one of the truethe Tour is not over yet

Week 8 has six teams with players on vacation -- Dolphins, 49ers, Steelers, Rams, Ravens, and Giants have byes -- which means slim pickings come Sunday.Plus, injuries heading into Week 8:RB C.J. Anderson -- knee (Devontae Booker will start for Denver)RB Lamar Miller -- shoulderRB LeSean McCoy -- hammyRB Matt Forte -- kneeRB Doug Martin -- hammyRB Matt Jones -- knee (Rob Kelly projected to start for Washington)WR Julian Edelman -- footWR Michael Floyd -- hammyWR T.Y. Hilton -- hipTE Jimmy Graham -- kneeOther news and notes:QB Dak Prescott is expected to start weeks 8 and 9 for Dallas.QB Josh McCown is expected to start for Cleveland Sunday.WR Golden Tate will be the focal point of Detroits offense moving forward.RB Jay Ajayis workload is to somewhat diminish with Miami.RB Latavius Murray will get the bulk of the carries for Oakland moving forward.LOCKSQB Russell Wilson @ New OrleansWilson has been battling injury, no denying that, and his fantasy numbers indicate it. However, Week 8 he has a very favorable matchup against the 30th-ranked Saints secondary. Considering his arm isnt injured, Wilson is a top 3 fantasy QB on Sunday. New Orleans has given up the eighth most fantasy points to gunslingers this season.(Others: Carson Palmer @ Carolina)WR Mike Evans vs. OaklandEvans was targeted 13 times last week and put up 96 yards and 2 touchdowns against the 49ers. He has been a target monster this season! Up next, the Raiders secondary, which has given up the fifth most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2016. Expect a huge day from Evans.(Others: Brandon Marshall @ Cleveland, Amari Cooper @ Tampa Bay, Larry Fitzgerald @ Carolina, Randall Cobb @ Atlanta)RB Devonta Freeman @ Green BayTevin Coleman is expected to be inactive in Week 8, which means Freeman will get the workload for the Falcons. Green Bays rush defense is top notch, despite the 157 yards the Packers gave up to Ezekiel Elliot last week, but Freemans receiving threat makes him a top 12 RB in fantasy this week.(Others: Spencer Ware @ Indianapolis, Christine Michael @ New Orleans)TE Gary Barnidge vs. New York JetsThe last few weeks Barnidge has become a larger part of the Browns offense. This week, Cleveland hosts the Jets, which have allowed the ninth most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Josh McCown is expected back at quarterback for the Browns on Sunday, which is great news for Barnidge owners.(Others: Jimmy Graham @ New Orleans)FLOPSQB Philip Rivers @ DenverThe Broncos are relentless against quarterbacks this season -- they pressure opposing passers more than any team in the NFL. Rivers was held to only 11 fantasy points in Week 6 by the Broncos, and they have given up the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.WR Alshon Jeffery vs. MinnesotaJeffery has been one of the biggest disappointments this fantasy season, and now he has to suffer further with Jay Cutler back at the helm for the Bears. To make matters worse, Chicago faces the Vikings, which have allowed only three touchdown catches to wideouts this year. Minnesota has given up the second fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season.RB Matt Asiata @ ChicagoJerrick McKinnon is not expected to play Sunday, which means Asiata will be the primary back for the Vikings. Asiata would face a Bears defense that ranks 17th against the run this season, and has given up the fourth fewest points against ball carriers in 2016.TE Coby Fleener vs. SeattleFleener has a tough matchup on Sunday against a Seahawks defense that doesnt allow tight ends to put up many yards. In fact, Seattle has given up the eighth fewest fantasy points to tight ends.SLEEPERSQB Jameis Winston vs. OaklandWinston has some very nice matchups the next few weeks, and it starts Sunday against the Raiders secondary, which has been one of the friendliest to opposing quarterbacks. Oakland has given up the sixth most fantasy points to gunslingers this season. Winston is a top 5 QB in my book on Sunday.(Honorable mention: Alex Smith @ Indianapolis)WR Ty Montgomery @ AtlantaMontgomery is a slash player now at Lambeau and at ESPN Fantasy -- he can be used as a WR and RB moving forward. Last week he was the Packers every-down RB, with nine carries for 60 yards and 10 receptions for 66 yards. This week, he faces the Falcons, which have allowed the second most receptions to running backs this year, making Montgomery a must-start in fantasy.(Honorable mentions:?Stefon Diggs @ Chicago, Terrelle Pryor vs. New York Jets, Quincy Enunwa @ Cleveland, Golden Tate @ Houston)RB Devontae Booker vs. San DiegoC.J. Anderson will be on the shelf this week, and Booker will get the start for the Broncos. Booker scored his first career touchdown in Week 7 and hopes that trend continues. His matchup is favorable, considering the Chargers have given up the fourth most fantasy points to running backs this season. If you grabbed Booker off the waiver wire last week, great job!