March can be an exciting time for football fans. There’s the combine, free agency and enough draft speculation to make the average NFL junkie forget there’s no actual football being played. And this year, we have the Alliance of American Football added into the mix. We’re on to Week 8 of the new league, and business is booming (for the most part). We have eight competitive teams thanks to some switches under center, and only the one-loss Orlando Apollos seem to have any sort of significant edge on the competition. And if that’s not enough, we have this lineup of comprehensive coverage: Let’s dig in. Betting Odds: Orlando Apollos at Memphis Express Spread: Apollos -10 Over/Under: 42 Time: 2 p.m. ET on Saturday TV: TNT Betting market: The Apollos have remained steady as 10-point favorites, although the game total has dropped to 41 points since opening at 42. Week 7 Takeaways Orlando’s 36-6 Win Over Atlanta Garrett Gilbert tore up the Legends in Week 7, completing 19-of-23 (83%) passes for 217 yards (9.4 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. Gilbert did a good job getting everyone involved: Charles Johnson (4 receptions-31 yards-1 TD) and Jalin Marshall (4-26-0) were the only receivers who saw more than two targets. Orlando utilized D’Ernest Johnson (40% snaps in Week 7) as its de facto starter and No. 1 pass-down back, De’Veon Smith (34%), as the goal-line and short-yardage specialist to the tune of three touchdowns. Akeem Hunt (26%) seems to be close to 100% and worked as the group’s jack-of-all-trades. Memphis’ 31-25 Win Over Birmingham It remains unclear exactly when the Johnny Manziel era will start in Memphis. The former Heisman winner displayed a live arm and quick feet during his Week 7 debut, but incumbent backup Brandon Silvers has continued to play well enough to start instead of Manziel. Of course, the AAF is a business as well as a football league, so it would make sense for the Express (6% chance to make the playoffs) to turn to Johnny Football sooner rather than later in an attempt to cash in on the league’s most famous and marketable players. For now, both quarterbacks are best approached with extreme caution in fantasy formats of all types. Here’s what head coach Mike Singletary said on the quarterback situation this week: “Right now, Brandon is our quarterback … I’m very excited about what Johnny does and what he brings to the team, but Brandon is our starting quarterback.” Which team is healthier? Orlando Both teams are fairly healthy, but the Apollos are set up particularly well. Only backup field-stretcher Chris Thompson was limited in practice to start the week, but Thompson returned to a full practice on Thursday and is expected to suit up on Sunday. Starting Express receiver Alton ‘Pig’ Howard hasn’t practiced all week, while No. 1 receiver Reece Horn was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday after getting in a limited session on Wednesday. Defensive back Justin Martin as well as three offensive linemen have also been limited in practice, but none are thought to be dealing with serious injuries. Memphis also re-signed trendy AAF fantasy first-round pick Fabian Guerra after placing receiver Devin Lucien on the injured reserve list. Key matchup: Orlando’s Offense vs. Memphis’ Defense The Express boast the AAF’s third-worst defense in both yards per carry and yards per attempt allowed and will square off with the Apollos’ league-best offense in virtually every efficiency metric that matters: Points per game: 28.9 (1st) 28.9 (1st) Yards per pass attempt: 8.35 (1st) 8.35 (1st) Yards per rush: 5.29 (1st) Memphis’ aforementioned three-headed backfield has proven to be lethal in both the pass and run game, while Charles Johnson and Jalin Marshall form arguably the league’s premier tandem at receiver. DFS edge: Stack Orlando in cash games There’s enough value at wide receiver this week to get plenty of exposure to Orlando’s league-best offense in FanBall daily fantasy contests. Iron running back Trent Richardson and Apollos wide receiver Charles Johnson remain cash-game staples as the consensus highest-scoring and most consistent options at running back and wide receiver. You can save salary by rostering Commanders receiver Gred Ward Jr. after his team-high snap count in Week 7. He hasn’t caught a touchdown yet, but could be due for positive regression considering he’s tied for third in red-zone targets. This core of Richardson-Johnson-Ward leaves us with enough salary to pay up at quarterback and lock in Gilbert. Adding Marshall isn’t a bad idea considering he’s locked in as Orlando’s No. 2 receiver, but I’d rather save an extra $1,000 and get D’Ernest Johnson considering there are more fantasy-viable options in the upper-$4,000 range than the upper-$3,000 range to complete the lineup. Bet to watch: Apollos -10 Lost in the hoopla of Johnny Football and the Express’ overtime victory last week is the fact that their defense has still largely struggled to stop anybody and everybody. Their run game has also had a tough time getting