Week 4 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Drew Brees and Julio Jones, or to bench Blaine Gabbert and Chris Hogan? 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 4 of the 2016 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Trevor Siemian, QB, Broncos at Buccaneers. It feels a bit premature to bank on Siemian as your starter, but he has passed for more than 250 yards in consecutive games, including last week’s stellar four-TD performance. With both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders at his disposal, and a sorry Bucs secondary in opposition, Siemian has plenty going for him this weekend.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns at Redskins. Crowell has been surprisingly effective, which is good news for an offense being led by rookie QB Cody Kessler. Even with Duke Johnson getting his share of the touches, Crowell has produced consistently. Now he’ll face an extremely generous run defense that has given up a league-high seven rushing scores to date.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Patriots vs. Bills. For one more week, Blount will be the only offensive player on the Patriots you can count on. He’ll carry the load again on Sunday against a below-average Bills run defense as all of New England awaits the return of Tom Brady to the lineup.

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers at Falcons. Benjamin didn’t even register on last week’s box score, but he and his quarterback should bounce back with a vengeance against the sieve-like Atlanta secondary. Look for the big-bodied playmaker to add to the Falcons’ league-worst 10 passing scores surrendered.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Redskins vs. Browns. Kirk Cousins finally got cranked up last weekend, and he should keep the momentum going against Cleveland’s sad-sack pass defense. Though limited in practice this week by knee and ankle issues, Jackson is expected to suit up as usual. He has a delicious matchup to exploit.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Philip Rivers, Matt Stafford, Blake Bortles, Carson Palmer, Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins; RBs Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Anderson, Melvin Gordon, Mark Ingram, DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte, Charles Sims, LeSean McCoy, Theo Riddick, Tevin Coleman, Carlos Hyde; WRs Willie Snead, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, Alshon Jeffery, Marvin Jones, Jeremy Maclin, Larry Fitzgerald, T.Y. Hilton, Stefon Diggs, Doug Baldwin, Amari Cooper.

Roll ‘em back

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks at Jets. Over the first three weeks, Wilson has racked up more injuries (three) than TD passes (two). Thanks to a porous offensive line, he just keeps taking punishment. Wilson is fully expected to start Sunday, but the Jets’ aggressive pass rush could give the suddenly immobile QB fits.

Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants at Vikings. Shane Vereen (triceps) is done for the season, just as Jennings returns to his starting job after resting his injured thumb for a week. But despite being given every opportunity imaginable, Jennings has proven that he’s not capable of being a productive workhorse. Against the mighty Vikings, he shouldn’t be anywhere near your starting lineup.

Christine Michael, RB, Seahawks at Jets. I was surprised to see Michael soar against the 49ers last week – he’s usually so reliable about being disappointing -- but this week offers a much tougher test. The Jets’ run defense is one of the league’s elites, and with dubious air support from the Seattle passing attack, there will be few lanes for Michael to run through.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Jets vs. Seahawks. It’s difficult (often foolish) to bench a player of his caliber. But Marshall is clearly limited by knee and foot injuries, and his quarterback just coughed up a whopping six interceptions to the Chiefs. Facing the Legion of Boom, currently the league’s stingiest pass defense, the red flags are flapping briskly for this struggling passing attack.

Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots vs. Bills. Edelman has yet to find the end zone this season, and that may just have to wait until you-know-who returns. If Jimmy Garoppolo is under center, I like Edelman’s chances a little more on Sunday. But only in PPR leagues. It’s best just to find another option this week, especially after seeing how the Bills manhandled the Cardinals’ passing attack in Week 3.

More thumbs down: QBs Eli Manning, Derek Carr, Brock Osweiler, Alex Smith, Tyrod Taylor, Dak Prescott, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Bradford, Marcus Mariota; RBs Jordan Howard, Jerick McKinnon, Frank Gore, Cameron Artis-Payne, Justin Forsett, Terrance West; WRs Allen Hurns, Sammy Watkins, Dez Bryant, Golden Tate, Victor Cruz, Phillip Dorsett, Danny Amendola, Mohamed Sanu, Tavon Austin, Will Fuller, Tajae Sharpe, Eric Decker, Vincent Jackson, Tyler Lockett, Markus Wheaton.

