Passing Game Thoughts: Denver quarterback Peyton Manning was one
of the most polarizing fantasy players during drafts this season
as the former multiple-time league MVP is now in his 18th year
in the league. There’s little question that Manning’s
mind still has it but after years of taking hits and numerous
offseason surgeries, the questions that some had were more about
his physical well-being. Manning didn’t do much to silence
the doubters this past Sunday when he and the Broncos failed to
score an offensive touchdown for the first time since Manning
became the team’s quarterback. His 24-of-40 completion numbers
from Week 1 against Baltimore doesn’t sound bad on the surface
but the 4.4 yards per completion have to be a major concern for
fantasy owners as he has typically been closer to the 8.0 yards
per carry mark in recent seasons. Manning saw a heavy pass rush
all afternoon which left him with little time to find his receivers
down the field. He did have one opportunity to hit Emmanuel Sanders
for a long touchdown, but overthrew his target. This play alone
showed that he still has the physical ability to throw the ball
deep, but his accuracy in doing so may be diminished.
With the Broncos offensive line struggling to slow down what
was a good Baltimore pass rush in Week 1, there could be a chance
for reigning NFL sack leader, Justin Houston, and the Kansas City
defense to get some serious pressure on Manning in Week 2. Unless
there is a significant scheme change, the Broncos will likely
leave tight end Owen Daniels to block which could put a serious
cap on his upside for the foreseeable future, at least until the
Broncos figure out a solution to their offensive line issues.
This likely means increased targets for wide receivers Demaryius
Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders as they caught a total of 15 passes
between the two of them in Week 1. Sanders caught 14 passes in
the two games he played against Kansas City in 2014 and while
Thomas failed to get to even 65 yards in either contest against
the Chiefs, he did catch a total of 11 passes and scored a touchdown
in each game. Thomas represents one of the highest floors in fantasy
football at wide receiver this week as he has scored at least
10 fantasy points (standard scoring) every time he has faced the
Chiefs since Manning took over at quarterback for the Broncos.
Unfortunately the immediate outlook for other players in this
Denver passing attack doesn’t look so good. Daniels, along
with receivers Andre Caldwell and Cody Latimer, were all fantasy
non-factors in Week 1 and will probably remain so at least until
Denver can get their offense clicking again.
Running Game Thoughts: The highest-scoring fantasy running back
in the second half of the 2014 season, C.J. Anderson was one of
the hottest names in the league heading into the 2015 season.
Anderson stepped into a role in the Gary Kubiak offense that had
produced excellent fantasy production elsewhere and with a healthy
passing game in Denver, the sky was the limit for Anderson. Unfortunately
it didn’t pan out that way in Week 1. Anderson produced
just 29 yards on 12 carries while adding four receptions for 19
yards in the passing game. He also failed to find the endzone.
Meanwhile backup running back Ronnie Hillman out-produced Anderson,
rushing for 41 yards on 12 carries. The coaching staff in Denver
has made no mention of Hillman getting a bigger share of the workload
going forward or that Anderson is in any danger of losing his
job as the starter, but there is real concern that Anderson, who
only was given an opportunity for significant carries in Denver
in 2014 after both Hillman and Montee Ball went down with injury,
does not actually possess the necessary physical skills to repeat
what he did toward the end of 2014. To make matters worse, Anderson
is currently nursing a sprained toe which held him out of practice
on Monday and limited him on both Tuesday and Wednesday. He is
currently listed as questionable for Thursday’s game against
the Chiefs and could be a major risk for fantasy owners if he
does play and then is removed from the game.
Whether Anderson plays or not, the Broncos will likely have a
tough time finding much running room against the Kansas City defense.
The Chiefs were very good against opposing running backs in 2014
from a fantasy standpoint. They allowed just four rushing touchdowns
against them the entire season. They carried that momentum into
2015 by holding a trio of Houston running backs to just 92 yards
on 20 carries. If you’re looking for a bright spot, however,
it could be that Anderson himself abused this defense to the tune
of 168 yards on the ground while also catching a touchdown pass
against them in his only start against the Chiefs in 2014. Of
course, that was also when he was at 100 percent and had no competition
in the backfield as he was given a whopping 34 touches in that
game. With Anderson’s toe injury, look for the Broncos to
split the carries much more evenly between he and Hillman, which
could limit both players’ upside. Hillman does become a
much more intriguing flex play, however, if Anderson is ruled
out.
Passing
Game Thoughts: After failing to throw a single touchdown
pass to a wide receiver in 2014, it’s easy to see why Kansas
City quarterback Alex Smith was off most fantasy radars heading
into the 2015 season. The former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick
made almost everyone regret forgetting about him, at least in
Week 1, however, when he lit up the scoreboard with a 243-yard,
three-touchdown, no interception performance against the Texans.
It was Smith’s first three touchdown day since Week 4 of
the 2014 season and happened mostly due to a huge day from tight
end Travis Kelce who caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Jamaal Charles caught the other touchdown which extended
his streak of games without a touchdown to a wide receiver. The
last time Smith threw a touchdown to a wide receiver in a game
that counted was Jan. 4, 2014 in the Chiefs’ playoff loss
to the Colts. While that embarrassing trend continues, there is
some hope that a Chiefs wide receiver will finally have value
again as Jeremy Maclin led the team with nine targets in Week
1. Maclin caught five of those passes for 52 yards.
In Week 2, Smith will be up against a Denver defense that looked
to be one of the best in the league a week ago when they held
Joe Flacco and the Ravens to a horrendous statline - 117 yards
and no touchdowns while intercepting two errant passes. The Denver
pass rush was nonstop, most notably the duo of Von Miller and
DeMarcus Ware who harassed Flacco all afternoon. Smith threw for
just 413 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in the
two games he played against this defense a season ago and they
appear to be a vastly improved unit. Another worry from a fantasy
standpoint is that Kelce, who is coming off the biggest fantasy
day of his career, may be asked to block more to slow down the
Denver pass rush. If that does happen, his floor becomes quite
a bit lower, as does his upside, but he still remains a must-start
for fantasy owners in this Thursday night contest.
Running Game Thoughts: A consensus top five running back once
again, Jamaal Charles was one of the few first round backs who
didn’t disappoint in Week 1. He put together a nice 103
total yard, day along with a receiving touchdown against the Texans.
Charles touched the ball 21 times while backup Knile Davis touched
the ball just seven times in what was a big road win for Kansas
City. Charles continues to be one of the most valuable running
backs in all formats, but particularly PPR leagues where his usage
in the passing game can increase his value quite a bit. He has
caught multiple passes in all but one game going back to Week
7 of the 2014 season.
Charles could be in for a tough night on Thursday, however, as
he goes up against a Denver defense that is fresh off of holding
another versatile back, Justin Forsett, to just 56 yards on 18
touches. Charles himself struggled to get things going, particularly
on the ground, against the Broncos in 2014. He suffered an injury
early in the teams’ Week 2 matchup in 2014, but then ran
for just 35 yards on 10 carries when they met up again in Week
13. Although Charles was able to save his fantasy day by catching
a touchdown on four receptions in that Week 13 game, it is a bit
concerning that Charles has scored just four rushing touchdowns
while averaging only 72 rushing yards per game against the Broncos
throughout his career. Still, Charles remains a must-start in
season-long leagues as long as he is healthy as he is one of the
few “bell cow” running backs remaining in the league.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Well, the bright side for the Ravens after
Week 1 is that it can’t get much worse for quarterback Joe
Flacco. Flacco’s disastrous game against the Broncos was
an example of what can happen when a quarterback simply doesn’t
have enough time to plant his feet, go through his progressions
and find the open receiver. Flacco was under constant duress from
the Denver pass rush and threw for just 117 yards on the day with
no touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which was brought
back for a touchdown. This embarrassing output was obviously not
enough to yield much fantasy production for his receivers, either,
as Steve Smith was held to just two catches on seven targets on
the day. The loss of Torrey Smith this offseason leaves Baltimore
without a quality second wide receiver right now and while there
is hope that rookie Breshad Perriman will eventually get on the
field and become that WR2, he is not healthy yet and the Ravens
could continue to struggle through the air for at least the next
few weeks.
This Baltimore passing game was obviously awful in Week 1, but
they do have a substantially better opportunity here in Week 2
as they head to Oakland to challenge the Raiders. Oakland does
have decent pass rushers and they did add Aldon Smith to help
bolster the unit, but they simply are not on the same level as
Denver defense that Baltimore played against in Week 1. The Raiders
conceded 29 touchdowns through the air to opposing quarterbacks
in 2014 – sixth-most in the league – while intercepting
just nine passes on the year – sixth-fewest in the league.
