Passing
Game Thoughts: The new look Texans are 2-0, but if you’re
looking for a reason why, start with the defense. The Texans are
functioning as “Denver-lite” with the defense carrying
the quarterback. While Brock Osweiler is certainly better than
Trevor Siemian, he hasn’t looked like a franchise QB, but
rather just a guy filling the spot. With that being said, it’s
worked out great for DeAndre Hopkins and rookie sensation Will
Fuller. I will admit – I was not on the Fuller bandwagon
this off-season. I thought he was just a burner who couldn’t
catch. However, he has full control of the No.2 wide receiver
job and while the drops are still there, he looks like a legitimate
option. Hopkins remains the focal point of this passing game,
but through two weeks, there have been enough opportunities for
both (Hopkins-19 targets, Fuller-18 targets). However, this is
not an easy matchup going into New England and it’s hard
to know what to expect given the Patriots QB situation likely
altering their game plan. Last year, Belichick erased DHop (3-52-0).
There are fears he may do it again.
NE FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.8
NE FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.17
NE FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.4
NE FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.12
Running Game Thoughts: Lamar Miller’s
transition from Houston to Miami was a hot topic among fantasy
owners during the pre-season. Through two weeks Miller’s
increased workload (59 touches) has come with decreased efficiency
(3.6 ypc). However, that does not mean Lamar Miller isn’t
still an RB1. Far worse players have produced on volume alone.
Miller has received 85 percent of the RB carries (53-of-62) in
Houston through two weeks. He is an above average NFL talent and
still one of the better running backs in the league. He should
remain a low end RB1 this week against a Patriots defense sitting
in the middle of the pack in FPts Allowed to running backs.
Passing Game Thoughts: Did you know that the Patriots backup quarterback
by the end of last week’s game was Julian Edelman? Yeah,
things are that bad for the Patriots right now. Bill Belichick
has this aura surrounding him that he can win with any warm body
under center. That’s about to get legitimately put to the
test as third round rookie Jacoby Brissett will make his first
career start…on a short week…against the Texans defense.
Jimmy Garoppolo (18-27, 234, 3 TD) looked like a top half of the
league QB as he picked apart the hapless Dolphins secondary last
week. Then he took a hard fall on his right shoulder. Unfortunately,
this likely marks the end of the Garoppolo era in New England.
He’s apparently been under pressure from the Patriots to
get himself ready for Thursday night, but it’s simply not
happening. Brissett will start this week and likely next and then
the prodigal son returns. So what does this all mean for the next
two weeks and Thursday night in particular? When Garoppolo went
down, the Patriots led 24-3. The game ended with Tannehill having
a shot at a game tying drive. Julian Edelman was catching everything
in the first half. That promptly ended once Brissett took over.
Basically, the offense stalled. It would certainly help if Rob
Gronkowski (hamstring) returned this week, but I’d bet against
that. All Patriots must be downgraded.
HOU FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.31
HOU FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.25
HOU FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.24
HOU FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.29
Running Game Thoughts: LeGarrette
Blount saw 29 carries last week, which shouldn’t come as
much of a surprise given that the majority of them were in the
second half, after Garoppolo went down. James White was splitting
snaps with D.J. Foster but neither of them has any value, even
in PPR leagues. Blount figures to be leaned on heavily again as
Belichick’s plan will be to slow down the game as much as
possible. Blount hasn’t been efficient (3.8 ypc), but has
been effective (2 TDs). He’s a decent bet to push 30 carries
on Thursday night.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Stefon Diggs is red hot with back-to-back
100 yard games and has solidified his role as the team’s
top receiving option. He will continue to be a highly targeted
fantasy option but he’ll be drawing more attention from
Carolina this week. The Panthers have allowed the second fewest
fantasy points to receivers in 2016 and without Adrian Peterson
you can bet the Panthers will be giving Diggs plenty of attention.
It’s tough to sit a guy that has had this strong of a start
but if you got Diggs as a mid-to-late rounder you probably have
better options this week. Kyle Rudolph has rekindled his fantasy
value and should be a steady performer this week. The Norte Dame
alum has two touchdowns in three career games versus Carolina
and the Vikings he ranks second on the team in targets. Sam Bradford
proved that he keep this offense afloat but he only through 31
passes in Week 2 and could see even fewer opportunities on Sunday
so keep him benched.
CAR FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.18
CAR FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.6
CAR FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.31
CAR FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.10
Running Game Thoughts: Adrian Peterson’s meniscus injury
is a devastating blow to the Vikings offense but Jerick McKinnon
has had success filling in for AP in the past. Those who were
smart enough to stash him or claim him this week should have a
capable RB2 most weeks. Of course playing the reigning NFC Conference
Champions is one of the exceptions. Quite frankly, we don’t
fully know whether or not the coaching staff will mix in Matt
Asiata or give him a 50-percent stake in the team’s rushing
attempts. Ronnie Hillman, signed this week, will probably steal
a few carries too making this RBBC a headache for Week 3. McKinnon’s
receiving skills give him enough of a boost to be a solid RB3
this week in PPR leagues, but he’s a shaky flex option in
standard leagues. Asiata and Hillman should be owned in deep leagues
but I wouldn’t want to plug either into my starting lineup.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Kelvin Benjamin and Cam Newton look unstoppable.
Newton has looked for “13” on just over 28 percent
of his passing attempts through two weeks. With the ground game
losing Jonathan Stewart that number could grow in Week 3. Nevertheless,
Minnesota’s pass rush is for real. Cam isn’t the easiest
guy to bring down but the guys in purple will be plenty disruptive-especially
if the running game doesn’t get the job done. Greg Olsen
is coming off his first 100-yard performance and remains a fixture
in fantasy lineups. At some point Carolina will be forced to lean
more heavily on their secondary receivers but the match up isn’t
great this week. Ted Guinn, Jr. (3 receptions on 5 targets) and
Devin Funchess (3 receptions on 8 targets) are looking like fantasy
bench warmers until the bye weeks roll around.
MIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.11
MIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.24
MIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.26
MIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.22
Running Game Thoughts: Jonathan Stewart was hurt at the end of
last season and still dealt with injuries during the preseason.
However, Carolina didn’t do anything to bring in depth at
the position and now will need to rely on lesser talents to keep
the Panthers winning ways going in Week 3. Minnesota is one of
only three teams that have yet to allow 100 rushing yards on the
season and the Panthers will be relying on a three-headed RBBC
to get the hob done at home. Fozzy Whittaker finished with 16
carries in relief of Stewy last week but he won’t be asked
to carry the load. With a full week to prepare, expect Cameron
Artis-Payne to open the game as the starter and be used in a more
classic early down role. Whittaker figures to see more touches
than he typically would but I’m not sold on him reaching
double-digit carries unless his backfield mates are truly ineffective.
