Zach Miller From the Streets of Chicago

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 15% Owned in Fleaflicker

ANALYSIS: There were obviously several fantasy owners who ignored my advice to pick Miller up a couple weeks ago because Martellus Bennett was still active, on the field and catching Jay Cutler’s passes.  But now that Bennett has been banished to injured reserve, Miller should be owned in all fantasy leagues, not just 15 percent of them. By the way did anyone catch the New Girl reference in the title?

Miller has been one of the hottest tight ends in fantasy football over the past month-and-a-half.  He has five touchdown catches over his last six games and is now the top tight end on a team that always plays from behind and has a gun-slinging quarterback who loves throwing to his tallest targets.  Miller is a veteran who knows how to find the end zone, and Cutler knows how to find him when Miller plants himself in the end zone.

Miller will not have an easy time finding open spaces inside Minnesota’s secondary this weekend.  The Vikings are ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in pass defense, although they have allowed five touchdown tosses over their past two contests.  With the Vikes coming off two straight losses and a 10-day break, chances are the defense will tighten the screws a bit.  This is why Miller is the second tight end mentioned in this column and not the first.

Look for Miller to be thrown at 6-10 times this week as Cutler’s receiving corps is banged-up and lacking talented targets other than Alshon Jeffery.  So even if Cutler and Miller do not connect as well they have in past weeks, Miller should still put up solid numbers for fantasy owners who pick him up this week.