Week 9 Revenge Games: 1 Player Out to Torch His Ex-Team
This week, my revenge thoughts turned to gaming. I'm not a modern gamer, so I assume there are many narratives of vengeance to choose from out there. As an '80s arcade frequenter, my mind went straight to Pac-Man. The retaliation satisfaction of him eating a power pill then turning around to much a ghost is perfection. The hunted becomes the hunter.
Revenge is always on the minds of those done dirty, and not all NFL players who changed teams were necessarily wronged, but we have to assume some sort of vengeance lies within.
I outlined what I found from 10 years of data in the article Revenge Games: 10 Years of Data on Fantasy Breakouts vs. Former Teams, and this weekly article dives into who’s seeking retribution each week.
Before I get into this week's revengers, let’s look at how Week 8 shook out:
- Joe Flacco - QB5, 24.3
- Aaron Rodgers - QB15, 16.8
- Saquon Barkley - RB4, 31.4
- Javonte Williams - RB10, 17.4
With so much movement around the league year after year, I'm shocked that this week is so incredibly light, but we have one solo revenge game on tap in Week 9. At least it could be a good one.
T.J. Hockenson, TE - Vikings
T.J. Hockenson was a member of the Detroit Lions from 2019 until part of 2022, when he was traded to the Vikings in Week 9 of that season. Here we are at the exact same point in the season, just three years later.
Hockenson isn't having a great season as he's the TE26 in half-PPR scoring per contest, but with J.J. McCarthy set to return and retaliation as motivation, perhaps this could be a breakout game for the Minnesota TE.