Mike Tolbert will probably draw the short straw in this game with
the team keeping him in more of a fullback role. Deep leaguers
might gamble on Artis-Payne in standard leagues while Whitaker
is in flex limbo for PPR owners. Considering Cam Newton has 44
career rushing touchdowns and Artis-Payne has 45 career carries
none of Carolina’s running backs offers the upside you want
out of a flex starter.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Mike Wallace has three scores in two games
making him a must own player in all formats. Former Raven Torrey
Smith notched eleven touchdowns in his last season in Baltimore;
however that was before Marc Trestman took over as the OC. The
jury is still out on whether Wallace can be a weekly fixture in
your lineup, but he remains a solid starting option as a WR3 or
Flex going up against a defense that has already allowed five
touchdown passes through the air. Under that same context, Joe
Flacco is a borderline starter this week as well. The Ravens’
signal caller is never a sexy choice but he threw for over 300
yards and three scores against the Jags last season and has just
enough talent around him to repeat that success. Dennis Pitta
made a statement a week ago by going over the century mark on
twelve targets. He has showed plenty of promise when healthy and
could shape up to be a fringe starter/match up TE2. However, I’d
suggest waiting another week to see if his usage in the offense
remains consistent enough before plugging him into the lineup.
The only other receiver to garner more than two targets in a game
has been Breshad Perriman. He has only played in about 30-percent
of Baltimore’s offensive snaps and shouldn’t see an
increase this week.
JAC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.6
JAC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.23
JAC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.5
JAC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.21
Running Game Thoughts: This backfield situation is currently
at about a 50-50 split between Justin Forsett and Terrance West
so theoretically there is a chance that somebody will have fantasy
appeal this week. However, the Jags’ run defense continues
to be solid after allowing a total of 210 yards and a lone rushing
touchdown through two weeks of action. The Ravens struggle to
run the ball (under 90 total rushing yards in both games this
season) washes away any hope for Forsett or West being a productive
fantasy back in Week 3. Considering this RBBC may become a bloated
four-man amoeba if Javorius Allen is given a shot and Kenneth
Dixon remains on schedule in his rehab from a sprained MCL, you
may want to consider abandoning ship sooner than later.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Add Allen Robinson’s name to the potential
bust list after two weeks of play although I wouldn’t worry
too much about Robinson considering the offense hasn’t really
offered much of a threat in the rushing game to keep defenses
honest. The Jags’ top man on the outside has still posted
one game with a whopping 15 targets (vs. GB) and another with
his typical high-end YPC (18.0 at SD). Baltimore is a challenging
opponent but QB Blake Bortles was able to find Robinson for a
touchdown last season when these two teams met so he remains a
must start. Allen Hurns hasn’t been the one capitalizing
on Allen Robinson’s slow start. In fact, since Week 10 of
last season, Hurns has more games with single digit fantasy points
(6) in standard scoring leagues than he does with double-digit
scoring weeks (3). The team isn’t going to throw as often
this season if it can get the running game on track and Julius
Thomas is the preferred option in the red zone. Thomas is off
to a promising start averaging six receptions and 67.5 receiving
yards in two games. He probably rounds out the top ten tight ends
this week as a player that may need a touchdown to prop up his
final tally against the Ravens. Marquis Lee’s final stat
line included seven targets. He looks like the next best receiving
option on this team and is a player with upside if an injury were
to occur.
BAL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.30
BAL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.13
BAL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.27
BAL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.25
Running Game Thoughts: T.J. Yeldon’s performance over the
first two weeks has only proved the Jags brass correct in their
assessment of the running attack following the 2015 campaign.
Yeldon’s 2.4 YPC through two weeks just isn’t equipped
to provide this team with enough punch to keep the offense out
of third and long situations. Furthermore, the team is coming
off a game against the Chargers where its quarterback led the
team in rushing yards. Boasting a career 4.6 YPC, Chris Ivory
has returned to practice this week and is on track to give this
offense a true between the tackles bruiser. Baltimore has been
strong against the run thus far but not impenetrable. If Ivory
is healthy enough to play he should approach 15 carries and has
considerable touchdown upside if the team gets in close. If things
go according to plan, fantasy owners should be able to expect
both Yeldon and Ivory to be flex options in any given week. Ivory’s
return would push Denard Robinson back down the depth chart and
off the fantasy map.
Passing
Game Thoughts: As long as the Raiders defense is unable
to prevent other teams from scoring the Oakland passing attack
will continue to post relatively nice fantasy values each week.
Derek Carr has had a strong start to the year, but after seeing
two cupcake defenses he’ll get his first taste of a worthy
opponent going up against the Titans. I don’t expect a horrible
performance considering the success this team has had throwing
the ball but I suspect both teams will want to establish the running
attack early. This could shorten the game and lead to fewer passing
attempts. The last time Amari Cooper stopped in Tennessee he lit
up the Titans to the tune of seven receptions and 115 yards. This
time around expect Cooper to add that missing touchdown to his
final stat line. He’s been targeted 20 times thus far and
should once again flirt with double-digit targets making him one
of the best upside plays this week. Michael Crabtree has yet to
produce like a top receiver in 2016 but that might change this
weekend. Clive Walford delivered his first worthwhile fantasy
week after finding the end zone against the Falcons. Until he
proves to be a more consistent contributor in this offense, he
should be viewed as a match up play for fantasy purposes. Unfortunately,
a date against the Titan’s defense and blitzing schemes
is not ideal for Walford.
TEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.26
TEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.32
TEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.20
TEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.18
Running Game Thoughts: Unlike some RBBC situations, Oakland’s
lead rusher has been a solid fantasy performer over the first
two weeks of the season. While some fantasy owners are being scared
off by the emergence of DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard and
Jamize Olawale as complementary pieces, Murray is a reliable source
for 15 touches and goal line carries in an offense that has scored
35 points in each of its first two games. Rookie DeAndre Washington
and the rest of Oakland’s running backs are not a threat
to Murray’s role so keep plugging him in as a quality RB2.
Washington has yet to garner more than seven touches in a game
and can be kept on your bench in all formats. Jalen Richard may
have already had his best fantasy outing of the season and it
would be surprising to see him get more than a handful of carries.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Marcus Mariota was showing signs of a knee
injury but he practiced all week and shouldn’t be limited
against Oakland this weekend. After facing the Lions and the Vikings,
the second year quarterback gets to take aim at the most friendly
defense for opposing quarterbacks. Expect the Titans passing game
to keep up the momentum from last week and test this defense with
the play action ball down the sidelines. Tajae Sharpe leads the
team in targets (18) and should start finding his way into starting
lineups this week. Tight end Delanie Walker is the most well rounded
fantasy asset in of the Titans’ pass catchers and will likely
be the second tight end to register a touchdown against the Raiders
this season. Rishard Mathews has started the season slow but figures
to start seeing more chances as this passing attack evolves each
week.
