Friday, October 30, 2015

Week 8 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Matt Forte and A.J. Green, or to bench Colin Kaepernick and Zac Stacy? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 8 of the 2015 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Jets at Raiders. Fitzpatrick has been steady at the helm for the Jets as season, but this could be his best game yet. Oakland has coughed up an NFL-worst 304 net passing yards per game, along with 11 TDs through the air. Both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker should find their way into the end zone on Sunday, with at least one more random score for good measure.

Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals at Browns. He is still, somewhat remarkably, the lead dog in Arizona’s backfield committee. And after posting 122 yards and a TD on Baltimore, he’ll be facing the NFL’s true rushing doormats in Cleveland. He’s not the CJ2K of old, but at least he’s back on the fantasy radar.

Charcandrick West, RB, Chiefs vs. Lions. Nobody has surrendered more rushing scores than Detroit’s 10 this season. West is coming off his best game as a pro while Knile Davis has become the forgotten man in the Chiefs offense. Look for Kansas City to ride West heavily in this contest.

Roddy White, WR, Falcons vs. Buccaneers. Leonard Hankerson likely will sit out due to a hamstring injury, making White the second option to Julio Jones again. Good timing, because Tampa Bay specializes in giving up TD passes (15 to date). Look for Roddy to make a return visit to the end zone on Sunday.

Steve Smith, WR, Ravens vs. Chargers. There’s not much to like about Baltimore’s passing attack, except a healthy Smith. Though he’s still not 100 percent, he’s toughing it out and Joe Flacco is looking his way with regularity. San Diego’s secondary is mediocre, so Smith should have a field day.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton; RBs Todd Gurley, Justin Forsett, Mark Ingram, Ronnie Hillman, Chris Ivory, Giovani Bernard, Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Doug Martin; WRs Brandon Marshall, DeAndre Hopkins, Eric Decker, Alshon Jeffery, Antonio Brown, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen, Golden Tate, Mike Evans, Jeremy Maclin, Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Tavon Austin, John Brown, Martavis Bryant, Willie Snead.

Roll ‘em back

Andrew Luck, QB, Colts at Panthers. Luck looked awful against a very weak Saints defense last week, until the game got out of hand. Carolina’s pass defense will test him even more, and the interception-prone quarterback could be in for a long night. All 60 minutes’ worth, this time.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Packers at Broncos. Lacy is dealing with an ankle injury, James Starks has forced his way into the rotation and they’re both facing one of the stingiest run defenses in the land. Three strikes, he’s out.

Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders vs. Jets. He’s coming off a nice outing against the Chargers last week; but with the Jets’ monster defenders, all bets are off – for Murray and anybody not named Cooper in Oakland’s offense.

James Jones, WR, Packers at Broncos. Despite Aaron Rodgers’ recent lackluster production, you can’t bench him, even in a tough matchup. But Jones is a dicier proposition. Not only is he facing the mighty Broncos secondary, but he’ll be competing with the return of deep-threat Davante Adams. Those two could cancel each other out, making both risky plays.

Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys vs. Seahawks. Optimism abounds in Dallas that Bryant will return to action for the first time since he broke his foot in the opener. And while I’d be aching to get him in my lineup if I had him, I’d give him a week to get back in stride. Especially since he has had precious little interaction with Matt Cassel and, oh by the way, the Legion of Boom is coming to town.

More thumbs down: QBs Peyton Manning, Matt Cassel, Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Brian Hoyer, Nick Foles; RBs Rashad Jennings, Carlos Hyde, Ameer Abdullah, Joique Bell, Isaiah Crowell, Melvin Gordon, Jeremy Hill; WRs Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Terrance Williams, Michael Crabtree, Donte Moncrief, Nate Washington, Andre Johnson, Kamar Aiken, Kendall Wright.

