial as the fantasy football playoffs near. Read our Monday Night Football matchups analysis article for the Buccaneers vs. Chiefs game to help make any fantasy football lineup decisions for both season-long and DFS. This week's MNF contest sees the undefeated Kansas […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Buccaneers vs. Chiefs MNF Showdown (Week 9)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have a matchup between a pair of banged-up teams in this one, as Baker Mayfield and the shorthanded Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) head up to Kansas City to take on the final remaining undefeated team in the league in the Chiefs (7-0). Both teams are missing key offensive pieces, and let's […]