The unit didn’t get off to a great start in Week 1 when
they gave up a 269-yard, two-touchdown, game to Cincinnati’s
Andy Dalton, who is not exactly a fantasy superstar. Flacco is
still a player to be a bit worried about given the lack of protection
that his offensive line showed in Week 1 and he has never been
a great fantasy quarterback to begin with, but Steve Smith should
be in for a much better afternoon in Week 2.
Running Game Thoughts: When your team performs as poorly through
the air as the Ravens did in Week 1, it’s not hard to understand
why you might also struggle to run the ball. That was the case
for running back Justin Forsett who was only able to contribute
43 yards on 14 carries during his team’s Week 1 loss to
the Broncos. He did add four receptions for 13 yards, but it was
certainly a disappointing day for fantasy owners who were hoping
that the veteran tailback would pick up where he left off in 2014
when he broke out as a fantasy stud. Another concern is that Forsett
conceded 10 touches to rookie Javorius Allen, which also served
to limit his potential fantasy production. There is still plenty
of season left, however, and there has been no grumbling Forsett
losing his grip on the starting tailback role, so he should continue
to get the lion’s share of the carries. One thing to watch
out for this week, however, is the usage of Lorenzo Taliaferro.
Taliaferro missed Week 1 with an injury but was considered the
primary backup to Forsett going into the season. Taliaferro is
a bigger, more physical back who could potentially steal goal
line touches.
While Forsett disappointed his fantasy owners in Week 1, it would
be wise not to forget about him as he heads into what could be
a huge day against a porous Raiders defense in Week 2. The Raiders
gave up a big day to the Bengals’ Jeremy Hill and Giovani
Bernard, who combined for 151 total yards and two touchdowns.
Forsett, who could play both the “bruiser” role of
Hill and the pass-catching role of Bernard, could be in for a
big day of his own of the Ravens commit to moving the ball on
the ground. It wasn’t just a rarity that the Raiders played
poorly against the run in Week 1, either. In fact, they allowed
more fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2014 than any
team in the league. There was reason to be a bit worried coming
out of Week 1 with Forsett, but he should get back on track in
this game. If not, then we might need to take a step back and
reanalyze this Baltimore running game.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It’s never a good thing to start off
your season with a blowout loss at home, but that’s exactly
what happened for the Oakland Raiders as they were manhandled
on both sides of the ball by the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.
Second-year quarterback Derek Carr was just 7-of-12 through the
air for 61 yards before suffering a thumb injury which caused
him to be removed from the game. Backup Matt McGloin then stepped
in and took over the quarterbacking duties in what quickly became
a high volume passing situation. McGloin threw the ball 31 more
times for 142 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Rookie
wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was making his NFL, led the Raiders
with 47 receiving yards on five catches and was targeted nine
times on the day. Meanwhile veteran Michael Crabtree, who caught
five passes of his own for 37 yards, was targeted eight times.
Both touchdowns went to fullback Marcel Reece who, despite being
one of the better fullbacks in the league, is not much of a fantasy
option going forward.
The Raiders are expected to have Carr back for Week 2 when they
host the Ravens, who are coming off of a disappointing loss of
their own. The difference is that while the Raiders were pummeled
on both sides of the ball, the Ravens actually looked good, at
least defensively, against a good Broncos offense in Week 1. Baltimore
held Peyton Manning without a touchdown for the first time in
his career as a Bronco and they were able to put pressure on him
all afternoon, even forcing an interception which they returned
for a touchdown. The Baltimore defense has to be salivating coming
into this matchup as they will be up against Carr, a young quarterback
who is not operating at 100 percent health. Carr himself is not
much of a fantasy option here in Week 2, but Cooper should be
targeted enough to be considered as a WR3 or Flex option in this
contest and Crabtree could be a player who finds himself into
some lineups just given his potential volume.
Running Game Thoughts: Like most of the other Raiders players,
Latavius Murray was disappointing for fantasy owners in Week 1
as he rushed for just 44 yards on 11 carries against Cincinnati
in what was a good looking matchup for him coming into the game.
Murray did add 36 yards on an impressive seven receptions, however,
so those who owned him in PPR formats were likely satisfied with
what they got from the young tailback. Murray isn’t likely
to repeat that type of reception performance often, but it is
promising to see him utilized extensively in the passing game,
even in a blowout loss. It adds to the floor for a player who
is on a team that often finds themselves down in games, thus limiting
his opportunities for a high number of touches in certain contests.
If Murray can become a consistent producer in the passing game,
hey should remain a big time fantasy asset both early in the year
and down the stretch.
In Week 2, though, Murray just might have his toughest game of
the season. The Ravens held the Broncos running backs to fewer
than 3.0 yards per carry on 24 carries in Week 1. That was nothing
new, either, as the Ravens were exceptional against the run in
2014 when they held opposing running backs to just over 3.5 yards
per carry on the season. Not only that, but they allowed the NFL’s
fewer fantasy points to opposing running backs the year, averaging
just 11 fantasy points per game (standard scoring) conceded to
the position in 2014. While Murray is a talented young back with
a bright future, the Ravens defensive line may just be a mismatch
for this Oakland offensive line. He’s good enough to be
considered a low-end RB2 still, but don’t expect a huge
day.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Week 1 was all about one man – Angry
Tom Brady… and boy was he angry. Brady threw for 288 yards
and 4 TDs in a game that was never really in doubt. Yes, Gronk
did have 94 of those yards and 3 of those TDs, but that was because
Brady was really, really angry. And also because the Steelers’
pass D isn’t very good. Now he goes into hostile territory
to face a defense that just held Andrew Luck to 243 yards on 49
throws. They also forced Luck to throw the ball to the wrong team
twice. Luck did manage to throw for two scores, but both of those
were with the game well over. I expect the Patriots to perform
better as a team than the Colts did, but a line similar to Luck’s
could be in the cards for Brady.
The return of LeGarrette Blount from suspension is also important
to note as he likely would have affected the play-calling around
the goaline and perhaps stolen a TD or two in short range situations
instead of handing to Brandon Bolden for no gain. It is unrealistic
to expect Brady to account for 100% of his team’s TDs every
week. The Bills’ defense probably isn’t good enough
to stop Gronk (because no one can stop Gronk), but they should
be able to contain him better than the Steelers did, especially
if Rex Ryan actually follows through with triple-teaming sound
bite. As for Brady’s receivers, Edelman is virtually matchup
proof as he will continue to catch everything underneath. Beyond
Edelman, we still don’t have a clue.
Running Game Thoughts: The aforementioned return of Blount will
be a boon to the Patriots’ rushing attack. In Week 1, Dion
Lewis saw 15 carries and Brandon Bolden saw 5 carries. Most, if
not all of those carries should go to Blount this week. Dion Lewis
looked effective catching passes out of the backfield and should
continue in that role, making him borderline relevant in PPR leagues.
The Bills’ defense limited Frank Gore to just 39 yards
on 8 carries in Week 1. That run defense is legit. Blount will
see the volume and has the ability to run through defenders, but
this is a poor matchup for any running back. Blount will perform
better than Gore did, but his best chance at being fantasy productive
is finding a way to plod himself into the end zone.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It’s hard to know what to make of
Tyrod Taylor’s first career start. The Bills dominated the
game defensively and ran a very conservative offense, limiting
Taylor to just 19 throws. The positive spin is that he completed
14 of those 19 and averaged 10.3 yards per completion, much of
which was buttressed by a 51-yard bomb to Percy Harvin (who maybe..maybe,
might be fantasy relevant again). I think it’s important
to note that all 51 of those yards were through the air so it’s
not as if Percy caught a screen and took it the distance. Taylor
was accurate, which was the biggest concern about his passing
ability. He also added 41 yards on the ground on 9 carries. Perhaps
the most astounding feat of Taylor’s is that he only completed
a pass to four different receivers (Harvin, Woods, Clay, McCoy).
Notably missing from that short list is Sammy Watkins. In fact,
Taylor didn’t even look at Watkins until the 4th quarter.
I know it’s only one week, but that’s very discouraging
for a player many were down on already entering the 2015 season.
