“The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak.” – Ralph Charell
Writer’s block is real, folks. As I sit here this morning, attempting to pen my weekly column, my mind is blank, other than thinking about how I have nothing to write.
I have a multitude of columns begun about one thing or another. Most of them are half-finished. I continue opening them and trying to finish them. Give them some final direction. But alas, no dice. I’m frozen.
In this moment, I realize something. I can’t always be “on.” No one can. It’s impossible to try to be, and it’s unfair to expect others to be.
Yet it’s hard to get past not being able to write when it’s what you do. It will make you question yourself in unreasonable ways sometimes.
It’s not easy to consistently turn out interesting columns, no matter who you are. Don’t question yourself in these moments where writing escapes you. I guarantee you that F. Scott Fitzgerald struggled. “The Great Gatsby” wasn’t written overnight.
This doesn’t just apply to writing. It’s applicable in almost anything worth doing in life. You can’t always be “on.” There will be days where it’s harder than others. The questions will seep into your brain. It’s how you answer those questions that will separate you from the crowd.
Nothing in life worth doing is easy. We all feel like frauds sometimes. It’s human nature. Just be yourself and the world will appreciate you for it.
Most doubt ourselves. It’s an inevitable part of being a human being. The difference is how you respond to that doubt. When you start to question yourself, answer those questions in a positive constructive way, and keep moving on.
And with that, I’ll continue to move on as I have a brain full of football that I want to get out to you. I think it’s high time we get into Week 7’s edition of “Hot, Medium and Mild.”
HOT — Pequin Pepper
Ronald Jones: Tampa Bay at Las Vegas
Do you remember when Tampa Bay signed Leonard Fournette and the fantasy football community effectively signed Ronald Jones’ death certificate for the 2020 season? I do. I was among those who thought Jones was going to lose the majority of his touches.
We were wrong. Through six weeks of football, Jones is leading Tampa Bay in carries (74), rushing yards (359) and total yards from scrimmage (435). He is also second on the team in targets (23) and is tied for second in receptions (15) with Scott Miller.
The usage is there and should continue to be in Week 7. He will be facing a very pedestrian run defense in Las Vegas. Over the last three weeks, he has consistently been in the neighborhood of 20 carries and has also broken the 100-yard mark in each of those weeks. That trend should continue this week. Fire him up!
MEDIUM — Chile de Árbol
Travis Fulgham: New York Giants at Philadelphia
Travis Fulgham is the WR1 in Philadelphia. In just three weeks of action, he leads the team in yards (284) and receiving touchdowns (3). All of this, of course, in the absence of DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and rookie Jalen Reagor.
While Doug Pederson has been publicly optimistic that Jeffery and Jackson will return for their Week 7 matchup against New York, I have a sneaky feeling that Fulgham’s target share will only be slightly affected.
He is currently averaging 15.8 Yards Per Catch (YPC). He gives Wentz a much-needed, reliable mid-range target. With Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz both out for the next three-six weeks, Fulgham will continue to be an important part of this offense and your lineups, whether in daily fantasy sports (DFS) or season-long leagues.
MILD — Italian Sweet Pepper
Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson & Malcolm Brown: Chicago at Los Angeles Rams
I’m not happy to be writing this. I was very high on Cam Akers coming into the season. With Todd Gurley gone, the hot new rookie seemed poised to take the league by storm and assume the RB1 role in Los Angeles. Fast forward to today, and Akers has fewer rushing yards (52) than Robert Woods (65).
Despite three performances this season with over 19 PPR points, Darrell Henderson’s inconsistent snap percentages leave him as a risky flex play.
Week 1 gave us what appeared to be a breakout performance from Malcolm Brown. His 18 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns were poetry to those who had him in their lineups. Since then, he has failed to eclipse 50 yards, has only grabbed over 10 carries once and has not seen the end zone.
Then there’s Darrell Henderson. Week 3 against Buffalo saw him break out for 114 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. He followed that up with a disappointing 8 carry, 21-yard performance against the New York Giants. He has not eclipsed 100 yards since and has only surpassed 50 yards once (Week 6 against San Francisco).
Los Angeles is clearly taking a running-back-by-committee approach. Sean McVay is one of the brightest coaches in the league. There is still a chance one of these three guys takes the reins down the stretch.
For now, however, staying away from the Los Angeles Rams backfield is the best advice you can get. There is no way to know who will take the reins week-to-week. Sit them. All of them.
And there you have it. Take it or leave it, and good luck in Week 7!
And now, a dad joke that hits close to home for me.
My wife asked me to stop singing “Wonderwall” to her.
I said “maybe…”
As always, thanks for reading. For more fantasy and life content, find me on Twitter @jenatejack2017.