OAK FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.1
OAK FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.12
OAK FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.1
OAK FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.4
Running Game Thoughts: DeMarco Murray continues to lead this
team’s rushing attack with 25 rushing attempts compared
to Derrick Henry’s 14. However it his work in the passing
game that has his fantasy stock on the rise coming into Week 3.
He has already racked up 12 receptions and two receiving touchdowns
on the year. Boasting dual threat fantasy potential against a
weak Raiders defense offers RB1 upside. The Raiders gave up 139
yards and 1 TD to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman on the ground
last week. Tennessee did lose one of its starting guards this
week when Chance Warmack decided to have surgery to repair a tendon
in his finger. The Titans have enough depth to patch this hole
but wouldn’t be so lucky if they lost another starter for
any length of time.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It’s tough to expect much from a passing
attack that has yet to throw a passing touchdown on the year but
the Bucs have yielded five such touchdowns to open 2016. Making
matters worse is the fact that Case Keenum has little upside to
his game and has not been effective at keeping defenses from keying
on Todd Gurley. Then again, somebody has to catch the ball in
Los Angeles. Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin are the best of an uninspiring
group. Figuring out which player will get the majority of the
looks is a crapshoot with Austin seeing more in Week 1 (12 targets)
and Britt coming through in Week 2 (10 targets). Britt’s
size has helped him rack up two-game average YAC of 16.1 and could
afford him more red zone looks than Austin so consider him the
better receiving option for Week 3. TE Lance Kendricks is lumped
into this inconsistent attack as well. He posted a worthy line
a week ago (4-61) but can’t be recommended until this offense
proves it can support more than one player in the passing game.
TB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.5
TB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.7
TB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.6
TB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.23
Running Game Thoughts: Anyone looking to buy into Todd Gurley
for a discount should have been sending trade offers out all week.
The Rams’ big running back is still the focal point of this
offense but they will struggle against stacked boxes until the
passing game improves. Nevertheless, very few running backs are
closing in on 20 touches each week so Gurley remains a pivotal
player in every fantasy league. On paper, Gurley finally gets
to square off against an opponent who is vulnerable against the
run (TB has given up the seventh most fantasy points to running
backs). However, this is a bit misleading considering most of
the damage came via receiving yardage. In actuality, the Bucs
rank tenth in rushing yards allowed. Better days are ahead for
Gurley but don’t expect RB1 numbers from him this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Just when it appeared that Jameis Winston
had turned the corner, he turns the ball over multiple times and
leaves fantasy owners hung out to dry. Winston will try to be
the first quarterback to throw for a touchdown on the Rams this
season. The one area where the Rams did have trouble in the passing
game last week was with Tyler Lockett. Look for Tampa Bay to lean
on Mike Evans early and often in this game as they try to loosen
up the front seven. The 2014 first rounder out of Texas is coming
off his fourth game with 17 or more targets and a fifth may be
in store on Sunday. Vincent Jackson saw nine targets last week
but continues to be plagued by a poor catch rate making him an
unreliable fantasy asset. Adam Humphries is trying to seize an
opportunity in this offense. He will continue to see time working
from the slot but needs to string together a few nice outings
before landing on the weekly fantasy radar. The tight end position
has been slow to emerge in 2016. Austin Sefarian Jenkins has failed
to unseat Cameron Brate and was picked up for DUI this morning.
He’s off the fantasy radar.
LAR FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.27
LAR FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.11
LAR FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.29
LAR FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.15
Running Game Thoughts: Doug Martin’s injury seemed to completely
derail this offense a week ago but they will be better prepared
when they take the field against the Rams this weekend. Charles
Sims is fully healthy and finally gets a crack at receiving the
bulk of the rushing load against a Rams defense that successfully
held Seattle’s running game in check. Any time you can get
a player with a three-down role into your lineup you should do
so and hope he breaks one or finds the end zone. The team brought
in Jacquizz Rodgers to provide some semblance of depth while Doug
Martin is on the mend. He will be used primarily as a backup,
only seeing the field when Sims needs a breather. There is certainly
more than a little upside for the third-year runner out of West
Virginia to pull off his best Spencer Ware impression and be a
borderline RB1 over the next few weeks.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It’s the Travis Benjamin show in San
Diego and his owners should ride the wave into Week 3 against
an injury depleted Colts secondary. Benjamin’s YPC jumped
from 4.3 to 19.2 in the team’s first outing without Keenan
Allen. He won’t need to be heavily targeted to post solid
WR2 numbers this week. Meanwhile, Tyrell Williams was an effective
deep threat in his first game as a starter and presents a tough
match up for Indy. Williams and Antonio Gates (hamstring) are
less likely to deliver much yardage this week, but each player
presents a mismatch that Rivers can exploit. Insert Hunter Henry
if Gates is inactive. The loss of Danny Woodhead for the season
will certainly be felt in the short passing game. San Diego will
turn to Dontrelle Inman and Dexter McCluster to fill in those
gaps but neither can be trusted this week.
IND FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.16
IND FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.1
IND FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.25
IND FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.14
Running Game Thoughts: Melvin Gordon has officially put 2015
in the rearview mirror and erased any lingering question marks
about his ability to get the ball into the end zone after registering
three scores over the season’s first two weeks. Adding to
the rise of Gordon’s fantasy value this week is the loss
of Danny Woodhead for the year. He’ll get the majority of
the snaps this week with Kenneth Farrow and Andre Williams backing
him up. Indianapolis just happens to be the most fantasy friendly
defense to opposing running backs yielding a combined five touchdowns
so plug Gordon in with confidence this week. He will be highly
owned in DFS cash games this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Andrew Luck draws the Chargers this week
after delivering one of the worst performances of his career.
The Colts quarterback failed to reach 200 passing yards for the
first time since his rookie season and he will be without Donte
Moncrief for the next month. Phillip Dorsett is in line to post
his second career game with over six targets and his big play
potential down the field will be paramount to Indy’s chances
at winning. San Diego has given up plenty of fantasy points to
quarterbacks and tight ends but they are one of the best ball
hawking teams in the league (3 INTs is tied for second most in
NFL). T.Y. Hilton is on pace to receive 184 targets this season.
That total would have been good enough to place fourth amongst
receivers in 2015 so it is only a matter of time before he breaks
out for his owners. Jack Doyle has more receptions and touchdowns
than Dwayne Allen through two weeks. If there is such a thing
as a tight end vulture, Doyle is it so be careful before trusting
Allen in your starting lineup this week.
SD FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.2
SD FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.10
SD FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.17
SD FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.5
Running Game Thoughts: Consistently mediocre is the best way
to sum up the Colts’ rushing attack. Frank Gore has been
as good as expected but Indy isn’t likely to increase his
14-18 touches per game workload. Surprisingly, Chargers’
opponents have tallied more receptions than rushing attempts.