TAKING A FLIER

Alfred Blue, RB, Texans vs. Titans. With Arian Foster out for the duration, Blue is expected to share Houston’s backfield duties with Chris Polk. Neither can be trusted in unfavorable matchups, but opponents don’t get much softer than Tennessee. The Titans sport the 29th-ranked run defense in the league. Blue should find plenty of room to roam in this one.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…keeps deadweight on his or her roster. Jamaal Charles is still owned in more than 20 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues. Arian Foster is still rostered in more than a third. All of these can’t be keeper leagues, and even then, depending on your rules, neither is a prime keeper candidate. Bid them farewell and welcome someone who can actually contribute to your title run.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Week 7 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs
Kirk Cousins, Redskins – Had his best game in maybe ever with 317 yards and 3 TDs as a passer and 15 yards and a 4th TD as a rusher, with a fumble but no INTs.
Andrew Luck, Colts – Got off to a horrid start, but finished with 333 passing yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs and 27 rushing yards.
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins – Built huge lead on the Texans with 282 passing yards and 4 TDs without a turnover, then let off the accelerator.
Tom Brady, Patriots – It wasn’t easy this week, but he finished with 355 passing yards and 2 TDs without a turnover, plus 15 rushing yards and one of his patented TD sneaks.
Derek Carr, Raiders – Passed for 289 yards and 3 TDs, without a blemish.

RBs
Lamar Miller, Dolphins – Raced for 175 yards and a TD and added 3 receptions for 61 yards and a second TD, all in the first half.
Todd Gurley, Rams – Rumbled for 128 yards and his first 2 career TDs, plus 4 catches for 35 yards.
Arian Foster, Texans – Racked up nice stats in garbage time – 59 rushing and 66 receiving yards, with a TD both ways – before leaving with a torn Achilles. He'll be missed.
Danny Woodhead, Chargers – Ran for just 26 yards, but took 11 receptions 75 yards while scoring 2 TDs.
Darren McFadden, Cowboys – Rushed for 152 yards and a TD, and added 10 yards on 2 catches.
Mark Ingram, Saints – Ran for 143 yards and a TD, plus 2 catches for 5 yards.

WRs
T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Had a monster second half with 4 receptions for 150 yards and 2 TDs.
Jarvis Landry, Dolphins – Hauled in 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 TDs.
Nate Washington, Texans – Scored twice on 9 receptions for 127 yards.
Mike Evans, Buccaneers – Caught 8 passes for 164 yards and a TD.

TEs
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Pummeled the Jets with 11 receptions for 108 yards and a TD.
Jordan Reed, Redskins – Hauled in 11 passes for 72 yards and 2 TDs.

D/STs
Rams – Amassed 4 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries and a TD on one of those fumbles, while holding the Browns to 6 points.
Jaguars – Registered 4 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries and scored TDs on two turnovers in London.
Giants – Had 1 sack, 3 INTs, 1 fumble, an INT return TD and a kickoff return TD against the Cowboys.

Ks
Blair Walsh, Vikings – Made all 5 FGs (of 22, 35, 37, 51 and 53 yards) though he missed one of his 2 XPs.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers – Another awful game, with 124 passing yards, zero TDs and zero rushing yards.
Josh McCown, Browns – Passed for 270 yards with no TDs, and ran for 21 yards, but lost 2 fumbles before leaving with a shoulder injury.
Nick Foles, Rams – Only 163 passing yards and 0 TDs, but no turnovers either.
Matt Ryan, Falcons – His 251 passing yards and a TD were offset by 2 INTs.
Eli Manning, Giants – Passed for just 170 yards without a score, or a turnover.
Sam Bradford, Eagles – Contrary to the announcers’ praise, he was pretty bad, with 180 passing yards, no TDs and 1 INT.
                                                               
RBs
LeGarrette Blount, Patriots – Lost 3 yards on the ground as the Jets allowed the Pats just 16 rushing yards all day.
Bishop Sankey, Titans – Never touched the ball.
Alfred Morris, Redskins – Combined for 7 total yards on the day.
Isaiah Crowell, Browns – Got just 9 yards on 8 carries.
Rashad Jennings, Giants – Marginalized with only 19 yards on the ground.
Joseph Randle, Cowboys – Ran for 24 yards on 2 carries, but gave way to McFadden after a back injury.
Melvin Gordon, Chargers – Just 29 yards once the game was out of hand.
Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Had 40 rushing yards on Thursday night.
Ameer Abdullah, Lions – Ran for 43 yards, and that’s it.
DeMarco Murray, Eagles – Only 65 rushing and 5 receiving yards on Sunday night.

