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I walked up to him confidently.It was last year and, having been placed on injured reserve by the Texans, running back Arian Foster was visiting ESPN for the weekend, appearing on some of our shows and then, later that Sunday, sticking around to watch the games in the famed War Room here at ESPN.I wanted to introduce myself.I had no idea if Foster knew who I was or what I did, but I did know how he felt about fantasy football.In late August of 2011, Foster was one of the first players drafted in every fantasy league. Then he tweaked his hamstring. In a tweet that has since been deleted (but written about a lot), Foster wrote:Those sincerely concerned, Im doing OK & plan to B back by opening day. 4 those worried abt your fantasy team, u ppl are sick.My reaction at the time then was the same as it is now. Mostly disappointment in how a small but very vocal minority of fantasy players had behaved so callously on social media to prompt that reaction from Arian. While we care deeply about injuries to players and our fantasy teams, players should not be concerned with it at all. Foster was worried only about his health and helping the Texans win football games and rightfully so.The tweet got a ton of attention and Foster was one of the first guys I remember to be willing to call out fantasy players boorish behavior. Foster was 100 percent right in his message and Ive given a lot of interviews over the years about this subject. My response is always the same. Its like driving on the highway. Most people are normal, respectful, good drivers. But theres always one jerk thats going too fast, cutting people off, acting dangerous and then flipping you the bird.Thats the internet, and specifically, fantasy football twitter. Most people that play are normal, respectful and upon seeing the news, just wish Foster (or any player) a speedy recovery. But a small percentage lose all sense of perspective and it paints all of us in a poor light.He put it best in a follow-up tweet, saying I know opinions are usually cement. But, I love all my fans. My quarrel is with people who value a digital game over a humans health. #loveI have no issue with that statement at all and I agree with it. I appreciated Foster fighting back, so to speak, and shining a light on that so we could address it and say that those fans dont speak for a majority of us.Frankly, I appreciated a helluva lot about Foster. From 2010-2012, he was the best running back in fantasy football, scoring 799 points (Adrian Peterson was a distant second with 710 points. Over those three years, Foster topped the league in carries and rushing touchdowns, ranked third in receiving yards and receiving scores. He finishes his career with a 4.45 yards per carry average, including the playoffs. He also retires with a perfect passing record: 1-for-1 for a touchdown.On a personal level, I remember Fosters rookie year. I had liked what I had seen out of him, first mentioning him as a deep sleeper and then touting him hard as a start in Week 15. Foster fumbled on his second carry of the game and spent the rest of it on the sidelines. He killed a lot of fantasy owners that day and I got as much hate mail for that call as any Id ever made before. I mean, this was the fantasy playoffs.I stuck by him. Recommended him again the following week, an unproven rookie who had just killed his owners. Here I was going back to the well, saying yes, I would still start him in Week 16. I believe in this guys talent. I like the cut of his jib. Throw all the tomatoes you want, I understand the anger, but I am sticking by my guy.He came through with 19 for 97 and a touchdown. Week 17? Twenty-three touches for 145 total yards and two touchdowns.He was a huge sleeper for me the next year and, of course, he blew past his mid-round ADP to become one of the elite players in fantasy football for the next few years. It was a big call that worked out very well for me, especially as I was still fairly new to ESPN and its audience, and fantasy football wasnt nearly as accepted or as widespread then as they is now. So I have always loved Arian Foster. And so, as he sat there, in the ESPN War Room watching football, I wanted to tell him all that, but I knew fantasy football was probably not the best way in.It didnt matter. Because as I strode confidently toward him, I knew exactly what I wanted to say and I knew that we would have common ground.Hey Arian?He turned around. I offered my hand and he took it.Just want to introduce myself. Matthew Berry. And I wanted to thank you.Foster looked at me intently as I continue.I hate Caillou too.You see, in 2014, Foster had tweeted this:I can tolerate most of these kid shows, but caillou is unbearable. Theres no plot and the animation is avg. Cant take it.