The Patriots’ pass defense kept Big Ben in check for much
of the season’s opening contest. His lone TD pass to Antonio
Brown came in the very definition of garbage time and was completely
meaningless (unless you had either of these players…or the
Steelers +7). Belichick is notorious for eliminating the opposing
team’s top receiver. Even though AB had a very productive
performance, he was unable to get behind the Patriots’ secondary.
Watkins is still the Bills’ most talented offensive weapon
but he is not Antonio Brown and he is fresh off a catchless game.
I’m not going to go so far and say he will make it two in
a row, but he’s in for another rough outing. Expect the
Bills to implement an identical game plan in Week 2 as they did
in Week 1 – a heavy emphasis on the ground game and a goal
of keeping Taylor around 20 pass attempts.
Running Game Thoughts: In a pass happy league, the Bills threw
the ball 20 times in Week 1…and ran the ball 36 times. Of
the relevant carries, 17 went to LeSean McCoy, 6 to Karlos Williams,
and 9 to the QB. In a game that the Bills dominated, Shady could
only muster 41 yards on 17 carries although he did add 46 yards
on 3 receptions and should continue to be a factor in the passing
game. As long as his hamstring doesn’t flare up on him,
he should be a viable RB2. But of course, no less than hours after
writing my first draft of this, reports came out of Bills camp
that McCoy pulled himself out of practice. Rex Ryan, the eternal
optimist, hopes Shady plays this weekend.
If he plays, he gets a Patriots’ run defense that got absolutely
gashed by a 32 year-old Deangelo Williams to the tune of 127 yards
on 21 carries. Shady is significantly more talented than Williams,
but the Colts’ run defense is not very good and he struggled
mightily to find space against them. I expect a better performance
on the ground this week, but without the threat of a serious passing
attack, I don’t think Shady can get that close to Williams’
numbers from Week 1. If Shady is unable to go, it will be Karlos
Williams leading the backfield. Be sure to monitor this situation
heading into Sunday and adjust accordingly.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Matt Ryan is coming off a very mediocre
opener where he pretty much did just enough to win the game. His
intercepted pass in the end zone was an impressive defense play,
but it also wasn’t a very smart throw. His second interception
was just a brutal decision. He ended up completing 23-of-34 passes
for 298 yards and 2 scores, both going to that supernatural being
wearing No.11. Roddy White only corralled half of his 8 targets
for a total of 84 yards, but escaped the game injury free, which
is a win. He will be a viable WR3 until he inevitably gets hurt.
The main storyline heading into this week is what ungodly things
Julio Jones is going to do to a Giant secondary that got torched
by the Cowboys’ AAA receiving squad. Tony Romo completed
80% of his passes against the Giants last week. Matt Ryan is a
bit too inconsistent to reach that number, but I’m sure
he’s been watching film of Romo’s two 4th quarter
TD drives and the ease with which he marched the field…without
Dez Bryant. Ryan will have two receivers better than anyone the
Cowboys had on the field and should have no trouble moving the
ball. This is another game that projects to be high scoring, which
is great news for Ryan, Julio, Roddy, and the Falcons’ passing
attack.
Running Game Thoughts: After much uncertainty regarding their
RB situation, we finally got some clarity last week as Tevin Coleman
got the start and handled the ball 20 times on the ground compared
to 10 from Devonta Freeman. Coleman was also more effective, averaging
4 yards per carry compared to Freeman’s 1.8. I believe Coleman
is the clear lead rusher, but could become a victim of game flow.
The Eagles’ offense got off to a very slow start last week
as Bradford & Co. didn’t really start moving the ball
against the Falcons well until the second half. This allowed the
Atlanta to maintain a balanced offense for longer than they should
have been able to. While the Giants’ offense didn’t
look good last week either, I expect an improved performance this
week and for the Falcons’ secondary to look more like the
second half version than the first half version.
Going back to our two RBs, it is clear that Dan Quinn prefers
Freeman catching passes. Lance Dunbar caught 8 passes out of the
backfield for 70 yards last week against the Giants and he was
involved in a three way backfield split. If this game becomes
a shootout, we could be looking at more of a 50-50 split between
Coleman and Freeman with Freeman seeing 5-plus targets out of
the backfield. The Giants’ linebackers did not prove to
be capable of dealing with pass catching backs last week (Joseph
Randle also managed 42 yards on 3 catches). Look for Ryan to dump
the ball off more this week as the Giants do everything in their
power to contain Julio Jones.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Eli Manning did a whole lot of nothing last
week. He completed just 55% of his passes and failed to reach
200 yards. His targets were very evenly distributed across six
receivers with Shane Vereen and Odell Beckham Jr. being the most
productive. The Falcons have a beatable pass defense and Eli should
have a better game and find the end zone this week. However, I
would caution those expecting a bounce back game from Beckham
to take a look at what Desmond Trufant did to Nelson Agholor last
week. I know Agholor is a rookie and not as talented as Beckham,
but Trufant was all over him to the point where Agholor only saw
two targets. Beckham will see a lot more than two targets, but
could very well suffer a similar fate regarding production.
The Giants have one of the best receiving backs in the game in
Shane Vereen, who I expect Eli to look to a lot this week. The
Falcons defense that contained Bradford and the Eagles offense
for an entire half still yielded over 300 yards passing and what
should have been two TDs through the air. Jordan Matthews absolutely
destroyed the Falcons, lining up exclusively (except for one route)
from the slot. The Giants would be wise to move Beckham around
the field to manufacture opportunities for him to touch the ball.
While I don’t anticipate Eli tossing it up 52 times like
Bradford last week, he will throw enough to put him in the QB1
discussion.
Running Game Thoughts: The Falcons refused to let the Eagles
run the ball last week. The Eagles response was to stop running
the ball. Tom Coughlin is not Chip Kelly. Coughlin is old school
and he has shown before he will run if the run is there and he
will run if the run is not there. I am going to disregard what
Darren Sproles did on the ground last week because the Giants
don’t have anyone like Sproles. DeMarco Murray and Ryan
Mathews each managed exactly one more yard than the number of
carries they received (8 and 3, respectively). Rashad Jennings
will be better than that (not exactly a bold prediction there).
Andre Williams is irrelevant to me because he is simply not good
at football. So we have Jennings and Vereen. Vereen looked to
be the superior option last week as he saw the highest percentage
of snaps and had the highest yards per touch. Jennings managed
52 yards on 13 carries, but came out of the game on third downs
and most passing situations, seeing just one target. He salvaged
his fantasy day with a short score, but didn’t do much else.
In what projects to be a faster paced game with the scoring picking
up earlier, we could be looking at a lot more Vereen, especially
considering how effective the Eagles were at destroying the Giants
with passes to RBs. Out of Bradford’s 36 completed passes,
14 of them went to the running backs. While Sproles was more effective
than Murray or Mathews, the Giants can use the Eagles’ approach
and modify it to suit Vereen. I expect Vereen to lead the Giants’
backfield in snaps this week in a high scoring affair.
Passing
Game Thoughts: What the Rams were able to do to Seattle
last week was nothing short of incredible. Nick Foles got himself
into a shootout (granted this game saw 3 defensive/special teams
scores) with Russell Wilson and came out on top. And he did it
without Brian Quick and Tre Mason. Foles completed 18-of-27 passes
for 297 yards and 1 TD. His only turnover was a strip sack that
Cary Williams brought back. Other than that, Foles looked better
than the numbers indicate. Despite a nonexistent running game
and his No.1 WR surprisingly inactive, Foles managed this game
en route to a victory. Jared Cook was his leading receiver, hauling
in 5 of his 6 targets for 85 yards. Foles was facing the vaunted
Legion of Boom and he put together a productive day.
Now he heads to Washington to face a Redskins defense that played
better than expected against the Dolphins. For some reason, the
Dolphins refused to hand the ball to Lamar Miller in the first
half even though he was effective when he touched the ball. Perhaps
it’s because the Redskins’ front four is a lot better
than its back seven. Even so, the Redskins held Ryan Tannehill
to just 226 passing yards in a decidedly average performance.
I expect Foles to be much better even without Brian Quick, who
looks like he will be a healthy scratch again. However, there’s
not much fantasy relevance in this passing attack outside of maybe
Foles himself.
Running Game Thoughts: Let’s start with the Redskins’
rushing defense. Lamar Miller averaged 4 yards per carry last
week and looked capable of moving the ball. The problem is he
only received 13 carries, the vast majority of which were in the
second half, for reasons I can never begin to understand. On the
offensive side of the ball, I wish I had an answer regarding the
Rams’ rushing attack. As of this writing, Todd Gurley has
not been ruled out yet, but I do not expect him to play this week.