started in recent weeks, so Manziel and Silvers could be forced to throw at the AAF’s best secondary a bit more than they might want to. I’m riding with Steve Spurrier and Co. in what appears to be the week’s largest mismatch between an offense and a defense. Betting Odds: San Diego Fleet at Salt Lake Stallions Spread: Stallions -3 Over/Under: 40.5 Time: 8 p.m. ET on Saturday TV: NFL Network Betting market: Neither the spread nor game total have moved since open. Week 7 Takeaways San Diego’s 32-15 Loss to Arizona Mike Bercovici had another up-and-down performance, completing 22-of-43 (52%) passes for 310 yards (7.2 yards per attempt) with a touchdown … and two interceptions. The backfield has dwindled down to Bishop Sankey (51% snaps in Week 7) and Terrell Watson (38%) after early-season stud Ja’Quan Gardner was placed on the injured reserve list. Meanwhile, slot receiver Nelson Spruce caught a league record 12-of-14 targets for 146 scoreless-yards. Salt Lake’s 19-15 Loss to San Antonio Josh Woodrum had a meh performance against the Commanders, completing 22-of-35 (63%) passes for 229 yards (6.5 Y/A) with a touchdown and an interception. Slot receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El (5-68-0) and tight end Nick Truesdell (4-74-0) continued to work as the Stallions’ undisputed top-two pass-game targets. Meanwhile, the backfield has morphed into a two-back committee featuring Joel Bouagnon on early downs and short-yardage situations with Terron Ward coming in on passing downs. Which team is healthier? Salt Lake The Fleet are reeling, as difference-makers Dontez Ford (ankle) and Gardner (shoulder) were placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. They re-signed Paul James to replace Gardner. The only other injury to worry about appears to be tight end Gavin Escobar, who was limited in practice to start the week. Stallions offensive lineman Nick Callender was forced out of last week’s game early, but Salt Lake is otherwise believed to be mostly healthy. Key matchup: Josh Woodrum vs. San Diego’s Pass Rush San Diego boasts Pro Football Focus’ best overall pass rush thanks in large part to stud defensive end Damontre Moore, who has been arguably the league’s best overall edge defender through seven weeks. Still, Woodrum is positioned for success with the league’s quickest average release (2.21 seconds). He threw for 380 yards against the Fleet in Week 5 and hasn’t reached even 250 passing yards in another game. The Fleet’t ferocious front-seven has been the league’s second-best unit in yards per carry allowed, so Woodrum’s ability to quickly and efficiently get the ball out of his hands and to his playmakers on the outside will be pivotal for the Stallions’ chances at establishing some consistent offense. DFS edge: San Diego WRs The aforementioned loss of Dontez Ford for the season opens up a ton of salary-saving opportunity for the Fleet’s new starting wide receivers. Both Brian Brown and Francis Owusu have sub-$4k salaries and played over 80% snaps last week https://t.co/fza8KWPDLY — Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 27, 2019 Spruce easily led the way in targets in Week 7, although he wound up playing just 46% of the offense’s snaps and doesn’t regularly line up in 2-WR sets. Each receiver is in play considering Bercovici has emerged as the position’s most fantasy-friendly signal-caller. He boasts league-high marks in passing yards (925) and passing touchdowns (5) between Weeks 5 and 7 thanks to a gunslinger mentality that’s resulted in the second-most deep-ball attempts (20-plus yards downfield) over the past three weeks. Bet to watch: Stallions -3 The Fleet defeated the Stallions 27-25 at home during Week 5 in what was maybe the best game of the season. But I like the Stallions to rebound and win this one with Woodrum’s quick release and general ability to consistently keep games close. Salt Lake hasn’t lost by more than four points when getting a full game from Woodrum. Betting Odds: Atlanta Legends at Birmingham Iron Spread: Iron -6 Over/Under: 38 Time: 4 p.m. ET on Sunday TV: CBS Sports Network Betting market: Neither the spread nor game total have moved since open. Week 7 Takeaways Atlanta’s 36-6 Loss to Orlando The Legends have distinguished themselves as the AAF’s worst team. Their -117 point differential is far worse than either of the remaining 2-5 teams (Memphis -39 and Salt Lake -13). Aaron Murray seems to be locked in as the starting quarterback. Still, he’s failed to play the full game in consecutive weeks thanks to back-to-back blowout losses of 30-plus points. He’s yet to throw for multiple touchdowns in a game and hasn’t reached even 250 passing yards since Week 5. The Legends have scored more than 14 points in just one game. Birmingham’s 31-25 Loss to Memphis Birmingham suffered its third loss in an overtime thriller to the Express. Luis Perez threw for zero touchdowns in 153 pass attempts in Weeks 1-5 compared to five scores through the air in 87 attempts in Weeks 6 and 7. Still, he’s completed only 49% of