- Feeno (@ArianFoster) March 26, 2014I dont know that I have ever loved anything an athlete has tweeted more than this. Have you ever seen Caillou? This is the worst childrens show ever made. There, I said it.This is not me railing against kids shows. I actually love childrens shows. Because of my job and how much I have to interact with the public, I live in a world of cynicism and snark. So I love escaping all that with the simple positivity of kids shows and watching the faces of my daughters as they have been enraptured over the years by a talking backpack, a sponge that lives in the sea, a pig with a British accent, a hilariously weird buddy comedy between a pickle and a peanut and all the different variations of super heroes, whether its talking monster trucks, talking animals or kids in their pajamas. My only demand for childrens programming is that I want them to be either educational, or to teach good values, or at the very least, to be entertaining. And my daughters have to like it. Its not a high bar, but it is a bar. And were on the same page, my daughters and I ... except for Caillou, which is awful.A quick Google search of a very specific Caillou sucks returns over 91,000 entries. Have you ever watched this show? He is a whiny, spoiled, bratty kid who is neither interesting nor redeeming in any way shape or form. Caillou always gets what he wants by whining and my kids love this dumb show and I have had to forbid it because they were learning you can get what you want by whining. I dont care if a show is bad, just dont be dangerous! This show is dangerous. If you take one thing away from my column this entire year its dont let your kids watch Caillou. Yes, its weird that hes 4 years old and bald. And he only wears clothes of mismatched primary colors. But thats not my issue. I mean, Im on board with toys who talk as soon as humans leave the room. I dont question a 16-year-old mermaid wanting to run away from her dad to get married to a guy shes seen once and only spends three days with even though she cant talk. I am not a tough sell here.But Caillou has no logic. No reason for being. The parents look exactly like each other. What weird cousin-mating thing is going on here? Its like they have completely given up on life, both of them dumpy and dowdy. Rosie, the 2-year old sister, says nothing and just cries all the time and brings nothing to the table.Some episodes they live in the city, some they live in the suburbs. Sometimes the Grandmother is the narrator, sometimes its the cat, but only as a puppet because as narrator, hes puppet cat, but in the show, hes a normal cat and if you think its confusing to read, its even more confusing to watch.There is only one thing that is consistent about this poorly-drawn and even more poorly written show: Caillou whines. All the time. About everything.Foster shares my concern and hatred for this show. As soon as I mentioned Caillou, his eyes lit up and we spent a good five minutes talking about how terrible this show was.If Caillou has one redeeming quality, it brought Foster and I closer together.Thanks for everything, Arian Foster, you will be missed. From all of us in fantasy football, thanks for all you did and I wish you an awesome and Caillou-free retirement.And so, with or without Foster, the show must go on. Week 8 is upon us, and with it, six teams on bye. With the obligatory tip of the hat to researcher Thirsty Kyle Soppe, heres who I love, and who joins Caillou on the hate list, this week.Quarterbacks I love in Week 8Aaron Rodgers, Packers: I know, he has been inconsistent, but for the first time in his career, Aaron Rodgers has more than 40 pass attempts in three straight games. Thats what happens when you have no running game. Facing a Falcons defense that has given up 989 passing yards and eight passing scores in their three home games, Rodgers is an easy No. 1 overall this week and worth the price in daily.Drew Brees, Saints: But ... but ... Seattle! Right, I hear you, but just one issue with that. Seattle hasnt been Seattle recently. At least in pass defense. During the past four weeks, the Seahawks are 31st in the NFL against the pass on a per-game basis, giving up 342 yards to Arizona, 335 to Atlanta and 261 to the Jets (the Jets!) along with a bye week. Meanwhile, Brees is completing better than 67 percent of his passes at home this season and averaging more than 400 yards a game. In addition, he also has 11 scores against just two interceptions in those three home games. Brees is a top-five play for me this week.Russell Wilson, Seahawks: He has been brutal, mostly because hes not running