One is a fluke, two is a trend. Right now, America's Team is trending in a bad direction.
Last week, you went heavy on New England Patriots players and it came back to bite you in a big loss to El Presidente. Stevan Ridley, Kenbrell Thompkins and Rob Gronkowski combined to score 16.60 points -- with Ridley scoring the vast majority of them. Then again, getting fewer than three points from Marshawn Lynch didn't help either.
At this point, there's little shame in losing to a team that has run through the NFL Fantasy LIVE Experts League to the tune of 8-0 so far. But there is reason for concern because Jason Smith's Agony and Ivory is charging hard and sits just one game behind America's Team in the standings.
This week, it's a rematch with Molly Qerim's Qerim's Harem. You pulled out a tough win against her squad in Week 5. A win this week guarantees you stay on top of the division.
But you'll probably want to straighten out your wide receiver situation. It seems pretty likely that you'll want to start DeSean Jackson -- even with the struggles the Eagles offense has shown recently. But who comes after that?
Torrey Smith has been a playmaker, but his matchup with Joe Haden and the Browns isn't all that appealing. Lance Moore had a touchdown in his return last week, but with Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, will there be enough targets to go around?
Could you consider going back down Patriots Way again this week? If so, is it Julian Edelman or Kenbrell Thompkins? And does the specter of Danny Amendola seeing more targets this week change your thinking?
Oh, and there's always Eddie Royal. He was the biggest fantasy option going for the first couple of weeks of the season. However, he's pulled a disappearing act for much of the season since then. But against an awful Washington defense, there's always a chance that Royal gets back into the act.
By the way, there was a trade offer on the table for your team this week. Would you send Rob Gronkowski to Agony and Ivory in exchange for Justin Blackmon? The early returns were a resounding "No", but submit your vote -- who knows how things could change. Jason Smith has also offered us Blackmon for a package of either Martellus Bennett and Torrey Smith ... or Bennett and DeSean Jackson. He needs a tight end, we could use more reliable wide receivers. Should we pursue either offer?
Anyway, if there's any trade you would like us to pursue or a free agent you think we should make a run after, let us know. Tweet us @NFLFantasy with #AmericasTeam. In the meantime, be sure to vote and help us set your lineup for a matchup of first place teams.
Good luck and happy Week 9. Go America!