WRs
Torrey Smith, 49ers – Blanked again; this time by the Seahawks.
Leonard Hankerson, Falcons – He caught nothing before leaving with a hamstring injury.
Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers – Caught a 13-yarder before exiting early with a knee.
Jordan Matthews, Eagles – Held to 14 yards on 3 catches.
Charles Johnson, Vikings – Had a 21-yarder.
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks – Limited to 19 yards on 2 receptions.
Willie Snead, Saints – Registered 25 yards on 3 catches.
Golden Tate, Lions – Only 14 yards on 2 passes.
Marques Colston, Saints – Caught a 20-yarder to ice the game, and that’s all.
Anquan Boldin, 49ers – Only 39 yards on 3 grabs.
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Same as his former teammate, Anquan.
Mike Wallace, Vikings – Left with 36 yards on 4 receptions.
Odell Beckham, Jr., Giants – He only had 35 yards on his 4 catches.
Travis Benjamin, Browns – Had 4 catches for 47 yards, but lost a fumble.

TEs
Duane Allen, Colts – Caught a 10-yarder.
Charles Clay, Bills – 26 yards on 3 balls.

Jordan Cameron, Dolphins – His team scored 44 points, but he contributed only 23 yards on 2 passes.

Seven weeks in, most burning questions answered (for now)

Prior to the kickoff of the 2015 campaign, I posited 10 burning questions that would be answered over the early part of season. Having grown weary of chronicling the injuries to my various starting lineups (farewell, Arian!), I thought this would be a good time to revisit those queries.

  1. How soon will LeSean McCoy, Arian Foster, Todd Gurley, Randall Cobb, Alshon Jeffery, Julian Edelman and other nicked-up stars be ready to go full throttle? The answers varied for each of the above players, but until Foster went down Sunday, each was at or near 100 percent and pointed in the right direction.
  1. Who will emerge from obscurity? Devonta Freeman is literally the runaway candidate for Breakout Player of the Year. To a lesser extent, Blake Bortles, Dion Lewis, Travis Benjamin, Allen Hurns and Gary Barnidge have each made an unexpected impact.
  1. Can the new-look Eagles make Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense hum? So far, not so much. Sam Bradford has been a bust, DeMarco Murray is just now getting in gear and their top wideout, Jordan Matthews, hasn’t scored or amassed more than 60 receiving yards since Week 2.
  1. Is Melvin Gordon the next LaDainian Tomlinson, or the next Ryan Mathews? Let’s put it this way: Even Ryan Mathews has out-performed the rookie.
  1. How will the Cowboys’ RB committee shake out? This remains a work-in-progress, but so far, nobody has made Dallas fans forget about Murray. Heading into Week 8, Darren McFadden appears to have earned his shot at the lead role, but this committee is far from settled.
  1. Will Cam Newton throw a TD pass to a wideout this season? Yes. Yes he will. Five of them, in fact, with Ted Ginn – of all people – hauling in three.
  1. Which rookies will make an immediate impact? With the exception of Amari Cooper – and possibly Stefon Diggs – the 2015 WR class can’t hold the jocks of last year’s stellar lot. Meanwhile, as predicted here, Todd Gurley is da bomb. Ameer Abdullah and Gordon have mostly squandered their opportunities, while T.J. Yeldon and Duke Johnson offer promise down the stretch. Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston have shown flashes, but are essentially desperation-only fantasy starters.
  1. What antics does Bill Belichick have in store for his backfield this year? For starters, nobody saw Dion Lewis coming. Then precious few benefitted from LeGarrette Blount’s three-touchdown outing against the Jaguars. And those who figured Blount would get a heavy workload against the Jets while Lewis (abdomen) was sidelined were treated to a big fat goose egg on Sunday. So, same-ole same-ole.
  1. After a year’s hiatus, will Adrian Peterson return to elite form? We haven’t seen the AP of old just yet, but he’s still a fantasy force to be reckoned with.
  1. Will the Jaguars produce a single fantasy stud? How about the Titans? Or the Browns? The Jags’ passing game has been surprisingly impressive, even with limited contributions from Julius Thomas. Travis Benjamin has represented Cleveland well. But nobody is jealous of the Titans on your roster. Or your 49ers.
That said, we still have more than half a season remaining. What we think we know today will likely be turned on its head come playoff time.