very much these days, and hes clearly not 100 percent. Only two teams in the NFL have fewer sacks than the Saints, however, so expect Wilson to have all day to pick apart a Saints defense that wont have answers for Doug Baldwin or, ahem, Jimmy Graham. You know I think Brees moves the ball here, so expect Wilson to keep pace against a Saints team giving up 297 passing yards a game at home.Others receiving votes: Very quietly, the Bengals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs, and Kirk Cousins is averaging 38 pass attempts per game and has at least two total scores in four of the past five. ... Jameis Winston is certainly a roller coaster, but at home against a Raiders team that allows a league-high 302 passing yards a game, I like his chances at a top-12 day. ... Dak Prescott has at least 17 fantasy points in four straight games. At home, off the bye and with Dez Bryant back, I like his chances to make it five straight, even in a tough matchup. ... The truly desperate can take a look at Trevor Siemian, who didnt have a huge game last time he faced San Diego, but that was a Thursday night game. I like his chances this week against the Chargers, who have coughed up 275 QB yards or multiple passing scores in six of seven games this season.Quarterbacks I hate in Week 8Andy Dalton, Bengals: Dont look now, but since getting torched by the Steelers on opening night, Washington has played pretty good pass defense, allowing just four touchdown passes in its past six games. Meanwhile, Dalton has thrown for one touchdown or less in five of seven games this season and needed a Hail Mary to have a strong fantasy day against the Browns last week. Given Washingtons struggles against the run, and with Tyler Eifert still getting back into the swing of things, I expect a heavy run-game script here, limiting Daltons upside.Philip Rivers, Chargers: In his past four games against Denver, Rivers has finished as QB21, QB28, QB16 and then QB21 in Week 6 of this year. The game is in Denver, where the Broncos have given up just three touchdown passes in four games this season. No thanks.Marcus Mariota, Titans: A hot waiver-wire pickup last week, Mariota came crashing down to Earth last week, and I believe that continues. Theres going to be a lot of DeMarco Murray here. Its not as great a matchup as you think against the Jaguars, who have allowed just 13 fantasy points per game in their past four, including just three touchdown passes allowed. I expect a low-scoring, run-heavy game here, which makes Mariota a QB2 this week.Running backs I love in Week 8Jacquizz Rodgers, Buccaneers: With no sign of Doug Martin, its the Quizz Show once again. Somehow still available in more than 60 percent of ESPN.com leagues, he will once again get the majority of work against a Raiders team that is giving up 5 yards per carry and has allowed opposing backs to rush for more than 125 yards AND a score in four of their past six games. In his two starts this season, Rodgers has 62 touches for 292 yards. How nuts is that? Last season, only Adrian Peterson had 26 or more carries in consecutive games the way Rodgers has.Spencer Ware, Chiefs: At some point, Jamaal Charles owners are going to have to get used to the fact Ware is here to stay. Oh, Charles will eventually increase his workload, but if you think Andy Reid is pulling this stud off the field, youre nuts. Averaging a video game-esque 7.1 yards per touch this season, Ware is locked in as an RB1 and worth the price in daily against a Colts team that is 28th against the run during the past four weeks and allows the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing runners.LeGarrette Blount, Patriots: I dont know ... did you SEE what Jay Ajayi did to this Bills defense? Blount actually has more multi-score games this season (two) than he does zero-touchdown games (one). Yes, he has scored in every game but one and yes, that one game was the Bills game in Week 4, but whatever. They are, shall we say, a more efficient offense under Tom Brady than Jacoby Brissett. Blount gets into the end zone again on Sunday against a Bills team that is 30th against the run during the past four weeks and allows the fourth-most yards per carry after first contact this season.Melvin Gordon, Chargers: In case you were thinking about getting cute because its Denver, stop. The Broncos are on a short week and for as great as the Broncos are, you can run on them somewhat (18th versus the run the past four weeks). Gordon had 27 carries for 94 yards just two weeks ago against them and while he isnt efficient, he is the only guy in town and the Chargers give him the ball at an incredible rate. Dont overthink this. Youre starting Melvin Gordon.Matt Forte, Jets: So the last time Forte had a huge game (Week 2), he promptly went out and had six points the next week, and had fewer than six points in four straight until last week, when he exploded again. Not that Im bitter. There has been only one game this season in which the Browns didnt give up a touchdown to an opposing running back. That was Week 2 against the Ravens, who, if you remember, were still trotting out Justin Forsett (he got 17 touches in that game), but other than that? Start your running backs against Cleveland.Other receiving votes: Latavius Murray is still in a committee, but hes the head of that and played 59 percent of RB snaps in Week 7. He has scored five times in his five games this year and he has got a nice matchup with a Bucs team that is 25th against the run the past five weeks. ... As of this writing, Im not expecting Jerick McKinnon to play Monday night, so Matt Asiata (available in 70 percent of leagues), who has at least 17 touches in two straight games, should be a useful bye-week fill-in against Chicago. ... Matt Jones has had two big issues in both college and his rookie year last season: staying healthy and fumbles. The fumbles reared their head the past few weeks and the injuries have popped up this week, as he is dealing with a knee injury. If he misses time, I like Robert Kelley against a Bengals team that has given up four touchdowns to RBs in the past three weeks. ... After I wrote this, the news about C.J. Anderson came out and hes not expected to play Sunday. So Devontae Booker, who is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and available in 65 percent of leagues, is a high-end RB2 against the Chargers.Running backs I hate in Week 8Jonathan Stewart, Panthers: Allowing just one score to an opposing runner in the past four games, I dont see Stewart having a ton of success against Arizonas No. 1 scoring defense over the past four weeks.Jordan Howard, Bears: You had me at Minnesota. But even if you are desperate enough to start a Bears running back Monday night, Im not convinced its Howard. KaDeem Carey actually out-snapped Howard last week in Green Bay and check this out:Past two games:Carey: 20 touches for 107 yards and 5.2 yards per carry Howard: 24 touches for 62 yards and 2.5 yards per carryAdd to the mix that Jeremy Langford is back practicing with the team and who knows how this all plays out. Bleah.Ryan Mathews, Eagles: The Cowboys have allowed just two rushing touchdowns this season and Mathews hasnt had more than 14 carries in a game since Week 1 (and not more than 16 touches, either). And because the Cowboys dominate time of possession so well, theyve actually faced the fewest rushes per game as well. Even in a week where six teams are on a bye and it seems like almost every running back is in a bad time-share situation, hes nothing more than a touchdown-dependent flex play. Double bleah.Isaiah Crowell, Browns: Dont get sucked in by last week. Averaging just 13.3 touches per game the past three games, Crowell is in a legit, full-on time-share and this is a terrible matchup. The Jets are allowing just 3.2 yards per carry (second best in the NFL) and David Johnson is the only RB to score a rushing TD against the Jets since Week 1.Note: I know, once again, a fairly bleak and kind of obvious list of running backs. But man, six teams on a bye, meaning LeVeon Bell, Todd Gurley, Carlos Hyde, Terrance West and Jay Ajayi are all out, and its looking like LeSean McCoy, C.J. Anderson, Matt Jones, Tevin Coleman, Jamaal Charles, Doug Martin, Jerick McKinnon and obviously Eddie Lacy could all miss this week. Its a bloodbath out there. Anyone with a pulse this week, you know?Wide receivers I love in Week 8Brandin Cooks, Saints: Cooks has more than 20 fantasy points in two of the three games hes played at home this season, and he was much better at home last season as well. He lines up all over the place and will certainly avoid Richard Sherman some, and frankly, Sherman hasnt had the kind of year youd expect. Hes certainly been good, but as noted in the Brees section, Seattle has struggled recently in pass defense. Dont get cute. Start Brandin Cooks.DeAndre Hopkins, Texans: Another guy who drives you nuts. You cant believe Brock Osweiler is going to make $17 million this year, can you? But I do believe there is hope around the corner. The schedule has been brutal so far (Vikings and Broncos were two of the past three opponents) and it eases up this week against Detroit. The Lions have allowed an individual WR to catch at least six balls for 101 yards in four of their past five. I believe the guy most likely to get there this week is the seventh-most-targeted player in the NFL this season and someone who has