Week 14 at Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs-Raiders game has the second-highest over/under in Vegas for Week 14, and the Raiders are unleashing Marshawn Lynch for a playoff push. His touches over the past two games: 29 and 19. Amari Cooper is also likely out this week, meaning the Raiders may try to stay balanced on offense. Lynch's back-to-back 20-point PPR efforts put him solidly in the RB2 range for Week 14.
Week 13 vs. New York Giants
The suspension of Michael Crabtree and injuries to Amari Cooper were good news for Marshawn Lynch's fantasy viability last week. He saw a season-high 29 touches, crushing his previous high of 19 in Week 1. Plus, the Giants are ranked 27th in aFPA versus running backs this season. Lynch is no worse than a RB2 this week.
Week 12 vs. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are ranked seventh in aFPA vs. RBs this season, foreshadowing a tough day for Lynch. Plus, he's averaging less than 12 touches per game, making him a weekly touchdown-or-bust asset. He could get it this week, as the Raiders are 5-point home favorites, but Lynch is best approached each week as a risky FLEX option.
Week 11 vs. New England Patriots (game in Mexico City)
MODO BESTIA! Beast Mode heads south of the border to face a Patriots defense that is just 24th in our aFPA vs. RB rankings. Overall, they've allowed the eighth-most PPR points to opposing backs. Before the bye, Lynch also received 16 touches, the most he's had since Week 1. Hopefully, that's a sign of things to come. Given the matchup, Lynch is a good FLEX option, but anything more than that is risky business given his 2017 inconsistencies. He'll need to score.
Week 9 at Miami Dolphins
The enigma that is Marshawn Lynch returns from suspension this week, but this is a full-blown RBBC in Oakland. Lynch hasn't reached 15 touches since Week 1, hasn't caught more than one pass in a game, and is averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry. He is a desperation FLEX option in Week 9. Lynch will need to score a touchdown to return value in a tough matchup against a top-10 Miami defense in our aFPA vs. RB rankings.
Week 7 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Marshawn Lynch just isn't being used like the Seattle Beast Mode we all fell in love with before he retired. He's averaging about 12 touches per game and less than 4.0 yards per carry. He's a timeshare RB in a struggling offense, facing a Chiefs defense on a short week that is ranked top-10 in our aFPA vs. RB rankings. Even in standard leagues, he's a FLEX, at best.
Week 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
It is unclear whether this game will be played in Oakland or Santa Clara, due to concerns about air quality with the wildfires. Whatever the venue, Marshawn Lynch still has yet to get more than 13 touches since Week 1. Even last week with a back-up quarterback, Lynch only received 12 carries. He scored a touchdown, but he's once again a touchdown-or-bust proposition in Week 6, given his low efficiency with the touches he has received.
Week 5 vs. Baltimore Ravens
If not now with a back-up quarterback starting, then when for Marshawn Lynch? It's now or maybe never again. The Ravens rank just 26th in our aFPA vs. RB rankings. Baltimore has also allowed the 10th-most PPR points to fantasy RBs this season. However, Lynch has not played 50% of snaps in any game this season. That caps his upside, and he may just be a touchdown-or-bust option each week, similar to Mike Gillislee. With the good matchup, consider Lynch an RB2 in Week 5.
Week 4 at Denver Broncos
These are Marshawn Lynch's snap percentages over the past three weeks: 49-40-31. Not good. Now he faces a Denver team on the road that is top-10 in our aFPA vs. RB rankings. Lynch is a FLEX option at best this week, considering he's only averaging 10 touches over the past two weeks. He's also failed to reach 4.0 yards per carry in Weeks 2 and 3. This feels like a touchdown-or-bust lineup decision. Find better options if you have them.
Week 3 at Washington
The Raiders go cross-country, but it's on Sunday Night Football and the west to east trip issues should not be a factor due to the late kickoff. That's evidenced by Vegas assigning an implied team total second to only the Patriots this week for the silver and black. The Raiders are also a 3-point favorite, which helps Lynch's chances of a positive game script or neutral game script. He should also be fresh this week after an easy win and a light 12-carry workload last week. We like Lynch as a low RB2 in standard leagues and high RB2 in PPR leagues in Week 3.