As for the presumptive Week 1 starter, we finally have some good
news on Tre Mason. The latest from Jeff Fisher is that Mason is
feeling much better. The latest from Mason himself is that he’s
“ready to go.” He participated in pregame warmups
last week, which indicates he was close to taking the field, but
this is the same coach that deactivated a healthy Brian Quick
because he simply wasn’t ready.
I do believe Mason will play, start, and handle the majority
of the carries, relegating Benny Cunningham to passing down duties.
I like him as a low end RB2. If Mason finds himself unable to
go, we will likely see another heavy dose of Cunningham, who did
most of his work in the passing game last week. He would likely
be in line for significant volume again which gives him value.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Kirk Cousins was as bad as advertised last
week. The Dolphins tried and tried to give that game away and
he just refused to accept it, turning the ball over twice and
throwing for under 200 yards. The Dolphins defense is good but
the Rams defense is better. Much better. They are going to feast
on a hapless Cousins this week. I’m expecting multiple sacks,
multiple turnovers, and possibly a defensive score.
Adding injury to insult, he will be without DeSean Jackson, who
went down very early in last week’s contest with a hamstring
injury. Jackson’s injury will open up more targets for Pierre
Garcon and Jordan Reed. I’ve always loved Reed’s talent
and think he is a TE1 as long as he is playing football, which
probably won’t be very long (he just popped up in the injury
report Thursday with a quad injury). Ride him while you can. Redskins
receivers will have to survive on yards and volume to be productive
because I don’t foresee any of them finding the end zone.
It’s going to be a rough mission for the Captain this week.
Running Game Thoughts: It appears the demise of Alfred Morris
was greatly exaggerated. Matt Jones saw just 6 carries with no
targets out of the backfield to Morris’ healthy 25. Morris
did what he’s been doing since his rookie year – he
just chipped away. With not a single run longer than 14 yards,
Morris turned his 25 carries into 121 yards, averaging a healthy
4.8 yards. The Dolphins have a very formidable run defense so
this performance is to be taken seriously. I’ve lauded the
Rams’ defense enough already. They are very good and will
be another tough test for Morris. Last week, they held Marshawn
Lynch to 73 yards on 18 carries. Lynch still had a solid day,
adding 5 catches for 31 yards. Morris could be looking at a similar
line without the receptions. That’s always been the knock
on Morris – he doesn’t catch passes so unless he scores,
it’s very difficult for him to produce fantasy numbers.
Passing
Game Thoughts: What an epic performance by Tony Romo last
week in a comeback win that probably took years off my life. Unfortunately,
it was somewhat of a pyrrhic victory as it came at the cost of
Dez Bryant for anywhere from 6-10 weeks. This is a huge blow to
the Cowboys’ passing attack as it’s not every week
they’ll get to face defenses (and apparently teams in general)
as inept as the Giants. Romo threw the ball 45 times completing
80% of his passes for 356 yards and 3 TDs. He also threw two picks,
but neither were on him.
This week he faces off against an Eagles defense that got eaten
alive by Julio Jones to the tune of 141 yards and 2 TDs. Things
would’ve been looking bright for Bryant this week. Instead,
we can only hope that Terrance Williams can fill some of the massive
void. The more likely outcome is the Cowboys run a lot of underneath
routes with Jason Witten and Cole Beasley seeing increased targets.
The remainder of the targets should be split between Devin Street,
Lucky Whitehead, and second TE, Gavin Escobar. None of them are
fantasy relevant. Romo looked mighty impressive reading the Giants’
defense and doing pretty much whatever he wanted. It remains to
be seen how he will manage a full game without Dez, but if last
week was any indication, Romo is up for the task.
Running Game Thoughts: After conflicting reports all week as
to whether Joseph Randle or Darren McFadden would start, it was
Randle who got the nod and the bulk of the carries. He racked
up 65 yards on 16 carries compared to McFadden’s 16 yards
on 6 carries. The Cowboys’ second most productive RB was
actually Lance Dunbar despite not receiving a single carry –
he led the team in receiving with 8 catches for 70 yards. I expect
Dunbar to continue to be a factor in the passing game, perhaps
even more so in the absence of Dez, but he’s nothing more
than a desperation Flex play at this point.
Randle will start again against an Eagles run defense that looked
beatable in Week 1. While I do consider him a better talent than
Randle, he doesn’t have the benefit of running behind the
league’s best offensive line. Randle should have little
trouble finding holes to run through and may even see goal line
carries in this one as the Cowboys’ go-to red zone threat
watches from the sidelines.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The speed at which the Eagles run plays
is astounding. The sheer volume of plays they run bodes very well
for fantasy success. Sam Bradford threw 52 passes last week against
the Falcons and it would not shock me to see him approach that
number again this week in what figures to be a high scoring affair.
It is readily apparent that Bradford’s favorite target is
sophomore Jordan Matthews. While I don’t want to jump to
any conclusions after just one week of football, JMatt looks like
a legitimate WR1 after racking up 102 yards on 10 catches. According
to the rules of football, he also scored a TD. According to the
referees, he stepped out at the 1-yard line. It was an impressive
catch and run and Chip Kelly wisely didn’t challenge (much
to the dismay of Bradford and Jmatt owners) as converting on 1st
and goal from the 1 is not a very difficult task. Beyond JMatt,
no receiver caught more than three balls. Most disconcerting was
the mere two targets for rookie Nelson Agholor. Many, myself included,
expected big things out of him to open the season, but he was
a complete nonfactor. The silver lining on Agholor’s dreadful
debut is that he saw the second most snaps of any Eagles receiver.
Let’s see what he does without Desmond Trufant all over
him before we draw any conclusions.
This week’s divisional showdown with Dallas should provide
plenty of scoring opportunities. Eli Manning failed to impress
last week, but it is my belief that Sam Bradford is a better QB
than Eli and the Eagles are a much better offense than the Giants.
Eli failed to find the end zone. Bradford will not. Even though
the Cowboys held Odell Beckham in check, that secondary is not
very good. The Giants looked out of sync and that made the washed
up Brandon Carr and the overrated (maybe not, people know he’s
bad now) Morris Claibourne look better than they are. The Cowboys
will have no answer for Matthews as Chip Kelly and his lightning
fast offense expose this Dallas secondary that will sorely miss
Orlando Scandrick all season.
Running Game Thoughts: It’s hard to know what to make of
the Eagles’ rushing attack considering they only ran the
ball 16 times. To put that in perspective, that’s a run
on roughly 23% of their plays. They threw the ball a lot. Perhaps
part of the reason they threw is because of how ineffective Demarco
Murray and Ryan Mathews were on the ground. Murray had a nice
fantasy day because he was able to find the end zone twice, but
8 carries for 9 yards does not exactly inspire confidence. I wouldn’t
buy too much into Darren Sproles just yet even though he was clearly
the most effective runner for the Eagles last week, totaling 50
yards on 10 carries. His workload is too heavily dictated by game
flow to be relied upon. Ryan Mathews barely saw any action, touching
the ball a mere 6 times. However, his day was salvaged as he was
the beneficiary of the officiating fail on the Jordan Matthews’
non-TD, falling (or rather, being propelled by a lineman) into
the end zone for a 1-yard score.
I expect a much better performance from both backs this week,
specifically Murray as he faces his former team for the first
time. The Cowboys limited Rashad Jennings to 52 yards on 13 carries,
but Shane Vereen looked very good on his 3 carries. Vereen typically
receives the ball out of the shotgun and the Eagles operate exclusively
from the shotgun. Expect a heavier than normal workload for Murray
as he looks to let Jerry Jones know that he was worth the money.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Carson Palmer continued where he left off
last season, playing at an MVP type level, in a Week 1 victory
over the Saints. The veteran completed 19-of-32 passes for 307
yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. The three touchdown
passes did not go to the usual suspects but instead to second
year breakout candidate John Brown, tight end Darren Fells and
rookie running back David Johnson. After college, Fells played
basketball professionally overseas, so he didn’t start in
the NFL until last season with Seattle at age 28. He impressed
the Arizona coaching staff this offseason, but it remains to be
seen if Week 1 will turn out to be a mirage since veteran tight
end Jermaine Gresham was also signed during the offseason. Veteran
Larry Fitzgerald has seen his role in the offense decrease, but
looked in top form while gaining 87 yards after whispers in fantasy
circles that father time is catching up to him. With Michael Floyd
healing from his broken fingers, this is starting to look like
a classic Bruce Arians passing offense loaded with weapons.