accounted for better than 44 percent of the Texans targets this week. If he doesnt do it this week, OK, hit the panic button, but Im rolling with Hopkins one more week as a top-15 option.Randall Cobb, Packers: Cobb is quietly leading the NFL in receptions and targets the past three weeks, and I expect Desmond Trufant to be all over Jordy Nelson. Youre still starting Nelson, of course, but I do expect even more looks for Cobb, as the slot position is catching more than 11 passes per game and scoring better than 17 points per game against Atlanta this season.Terrelle Pryor Sr., Browns: This changes if hes still not 100 percent, but expectations are that he plays. And if he does, I expect him to play well, especially if Josh McCown is able to return at QB. A big red zone target, Pryor also ranks top 10 in passes thrown 20 or more yards down field. Expect the Browns to take some shots in this one (the Jets are second-worst in the NFL in terms of completions on passes thrown 20 yards or more) and I dont see any of the Jets secondary (all 5-foot-11 or shorter) being able to stop the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Pryor in the red zone.Others receiving votes: Yes, its Minnesota and yes hes been bad this season, but Jay Cutler returning is great news for Alshon Jeffery, who should be force-fed targets from Cutler. Last season, Jeffery was eighth in average targets per game. ... John Brown, if he plays -- J.J. Nelson, if he doesnt -- makes for an interesting deep-league play or tournament option for GPPs in daily, because Carolina has given up the second-most completions on throws of more than 10 yards. ... Davante Adams was less of a fluke than you think, as Adams now has at least seven targets in four of six games this season and five touchdowns in six games. This is especially true with Trufant all over Nelson.Wide receivers I hate in Week 8Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers: In a week with six teams on a bye, you probably have to start him, as I dont see a lot of better options. But hes expected to be shadowed by Patrick Peterson here, so I dont see a huge game coming from Benjamin. The Cardinals have given up just one touchdown pass to a wideout in the past three games and just five such TDs overall in seven games this season. They are the fourth-best scoring defense and have allowed the fewest passing yards per game over the past four weeks. Meanwhile, Benjamin has been inconsistent this season, with just one 100-yard game and after a hot start has put up single-digit fantasy points in four straight games. Hes too talented and gets too big a target share to completely bench, but hes only a contrarian play in daily and hes outside my top 15 this week. So, for a column where its about raised or lowered expectations, Benjamins are lowered this week.Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs: There are now 133 players that have more red zone targets on the season than Maclin. One hundred thirty-three. Dude. Now, Maclin was wide open for what would have been a touchdown last week and looked visibly upset when Alex Smith didnt throw it to him. So maybe Smith makes amends this week. Maybe the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but hell see a decent amount of Vontae Davis and Darius Butler in this one (currently the 24th-best corner so far this season, just a touch behind Patrick Peterson, according to Pro Football Focus). And so far, the Chiefs have been a good, run-based team, which is good for them and bad for KC pass catchers. Maclins outside my top 25.Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams, Chargers: Insert WRs facing Denver here. Williams does have size, so if Ive gotta pick one here, its him, but you already know I dont love Philip Rivers in this one, so it makes sense that I dont believe in two of his main weapons to provide a top-20 experience. The Broncos have given up just one score to an opposing wideout all season long and that was in Week 1. Theyve held the entire WR position of opponents to below 80 total yards in three straight. No, thank you.Tight ends I love in Week 8Jimmy Graham, Seahawks: Graham is second on the Seahawks in receiving yards and targets, so do you think he has a big game in his return to New Orleans? Yeah, me too. Hes an easy top-five play.Kyle Rudolph, Vikings: Yes, it was another slow week, but look closer at last weeks box score. He was targeted 11 times and actually leads the Vikes in targets this season. Facing a Bears squad that is 22nd against the pass over the past four weeks, Rudolph has at least 55 yards or a touchdown in five of six games this season, and I expect that to continue Monday night. Such is the state of the tight end