Gore frequently chips in with a few receptions each game but if
he is unable to find much room on the ground his owners should
be able to count on him padding his stats through the air. Robert
Turbin found the end zone last week but fantasy owners shouldn’t
worry about this becoming a vulture situation. For his part, Turbin
appears to have established himself as the next man up should
something happen to the 33-year old Gore.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Matt Ryan’s resurgence rolls into
New Orleans boasting a completion percentage over 72-percent and
two consecutive games with over 300 passing yards and multiple
touchdown passes. That being said, New Orleans’ pass defense
has been giving up yardage but they have only given up one touchdown
through the air. That is pretty impressive considering the Saints’
played fantasy studs Odell Beckham Jr. and Amari Cooper. You are
not going to bench Julio Jones but he might not be quite the fantasy
beast you are expecting given the match up. Mohamed Sanu looks
like a nice complementary receiver in this offense but he will
struggle to find consistency given the potent touchdown-makers
on this team. In his lone career game at New Orleans he was only
able to muster up 23 receiving yards on three receptions.
NO FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.22
NO FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.3
NO FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.8
NO FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.28
Running Game Thoughts: Don’t let last week’s score
fool you, the Saints defense was plenty porous against the Giants
giving up 22 first downs and over 400 yards of total offense.
Atlanta will need to win this game on the ground where Tevin Coleman
isn’t going away despite being the non-starter. He is one
of the tougher players to trust in standard scoring lineups despite
finding a way to post productive fantasy outings with limited
touches. Devonta Freeman is the best bet to lead the team in rushing
attempts for a third straight game and is the optimal choice inside
the ten-yard line but his usage in the passing game has dried
up. This is a real concern considering that Freeman ended up with
a reception touchdown in each of his team’s two meetings
against the Saints in 2015. I think there is enough offense for
both runners to be worth flexing this week, but Coleman’s
upside may be greater due to his role in the passing game.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Drew Brees should be a fine play against
an Atlanta defense that has allowed Jameis Winston to throw four
touchdowns and Derek Carr three to open the year. Playing in a
Monday Night Football game in the Superdome is typically a good
situation if you own anyone in the Saints’ passing game.
It’s extra special when their opponent is allowing the third
most fantasy points to QBs through two weeks. The long time Saints
quarterback has thrown for over 300 passing yards in 14-of-21
career games against divisional rival Atlanta, including his last
four outings. Although Brandin Cooks was unable to find much room
against the Falcons last season (11 targets in two contests) he
leads the team in targets and remains a must start fantasy play.
Willie Snead has played his way into the conversation of every
week starter as well. The Ball State alum has seen only one fewer
target than Cooks and has already found the end zone twice after
only scoring three times in 2015. Despite being a clear part of
the Week 2 game plan and receiving eight targets, Coby Fleener
failed to make an impact in the passing game for the second week
in a row. This was one of the reason’s why the team struggled
on third downs (3 for 13) and he may have lost some trust with
his quarterback. If he isn’t able to right the ship against
the Falcons fantasy owners will need to drop him down into TE2
purgatory.
ATL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.3
ATL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.5
ATL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.12
ATL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.2
Running Game Thoughts: It almost seems like Mark Ingram hasn’t
even played given the lack of chatter regarding New Orleans’
lead back. Then again, New Orleans has yet to commit to the rush
and has two losses to show for it. Ingram has only 21 rushing
attempts in two games There isn’t any sign of a health issue
and he is being used as the primary back so I wouldn’t worry
too much. The juicy match up should spark a return to his RB1
ways this week. The Falcons have allowed three rushing touchdowns
and just lost their leading tackler over the past three years,
Paul Worrilow, to a groin injury. The release of C.J. Spiller
paves the way for Travis Cadet to find his way onto the PPR grid
considering this team’s propensity to put up enough points
to cover for the team’s shortcomings on defense.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Andy Dalton leads the NFL in passing yards
(732) in large part due to the team’s downfield passing
attack. The Bengals have more pass plays over 20 yards than any
team in the league. While all of this may be surprising, what
is even more surprising is that the Bengals have become a pass
first, pass second and pass third offense. More than 85 percent
of the team’s offensive production has come from passing
yardage. This hasn’t translated into creating new fantasy
studs however, as only A.J. Green has been a fantasy asset thus
far. Dalton has spread the rest of the targets around to the team’s
secondary receivers Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd, tight end C.J.
Uzomah and running back Giovani Bernard. This week they run into
the Denver Broncos who have manhandled opposing wide receivers
allowing only 16 receptions to the position in two games. The
Broncos are allowing only 173 passing yards per game overall making
them a matchup nightmare for quarterbacks and most wide receivers.
CIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.13
CIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.8
CIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.22
CIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.11
Running Game Thoughts: The Bengals haven’t emphasized running
the ball during the first two weeks of the season, perhaps because
they have faced two top run defenses (NYJ, PIT). Jeremy Hill has
only 20 carries gaining 53 yards. The sledding surprisingly gets
a little easier this week against a Denver team that is allowing
120 yards per game on the ground. However, the Broncos allowed
only 91.2 yards per game in 2015 so this year’s higher output
could be skewed by having faced teams quarterbacked by Cam Newton
and Andrew Luck, two of the game’s best runners at the position.
While Dalton is surprisingly mobile, he’s not in the class
of Newton and Luck. So while the matchup may still prove to be
tough despite the numbers, the Bengals cannot abandon the run
since field position and time of possession will be vital in a
matchup of two of the league’s best defenses.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It was expected that Trevor Siemian would
not be asked by Head Coach Gary Kubiak to be more than a game
manager on a team that wants to run the ball and play tough defense.
However, the Broncos have moved the ball through the air effectively
and have thrown the ball more than some pundits predicted they
would. Siemian has shown great poise for a first time starter
and has the arm strength to make all the throws. Demaryius Thomas
played well last week despite chatter that a hip injury could
keep him out of the lineup, so his health should no longer be
a concern. However the difficult matchup could be. The Bengals’
pass defense is holding opposing quarterbacks to a league low
52.8 percent as they feature outstanding defensive backs and can
get after the quarterback. They have allowed only 219 passing
yards per game. We should expect that number to not likely rise
much after this week’s game.
DEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.20
DEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.21
DEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.30
DEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.16
Running Game Thoughts: C.J. Anderson has been one of the best
backs in the league over the first two weeks, and the Broncos
seem content on letting him carry the offense on his shoulders.
He has 222 total yards and 3 touchdowns on 47 touches, and there’s
no reason to keep him out of your lineup when facing a defense
that has allowed both Matt Forte and DeAngelo Williams to have
big games. Anderson’s volume (72% share of DEN RB touches)
gives him a high floor and he’s been pushing his ceiling
up as well with his explosive cuts and big play ability.