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Dolphins. Have the Dolphins turned a corner under their new head coach? Has Tannehill? They’ll surely get a dose of reality next week in New England; but after that, the inconsistent quarterback will have several more favorable matchups. Tannehill has been dropped in many leagues, so he’s worth a pickup for those with injury or bye-week concerns at the position.

Alfred Blue, RB, Texans. He only had one solid game while filling in for an injured Arian Foster earlier this season. Now, with Foster out for the duration, Blue will have a second chance at the lead rushing duties. He’ll form a committee backfield with Chris Polk, who is arguably of equal or greater value in PPR leagues.

Darren McFadden, RB, Cowboys. After gaining 24 yards on his first two carries, Joseph Randle strained his back and gave way to McFadden. He may have lost his starting job in the process. Run DMC capitalized on the opportunity, with 29 carries for 152 rushing yards and a score. As long as he avoids the (inevitable) injury bug, McFadden has starting potential.

Don’t be fooled

Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins. As the Redskins head into their bye, there’s really no good reason to hold onto Morris. He has become virtually invisible in Washington’s offense, with Matt Jones and/or Chris Thompson overshadowing him in any given week.

Khiry Robinson, RB, Saints. You could look at his two-touchdown performance against the Colts and say that Robinson just had his breakout game. Or you could chalk it up to a bit of luck, and conclude that his primary value remains as a handcuff to Mark Ingram. Guess which side I fall on?


Nate Washington, WR, Texans. Throughout his 11-year career, Washington has been the prototypical boom-or-bust player, with the busts far out-weighing the booms. Don’t be suckered by his two garbage-time scores against Miami.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Sunday morning updates -- Week 7

Good morning, Fools. As I write this, it's heading into halftime for the Bills and Jags in London, and I'm watching on Yahoo. Weird.

Let's see what else is amiss across the NFL as we finalize our winning lineups...

I tweeted out the Bills/Jets inactives earlier, including Tyrod Taylor, Karlos Williams, Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin.

Here are a few more that have already been declared out/inactive for today: Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Mariota, Bilal Powell, Dez Bryant, Nelson Agholor and Brandon Pettigrew.

There was some question whether Adrian Peterson would play today, due to an illness. But reports are circulating that he's feeling better, so he should be good to go. It's hard to imagine anything non-structural could keep that guy out anyway. He may not be 100%, but you obviously have to start him if you've got him.

Dion Lewis, who I already had pegged as a Benchwarmer this week against the Jets, is expected to sit out due to his abdomen issues. Looks like the LeGarrette Blount show in the Patriots backfield today, making him a good start despite the tough matchup.

Melvin Gordon, who has been a disappointment thus far in his rookie season -- to the Chargers and his fantasy owners -- is also expected to rest his weary ankle today.

Landry Jones will start at QB for the Steelers. I wouldn't rush to put him in my lineup, but I would certainly feel better about Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant with Landry under center vs. Vick.

Antonio Gates is shaping up as a true game-time decision. I'm going to hedge my bets and start Eric Ebron in the earlier game today, since he is expected to return from his knee injury after missing the last two games and Pettigrew is out.

John Brown is dealing with a hammy and is questionable heading into the Cardinals' juicy matchup with the Ravens defense in the Monday nighter. He's expected to go, but you'd be wise to have a backup plan (like Michael Floyd) in place.

Like that Patriots passing attack, do ya? Then you might want to grab Brandon LaFell if he's still available. He's eligible to come off the PUP list now and he could even be activated for today's game. He's not startable just yet, but you'd be better-served grabbing him now than waiting until after the weekend. He showed great rapport with Brady last year, and he could easily jump right back into a familiar rhythm.

That's it for today. I'll be tweeting inactives and other late-breaking news in a bit. Good luck, Fools!

Friday, October 23, 2015

Week 7 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Devonta Freeman and Calvin Johnson, or to bench Teddy Bridgewater and Bishop Sankey? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 7 of the 2015 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals vs. Ravens. Palmer has either put up big yards or multiple TDs, but not both, over the last three weeks as the Cardinals have actually started running more effectively. On Monday night, Palmer and his play-making receivers face a Ravens secondary that has made Colin Kaepernick and Josh McCown look like Hall of Famers over the past two games.