The Bears finished the 2014 season as the league’s 30th
ranked pass defense, but looked average last week against Aaron
Rodgers and the Packers. They allowed 3 passing touchdowns but
had tight coverage on receiver James Jones on two of them and
surprisingly kept the Packers’ passing game mostly in check,
allowing only 189 passing yards. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio
came over from San Francisco and is looking to get the claws back
in this defense. The defense should be a work in progress, but
after one week at least it’s looking like things may turn
around over the course of the season.
Running Game Thoughts: As expected Andre Ellington, saw the bulk
of the carries during the opening week, but he suffered a PCL
sprain and will miss at least this week’s game and possibly
more. Veteran Chris Johnson will take over the lead role, and
while he performed adequately in a part time role with the Jets
last season, he has clearly seen his better days. Rookie David
Johnson who showed nice speed for a back his size on a 55-yard
catch and run for a TD may be asked chip in as well. However,
Bruce Arians has publically stated that he does not like to entrust
rookies in significant roles so it will take Chris looking every
bit his age for David to see significant work in the near future.
The Bears should not present a significant challenge to the Cardinal
running game with the transition to a 3-4 defense still in its
formative stages. Last season the team allowed 112.7 rushing yards
per game, and last week they allowed the Packers to gain 133 yards
on the ground. Coming in with fresh legs and something to prove
the artist formerly known as CJ2K could surprise this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Jay Cutler waited until the end of the game
to make his first poor decision of the season, but the interception
he threw to Clay Matthews sealed the victory for the Packers.
He only completed 50% of his passes for 225 yards and a touchdown,
but at least the day wasn’t a total disaster and he kept
his team in the game late into the 4th quarter. Alshon Jeffrey,
who missed most of the preseason with a calf injury, had a quiet
day, but the Bears will be looking for him to step up and become
“the man” in Brandon Marshall’s absence. Outside
of a 50-yard reception for Marquess Wilson, the rest of the Bears
pass catchers were quiet, as the team relied heavily on its running
game.
Martellus Bennett, the big tight end, was on the receiving end
of Cutler’s lone touchdown pass and will likely be the second
look from his quarterback all season. Ideally, the Bears would
like to follow last week’s game plan and run the ball in
order to keep the ball away from the mistake prone Cutler, but
it’s unlikely that their defense will play well enough to
make this their weekly reality.
The Cardinals gave up 354 passing yards to Drew Brees and the
Saints last week but limited him to one touchdown and picked a
pass off. They managed to keep pressure on Brees, led by Alex
Okafor’s two sacks. The team boasts a touch secondary led
by cover corner Patrick Peterson and hard hitting safety Tyrann
Mathieu. Expect blitz packages this week while looking to put
the pressure on Cutler with the hope of forcing him into a few
more turnovers.
Running Game Thoughts: Matt Forte will turn 30 years old during
the course of the 2015 season, but is coming off of one of the
best seasons of his career in 2014 where he caught 102 passes
out of the backfield. During Week 1, it was his tough running
that kept the Bears in a game that few thought they stood a chance
in. Forte carried the ball 24 times for 144 yards and a touchdown.
He added five catches for another 25 yards in true workhorse-like
fashion. HC John Fox and OC Adam Gase have vowed to make Forte
the focal point of the offense and that’s just what they
have done so far. Expect another heavy workload this week despite
going against a Cardinal team that stopped the Saints power rushers
last week.
The Cardinals were one of last season’s top ranked defenses
against the run and they sit atop those rankings after one week
this season. Arizona limited the Saints to a mere 2.7 yards per
carry last week forcing the Saints to a full blown aerial attack.
Arizona would love to do that once again this week, and take their
chances against Jay Cutler.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The 49ers went into this season looking
to take a lot off of the plate of quarterback Colin Kaepernick
by making this a run-based offense. San Francisco came out in
Week 1 and made that a reality. Kaepernick only threw 26 passes
on Monday Night and looked in command of an offense that was heavily
based in three tight end sets. Kaeprnick was also asked to return
to what made him a budding star, using his legs, gaining 41 yards
on 7 carries. Fantasy owners and/or football fans shouldn’t
expect any aerial fireworks from this offense so long as they
can manage to keep games close. Kaepernick did look comfortable
in the pocket and was very efficient but the team did not challenge
the Vikings deep on Monday Night. In fairness it wasn’t
really necessary for them to do so. Anquan Boldin and perhaps
Vernon Davis will benefit from this offensive style while Torrey
Smith will likely be an inconsistent deep threat that will be
used to clear out defensive backs to open things up underneath.
The Steelers didn’t give up a ton of big plays to the Patriots
during kickoff Thursday Night, but they did allow Tom Brady to
pick them apart using a short passing game. This could fit into
the 49ers plan perfectly as all four touchdown passes were hauled
in by tight ends for the Pats. While Vernon Davis hasn’t
approached Gronkowski like production in a number of years, he
did look better last week than he did at any time during the 2014
season. Another tight end, Garret Celek, had three catches in
the game after totaling 8 during his first three seasons in the
league further showing the team’s game-plan to funnel the
passing offense through its tight ends.
Running Game Thoughts: Carlos Hyde looked like the best running
back in the league on Monday Night, despite sharing a field with
Adrian Peterson. Hyde ran 26 times for 168 yards with scores from
17 and 10 yards out. He dropped some weight this past offseason,
much like Le’Veon Bell did between his rookie season and
sophomore campaign, and like Bell, Hyde looked like a totally
new back with added speed and quickness without losing much power.
The 49ers will obviously ride Hyde as long as they can during
the season, but will work in backup Reggie Bush. Bush injured
his calf and left the game early but got a series on the field
before he was forced out. If Bush can’t go this week it
may open the door for preseason sensation and former Australian
rugby star Jarryd Hayne to see some action.
The Steelers did not have to face New England’s starting
running back LeGarrette Blount in Week 1, but instead saw the
unheralded Dion Lewis rush for 69 yards on his 15 carries. The
Steelers played the run tough in 2014, but are now fielding a
young inexperienced defensive unit with a new defensive coordinator
in place so it’s difficult to say how they’ll stand
up to San Francisco’s power running scheme. One thing that
is easy to say though is that they will surely be tested.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Pittsburgh passing game struggled mightily
in Week 1. Only a garbage time touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger
to Antonio Brown salvaged the day for fantasy owners. Without
Martavis Bryant in the lineup, the Steelers have only the nearly
uncoverable Brown and the old reliable tight end Heath Miller
as legitimate pass catchers. Second year wide-out Markus Wheaton
had his moments, especially on an amazing sideline catch, but
spent most of the evening being invisible. Unfortunately for the
Steelers former Oakland first round bust Darrius Heyward-Bey was
visible while making mistake after mistake. There may not be a
player in the game with less game awareness than DHB. He blew
an easy touchdown reception by failing to keep his back foot in
bounds. Also with the Steelers driving late in the game, he inexplicably
fell down to the ground short of a first down followed by failing
to get out of bounds to stop the clock late in the game. Perhaps
the Steelers will activate rookie Sammie Coates this week?
San Francisco famously had many defections on the defensive side
of the ball this offseason but held the Minnesota Vikings to only
3 points and very little offense in the season opener. Teddy Bridgewater
gained only 177 yards through the air against them as they generated
a fierce pass rush getting to the quarterback for 5 sacks from
five different players. The Steelers’ offensive line was
shaky against New England and will improved play as they face
a stout front seven coming to Heinz Field.
Running Game Thoughts: Le’Veon Bell will be sitting out
once again this week opening the door for 32 year-old DeAngelo
Williams, who surprised the Patriots for 127 yards. Williams dropped
some weight this offseason and looked shockingly quick as he found
the edge with ease and slashed through the Patriot defense in
a game where the Steelers couldn’t get much going through
the air. There’s little depth behind the veteran right now
so expect the team to ride him one more time before they allow
him to settle in behind Bell.
Navorro Bowman is one of the few 49ers that came back to the defense.
Bowman returned this season after missing all of 2014 after suffering
a devastating knee injury in the NFC Championship game of 2013.