his passes over this stretch and has averaged a pedestrian 6.8 yards per attempt. Trent Richardson (84% snaps in Week 7) remains the league’s most-fed workhorse while Quinton Patton continues to work as the offense’s No. 1 receiver with Amba Etta-Tawo and Jamal Robinson seeing plenty of snaps. Which team is healthier? Atlanta The Legends don’t have any offensive players listed on their injury report and appear mostly healthy on the defensive side of the ball — surprising news for the clear-cut worst team in the league. The Iron, meanwhile, have a plethora of banged up skill position players. Receivers Quinton Patton (neck) and L’Damian Washington (head) joined backup running back Ty Issac (ankle) on the sideline to start the week. The good news is that Patton and Isaac were able to get in a limited practice on Thursday. Stud cornerback Jamar Summers (knee) hasn’t practiced all week. Key matchup: Birmingham’s Rush Offense vs. Atlanta’s Front Seven We know the Legends offense has had a tough time scoring against pretty much anyone, and that’s not expected to change against Birmingham’s Iron “Curtain” defense. The problem is that Atlanta also boasts one of the league’s worst defenses when it comes to stopping the run, which means T-Rich and Co. have a chance to finally take some relief off of their much-maligned passing game. Atlanta ranks among the league’s bottom-two rush defenses in … 106.4 rushing yards allowed per game (8th) 12 rushing touchdowns allowed (8th) 4.6 yards allowed per rush (7th) Failure to slow down Trent “2.6” Richardson between the 20-yard lines this Sunday could be fatal for the chances of the AAF’s worst team pulling a road upset. DFS edge: Stack the Birmingham Offense Bercovici and Perez have separated themselves as tournament-friendly options at quarterback thanks to their consistent volume and penchant for throwing downfield. Patton continues to be underpriced relative to his target share and offers value in a stack with Perez and Richardson. Patton (58 targets) and Richardson (43) are two of just nine players with at least 40 targets. QB-RB-WR stacks aren’t always the best-tournament options, but Richardson and Patton’s uniquely large target shares gives each player a high floor worth paying up for. Bet to watch: Iron -6 This spread is well below the -9.5 that Action Network’s director of predictive analytics Sean Koerner predicted before the market opened.<doc-sep>To some degree, the AAF playoff race has started to take center stage. However, Week 7 is when things really begin to ramp up. In three of the next four weeks, these eight teams will play in key divisional games. With so little separation between seven of the eight teams, there's still a lot of cloudiness about how this could all unfold. And depending on how things go this weekend, things could get a little clearer, or the race could get even tighter. Drama is building and the best football is being played now. Here's everything you need to enjoy Sunday's two AAF games in Week 7. Viewing information San Diego Fleet at Arizona Hotshots Date: Sunday, March 24 | Time: 4 p.m. ET Location: Sun Devil Stadium -- Tempe, Arizona TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: CBS Sports Network Birmingham Iron at Memphis Express Date: Sunday, March 24 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Liberty Bowl -- Memphis, Tennessee TV: NFL Network | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) Storylines San Diego at Arizona: Don't be surprised if this is the best game of the weekend, and there are no shortage of storylines. Arizona ended its three-game losing streak in the most improbable way by upsetting Orlando. San Diego, meanwhile, lost a heartbreaker to Birmingham by way of a walk-off field goal. There's not much room for a hangover game for either side. Both teams are pressed in the middle of the West division standings at 3-3. Overall, there's not much separating these two. Both rank in the top four in points per game and allow about 20 points per game on defense. On paper, this is the most evenly-matched game of the weekend, and both sides have a propensity for frantic endings worthy of the #AAFterDark hashtag. Birmingham at Memphis: Face it, you're here for Johnny Manziel, aren't you? It's okay to be interested. I am. Now, will he start? The Express were in need of a quarterback, but coming in and starting right away in Week 7 is no easy task and there's a lot of personal growth necessary for Manziel as well. Still, the people will want to see the biggest name to sign with the AAF, regardless of the outcome. Speaking of quarterbacks, the Iron have an interesting situation on their hands as well. One week after coming off the bench, Keith Price was knocked out of the game early against San Diego. That put Luis Perez back under center and he looked like a different quarterback. He was slinging it deep and dropping some dimes, totaling 359 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw two ill-advised interceptions and nearly turned the ball over a couple more