TAKING A FLIER

Joe Flacco, QB, and his WRs vs. Raiders. Flacco is coming off a miserable game in Jacksonville, but he’ll return home to feast on the league’s worst pass defense. He should have plenty of success targeting both Steve Smith and Mike Wallace. It’s been years since I’ve recommended that you “start your Ravens aerial playmakers if you’ve got ‘em,” but I am now.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…releases DeAngelo Williams now that Le’Veon Bell is back for the Steelers. While D-Will must head to your bench, he’ll remain the most critical, and talented, handcuff in the game. He’s one play away from being a dominant fantasy force again, as he was in the second half of 2015.

Week 3 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Passed for 205 yards and 4 TDs, plus 22 rushing yards, without a turnover.

Trevor Siemian, Broncos – Had his breakout game with 312 passing yards, 4 TDs and no turnovers.

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers – Threw for 405 yards and 3 TDs, though he had 2 turnovers.

Matt Stafford, Lions – Passed for 385 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, plus 11 rushing yards.

Drew Brees, Saints – Couldn’t pull out the win, but racked up 376 yards and 3 TDs, with an INT.

RBs

David Johnson, Cardinals – Made something out of nothing with 83 rushing yards and 2 TDs plus 3 catches for 28 yards.

LeSean McCoy, Bills – Rushed for 110 yards and 2 TDs.

Christine Michael, Seahawks – Scored twice while rushing for 106 yards.

Tevin Coleman, Falcons – Racked up 3 TDs and 42 rushing yards, plus 47 receiving yards on 3 catches.

LeGarrette Blount, Patriots – Rumbled for 105 yards and 2 TDs on Thursday night.

Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Ran for 103 yards and 2 TDs.

Jeremy Hill, Bengals – Rushed for 97 yards and 2 TDs.

Todd Gurley, Rams – Finally got it in gear, rushing for 85 yards and 2 TDs.

Devonta Freeman, Falcons – Collected 152 rushing yards and 5 catches for 55 yards plus a TD through the air.

DeMarco Murray, Titans – Ran for 114 yards and a TD and caught 5 passes for 41 more yards.

Charles Sims, Buccaneers – Rose to the occasion with 55 rushing yards and a TD plus 6 catches for 69 receiving yards.

WRs

Marvin Jones, Lions – Had a career day with 6 catches for 205 yards and 2 TDs.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Caught 8 passes for 174 yards and 1 TD.

Jordy Nelson, Packers – Took 6 receptions for 101 yards and 2 TDs.

Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos – Reeled in 9 passes for 117 yards and 2 TDs.

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks – Collected 8 passes, 164 yards and 1 TD.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars – Caught 7 passes for 57 yards and 2 TDs.

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins – Ran for 16 yards and caught 7 passes for 120 yards and 1 TD.

Mike Evans, Buccaneers – Hauled in 10 receptions for 132 yards and a TD.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – In PPR leagues, his 140 yards on a dozen receptions were sweet.

TEs

Zach Miller, Bears – Set the pace at his position with 8 receptions for 78 yards and 2 TDs.

Cameron Brate, Buccaneers – Scored twice on his 4 catches for 46 yards.
Coby Fleener, Saints -- Finally connected with his QB, catching 7 passes for 109 yards and a TD.

D/STs

Chiefs – Generated an incredible 6 INTs, 2 fumbles, scored on both an INT and fumble return and held the Jets to 3 lousy points.

Vikings – Amassed 8 sacks, 3 INTs, a safety, and a punt return TD while holding the Panthers to 10 points.

Patriots – Collected an INT, 2 fumbles, 2 sacks and a shutout of the Texans.

Bills – Registered 5 sacks, 4 INTs and a TD on a botched field goal.

Ks

Justin Tucker, Ravens – Scored all of Baltimore’s points, with FGs of 37, 42, 43 and 54 yards.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Carson Palmer, Cardinals – Had a pathetic outing, with 287 passing yards and 4 INTs without a score.

Cam Newton, Panthers – Passed for 262 yards and ran for 26 more with a TD, but blew it with 3 INTs.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets – Threw 6 INTs, no TDs and passed for only 188 yards.

Philip Rivers, Chargers – Tossed 330 yards but no TDs and a fumble.

Andy Dalton, Bengals – Just 206 passing yards and 40 rushing yards with an INT and no TDs.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – Passed for 257 yards and no TDs, but 2 turnovers.

Marcus Mariota, Titans – Only 214 passing yards and 22 rushing yards with no TDs and 3 turnovers against a poor Raiders defense.

Brock Osweiler, Texans – Just 196 yards with an INT and no TDs.

RBs

Ryan Mathews, Eagles – Lost 5 yards before leaving with an ankle injury.