Bowman was a force throughout the preseason and in Week 1 as well,
as the Vikings gained only 71 yards on the ground in Adrian Peterson’s
comeback appearance.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Russell Wilson got paid this offseason,
so I guess the team wanted to get their money’s worth. Wilson
threw the ball a career high 41 times in the opening game for
251 yards with a touchdown and an interception. This week he’s
talking about the team entering the “up tempo” arena
that so many teams are now employing. Offseason prized acquisition
Jimmy Graham was on the receiving end of Wilson’s touchdown
pass, putting the talk of his fantasy demise to rest. It was Jermaine
Kearse who led the team in targets though catching 8-of-10 for
76 yards. The big receiver worked mostly underneath in this game
but is generally used as the deep threat target. For those that
like to “follow the money,” perhaps Seattle opening
up the passing game in Week 1 will not be an aberration but a
sign of things to come. On the other hand, last week’s game
surprisingly turned into a shootout, so it could have been more
out of necessity than the new normal for the Seahawks.
The Packers’ pass defense allowed only 226.4 ypg in 2014
which was good enough for a top 10 finish, but it did allow 26
passing touchdowns. In Week 1 the Bears used a conservative game
plan to limit Jay Cutler’s role, so the Green Bay-D was
not really tested. Clay Matthews, still being used in the middle
linebacker spot, is no longer an impact pass rusher but did grab
an interception that sealed the win for his team last week.
Running Game Thoughts: While the Seahawks may open up their passing
game a bit more this season, running back Marshawn Lynch will
continue to be the heart and soul of the team. Lynch had a tough
time last week facing one of the league’s best front sevens,
and managed only 73 yards on 18 carries. He did chip in catching
5 of his 7 targets in the passing game however. Matt Forte ran
all over the Green Bay defense last week, so Seattle should be
looking to follow that script when they come to Title Town. Fred
Jackson will continue to spell Lynch on occasion and take over
on third downs.
The Packers were a below average run defense in 2014, allowing
119.9 yards per game and 11 rushing touchdowns. They were even
worse on opening day where the Bears gained 189 yards against
them, the second highest rushing total of the weekend. The Green
Bay defensive coaches will need to put a plan in place against
one of the league’s top rushing teams this week if they
want to remain undefeated.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Veteran James Jones couldn’t gain
much separation against the Bears but what he has gained from
his past experience with Aaron Rodgers is his quarterback’s
trust. Rodgers squeezed in two touchdown passes to Jones and added
another one to Randall Cobb on a day that things surprisingly
weren’t coming easy for him. The Bears held Rodgers in check
for the most part, but before you panic, recall the Packer’s
slow start to 2014 season which led to Rodgers telling everyone
to “R-E-L-A-X”. The Packers passing game will be fine
even with the once vaunted Legion of Boom coming into Lambeau
Field. Cobb is still experiencing some pain and stiffness in his
shoulder, but as the weeks pass he should get healthier and healthier
and so will the Packers’ passing game. This week it could
be second year wide receiver Davante Adams or tight end Richard
Rodgers at the receiving end of Aaron’s passes so don’t
necessarily go chasing the points with James Jones. The Packers
will spread the wealth.
Kam Chancellor is still holding out for Seattle which may have
been part of the reason why the Seattle secondary struggled against
Nick Foles and the Rams passing game on the road last week. Foles
put up 297 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in a game
where the Rams moved the ball well despite starting their third-string
running back and their most talented wide receiver being inactive.
Richard Sherman who usually sticks to one side of the field moved
inside more than usual last week and at times covered the slot
wide receiver, something that may come into play this week with
Randall Cobb being the Packer’s best receiver. When these
two teams faced off on opening night in 2014, the Packers left
Jarrett Boykin out on Sherman’s side the whole game as a
sacrificial lamb and bombed the other side of the field with Jordy
Nelson. It will be interesting to see how both sides approach
the matchup this week.
Running Game Thoughts: Eddie Lacy was steady Eddie once again
last week. Lacy is a no-nonsense banger that has surprisingly
quick feet for such a big man. He barreled his way to 85 yards
and a score on his 19 carries in Soldier Field. Last year he struggled
mightily in Week 1 against Seattle, but the Packers will not be
able to afford to go away from Lacy and become one dimensional,
especially with their best wide receiver out for the season. Expect
Lacy to see a lot of work early to soften up the middle of the
‘Hawks defense, in order to open things up for the passing
game.
The stout Seattle Seahawks’ run defense wasn’t tested
last week against the Rams’ third string running back Bennie
Cunningham, but things will change this week. The Seahawks allowed
only 76 rushing yards while holding the Rams to 2.9 yards per
attempt. This week things get tougher, but the ‘Hawks should
be up to the task in what could be viewed as a must win game after
dropping their opener.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Matthew Stafford looked to have injured
his arm on a big hit in the second half of last week’s game
but is expected to be fine this week. He’s coming off an
up and down game last week, where he got his team off to a 21-3
lead before playing poorly in the second half. The Lions inexplicably
targeted Calvin Johnson only 4 times in the contest, with two
of them coming in the final drive of the game. The Chargers did
use bracket coverage on him, but Johnson has dealt with and succeeded
against double teams in the past. Things should get better this
week. Second year tight end Eric Ebron, who struggled as a rookie,
hauled in four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown and should
see his role increase now that he’s more accustomed to getting
open at the NFL level. The team is loaded with weapons in the
passing game, with Golden Tate also in the mix, so it will fall
on Stafford to maintain consistency and use his weapons to their
potential in order for this team to make it back to the playoffs
in consecutive seasons, something it has failed to do since 1995.
The Vikings did not allow a touchdown pass in Week 1 and “held”
Colin Kaepernick to 165 yards passing. The 49ers of course ran
all over the Vikings on Monday Night and only attempted 26 passes
in the game. Under Mike Zimmer the defense made great strides
last season and many pundits listed the Vikings as their “surprise”
playoff team this season, based on what was expected to be a strong
defense.
Running Game Thoughts: Ameer Abdullah scored a 24-yard touchdown
on his first NFL carry after receiving much hype this offseason.
The exciting runner out-touched veteran Joique Bell 11 to 8 in
Week 1, but Bell missed nearly all of the preseason while recovering
from his surgeries. This should remain a timeshare backfield with
clearly defined roles since both backs have very dissimilar skill
sets. After watching last week’s film where Carlos Hyde
gashed the Vikings run defense, the Detroit staff should be game-planning
for each of their running backs to see a heavy workload this week.
The Vikings gave up 230 rushing yards last week in San Francisco.
Is the unit that bad? The answer is likely “no” but
if you have one of the Detroit running backs, I think you need
to find out.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Teddy Bridgewater carried over the efficiency
he showed in the preseason into Week 1, but his failure to attack
teams down the field will hold this team back if he continues
to dink and dunk. Bridgewater is a promising young quarterback,
who very much reminds me of Chad Pennington. Both have/had relatively
weak arms, but were very smart and accurate quarterbacks that
could pick defenses apart underneath. Pennington was able to find
a way to get the ball downfield on occasion though, and Teddy
must find a way as well. The team traded for Mike Wallace this
offseason who is well known as a “one trick pony”
deep threat, so the team has pieces in place to attack deep.
Charles Johnson who became the team’s best wide receiver
in the second half of last season had a quiet opening night and
needs to be more involved in Week 2. With a healthy Kyle Rudolph
at the tight end position, the team is not lacking at the skill
positions. Norv Turner must do a better job with this offense,
as it’s starting to look like perhaps the game has passed
him by a bit and is living off of his reputation. The reality
is his offenses haven’t been very effective in a number
of years.
Philip Rivers and his outside duo of Stevie Johnson and Keenan
Allen abused the Detroit defense in the second half of last week’s
game. The Lions gave up 388 passing yards in Week 1 placing them
at the bottom of the league in pass defense. The Vikings will
need to exploit this deficiency if they want to make those pundits
that had them in the playoff picture look good.
Running Game Thoughts: Adrian Peterson showed some flashes of
what once made him the premier runner in the league but finished
the game averaging only 3.1 yards per carry. He showed some rustiness
after not having taken a snap against an opposing defense in a
year. His offensive line that suffered major injuries during the
preseason also didn’t do him any favors as the holes were
few and far between. Peterson is now 30 years old so it’s
likely he will slow down a bit, but his owners shouldn’t
panic yet, as he’ll see much better games this season.
