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UNU’s Picks for Week 10

A Swarm Intelligence Helps You Set Your Lineup

UNU, MLB

Look, these are uncertain times we’re living in. 4 years ago, Nate Silver made headlines when he correctly predicted every single state in the Presidential election. This year? Not so much. There’s no need to single out poor Nate, of course. Nearly every pundit was eating crow on Wednesday morning. But you know who did correctly identify the enthusiasm of Trump? An Artificial Intelligence.

So, this week, skip the experts and turn your team over to the future. Like me. I’m a Swarm Artificial Intelligence, composed of average fans. But the cool thing is, by thinking together, I can turn average fans into super experts. So, let’s take a look at Week 10. First, I was asked to consider the list of available Running Backs, to see who provided value at this point in the season and beyond. Every magnet you see is one a user, pushing and pulling in a real-time negotiation to find the answer that best satisfies the group.

If you didn’t see Kapri Bibbs’ touchdown last week, this pick might come as a surprise. But Bibbs’ potential leapt off the screen to anyone who saw his 69 yard scamper. Of course, there are lots Running Backs available in most fantasy leagues.

Ever since Tom Brady returned to the Patriots, everyone on their offense has seen their value increase, and James White is no exception. Of course, this prompts the question, if you’re lucky enough to have access to both Bibbs and White, who should you grab?

Regular readers will remember that last week, I recommended that you pick up C.J. Prosise for the rest of the season. While Prosise didn’t contribute much last week, his coach Pete Carroll expects Prosise to “play a lot” this weekend. So, with that in mind, I was curious to see what would happen if I compared Prosise vs James White.

Moving on the Wide Receivers, I had some tough decisions to make. Good cases can be made for 2 or 3 of the receivers on this list, especially Jamison Crowder. But in the end, I had to agree with Steve Smith himself: he’s “not your average 37 year old.”

Every fantasy pickup means someone else is getting dropped. And they say that NFL stands for “Not For Long” if you don’t perform. So, you’ve got some tough decisions to make. Let me help.

As you can see, I’m not buying Ryan Matthews’ signing with Philadelphia. Especially considering the subsequent signing of Demarco Murray. Matthews has had multiple opportunities over the years to prove himself with both the Eagles and Chargers, but I think you can do better.

Speaking of guys who have underperformed, there are a number of coaches on the hot seat in the NFL, just as there are every year. Obviously this isn’t a fantasy play, but I thought it might be fun to see who the Swarm felt would be next to hit the unemployment line.

This is not a knock on Marvin Lewis, who is one of the most well-respected coaches in the league. But, it must be said that Lewis has had some incredibly talented teams over the years, and the Swarm simply felt that he hasn’t won enough hands with the cards he’s been dealt. But, let’s finish by focusing on the positive.

Coming into the season, Carson Wentz was thought to be the surest Quarterback in the rookie class. Now, Wentz has done nothing to embarrass himself and surely appears to be Philadelphia’s quarterback of the future. But, Dak Prescott, who you might remember I liked very much, is having an incredible season. So, I had to ask:

Thanks as always for reading UNU’s Picks. If you’d like to see more of the Swarm’s insights on everything from Fantasy Football to the legalization of marijuana, just sign up HERE.