C.J. Anderson, Broncos – Grounded with just 37 rushing yards and a 4-yard catch.

Jerick McKinnon, Vikings – Got off to a slow start with just 45 rushing yards.

Justin Forsett, Ravens – Held to 32 combined yards.

T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars – Just 28 total yards.

DeAngelo Williams, Steelers – Finally held in check with 21 rushing and 23 receiving yards.

Matt Forte, Jets – After last week’s 3-TD showcase, he settled for 65 rushing yards.

Jeremy Langford, Bears – Rushed for 31 yards and caught 2 passes for 15 yards before leaving with an ankle injury.

WRs

Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers – Posted a goose egg.

Markus Wheaton, Steelers – Barely registered with a 2-yard catch.

Julio Jones, Falcons – Had a 16-yarder.

Brandin Cooks, Saints – Also came up short on Monday, with 2 catches for 13 yards.

Danny Amendola, Patriots – Went back to being a wallflower, with 2 catches for 23 yards.

Randall Cobb, Packers – Caught a 33-yarder.

Will Fuller, Texans – Rookie took a step back with 31 yards on 3 catches.

Mike Wallace, Ravens – Held to 3 catches for 34 yards.

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers – Disappointed again with 37 yards on 3 balls.

Julian Edelman, Patriots – Despite the trouncing, still finished with just 38 yards on 4 receptions and 14 rushing yards.

Eric Decker, Jets – Had a 31-yarder.

Brandon Marshall, Jets – Only 27 yards on 3 passes.

Torrey Smith, 49ers – Went 35 yards on 3 receptions.

Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs – Just 35 yards on 4 catches.

Stefon Diggs, Vikings – Got only 40 yards on 4 catches.

Golden Tate, Lions – Ditto for him.

Allen Hurns, Jaguars – Him, too.

Tajae Sharp, Titans – Limited to 48 yards on 3 receptions.

TEs

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots -- Finally suited up, then went catch-less.
Jordan Cameron, Dolphins – Caught a 5-yarder before leaving with a concussion.

Martellus Bennett, Patriots – Just 10 yards on 2 catches.

Jared Cook, Packers – Limited to a 15-yarder before rolling his ankle.

Julius Thomas, Jaguars – Only 13 yards on 2 receptions.

Jason Witten, Cowboys – Caught just two first-quarter balls for 25 yards, and that was that.

Defenses have their day

They say defense wins championships.

“They” obviously don’t play fantasy football.

By definition, the game we love so much is almost exclusively driven by offense – sorta like the Lions – with just one of eight or nine slots typically reserved for a team defense. Often selected in the last round or two of the draft, many players tend to view defenses as interchangeable on a weekly basis, based on matchups and which units are trending up.

Case in point: just watch the scramble for Kansas City’s defense on this week’s waiver wire.

Indeed, for one weekend, at least, several defenses demanded their due.

At the top of the heap were the ball-hawking Chiefs, whose eight-turnover, two-touchdown, three-point-yielding pummeling of the Jets produced enough points to offset a career day by the weekend’s top fantasy wideout, Marvin Jones.

The Vikings continued their early-season dominance by sacking Cam Newton an incredible eight times – one of which was a safety – picking him off thrice, taking a punt return to the house and holding one of the NFL’s top offenses to 10 stinking points. Kelvin Benjamin might as well have stayed home for the day.

New England’s defense shut out, and embarrassed, the Texans on Thursday night. The Bills picked off Carson Palmer four times, sacked him five times and returned a botched field goal for a score.

Defenses don’t win fantasy championships. But in any given week, they sure can propel you to victory.

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

Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. Two rookie quarterbacks are raising eyebrows across the league, but only Wentz currently looks like someone you can count on for consistent fantasy production. Like Dak Prescott, he has yet to throw an interception; but unlike the Cowboy rookie, Wentz has thrown TD passes in each game (five so far) and he’s looking downfield frequently. He’s not yet ready for fantasy primetime, but the Eagles’ future is worth stashing now for a rainy day.

Trevor Siemian, QB, Broncos. Once considered simply a placeholder until rookie Paxton Lynch is ready to roll, Siemian is making his case for a longer look. His 4-TD, turnover-free performance on the road against a solid Bengals defense catapulted him onto the fantasy radar. With the Bucs and other sub-par defenses on tap, QB-challenged teams should give him a call.