Passing
Game Thoughts: After the loss of Calvin Johnson, Matthew
Stafford has led a more balanced passing attack this season. New
comer Marvin Jones has led the team in targets (22) through two
games with and there’s no reason to expect that to change
this week. Surprisingly, Golden Tate has not benefited at all
from the loss of Johnson, seeing the same percentage of throws
he did in 2015 so far. Fantasy owners likely thought he’d
see a bump in targets with Megatron’s retirement but those
available targets have instead gone to Jones, as well as Anquan
Boldin and tight end Eric Ebron. This should be a good matchup
for the Detroit passing game, as Jacksonville and Minnesota have
each managed to move the ball through the air against this defense.
The Packers have allowed a touchdown to their opponent’s
tight ends in each of the first two games so Eric Ebron should
get strong consideration for your line-up.
GB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.17
GB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.31
GB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.15
GB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.3
Running Game Thoughts: With Ameer
Abdullah having been placed on IR, the three-headed committee
likely becomes a two-man operation going forward. That will make
things a little easier for fantasy owners who did not own Abdullah.
Rookie Dwayne Washington beat out Zach Zenner (a healthy scratch
the first two weeks) for the “big back” role and he
should benefit the most from Abdullah’s absence. He combines
good size and speed and is the superior inside runner versus Riddick.
Riddick should continue to be used as a third-down back and will
likely see an increase in carries as well. Unfortunately for those
that own a piece of this backfield, the Packers have been the
league’s best defense against the run allowing only 78 yards
total in two games (JAX & MIN). Those low totals, may have
been dictated by their opponent’s game plans and the Adrian
Peterson injury however, since the team did allow over 100 yards
per game in 2015. If you don’t believe in small sample sizes,
either Detroit back could be an interesting flex play.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Maybe the allure of playing at home will
help Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay passing game get back on
track. Rodgers struggled for most of 2015, and the offense has
yet to look in-synch through the first two games. Jordy Nelson
should improve, as his gets his legs back after sitting out all
of 2015 with an ACL tear. Nelson has scored in 12 out of his past
18 games dating back to 2014, so he’s a tough “sit”
even if the Lions do feature an elite cornerback like Darius Slay.
However, Randall Cobb has continued to struggle as he did last
season and just doesn’t look quite as explosive as he did
earlier in his career. He no longer is a “plug and play”
receiver. Meanwhile, Davante Adams should be looking over his
shoulder with the way he’s been playing and with some young
talent on the depth chart behind him. The Lions’ pass defense
has allowed 296 yards per game and 6 touchdowns through the air
during the first two weeks so perhaps it will be the cure for
what’s ailing the Pack passing attack. If Rodgers, Cobb
and Adams continue to underperform this week, it may be time to
panic a bit, but until then we should all R-E-L-A-X.
DET FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.4
DET FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.22
DET FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.18
DET FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.1
Running Game Thoughts: Eddie Lacy hasn’t been as involved
in the passing game as he was earlier in his career (1 rec, 17
yds) and while he’s been effective running the ball the
volume just hasn’t been there either leaving his fantasy
owners feeling less than satisfied. Lacy is averaging an effective
4.6 yards per carry, but he’s only seen 26 carries and has
not found the endzone. Detroit hasn’t been particularly
tough against the run allowing 110 rushing yards per game, but
held Lacy in check last season. Veteran James Starks did not see
much action in Week 1, but was on the field a lot more in Week
2 when the Packers were trailing. He seems to be the preferred
option in the passing game further limiting Lacy’s value.
It isn’t time to panic yet, but moving Lacy to the bench
could be an option for those that have depth at the position.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The 49ers’ passing game continues
to be mediocre for fantasy purposes and that doesn’t seem
likely to change here as the team heads to Seattle to play against
one of the league’s most smothering secondaries. Seattle
is one of only two teams (Philadelphia) who has not yet conceded
a passing touchdown this season and they’ve had a pretty
good history of keeping the 49ers’ passing game in check
over the past few seasons. In fact, the 49ers have not scored
more than 20 points in a game against the Seahawks since 2011.
The upside just is not here to justify trusting Blaine Gabbert
or really any of the San Francisco passing weapons, but if you
have to roll someone out, make it wide receiver Torrey Smith who
was targeted 10 times in Week 2. Smith is a deep threat who has
struggled to find much of a connection with Gabbert, but at least
has the potential to get the ball into the end zone if he does
get his hands on it.
SEA FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.29
SEA FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.30
SEA FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.32
SEA FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.26
Running Game Thoughts: Carlos Hyde
continues to be a Week 1 wonder for fantasy owners as just like
he did in 2015, he had a monster night the opening game of the
2016 season and then fell flat on his face the next week. Hyde’s
14 carries for 34 yards can be somewhat forgiven due to Carolina
having a great front seven and the game flow simply not allowing
for the 49ers to run the ball as they tried to crawl out of a
deficit, but it still goes to show that Hyde simply cannot be
relied upon as an every week starter. He’ll get the bulk
of the workload in this game, but has not had great success against
the Seahawks in the past. Hyde has compiled a total of just 114
rushing yards in three career games against Seattle. Still, given
the tremendous amount of uncertainty throughout the league at
the running back position right now, Hyde probably slots in as
a low-end RB2 or Flex play in most formats. Shaun Draughn (19
touches) continues to be more of a drain on Hyde’s value
than a source of fantasy production himself, but he does seem
to be one of the most obvious handcuff players in all of fantasy
football.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Off to another disappointing start, Russell
Wilson failed to throw a single touchdown pass in a game for the
first time since Week 17 of the 2014 NFL season – a shocking
disappointment for fantasy owners who had hoped that he would
be able to crush the Rams defense like the 49ers did in Week 1.
But there are some serious problems in this Seattle passing game
right now, most notably the nagging injuries to top receivers
Doug Baldwin (knee) and Tyler Lockett (knee). Both players are
expected to play this weekend, but may play fewer snaps than usual,
making them much lower-end options than they normally are. One
player who may see increased work in this game is tight end Jimmy
Graham who himself has continued to be a huge disappointment,
but does have a bit of upside in this matchup. He played 80 percent
of offensive snaps in Week 2 and that number could go up this
week given the health of the other players in this offense. The
49ers have struggled against large-bodied pass catchers so far
this season, particularly in the red zone, so it wouldn’t
be all that surprising to see Graham get into the end zone here.
SF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.15
SF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.29
SF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.14
SF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.8
Running Game Thoughts: The hype
surrounding Seattle running back Thomas Rawls is quickly fading
as the second-year back continues to struggle and disappoint fantasy
owners. The frustration reached a peak this past week when Rawls
carried the ball just seven times for an astonishing negative-seven
yards rushing. He did add three receptions for 15 yards which
kept him above the dreaded “negative points” threshold
but fantasy owners are certainly expecting more from their back
who was selected in the third or fourth round of most drafts.
Instead, the previously written off Christine Michael has been
doing most of the damage on the ground, including 60-plus yards
rushing in each of his first two games. With Rawls missing practice
time this week due to a nagging leg injury, it would not be surprising
to again see Michael get the majority of touches out of the backfield,
especially if Rawls ends up not playing. The matchup here isn’t
particularly great as the 49ers have held opposing running backs
to just over 3.8 yards per carry over the first two games of the
season, but Michael could be an interesting and sneaky option
given the high number of injuries to running backs throughout
the league.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The magic continued this past week for Ryan
Fitzpatrick and the Jets as they beat the Bills on Thursday night.