Frank Gore, RB, Colts vs. Saints. It will be interesting to see if Ahmad Bradshaw poaches more of the workload this weekend; but for now, this is still Gore’s backfield. He should get plenty of work, and find plenty of holes, against the Saints’ awful run defense.

Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders at Chargers. Murray was held mostly in check by Denver’s superior run defense before the Week 6 bye, but the going gets smoother in San Diego. The Chargers have been doormats for opposing rushers, and Murray has little competition for carries. He should be good for 100 combined yards and at least one score.

Willie Snead, WR, Saints at Colts. Indy’s depleted secondary offers a tasty matchup for the visitors, who have seen Drew Brees return to his pass-happy ways over the last two weeks. Snead has amassed more yards on fewer targets than Brandin Cooks over the first six weeks, and should continue to profit from his easy rapport with Brees. You have to love Ben Watson, too.

Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars vs. Bills. Allen Robinson will be toughing out a bruised knee in London, making Hurns the more likely recipient of Blake Bortles’ frequent passes. Hurns has found the end zone in each of the last four games, and against the Bills’ suspect secondary, that streak is likely to continue.


More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Blake Bortles; RBs Todd Gurley, Mark Ingram, Chris Ivory, DeMarco Murray, Justin Forsett, Doug Martin, LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller; WRs Pierre Garcon, John Brown, Michael Floyd, Donte Moncrief, Jarvis Landry, Mike Wallace, Martavis Bryant, Steve Smith, Golden Tate, Eric Decker, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans, Travis Benjamin, Keenan Allen.

Roll ‘em back

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons at Titans. With Julio Jones at his disposal, Ryan is a threat to soar in any matchup. But the Titans average a league-low 184 net passing yards per game. Ryan has surpassed 300 yards just once, and has one or zero TDs in half his games to date.

Joseph Randle, RB, Cowboys at Giants. There’s too much uncertainty coming out of Dallas’ bye around its projected backfield workload. Christine Michael is expected to become a full-fledged member of a three-headed committee, and the dreaded “hot hand” approach will be employed. Randle will get the start, but a boneheaded play or failure to launch could see him ride the pine in the second half.

Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals vs. Ravens. Baltimore is much more generous to opposing receivers than rushers. CJ.6K is still playing the lead role in Arizona’s backfield, but both David Johnson and Andre Ellington are cannibalizing his touches. You should have better options this weekend.

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots vs. Jets. Lewis can hurt opposing defenses as a runner and receiver, but New York is stout in both phases. You can’t sit guys like Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski in any matchup, but Lewis – who was held in check by the Colts last week, possibly due to his tender abdomen – has a low ceiling this weekend.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles at Panthers. Thanks mostly to his quarterback’s struggles, Matthews hasn’t accumulated as many as 60 receiving yards in a game since Week 2. Against the Panthers’ solid defenders, Sam Bradford is likely to look lost again, which is bad news for Matthews and his fellow wideouts.

More thumbs down: QBs Joe Flacco, Sam Bradford, E.J. Manuel, Jameis Winston, Alex Smith, Derek Carr, Nick Foles, Kirk Cousins; RBs Melvin Gordon, Joique Bell, Duke Johnson, Ameer Abdullah, Andre Ellington, Antonio Andrews, T. J. Yeldon, Darren McFadden, Charcandrick West, Jonathan Stewart; WRs Kendall Wright, Reuben Randle, Michael Crabtree, Tavon Austin, Leonard Hankerson.

