TopProp Fantasy Sports is officially live, bringing you a new way to wager on fantasy football. Are you confident that you have the best team in your league? Great, bet on it. Are you confident that your league mate Bob is going to blow John out of the water this week? Great, bet on it.
Put down your group chat where you talk trash and put your money where your mouth is. That’s what TopProp gives you the ability to do. It also gives you the ability to wager on “Expert” leagues. These can be leagues made up of your favorite fantasy football analysts, industry experts, or anyone else that you simply want to wager on. One of those leagues is made up of our experts here at FTN.
Each week, I will provide you with an update on the TopProp FTN Expert League, highlighting a key matchup to wager on, recapping the last week, and reviewing the current standings of the league.
Additionally, their recent launch of Battleground allows users to face off head-to-head in player-prop contests with pre-populated spreads set on their fantasy point matchups. I will also provide two contests that I am eyeing for Week 8 on Battlegrounds and which way I lean in each.
Battleground Matchups of the Week | TopProp FTN Expert League
The first matchup that I want to target is at the quarterback position between two current MVP candidates, as Tom Brady enters as the 2-point underdog against Matthew Stafford.
While Stafford’s form this season has been undeniable, my worry is that the Rams take a commanding lead extremely early, then subsequently rely on Darrell Henderson and Sony Michel in the backcourt to kill the clock. We saw a similar scenario when the Rams played the Giants and while Henderson logged 78 rushing yards, Sean McVay kept his foot on the gas and let Stafford air it out until the fourth quarter. I don’t believe this will be the case against Houston.
Additionally, Tom Brady’s matchup is woefully bad for their running backs, as the Saints have allowed only four rushing touchdowns (fifth-lowest in NFL) while allowing 3.32 yards per attempt and only 1.88 yards after contact. While their secondary is above average, it’s far more exploitable than their run defense. This game sets up as an aerial attack for Tampa Bay, making it hard for me to fade Brady with the 2-point bonus against Stafford.
The second matchup I want to target is between the tight ends on Thursday Night Football. Zach Ertz logged a receiving touchdown in his Cardinals debut in Week 7, but I have a hard time believing he’s going to be a preferred target in such a crowded group of pass-catchers.
On the other side, Robert Tonyan has certainly been a disappointment but broke out with four catches, over 50 yards, and a touchdown in Week 7. On top of the momentum in his favor, he comes in as one of the only healthy pass-catchers in a game where 45% of the Packers’ target share has been vacated. It’s going to be incredibly hard for him to not waltz into production, making him a target for me with the 1-point bonus.
For all of the posted Battleground contests, head to TopPropFantasy.com to claim a contest or create your own.
Now, let’s check in to the Expert League as we head into Week 8 of the NFL season.
The FTN Experts | TopProp FTN Expert League
There are 12 total participants in the TopProp FTN Expert League, listed below:
- Joe Metz
- Eliot Crist
- Chris Meaney
- Derek Brown
- Matt Jones
- Kevin Adams
- Jeff Ratcliffe
- Matthew Freedman
- Nelson Sousa
- Ray Garvin
- Daniel Kelley
- Gilles Gallant
Week 8 Preview | TopProp FTN Expert League
There is a clear distinction between the best teams in the FTN Expert League and the worst, as two teams sit at 6-1-0, while there is one lowly 0-7-0 team. Outside of these three teams, everyone is separated by no more than three games in the league.
Below is a preview of the upcoming matchups:
It’ll be interesting to watch the battle between Matthew Freedman (Matthew’s Optimal Team) and Chris Meaney, as the game is projected within three points with a high-scoring projection. With a win, Meaney would climb back to 0.500 on the season and could have some nice momentum with Kyle Pitts finally finding his groove in Week 7. It’s not an easy task taking Freedman down, as Derrick Henry and Najee Harris as a 1-2-punch at running back is enough to carry a team by themselves. With such a tight spread, this is a prime matchup to wager on.
Looking to get in on the action? Click here to sign up for TopProp and start wagering on the FTN Expert League.