times. He probably still gives this team the best chance to win, he just has to harness some of those poor decisions. Picks San Diego at Arizona (-3.5), O/U 40: This could be the best game of the weekend. Both teams need a division win badly to either stay in the playoff race or get some cushion. The Hotshots have re-gained their mojo after upsetting Orlando, but they're also pretty banged up at the moment. Fleet quarterback Mike Bercovici has proven plenty capable of moving the offense and putting up points, so this one could go down to the wire again. Pick: San Diego +3.5, Over 40 Birmingham (-3) at Memphis, O/U 36.5: A lot of this depends on which Luis Perez shows up for the Iron. He was way more confident throwing downfield last week, but still made a lot of poor decisions. And there are a lot of questions about whether Memphis will play new quarterback Johnny Manziel, along with what kind of impact he'll have. I'd stay away from this line in general, and don't be surprised if there are a lot of turnovers and momentum swings. Pick: Birmingham -3, Over 36.5<doc-sep>
It was going to take some time for these teams to find their groove -- anyone who's followed the Alliance of American Football's inaugural season knows that by now. So it's no coincidence that Week 4 of the AAF is the most interesting one to date on paper and the Express and Apollos got things started with wins on Saturday. For the most part, the parity promised by co-founder Bill Polian is there, it just had to develop. But if Week 3 taught us anything, it's that the level of competition is beginning to even out. The Salt Lake Stallions pulled off the first actual upset, beating the Arizona Hotshots 23-15. Meanwhile, the league's best team, the Orlando Apollos, survived a revived Memphis Express. As such, there are way more storylines and points of interest heading into Week 4. For the first time this year, really, there's a more evenly distributed intrigue in what happens. Here's everything you need to know to watch Sunday's games. Viewing information San Antonio Commanders at Birmingham Iron Date: Sunday, March 3 | Time: 4 p.m. ET Location: Legion Field -- Birmingham, Alabama TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: CBS Sports Network Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots Date: Sunday, March 3 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Sun Devils Stadium -- Tempe, Arizona TV: NFL Network | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) Storylines San Antonio at Birmingham: How San Antonio picks itself up will be interesting to follow. The Commanders started with a lot of promise, but have dropped two games in a row and Vegas projects a third. The 31-11 loss at San Diego was alarming, but that was also the first time it played on the road. With one game away from the Alamodome under its belt, can San Antonio circle the wagons at Birmingham? It would be surprising to see another 20-point margin, at the very least. The Iron don't have the big-play potential like the Fleet or Apollos. Rather, Birmingham has suffocated all three opponents to date through defense. Atlanta at Arizona: Normally, the forecast for this game would be akin to a famous Slayer song. However, the health status of Hotshots quarterback John Wolford is worth watching. He injured his back in the Week 3 loss to the Stallions and Trevor Knight struggled to move the sticks through the air in relief. Per a team spokesperson, he was in full pads for practice on Wednesday. However, no team has gotten off to a worse start than Atlanta. The winless Legends are playing their third road game in a month, average 10 points per game and are being outscored by an average of nearly 21 points per game. Wolford's status gives this game some interest, but not much. Prediction, picks* San Antonio at Birmingham (-7.5), O/U 39.5: The Iron would seem like a guarantee to hit the under (last week's 28-12 win over the Legends was a push, and Atlanta has the worst point differential in the league) but this point total has dipped too low. Since Birmingham doesn't pick up a lot of chunk plays, I'm expecting a fairly tight game on the scoreboard. Still, that defense is full of ball hawks and Commanders quarterback Logan Woodside already has five picks. Birmingham is good at home, too, so I'll lay the points as the Commanders' slide continues. Pick: Birmingham -7.5, Over 39.5 SportsLine's No. 1 pro football expert, R.J. White, went 2-0 against the spread Saturday and is now 5-1 in the AAF! See his Sunday picks here. Atlanta at Arizona (-12), O/U 41.5: Let's see, Atlanta is not only 0-3 on the season, but 0-3 against the spread with the worst scoring defense by a country mile. Hotshots quarterback John Wolford should be 100 percent by this weekend, too, after suffering a lower back strain in the loss to the Stallions. Nothing says get-right game like coming back home against the worst team in the Alliance. Still, no double-digit favorite has covered yet. Pick: Atlanta +12, Under 41.5 *Lines courtesy of MGM Grand in Las Vegas