Jordan Howard, RB, Bears. Jeremy Langford was carted off the field Sunday night with a possible Achilles injury, leaving the backfield in the promising rookie’s hands. The Bears were in catch-up mode most of the night, so Howard’s carries were limited. But he made the most of his opportunities, including as a receiver. This should accelerate Howard’s expected ascension to the starting role over the less-heralded veteran.

Don’t be fooled

Shane Vereen, RB, Giants. He looked sharp taking over the starting job with Rashad Jennings nursing an injured thumb, but Vereen still shared carries – and short scoring runs – with Orleans Darkwa. Jennings is expected back next weekend, and the trio will be splitting touches against the fearsome Vikings defenders. I’ll pass.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns. It certainly sounds intriguing to have a receiver who also lines up as a wildcat QB and a rusher. But Pryor has done precious little in his previous four years to suggest that Sunday’s outing was more than an aberration. Miami’s defense has a way of making mediocre talents look great.

Sunday morning observations -- Week 3

Good morning, Fools. It's another beautiful day in Fantasyland, but after last week's bloodbath, it's a rough week to be an NFL player. So many injuries, so many backups playing and so much ground to cover. Let's get started...

So far, here's who we already know will NOT play today: Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Jamaal Charles, Ameer Abdullah, Adrian Peterson (to state the obvious), Doug Martin, Thomas Rawls, Jonathan Stewart, Arian Foster, Sammy Watkins, Donte Moncrief and Virgil Green.

There's also a very good chance that Rashad Jennings, Willie Snead, Antonio Gates, Zach Ertz and Delanie Walker will sit out. The Saints play on Monday night, so you may have to make an early call on Snead. Shane Vereen will likely carry the load for the Giants.

Alshon Jeffery, on the other hand, is planning to suit up for tonight's matchup with the Cowboys, and will try to catch passes from Brian Hoyer. There's a chance he'll be on a snap count and/or be used as a decoy though, because his knee isn't yet 100%. So if you have a safer option, it would be wise to use it. (For my part, I'm rolling with Marvin Jones in Alshon's place.)

Brandon Marshall is also expected to play, though he'll be a game-time decision with his knee and foot injuries. He, too, is expected to be on a snap count against the Chiefs.

In somewhat of a surprise, rookie Kenyon Drake will start at RB for the Dolphins today, not Jay Ajayi. So if you decided to take a flier on Ajayi, you should probably re-think that. Drake, of course, scored last week after Foster went down, but I haven't seen enough of him to feel good about recommending him in your starting lineup. He has a tasty matchup, but you figure he won't be treated like a workhorse, so it's anybody's guess.

And in case you missed it, the Bucs waived TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins after he was charged with a DUI.

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

Week 3 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Aaron Rodgers and DeAngelo Williams, or to bench Case Keenum and Brandon LaFell? 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 3 of the 2016 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans vs. Raiders. Mariota is off to a so-so start to his season, but he’ll face the NFL’s passing doormats when the Raiders come to town. It’s hard to say which of his receivers, other than Delanie Walker, will prosper, but Mariota seems assured of having his best outing of the young season on Sunday.

Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers vs. Rams. I once proclaimed that Sims was a more talented and complete back than Doug Martin. Martin made me eat those words last season, but that doesn’t diminish what Sims brings to the table. As a potent dual threat (with nearly equal yardage rushing and receiving, but four more receiving TDs, over his career), Sims will get his chance to shine as the workhorse against a Rams defense that bounced back nicely last week after a miserable opener.

Theo Riddick, RB, Lions at Packers. Green Bay manhandled T.J. Yeldon and Adrian Peterson over the first two weeks, and they are likely to clamp down on the Lions’ running game as well. But Riddick is more deadly as a receiver – where the Packers are vulnerable – and he is likely to see a season (if not career) high in touches with Ameer Abdullah now on injured reserve.

Randall Cobb, WR, Packers vs. Lions. Cobb is off to a disappointing start, with Jordy Nelson once again the apple of Aaron Rodgers’ eye. With Detroit’s porous secondary, and stingy run defense, up next, Cobb will be targeted often on Sunday. The Lions have surrendered six passing TDs already, so look for both Cobb and Nelson to add to that total.

Travis Benjamin, WR, Chargers at Colts. The former Brown out-shined the over-hyped Tyrell Williams last weekend, reeling in six catches for 115 yards and a pair of TDs. As hot as Philip Rivers has been, and going up against Indy’s sieve-like secondary, Benjamin should continue to cement himself as heir to Keenan Allen’s lead role.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Ryan Tannehill, Eli Manning, Derek Carr; RBs C.J. Anderson, Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, DeMarco Murray, Frank Gore; WRs Larry Fitzgerald, T.Y. Hilton, Brandin Cooks, Jeremy Maclin, Jarvis Landry, Alshon Jeffery, Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Michael Floyd, Jordan Matthews, Michael Crabtree, Eric Decker, Marvin Jones, Willie Snead.