TAKING A FLIER

Eric Ebron, TE, Lions vs. Vikings. Ebron appears to be on track to return from his knee injury this week. Not only should you grab him off free agency if his owner released him a couple weeks ago, but consider plugging the emerging tight end into your lineup against the average-at-best Minnesota defense.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…waits until late Sunday morning to check your lineup if you’re counting on any Bills or Jaguars. Though Tyrod Taylor and Sammy Watkins have already been ruled out, players like T.J. Yeldon and Allen Robinson are somewhat iffy, and the game kicks off in London at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Week 6 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs
Matt Stafford, Lions – Passed for 405 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT, and added 37 rushing yards. Where has that been?
Philip Rivers, Chargers – Passed for a whopping 503 yards, with 2 TDs and no INTs.
Andy Dalton, Bengals – Had another stellar, mistake-free outing with 243 yards and 3 TDs.
Tom Brady, Patriots – Kept the good times rolling with 312 yards and 3 TDs, minus 1 INT.
Andrew Luck, Colts – Matched Brady’s 312 and 3 TDs, but didn’t have an INT, and also ran for 35 yards.
Brian Hoyer, Texans – Passed for 293 yards and 3 TDs without a blemish.

RBs
Devonta Freeman, Falcons – Kept delighting his owners with 100 rushing yards and a TD, plus 8 receptions for 56 yards and a second TD.
James Starks, Packers – Rushed for 112 yards and a TD, and caught a 5-yard TD pass.
Chris Ivory, Jets – Rumbled for 146 yards and a TD, plus 3 receptions for 50 yards.
LeGarrette Blount, Panthers – Ran for 93 yards and a TD plus an 11-yard TD reception.
Jonathan Stewart, Panthers – Ran for 78 yards and scored twice.

WRs
DeAndre Hopkins, Texans – Reeled in 10 passes for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
Alshon Jeffery, Bears – This is why you start him if you’ve got him: 8 receptions for 147 yards and a TD.
Martavis Bryant, Steelers – Returned with a vengeance to nab 6 balls for 137 yards and 2 TDs.
Steve Smith, Ravens – Just a couple weeks after breaking bones in his back, caught 7 passes for 137 yards and a TD.
Calvin Johnson, Lions – Finally performed like Megatron, with 6 catches for 166 yards and a TD.
John Brown, Cardinals – PPR-leaguers loved his 10 catches for 196 yards.
Keenan Allen, Chargers – Also gold in PPR leagues with 14 receptions for 157 yards.

TEs
Ben Watson, Saints – Snared 10 passes for 127 yards and a score.
Gary Barnidge, Browns – Caught just 3 balls for 39 yards, but scored twice.
Greg Olsen, Panthers – Reeled in 7 passes for 131 yards and a TD.

D/STs
Dolphins – Accumulated 6 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries and an INT return for a TD while holding the Titans to just 10 points.
Eagles – Tallied 3 sacks, 2 INTs, a fumble recovery and a TD on an INT return while holding New York to 7 points.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs
Marcus Mariota, Titans – Played like a rookie, with just 219 passing yards and a TD, fouled by 2 INTs and 2 lost fumbles.
                                                               
RBs
Eddie Lacy, Packers – Limited to 20 total yards while James Starks carried the load.
C.J. Spiller, Saints – Just 10 rushing and 17 receiving yards.
Darren Sproles, Eagles – Combined for 7 yards as a rusher and receiver.
Alfred Morris, Redskins – Limited to 21 rushing and 11 receiving yards.
Melvin Gordon, Chargers – Only 29 yards on the ground, and lost a fumble; then was benched.
Charcandrick West, Chiefs – Got off to a slow start with 33 rushing and 6 receiving yards, plus a fumble.
Antonio Andrews, Titans – Rushed for 23 yards and caught a 2-yarder.
Chris Johnson, Cardinals – Only 40 rushing yards plus a 5-yard catch.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings – Accumulated just 60 rushing yards, while losing 3 yards on his only reception.
Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Just 55 rushing and 5 receiving yards.

WRs
Mike Wallace, Vikings – Held to 23 yards on 2 receptions.
Antonio Brown, Steelers – He got 24 yards on his 2 catches.
Kendall Wright, Titans – Just 34 yards on his 4 passes.
A.J. Green, Bengals – Only 36 yards on 4 grabs.
Randall Cobb, Packers – Limited to 38 yards on 2 receptions.
Brandin Cooks, Saints – Took 4 passes 41 yards.
Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs – Just 48 yards on 3 receptions.

TEs
Heath Miller, Steelers – Caught a 5-yarder.

Owen Daniels, Broncos – Just 2 for 24 yards.