(Honorable mentions: Jacquizz Rodgers vs. Oak, Ty Montgomery @ Atlanta)TE Jack Doyle vs. Kansas CityDwayne Allen has been dealing with injuries, so Doyle has become a fantasy football household name. Doyle is getting a nice target share each week from Andrew Luck, which makes him a sleeper play this week against the Chiefs.(Honorable mention: Cameron Brate?vs. Oakland)Good luck in Week 8! Throughout the Tour de France, Australian professional cyclist Richie Porte will be checking in. Here is his latest entry, as told to ESPN contributor Rupert Guinness:Stage 19: Albertville to Saint Gervais Mont Blanc, 146kmWith one mountain stage to go in this Tour de France on Saturday and so little time between second place and me in fifth, the best way to prepare for one of the greatest opportunities of my career is to keep it simple by focusing on finishing on a good note.Thats how I am going to take it when we line up to start the 146.5km 20th stage from Megève to Morzine that is in the Alps and will be the penultimate stage of this years Tour.Saturday will decide the Tour winner and who joins him on the podium, with Sundays final and 21st stage from Chantilly to the Champs élysées tailor made for the sprinters to race.So there is no doubt about how big a stage Saturdays race will be, and what is at stake. But you can complicate big occasions by making too much of it.So I just want to go in and race. The drama of Fridays finish to the 146km 19th stage from Albertville to Saint Gervais Mont Blanc served as another reminder of how tenuous any riders fate is in the Tour - literally from race leader Chris Froome (Sky) down, as Froome crashed as I did after the rain fell.Fortunately, my injuries were not serious, and even if I am stiff and sore for Saturdays stage, I will not let that impede how I plan to race in the last mountain stage of the Tour.Its great to know that my team are right behind me, as they showed on Friday when they pulled me back up to the group with Froome and the other main challengers after my crash.It was great to see guys like Micky Sch?r, Greg Van Avermaet and Damiano Caruso up there. It wasnt easy for them. I think a couple of teams rode to make it harder for me then.Thats how it is, but you dont forget it. Saturday may provide a moment to repay the favour. Look ... crashing like I did didnt help.And I felt it later when I tried to get away on the final climb to the finish as Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was in the throes of finishing off a terrific solo ride too win the stage and also move up to second place overall.dddddddddddd.Froome still leads overall by 4:11 on Bardet, but now with Nairo Quintana (Movistar) in third at 4:27, Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) in fourth at 4:46 and myself in fifth at 5:17.But crashes were the curse for many on Friday, with rainy conditions making the road extremely slippery.I felt I had too much pressure in my tyres. I sensed it early and should have stopped and let some out then, but at the time the race was so fast I didnt have time. It was on the whole day. The next I know I was flying on the ground on my chest.I have never had a crash like that. I should have also changed my bike as it didnt feel right after. Still while it wasnt ideal to get gapped there in the finale and lose a bit of time, it was good to get today behind us - and without serious injury.?I was neither the only rider to crash.Even better ... the Tour is not over yet, even though there is only one mountain stage left.The Col de Joux Plane and the tricky descent from its summit to the finish could be critical. On top of that, it looks like it is going to be a wet one again, which will add to the suspense.How I race is something I will decide after speaking to our sports directors before the stage. But similarly when it comes to the descent to Morzine, lets make it clear: I am not the sort of guy who is going to risk everything racing down the Joux Plane.There are calculated risks, but I think it is better to make time up on the Joux Plane than when descending it. Its a tricky technical descent and I dont think it is worth putting everything on the line there.But Im still focused on trying to get on to the podium for Sundays finale in Paris; and I know I am not the only rider who is not just thinking of that, but actually believing they can. I believe I can.Whether I do is another question. But I will try my best to fulfill that ambition. If its not this year, whatever happens in this Tour can only help for the years to come. ' ' '