position that that stat is actually impressive. Rudolph is a top-10 play for me.Others receiving votes: After a slow start, there have been signs of life in Gary Barnidge, who has more than 55 yards in five straight games (the second-longest streak among tight ends this season) and now gets a Jets team that is in the top 10 in most fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. ... The Raiders have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends in the past three weeks and cough up the fifth-most yards to tight ends this season, so while it has been a quiet few weeks for Cameron Brate, he has some nice streamer appeal Sunday. ... Weve been waiting for a Zach Ertz breakout game for a while now and Sunday, I think we get it against a Cowboys team that gives up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. ... Deeper-leaguers looking for someone should check out C.J. Fiedorowicz of the Texans, who now has seven or more targets in three straight games and faces a Lions team that has given up at least eight points to opposing tight ends in all but one game this season. Overall, the Lions allow the third-most TE points per game.Tight ends I hate in Week 8Coby Fleener, Saints: As much as I am not scared of the Seahawks this week and like the majority of the Saints passing game this week at home, I am nervous about Fleener. He had the one big game against Atlanta, he had the fluky two-touchdown game against the Panthers, in which he got a goal-line CARRY because Sean Payton hates me and Mark Ingram with equal venom. But other than that, it has been a quiet, inconsistent year for Fleener, as 83 percent of his scoring has come in those two games, while he has been held below 45 yards (and no scores) in all his other games this season. Tight ends have scored more than six points against Seattle just once this season, so Fleener is outside my top 10.Zach Miller, Bears: Miller was held to less than 50 yards TOTAL in the two games Jay Cutler started earlier this season, so we just dont know how much usage he will get now that Cutler is back under center. He was productive last season with Cutler, so its too small a sample size to really judge anything, but facing the Vikings, who have yet to give up a touchdown to a tight end this season -- and only the Carolina Panthers tight ends, led by Greg Olsen, have had more than 70 yards in a game against them (Olsen had 64 yards in that one) -- its hard to see Miller returning top-15 value this week.Defenses I love in Week 8Arizona Cardinals: You may be concerned with them traveling back to Carolina, where they got waxed in the playoffs last season, but I am not. With seven or more points in every game this season, the Cardinals defense has been nothing short of terrific. With Cam Newton wanting to protect himself more and likely to run less, this makes the Panthers even easier to defend and I expect another top-five day out of the Cards.New England Patriots: The Bills are so banged up on offense right now, and while you may not remember the spanking Rex Ryan gave the Patriots in Week 4, I can assure you Bill Belichick does. This could get ugly for the Bills, which means it could be beautiful for owners of the Patriots defense.Others receiving votes: Opposing defenses have scored at least six points against the Browns in six of seven games this season, so even with a leaky secondary and the potential return of Josh McCown, I like the Jets as a streamer this week. ... Thursday night road teams have generally been pretty ugly and I could see that trend continuing with a struggling Blake Bortles. The opposing defense has scored at least seven points against the Jags in four of the past five games, making the Titans worthy of streaming consideration. ... The Vikings looked human last week and certainly their offense is not explosive. You may think I am crazy here, but the Bears D/ST has at least seven points in every home game this season and should be passable as a streamer this week against Minnesota.Defenses I hate in Week 8Seattle Seahawks: Youve heard me talk about the struggles of Seattles pass defense this season, and defenses facing the Saints at home this season have combined for minus-four points. Just be careful here.Philadelphia Eagles: They are traveling to face the Cowboys, who are coming off the bye and lead the league in time of possession. Between Dak Prescott, a heavy run game and great offensive line, the Cowboys just dont give a lot of opportunities to opposing defenses. No team allows fewer fantasy points to opposing defenses than the Cowboys. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys 2020 . It might not have mattered. 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