Now after the long week, they’ll have a chance to head to
Kansas City and knock off a potential playoff contender. Top target
Brandon Marshall is dealing with a lower-leg injury which has
kept him out of practice this week and is now beginning to cause
concerns from even the Jets coaching staff that he will not be
able to suit up. If Marshall can’t suit up, look for increased
targets to come the way of Quincy Enunwa, who currently sits just
a few targets behind Marshall and Eric Decker on the season, including
a team-leading 13 receptions. Enunwa plays quite a few snaps as
it is so he’s a decent flex option even if Marshall does
play, but the Jets will likely continue to sling the rock around
the field quite a bit no matter who’s catching passes on
Sunday. Decker’s usage would also increase a bit if Marshall
cannot play, but he might also see more attention from the Chiefs’
top cornerback, Marcus Peters, if Marshall isn’t on the
field. This could limit his upside a bit, although he continues
to be remarkably consistent (TD in each game). The Chiefs defense
continues to play great against the pass, just as they did in
2015, and this won’t be an easy day for Fitzpatrick and
the Jets’ passing game, but these top three targets make
things much easier to predict who’s going to see the ball
come their way.
KC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.25
KC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.4
KC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.16
KC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.27
Running Game Thoughts: The Bears
have to be kicking themselves after seeing what Matt Forte was
able to do in his second game in a Jets uniform as he rushed for
100 yards and an impressive three touchdowns against the Bills
in Week 2. One of the knocks on Forte throughout his career has
been that he is not a particularly great runner at the goal line,
but he could become an every week RB1 if he continues to get the
opportunities that he’s seen over the first two weeks of
the season. Forte has touched the ball 59 times to Bilal Powell’s
eight, which certainly puts concerns of a split workload as a
thing of the past. Forte is this team’s workhorse, near-every
down back and that gives him a great floor even in difficult matchups.
In Week 3, he’ll face a Kansas City defense that has allowed
opposing running backs to amass over 100 yards on the ground in
each of their two games, including three total touchdowns to the
position. Given Forte’s high usage, it would not be at all
surprising to see him crack 100 total yards for the third straight
game and have a good chance of reaching the end zone.
Passing
Game Thoughts: After being one of the top fantasy quarterbacks
in Week 1, Alex Smith came crashing back to earth with a horrific
performance against the Texans in Week 2. Those who’ve seen
Smith throughout his career know that it’s rare for him
to be on either spectrum of the high-end or the low-end of quarterbacks,
so it’s been a weird start to the year for both him and
the Kansas City passing game as a whole. Top target Jeremy Maclin
continues to produce solid numbers, but he’s the only receiver
on this roster who has any fantasy value, and even that is largely
due to his high volume for PPR formats. Tight end Travis Kelce
is also fantasy relevant, but after finishing as the TE7 in Week
1 was held in check against Houston. With Darrelle Revis likely
to be lined up on Maclin, there will be some who view this as
a plus-matchup. Although Revis has struggled so far this season,
it’d be wise to pump the breaks on targeting matchups against
a potential Hall of Fame cornerback. Revis might have lost a step,
but he’s been one of the best defensive players in football
for years now and it would not be at all surprising to see him
completely blanket Maclin this Sunday. Feel free to roll Maclin
out as usual, but keep your expectations in check.
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.7
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.26
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.2
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.24
Running Game Thoughts: The Kansas
City backfield continues to be a mystery as we head into Week
3. Jamaal Charles reportedly wants to get on the field, but the
training and coaching staff does not seem to be sharing those
same sentiments. As long as Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West
continue to put up decent numbers in his absence, there’s
really no reason for the Chiefs to rush Charles back onto the
field. The duo has compiled a whopping 390 total yards on the
ground and through the air in the Chiefs’ first two games,
so another week on the bench might not be out of the question.
In fact, with their bye week coming in Week 5, Kansas City just
might opt to shut down their star tailback until Week 6 before
deploying him fully. In the meantime, Ware is the player to own
in this backfield as he played nearly 60% of the Chiefs’
Week 2 snaps as opposed to West’s 40%, and he’s a
better receiver out of the backfield. West still does have some
deep flex appeal, provided that Charles is inactive. Be warned,
the Jets have done a great job of shutting down opposing running
games so far this season as neither the Bengals nor Bills were
able to reach 60 yards total on the ground. The upside could be
limited in this matchup and Ware could see the field more than
usual if the game turns into a pass-heavy approach.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Kirk Cousins either had a solid game or
an awful game last week depending upon your perspective. From
a football standpoint, it was another poor performance from the
incredibly overrated and overpaid quarterback. From a fantasy
standpoint, Cousins actually performed quite well throwing for
364 yards and a touchdown finishing as the QB12 for the week (QB21
in Week 1). Somehow, Jameson Crowder led the team in targets and
has more targets (18) than Pierre Garcon (13) after two weeks.
I don’t like the matchup this week against (and it really,
really pains me to say this), a totally legit Giants defense that’s
only allowed one passing touchdown on the season and under 250
yards on average. DeSean Jackson loves to troll the Giants and
he probably will if he plays (knee/ankle), but expectations are
not high for the Redskins offense as a whole.
NYG FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.28
NYG FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.28
NYG FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.23
NYG FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.19
Running Game Thoughts: Matt Jones
wasn’t terrible last week. He and Chris Thompson were the
only two backs to see the field, splitting the snaps 58%-42%.
Thompson will always have the higher floor because of his consistency
in the passing game, but Jones remains the better bet to score
as he did against Dallas. Game script will always dictate how
significant Thompson’s usage is and I think this week shapes
up better for Jones…well…except for the part where
the Giants completely shut down Ezekiel Elliott (2.6 ypc) and
Mark Ingram (3.3 ypc) the first two weeks of the season. I can’t
believe I’m saying this, but I wouldn’t feel confident
starting any running back against the Giants these days.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Contrary to what the final score may indicate,
Eli Manning did, in fact, light up the Saints last week with 368
yards and a 78 percent completion rate but the Giants just couldn’t
find the end zone. Victor Cruz fumbled away a big gain and Odell
Beckham flat out dropped one of the easiest long touchdowns he’ll
ever have. Manning easily could’ve had two scores and we’d
be talking about the monster game he had. Beckham looked fine
as well. He led the Giants in targets (11) and the touchdowns
will come. The Giants leader in receiving yards last week was
Sterling Shepard (117). But more telling than his yardage total
was his catch percentage. Shepard caught a sterling (yep –
I’m still doing it) 100% of his targets and rapidly approaching
the circle of trust. As for Victor Cruz, I still don’t know
if the Giants can support three WRs, but he can no longer be ignored.