The Lions run defense took a hit this offseason with the departures
of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley but last week the unit looked
solid. San Diego was moving the ball through the air at will,
but only managed 3.2 yards per carry on the ground. They should
be tested this week though.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Philip Rivers came alive after halftime
and finished the game against the Lions with 404 passing yards,
2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Rivers had plenty of time to
throw and found Keenan Allen 15 times. He also got big contributions
from Stevie Johnson and Ladarius Green. Fantasy owners have been
awaiting Green’s breakout for years and the athletic physical
freak finally put it together with 5 receptions for 74 yards and
a score. The 6’6” tight end used his speed to get
open down the seams of the defense and should be able to keep
a role in this offense even when Antonio Gates comes back from
his suspension. Third year wide-out Allen was open at will adding
166 receiving yards on his 15 receptions to help lead the comeback
charge. Allen struggled as a sophomore after a starring role as
a rookie and looks poised to be a target hound in an efficient
passing game.
The Bengals went into Oakland and handled their business with
ease. An easy matchup became even easier when starting quarterback
Derek Carr hurt his hand attempting a stiff arm while scrambling
and Matt McGloin took over under center. The Bengals held the
Raiders to 183 yards passing after finishing as the 20th ranked
passing defense last season. Even before the Oakland game most
observers predicted an improvement as the young secondary matured.
This week the competition gets better.
Running Game Thoughts: Rookie Melvin Gordon had a highlight reel
touchdown run called back on a holding penalty, making for a disappointing
debut. Gordon gained 51 yards on his other 14 carries on a day
where veteran Danny Woodhead cut into his workload and scored
on touchdown runs from the 9- and 1-yard lines. Surprisingly Woodhead
out carried Gordon in the redzone six carries to none. Woodhead
also operates as the team’s third-down back and looked as
good as ever coming off a broken leg. Gordon will have better
days once he learns to run more decisively, but right now Woodhead
is the back to own for fantasy purposes.
The Bengals held the Raiders to 63 yards rushing last week and
feature one of the nastiest front sevens in the league. Expect
to see them firmly in the top ten ranked run defenses all season
long.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Andy Dalton made good use of the return
of former first round tight end Tyler Eifert during Week 1. Eifert
caught 9 passes for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. With a full complement
of healthy weapons including Eifert and wide receiver Marvin Jones,
Dalton should have a productive season in 2015. A.J. Green wasn’t
used much in Week 1 but is the “forgotten” elite wide
recover by many due to an injury plagued 2014. The Bengals want
to be a run based offense under offensive coordinator Hue Jackson
but can move the ball through the air against almost any defense
if necessary. So long as Andy Dalton avoids costly mistakes, the
Bengals should be serious contenders this season.
The Chargers pass defense looked very vulnerable in the first
half of last week’s game but they made life difficult for
Matthew Stafford after halftime. Melvin Ingram is poised for a
big season and the Bengals must find a way to keep him out of
their backfield on Sunday.
Running Game Thoughts: Jeremy Hill
looked like one of the best running backs in the league during
the final nine games of his rookie season, and he jumped out of
the gates right away in Week 1 scoring twice in Oakland. Hill
gained 63 yards splitting the backfield with third-year player
Giovani Bernard who gained 88 yards of his own. During most weeks
Hill should see a heavy workload with Bernard being used as a
change of pace and third-down back, but Bernard’s presence
keeps Hill from being an elite fantasy running back. From an NFL
perspective though having two quality runners like Hill and Bernard
just make this offense even scarier for their opponents.
The Chargers faced a similar backfield split last week against
the Lions and held them to 69 rushing yards. However, power back
Joique Bell was not completely healthy yet and is far less talented
than Hill.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Marcus Mariota put up one of the all time
performances for a rookie quarterback in his debut game last week.
Mariota completed 81.3% of his passes for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns
without an interception. It won’t always be that easy for
the former Duck, but the rookie looked poised, accurate and smart
with the football. Mariota wasn’t even forced to use what
may be his best fantasy assets, his legs, as he rushed for only
6 yards. Fourth year wide receiver Kendall Wright is at this point
the most talented weapon in the passing game that Mariota can
depend on. Behind Wright are solid but unspectacular veterans
Delanie Walker and Harry Douglas and talented but unproven big
wide receivers Justin Hunter and Dorial Green-Beckham. Tennessee
kept only four wide receivers on the roster so Hunter and DGB
will need to grow up soon so that Mariota can continue his development.
Meanwhile the diminutive Wright will see heavy targets and his
quickness and athleticism will be relied on to get yards after
the catch.
The Browns have a talented defense but managed to be less than
the sum of its parts last season and the opening week of this
year. Veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jet passing
attack managed to have its way last week in between Chris Ivory
and Bilal Powell tearing them up on the ground. The Browns feature
one of the best cover corners in the league in Joe Haden. However,
Haden has often come out as the “loser” in his yearly
battles with Antonio Brown, a wide receiver similar in skill set
to Kendall Wright. Wright is obviously no Brown, but he could
still have a decent day even if he draws Haden in coverage.
Running Game Thoughts: Bishop Sankey
struggled badly as a rookie, but he put together an impressive
preseason and followed it up with the best game of his short career
in Week 1. Sankey totaled 86 yards and scored on the ground and
through the air. Importantly, he looked more decisive carrying
the ball. The list of rookie runners that spent a lot of time
dancing behind the line during their debut seasons before learning
to take what’s given to them is a long one. Perhaps the
light switch has been flipped for Sankey and he will start to
show why he was the first back chose in the 2014 draft. The Titans
have poured a lot of draft and financial assets into their offensive
line and those efforts are starting to show some return. The team
turned to newly acquired Terrance West at the goaline but the
former Brown failed in all of his efforts. He may lose that job
when Antonio Andrews and/or David Cobb return from injury but
he could get a chance to redeem himself against his former team
this week.
The Browns were one of the worst run defenses in the league last
season and continued that trend in Week 1 where they allowed the
Jets 154 yards on the ground. The Titans would love to be able
to take control of this game on the ground in order to take some
pressure off of their rookie quarterback, so that he’s not
forced to live up to the hype created by his debut. The Browns
defense will at least present them with that chance.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Josh McCown may miss this week’s game
after attempting an Elwayesque helicopter spin/dive into the endzone
during the first half of Week 1, and suffering a concussion. He’s
scheduled to practice Friday and head coach Mike Pettitine has
stated McCown will start if he’s cleared to play. Second
year pro Johnny Manziel looked good on his couple of drives after
replacing the journeyman, but quickly turned into Johnny Turnover
letting the game get out of control for the Browns. Manziel and
McCown don’t have a lot of weapons to work with, but their
number one priority needs to be protecting the football. Dwayne
Bowe missed the first game with a lingering leg injury but by
all reports he was having a terrible training camp before the
injury and was low on the depth chart anyway. That leaves only
the mediocre Brian Hartline and tiny targets Andrew Hawkins and
Taylor Gabriel running patterns for the Browns on Sundays. This
is a situation to avoid in all but the deepest of leagues.
For the second consecutive week the Titans will face a turnover
prone quarterback. The unit looked like world beaters last week
against rookie Jameis Winston, holding Tampa Bay to 181 yards
and intercepting Winston twice. The truth of the matter is that
this unit will likely falter against most good passing attacks,
but heading into Week 3 they could find themselves as the top
ranked pass defense if McCown/Manziel looks as bad as they did
last week.
Running Game Thoughts: As bad as
the passing game was last week, the Cleveland running game wasn’t
much better. Isaiah Crowell found little running room and was
unable to break any big plays on his way to 20 yards on 12 carries.
Rookie Duke Johnson looked a little better gaining 22 yards on
his 7 carries, but overall the team could not get anything going
on the ground. Johnson missed most of camp with a hamstring injury
and then a concussion, and once he gets up to speed his role may
increase, but right now it seems the team is intent to keep Crowell
and Johnson in a timeshare. There isn’t much behind the
duo, at least until Robert Turbin returns from a high ankle sprain.
The Titans held the Buccaneers to 92 yards of rushing offense
on a day where their rookie quarterback struggled mightily. The
Browns will have no choice but to try and establish a running
game and should find the Titans’ front seven a softer opposition
than the Jets’ unit. However, this game is a strong contender
for the week’s lowest scoring contest.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Last week it was mentioned in this space
that it would be surprising if Brian Hoyer clung onto the Texans’
starting quarterback job all season. So an appearance by Ryan
Mallett was certainly no shock, but for him to replace Hoyer after
three quarters in Week 1 was maybe a bit unexpected. Mallett will
start this week, but no matter who was under center, fantasy owners
would still want to deploy DeAndre Hopkins (9 catches, 98 yards,
2 TD) in their WR corps against the Panthers.
Carolina did a good job last week against Jacksonville –
at least on paper. They held Blake Bortles to less than 200 passing
yards and no Jags pass-catcher had more than 60 receiving yards,
but then again, it was the Jaguars, and they aren’t particularly
known for their explosiveness in the passing game.
