Dite vs Thomas

Thomas Lei beat Dite 152.92 to 105.50 in the first meeting of the two 4–2 teams and is 5–2, alone in second place, which is the best start through seven weeks in the ten-season history of the franchise; Rob never did better than 4–3. Dite is 4–3 after four straight wins, second in the league in points, and first in the league in points left on the bench, a title he took from Kyle on Sunday. Thomas leads the series 1–0.

The score was built on a running back and a quarterback decision. Tony Pollard, whom Kyle cut in October and Thomas signed three days later, ran 25 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns and caught three for 26 in the Titans’ 27–24 loss to Cleveland, 36.5, the best running back score in the league this week and the fourth-best of the season. Tee Higgins caught six for 148 and a touchdown in Cincinnati’s win at Baltimore, 26.8, in the flex, where Thomas had moved him on Thursday ahead of Rhamondre Stevenson, who caught five for 93 and a touchdown on Thursday night, 22.5, on the bench, which makes the call right by four. CeeDee Lamb caught five of twelve targets for 74 and two touchdowns on Monday night, 24.4. Jonathan Taylor ran for 95 and a touchdown, 19.0. George Kittle caught eight for 88 and lost a fumble, 14.8. Chris Olave 11.6. On Sunday morning Thomas moved Tyler Shough back into the lineup and Patrick Mahomes to the bench; Shough completed 30 of 38 for 278 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Saints’ loss to Pittsburgh in Paris, 13.82, and Mahomes completed 19 of 33 for 165 with no touchdowns and a pick in Kansas City’s 20–3 loss at Seattle, 6.0. The quarterback ledger, for the record: wrong by eight in Week 3, wrong by one in Week 4, no choice in Week 5, wrong by sixteen in Week 6, right by 7.82 in Week 7. Trey Smack made one of three field goals in a game the Packers lost by three, 4.0. The Packers defense, signed Thursday after Thomas cut the Rams defense, allowed 20 and 415 yards and scored 2.0; it is the fifth defense he has started this season. His best lineup was 163.82.

Dite scored 105.50 and left 81.2 on the bench, the most in the league this week and his high for the season. Quinshon Judkins ran 17 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland’s win at Tennessee, 23.4, on the bench. Blake Corum ran for 93 and a touchdown, 17.1, on the bench. Jaylen Warren ran for 101 and caught three for 36 in Paris, 16.7, on the bench. Devaughn Vele caught a touchdown, 16.4, on the bench. DK Metcalf 7.6. The flex went to Matthew Golden, who caught six of twelve targets for 39 yards, 9.9, and the second receiver slot to Jalen Coker, who caught one pass for nine in Carolina’s 43–13 loss, 1.9. The lineup was otherwise fine: Drake London caught seven for 66 and a touchdown in Atlanta’s win over San Francisco, 19.6; Kyren Williams ran for 99 and a touchdown with a lost fumble, 18.1; Matthew Stafford threw three touchdowns to set the Rams’ franchise record, 17.5; Bijan Robinson ran for 63 and caught five for 59, 17.2; Brock Bowers caught six for 73, 13.3. Matt Gay, claimed Wednesday for nothing after Dite cut Tyler Bass, the kicker he had cut Travis Kelce for seven days earlier, made three of four, 8.0. The Texans defense, claimed Wednesday for nothing after he cut the six-dollar Patriots defense, allowed 27 to the Giants in overtime and scored 0. His best lineup was 133.50, which still loses by 19, so the bench is a decoration this week and not a cause.

Dite made five waiver claims on Wednesday and two went through, both free. He bid nothing on Jared Goff with Stafford as the cut, and Mitch got Goff for eight; he bid three on Will Reichard, and Jordan got him for five; the Jets defense went to Jordan; a Titans defense claim failed because the Patriots cut had already been used by the Texans claim. He has now benched 466.8 points this season, 22.8 more than Kyle, and the two men are a combined 10–4, so the Tribune will not pretend it is a problem. He is 26–23 against the field, has allowed 895.48, and is still Lucky and Good, by 4.1 points of luck, which a 47-point loss did not spend.

Thomas is 28–21 against the field on 865.52 points, the fourth-fewest ever by a 5–2 team, and the matrix lists him in Lucky and Good, in second place, with 14.3 points of luck, the most in the league, which is a matter the Tribune has referred to Thomas. The Moth picked Dite, writing that Dite’s projection was crazy again and that Thomas was also really good, and was half right. Thomas plays Carl next, whom he beat in Week 1. Dite plays Drake in the War Crimes Cup, 9–9, the two men who share an employer and now share a bench problem, except that Drake’s lost him the game.