I ultimately think he’ll be a better real life than a fantasy
asset, but it appears rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
WAS FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.9
WAS FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.2
WAS FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.7
WAS FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.20
Running Game Thoughts: Rashad Jennings couldn’t find anywhere
to go against one of the worst run defenses in the league. Perhaps
it’s because he’s old. Perhaps it’s because
he’s not very good. Either way, this is an opportunity for
Shane Vereen to finally get the break he’s deserved Vereen
saw a career high 14 carries and while he didn’t have that
great of a game either on the ground (3.0 ypc) or through the
air (3-24), the more important takeaway is the decision by Ben
McAdoo to roll almost exclusively with Vereen after Jennings left
with what appears to be a minor hand injury. Orleans Darkwa or
Paul Perkins would certainly be involved if Jennings were to miss
time, but it very much looks like the Vereen show will be the
main attraction.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Oh dear. Poor Cleveland. It appears as if
the sporting gods messed up in allowing the Cavs to win an NBA
title and are now attempting to correct their mistake by unleashing
their wrath on the poor, helpless Browns. The Browns will be playing
their third game this week with their third different starting
QB. Josh McCown took over for Robert Griffin, but now has suffered
a serious shoulder injury. Something called a Cody Kessler is
now responsible for throwing the ball to what’s left of
the Browns offense. The electric Corey Coleman is gone until November
with a broken hand he suffered in practice, leaving the inefficient
Terrelle Pryor (to be fair, it’s probably not entirely his
fault that he only caught three of his ten targets last week)
as the top receiver. The Browns offense actually looked like it
was beginning to hit its stride last week. McCown was involving
Gary Barnidge after a catchless Week 1 and Coleman showed flashes
of what made him the first wide receiver drafted in April. However,
Kessler dampens any excitement there was in this offense and unfortunately,
much of the excitement of Josh Gordon’s return in three
weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie Whitehurst was
under center Week 4.
MIA FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.10
MIA FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.15
MIA FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.7
MIA FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.11
Running Game Thoughts: Isaiah Crowell was close to getting released
after an Instagram mishap during the offseason. Now he’s
ripping off huge runs, dominating backfield touches, and averaging
6.5 yards per carry. Crowell is an RB2 until further notice. On
the other hand, Duke Johnson, the poor man’s Gio Bernard,
is more like the cheap knockoff version you bought from that street
vendor at three in the morning. Johnson is still the passing down
back, but I don’t know how much value that has now with
Cody Kessler running the show. Crowell might see 25-plus carries
this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Ryan Tannehill’s big game last week
(389-2, 35 rush yds) had a lot to do with the score and little
to do with Tannehill. The Patriots were up 24-3 at the half, but
then lost Garoppolo, which cost them their ability to control
possession. This opened the door for Miami to attempt a comeback,
which they almost completed. To do this, Tannehill had to throw…a
lot. Both Jarvis Landry and a returning DeVante Parker topped
100 yards receiving. I would not expect a repeat performance in
a game the Dolphins should win handily although the Browns have
given up decent passing performances to Carson Wentz (278-2) and
Joe Flacco (302-2).
CLE FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.14
CLE FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.18
CLE FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.9
CLE FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.9
Running Game Thoughts: Arian Foster looked to be “done”
well before he succumbed to yet another injury (shocking, I know!).
Jay Ajayi is the next man up, but that won’t last long as
Ajayi has averaged 2.8 yards per carry this season and the coaching
staff has shown no confidence in him. This will likely open the
door for Kenyan Drake. Drake is not your prototypical plodding
Alabama back. He is shifty and explosive, which are both good
things, but he’s also not built to be a feature back. He
could work in a bind, but if he’s receiving 20-plus touches
a game, he will break down. Drake is worth a speculative add,
but stay far away from the Dolphins running game for now.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Carson Palmer (308-3) unleashed hell on
the Bucs last week. After all the concerns about his age and declining
skills, he’s opened the season with two multi-TD performances
and has not thrown an interception. Speaking of older gentlemen
believed to be in the twilight of their careers – Larry
Fitzgerald isn’t quite done yet. There’s something
to be said about a receiver who catches anything he gets his hands
on. He’s seen double digit targets in each of the first
two games and clearly remains the top option in this passing game.
Next up is Michael Floyd, who is respectable in his own right
and will have a few big games sprinkled in. The name to ignore
going forward is John Brown. I expected him to be the odd man
out because he’s not as talented as Floyd and Fitz was never
going to be the odd man out. I believe he can be safely dropped
across the board. Jaron Brown is being worked into the mix this
season. Floyd and Fitz both reached 80% of snaps played, while
the Browns split snaps 44%-42% in favor of Jaron. The Bills got
carved up by Ryan Fitzpatrick last week and the Jets produced
three fantasy relevant performances (Quincy Enunwa was eight yards
short of making it three 100 yard receivers). Expect the Cardinals
big two WRs to do their thing this week.
BUF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.19
BUF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.9
BUF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.3
BUF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.30
Running Game Thoughts: David Johnson is the best all-around running
back in the NFL right now. He is certainly the best in fantasy.
The guy really hasn’t done much this year, but has two RB1
performances. His floor is incredibly high. He already has 275
rushing + receiving yards on 35 touches. DJ got game-scripted
out of last week’s demolition of the Bucs (40-7) and was
the victim of some harsh words from Bruce Arians for running the
wrong route on two plays and almost getting Palmer picked. Don’t
worry, that’s not going to impact his usage. The younger
Johnson will look to emulate Matt Forte’s performance against
the Bills from last week (30-103-3), albeit with more efficiency.
Johnson is the top RB play this week and I think we’re finally
going to get that monster performance we’ve been waiting
for.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Bills are a mess. The organization essentially
went behind Rex Ryan’s back to force him to fire offensive
coordinator Greg Roman. Roman’s play calling left a lot
to be desired, but are we really putting last week’s 37-31
loss on him? In steps new OC Anthony Lynn who’s challenged
with getting the passing game on track in Buffalo. Tyrod Taylor
is a dual threat quarterback in an offense that doesn’t
design plays to take advantage of his skill set. He had a fantastic
game passing last week thanks to a couple deep bombs, but he should
be even better as a player if only his team would let him. Sammy
Watkins is an elite receiver, but he is clearly far less than
100% and will likely be shut down once the Bills are out of it
(an 0-4 start seems likely). I know the Bills have stated they
want to get him more involved, but I really think this is a lost
season for Watkins who has 6 catches for 63 yards in two games.