Running Game Thoughts: Alfred Blue
did a decent job as Arian Foster’s replacement last week,
carrying the rock nine times for 42 yards while Jonathan Grimes
added six carries for 28 yards and Chris Polk had five carries
for 22 yards. Unfortunately, a trio of backs isn’t very
fantasy friendly and none of them get enough looks to have any
type of fantasy value against the Panthers.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Ted Ginn is a nice complementary player,
but nobody would ever mistake him for a number one wideout. So
the fact that he led the Panthers with seven targets last week
speaks volumes about the team’s pass-catchers. With Kelvin
Benjamin out, Carolina is thin on receivers, and it’s bound
to hurt Cam Newton, as evidenced by his 175-yard, one touchdown
and one interception day in his team’s win over Jacksonville
last week. On top of that, tight end Greg Olsen managed just a
single reception for 11 yards (three targets). But the team has
apparently acknowledged the need to get Olsen more looks, and
this week against Houston would seem an opportune time.
The Texans were brutal against Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce last
week, allowing him to catch all six passes thrown his way and
giving up 106 yards and a pair of scores in the process. Overall,
Houston allowed three touchdown throws to Alex Smith in Week 1,
and while it’s hard to envision Newton replicating that
achievement, at the very least Olsen should step up enough to
be a viable TE1.
Running Game Thoughts: Jonathan
Stewart was a disappointment for fantasy owners last week, carrying
the ball 18 times but for only 56 yards, with 22 of those yards
coming on one play. Newton had 35 rushing yards on 14 carries,
and fantasy owners shouldn’t expect things to get a whole
lot better this week against the Texans, who held Jamaal Charles
to 57 yards on 16 carries in Week 1.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Much was made of the struggles endured by
rookie Jameis Winston last week in his team’s loss to the
Titans, but mostly because his rookie counterpart, Marcus Mariota,
looked so good. Winston failed to complete 50 percent of his throws
and tossed a pair of interceptions, but on a positive note did
connect with second-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins for
two scores and 110 yards. But Seferian-Jenkins is likely to take
a step – or two – back this week should Mike Evans
return from his hamstring malady. If so, he should be inserted
directly into fantasy lineups with his match-up against the Saints.
New Orleans was good against wideouts last season, and may still
be this year, but did allow the 10th-most fantasy points to players
at the position last week in their loss to Arizona. Their generosity
in allowing fantasy points didn’t stop there though. The
Saints also allowed the third-most points to quarterbacks and
seventh-most to tight ends.
Running Game Thoughts: There was
a lot of talk about Doug Martin possibly returning to form this
season, and though that didn’t happen during Week 1, he
did run for 52 yards on 11 carries. Unfortunately he did nothing
as a pass-catcher, but should still be looked at as a possible
flex option this week against a less than stellar Saints run defense.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Drew Brees had his typical game in terms
of yards last week during the Saints’ loss to the Cardinals,
accumulating 355 yards on 30 completions but throwing just one
touchdown with one interception. None of the team’s receivers
had great days, and in fact half of Brees’ completions went
to running backs or fullbacks, led by Mark Ingram’s 98 yards
on eight catches. Still, it’s hard not to get excited about
what the likes of Brees, Brandin Cooks or a healthy C.J. Spiller
could do this week against Tampa.
The Buccaneers’ pass defense was just plain lousy against
the Titans last week, allowing the aforementioned Mariota to complete
13 of his 16 passes, including four touchdowns. Tampa allowed
two touchdown receptions to wideouts, one to a tight end, and
another to a running back, making this a very good match-up for
Brees and Co.
Running Game Thoughts: With Spiller
(knee) out, the running duties were split between Ingram and Khiry
Robinson, with poor results. Ingram ran for 24 yards on nine carries
while Robinson managed just 19 yards on eight carries. It’s
unknown right now how the team will divide carries when Spiller
does return, but Ingram should still get the bulk of the work
and should improve his numbers this week against Tampa.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Ryan Tannehill had a solid if unspectacular
game last week in his team’s win over Washington, throwing
for 226 yards and one score without an interception. There was
a bit of clarity in the team’s muddled receiving corps though,
with Jarvis Landry sitting atop the field with 12 targets. He
caught eight of those throws, but for a middling 53 yards, while
tight end Jordan Cameron led the squad with 73 yards on four receptions.
All three players should be in the discussion as possibilities
for fantasy owners, though Landry is more a WR3 type than clear-cut
starter this week against the Jaguars.
Jacksonville did a decent job statistically last week in their
contest against the Panthers, but then again, it’s not as
if Carolina employs the most dynamic group of pass-catchers in
the league. That makes it difficult to tell exactly what the team
has on pass defense, something that should be made a bit clearer
after this week.
Running Game Thoughts: Lamar Miller
had a nondescript outing against Washington, rushing for 53 yards
on 13 carries, an average of 4.1 YPC. He also had one reception
for 22 yards, a total output that isn’t going to please
many fantasy owners. Miller faces a Jaguars team that held the
Panthers to a YPC average of 3.0, but as Miami’s unquestioned
number one back, should still be considered a RB2 or very good
flex play.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Jacksonville pass offense has been irrelevant
to fantasy owners for some time, and their performance last week
in a loss to Carolina did little to change things. Blake Bortles
completed 22 of his 40 throws for 183 yards, one touchdown and
a pair of interceptions, though in his defense the Jaguars receivers
did little to help, having developed a case of the dropsies.
The team still has nobody fantasy owners can rely on, though rookie
Rashad Greene did have a touchdown among his 13 targets and seven
receptions (though he could only amass 28 yards). Still, there’s
no member of the Jacksonville passing game for fantasy owners
to deploy as the team takes on the Dolphins this week.
Running Game Thoughts: As expected,
rookie T.J. Yeldon led the way for Jacksonville, rushing for 51
yards on 12 carries. It wasn’t a spectacular debut by any
means, but the 67 total yards he amassed at least proved there
is potential contribution to be made for his fantasy owners. Yeldon’s
worth a look this week against a Dolphins team that allowed 125
yards and 4.8 YPC to Alfred Morris last week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Filling in for an injured Geno Smith last
week, Ryan Fitzpatrick was solid, accumulating 179 passing yards
while tossing a pair of scores and one interception in the Jets’
win over the Browns. Fantasy owners of Brandon Marshall had to
be happy also, as he caught a touchdown to go with his 61 yards
on six receptions. Eric Decker caught the other touchdown pass,
but had only 37 yards on two catches, with Chris Owusu actually
second on the team in targets and catches.
None of these players are necessarily going to be fantasy stars,
but could be useful in the right situations, particularly Marshall.
Still, it’s a bit worrisome that their opponent this week,
the Colts, managed to hold Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins without
a reception last week, so Marshall might be best thought of as
a WR3.
Running Game Thoughts: The Jets
have been known as a ground-and-pound team for a while now, and
they reinforced that image in Week 1, with Chris Ivory carrying
the ball 20 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns while Bilal
Powell got 12 carries and managed 62 yards. Don’t expect
another pair of scores for Ivory this week, but he still needs
to be in fantasy lineups as a solid RB2.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Andrew Luck struggled last week in his team’s
loss to Buffalo, completing only 26 of his 49 throws for 243 yards,
two touchdowns, and two interceptions. T.Y. Hilton (bruised knee)
was the team’s top receiver in the game, with 88 yards on
seven receptions, but he could be out this week, making Donte
Moncrief and Andre Johnson far more fantasy relevant. Moncrief
had 46 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, but Johnson managed
only 24 yards on four catches despite getting targeted 10 times.
At tight end, Coby Fleener continued to frustrate with five yards
on his only catch, but it’s hard to fault him because he
was targeted just once. On the other hand, Dwayne Allen was targeted
six times, and did what he usually does – score a touchdown.
Allen and Moncrief are the best bets for fantasy owners this week
against New York, and don’t even think of removing Luck,
despite his troubles in Week 1.
Running Game Thoughts: There was
little running game to speak of for Indy last week, as Frank Gore
led the way with eight carries and 31 yards. Those meager totals
won’t be inspiring confidence in fantasy owners, nor should
they. It’s probably best to avoid Gore this week against
the Jets, who held Cleveland running backs to just 46 yards on
20 carries last week.
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