Roll ‘em back

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks vs. 49ers. It’s too early to press the panic button, but not too soon to put Wilson on your bench. His ankle clearly wasn’t right against the Rams, and now Doug Baldwin (knee) is limping around, too. San Francisco’s defense is vulnerable, but Wilson isn’t in the best position to take advantage.

Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders at Titans. Murray has been unable to distance himself from Oakland’s two other backs – DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard – who have earned enough carries to keep him from becoming a true workhorse. Facing a Titans defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing rushers so far this season, Murray’s short-term outlook isn’t getting any rosier.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings at Panthers. Why should we expect McKinnon to prosper where Adrian Peterson couldn’t? Especially against a stout defense, on the road, with Matt Asiata potentially poaching the goal-line carries? Sure, he was worth scooping up off the waiver wire, but McKinnon should be stashed on your bench this weekend.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos at Bengals. Denver is leaning on its running game as Trevor Siemian eases into his leadership role. That means there just aren’t that many passes to go around, and Sanders’ value has suffered as a result. Against a solid pass defense on the road, the wideout comes high risk for low production.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Redskins at Giants. The big-play receiver’s production has suffered thanks to Kirk Cousins’ early-season struggles. Meanwhile, New York has coughed up just one passing TD to date, and they are shutting down the long balls that are D-Jax’s specialty. Strike three: he’s dealing with ankle and knee issues.

More thumbs down: QBs Kirk Cousins, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, Sam Bradford, Blaine Gabbert; RBs Carlos Hyde, Matt Jones, Rashad Jennings, Jeremy Langford, Jeremy Hill, Spencer Ware, T.J. Yeldon, Justin Forsett, Fozzy Whittaker; WRs John Brown, Tavon Austin, Torrey Smith, Allen Hurns, Markus Wheaton, Vincent Jackson, Terrelle Pryor, Tyler Boyd, Golden Tate, Pierre Garcon, Sammy Watkins.

TAKING A FLIER

Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins vs. Browns. Nobody wants to make a better impression this weekend than Ajayi, who believes he should be Miami’s starting tailback. With Arian Foster sitting out with a pulled groin, he’ll get his chance to soar against a defense that is likely to be sucking wind thanks to its offense’s ineptitude.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…continues to distrust Matt Ryan as your starter.

He is currently the top-ranked fantasy QB in the land, yet he is being started by less than half of his owners. On Monday night, he’s facing the Saints – a defense that he regularly torches. While I don’t expect Ryan to maintain this pace all season, he’s absolutely worth riding while he’s high.

Week 2 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Cam Newton, Panthers – Torched the 49ers for 353 passing yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT and 37 rushing yards.

Matt Ryan, Falcons – Flung it for 396 yards and 3 TDs, plus an INT.

Carson Palmer, Cardinals – Passed for 308 yards and 3 TDs, without a turnover, before taking an early shower.

Tyrod Taylor, Bills – Rebounded from poor outing in the opener with 297 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT, plus 25 rushing yards.

Philip Rivers, Chargers – Tossed 4 TDs with just 220 yards, plus a fumble.

Derek Carr, Raiders – Passed for 299 and 3 TDs, without a turnover.

RBs

Matt Forte, Bears – Piled up 100 yards and a TD trifecta on Thursday night.

Giovani Bernard, Bengals – Just 17 rushing yards, but PPR leaguers loved his 9 receptions for 100 yards and a score, though he fumbled.

WRs

Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers – Scored twice on 7 catches for 108 yards.

Travis Benjamin, Chargers – Took 6 passes for 115 yards and 2 TDs.

Corey Coleman, Browns – The rookie had his coming-out party with 5 receptions for 104 yards and 2 TDs.

Stefon Diggs, Vikings – Likes his new QB, teaming for 9 receptions, 182 yards and a TD.

TEs

Greg Olsen, Panthers – Led his peers with 5 catches for 122 yards and a TD.

Martellus Bennett, Patriots – No longer just a blocker, Marty B. took his 5 receptions for 114 yards and a score.

D/STs

Cardinals – Collected 4 INTs, 1 fumble recovery, 2 sacks, a TD on an INT return and held the Bucs to 7 points.