ARI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.24
ARI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.27
ARI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.11
ARI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.31
Running Game Thoughts: LeSean McCoy is still one of the best
running backs in the league, but his ceiling is forever limited
by the cataclysm that is the Buffalo Bills organization. He did
what he could last week (15-59) and is still involved in the passing
game (4-31 on five targets), but the Bills just can’t sustain
drives and get close enough for him to punch it in. Their three
offensive touchdowns came on two big passing plays and the third
a garbage time dump off and run to Mike Gillislee. The Cardinals
are a high end defense so McCoy will need to get lucky to find
the end zone this week. His floor is so high that you never consider
benching him, but he’s more RB2 than RB1 going forward.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Bears are taking a trip to Jerry World
on a short week to play in the national spotlight on Sunday night
with Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley as their top two quarterbacks.
Hoyer’s dismal appearance in a first round playoff loss
to the Chiefs still lingers as he takes over Jake Cutler (thumb)
in Week 3. Whenever a new QB takes over for a team, you have to
throw season stats and targets out the window. The best indicator
we have for how this affects Alshon Jeffery is Hoyer’s affinity
for his top target last season. Working with Hoyer for most of
2015, DeAndre Hopkins saw 192 targets. This bodes well for Jeffery
this Sunday assuming a recently revealed knee injury isn’t
anything worrisome (Jeffery did not practice on Thursday). Other
than Jeffery, this passing game is best avoided.
DAL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.12
DAL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.19
DAL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.13
DAL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.6
Running Game Thoughts: The end is near for Jeremy Langford. John
Fox called him out for his performance after the Bears’
Week 1 loss and Langford responded by performing even worse. He’s
averaging barely over 3.0 yards per carry and has yet to top 100
total yards in the season. He also is a complete zero in the passing
game. Meanwhile, rookie Jordan Howard, in his first career NFL
action, looked impressive on his three carries (22 yards) and
two receptions (9 yards). Howard is by no means a can’t
miss prospect and I don’t think he’s the long term
solution for the Bears. What I can say for sure is that he is
exponentially better than Langford. It’s only a matter of
time before this situation becomes a timeshare and then a little
more time before the balance starts to tip in Howard’s favor.
Dallas has given up their fair share of fantasy points to the
running backs of the Giants and Redskins so there is some flex
appeal for Langford and Howard.
Passing
Game Thoughts: In Week 1, Dez Bryant caught 1 of 5 targets
for 8 yards. The Cowboys lost. In week 2, Dez Bryant caught 7
of 12 targets for 102 yards. Terrance Williams did not see a single
target (next step: let’s start Brice Butler over him…please).
The Cowboys won. This is huge for Bryant going forward as maybe
the Cowboys will continue to realize the correlation between Dez
Bryant and winning football games. Dak Prescott has looked poised
and in control of the offense. Most importantly, he has yet to
turn the ball over. He’s a rookie and he’s inexperienced
so the turnovers are bound to come eventually, but Prescott has
the Cowboys looking the best they’ve ever looked without
Romo. The Bears didn’t allow much in the way of passing
to Carson Wentz last week (21-34, 190-1), but that had more to
do with game script than the Bears actually stepping up defensively.
Additionally, they lost linebacker Lamarr Houston to a torn ACL.
I think there’s a real chance for the Cowboys offense to
break out with its first truly prolific day. It’s about
time for Dez to throw up an X and get Dak his first career touchdown
pass.
CHI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.23
CHI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.16
CHI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.19
CHI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.13
Running Game Thoughts: Ezekiel Elliott is struggling. I fear
he may not be the blue chip prospect he was touted as. It’s
only been two games, but he doesn’t look explosive and hasn’t
really done anything other than get what’s blocked for him.
The volume isn’t going anywhere (he’s seen 20 carries
in both games), but he did find himself on the bench for the final
portion of last week’s win over Washington after he fumbled
for a second time (even though the Cowboys recovered it). Alfred
Morris is a very capable backup and if Elliott’s struggles
continue - he may very well lose the power of that machine. Ultimately,
Jerry Jones wants to win and while he is as stubborn as they come,
if he actually sees the Cowboys running the ball more effectively
with Morris, we could see Morris’ workload increase. The
Bears held Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews to under 3.5 yards
per carry combined last week. They’ve quietly been pretty
good against the run. I think expectations need to be lowered
a bit for Zeke given his performance thus far, but no need to
panic right now.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Last week, the Steelers played the Bengals
in poor weather and Antonio Brown (4-39) had his worst game with
Ben Roethlisberger since 2012. To put things simply, I expect
a vastly different tune this week. The best receiver in football
saw eleven targets last week, but was only able to corral four
of them. Expect a far more efficient performance this week on
another double digit target afternoon. Roethlisberger will look
to take advantage of an Eagles defense that has given up the fewest
fantasy points to quarterbacks but has yet to be challenged (Robert
Griffin Wk 1 and Jay Cutler Wk 2). They allowed Alshon Jeffery
to just barely miss 100 yards receiving (96 last week). I think
there’s a legitimate chance AB doubles that number.
PHI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.32
PHI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.20
PHI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.28
PHI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.32
Running Game Thoughts: Le’Veon Bell is really talented and
is going to take back full control of the starting job next week
but DeAngelo Williams, at the ripe young age of 33, has been the
top fantasy scorer at the running back position over the first
two weeks. And it’s not just the offense – he actually
looks good. He’s reinforced his status as the most valuable
handcuff in fantasy football. We’ve got one more week of
DWill and his owners should enjoy it while they can. With 68 touches
in two games, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and continuing to
be proficient in the passing game, he’s locked in as an
elite option for one more week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Carson Wentz (21-34, 190-1-0) didn’t
have to do a whole lot to beat the Bears last week. He’s
looked like a solid professional quarterback through two weeks
but again, he hasn’t really been challenged. The Steelers
will be his first real test and as he’ll likely have to
keep up offensively with Ben and AB. To do that, he will continue
to pepper his top receiver, Jordan Matthews, with a ton of targets.
JMatt caught six of his nine targets last week, but had a particularly
brutal drop at the end of the first half on a perfectly thrown
ball that would’ve resulted in a touchdown. Regardless,
the targets are not going to stop given the lack of alternatives.
Matthews has one of the highest floors at the position and a breakout
might be imminent. Zach Ertz will miss this game meaning TE Trey
Burton is a streaming option.
PIT FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.21
PIT FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.14
PIT FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.21
PIT FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.17
Running Game Thoughts: The Eagles starting running back is Darren
Sproles and it wasn’t just a symbolic start – he dominated
snaps. Sproles was on the field for 57% of the Eagles offensive
plays compared to just 29% for presumed starter, Ryan Mathews.
Mathews had the better fantasy day because the Eagles found themselves
inside the ten yard line frequently and Mathews punched in two
short scores, but if he’s playing less than a third of the
snaps, he can’t be trusted. As for Sproles, he wasn’t
very efficient, but he touched the ball 14 times. That sort of
volume will give him RB3 value more often than not. The Steelers
haven’t given up more than 24 rushing yards to any running
back but did allow Giovani Bernard 100 yards receiving last week.
As a result, I like Sproles a lot more than Mathews, especially
considering the Eagles will have to air it out to keep up with
the Steelers offense.