Broncos – Generated 5 sacks, 2 turnovers and scored TDs on both turnovers.

Panthers – Amassed 2 sacks, 2 INTs, a fumble and a TD on the fumble return.

Ks

Graham Gano, Panthers – Hit all 4 of his FGs – for 31, 39, 41 and 49 yards – plus 4 XPs.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Alex Smith, Chiefs – Passed for 186 yards without a score and 2 lost fumbles.

Eli Manning, Giants – Led the Giants to victory, but not his fantasy teams, with 368 passing yards, but no scores and a fumble.

Jameis Winston, Bucs – Had a miserable afternoon, passing for 243 yards and a TD, but 4 INTs and a fumble.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Passed for just 254 yards without a score or a turnover.

Andrew Luck, Colts – Amassed just 197 passing and 22 rushing yards with 1 TD but 2 turnovers.

Jay Cutler, Bears – Passed for 157 yards with 0 TDs, but an INT and a fumble. Yeah, he kinda sucks.

RBs

Adrian Peterson, Vikings – Managed just 26 combined yards before leaving with a knee injury.

Arian Foster, Dolphins – Shocker… He left injured after just 9 rushing yards.

Thomas Rawls, Seahawks – Injured after losing 7 yards rushing and catching 3 balls for 15 yards.

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers – Left injured after gaining just 16 total yards.

Ameer Abdullah, Lions – Only 38 yards before leaving with a foot injury.

Doug Martin, Bucs – Ran for 23 yards before exiting early with a bum hammy.

Danny Woodhead, Chargers – Injured his knee and lost for the year after rushing for just 27 yards.

Justin Forsett, Ravens – Ran for 37 yards and caught 3 passes for just 9 more.

Carlos Hyde, 49ers – Ran for 34 yards and had just 18 yards on 3 receptions.

James White, Patriots – Ran for 19 and caught 2 passes for 10 yards.

Rashad Jennings, Giants – Combined for 40 yards on the day.

Mark Ingram, Saints – Just 30 rushing and 17 receiving yards (on 4 catches).

Jeremy Hill, Bengals – Held in check with 22 rushing yards and 3 catches for 37 more.

T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars – Rushed for 28 yards and made just 10 yards on 8 catches.

Eddie Lacy, Packers – Settled for 50 rushing yards on Sunday night.

WRs

Sammy Watkins, Bills – Hobbled around for 20 yards on 2 catches.

Donte Moncrief, Colts – Caught a 9-yarder.

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks – He settled for 20 yards on 3 receptions.

Mohamed Sanu, Falcons – Only 19 yards on 3 catches.

Tajae Sharpe, Titans – Collected 33 yards on 4 balls.

A.J. Green, Bengals – Limited to 38 yards on 2 receptions.

Golden Tate, Lions – Took 2 passes for 13 yards.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – You can’t ask for much better than 4 receptions for 39 yards.

Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos – Just 3 for 39 yards.

DeSean Jackson, Redskins – Only 40 yards on 3 receptions against a team that he loves to torch.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Just 41 yards on 4 catches.

Kevin White, Bears – Notched 36 yards on his 4 receptions.

TEs

Coby Fleener, Saints – Still out of sync with Brees, catching just 2 balls for 29 yards.

Time to go to your backup plan

Uh oh. Talk about putting a damper on the debut of your glossy new stadium…

Even though he was off to a poor start to the season, the sight of Adrian Peterson being dragged off to the locker room, unable to put any weight on his right leg, had to make Vikings fans – and his fantasy owners – throw up a little in the back of their mouths.

While we don’t yet know the full extent of his injury, Peterson seems assured of missing some games. Which means Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata will once again return to fantasy relevance.

One need only look to Pittsburgh and Kansas City to see how valuable the right backup in the right situation can be. DeAngelo Williams is currently the top RB in Fantasyland. Spencer Ware ranks in the top five. Both are expected to shift back to supporting roles once Le’Veon Bell and Jamaal Charles return, respectively. But until then, the backups are racking up the fantasy points.

Now it’s McKinnon’s turn. And Jay Ajayi’s. And perhaps Charles Sims’, too.

News will trickle in over the next few days on the severity of the injuries that befell a plethora of rushers, including Arian Foster (groin), Doug Martin (hamstring), Jonathan Stewart (hamstring), Ameer Abdullah (foot), Thomas Rawls (leg) and Danny Woodhead (knee). But fantasy players may need to act on incomplete information in the interim.

Of course, the injury bug doesn’t feast only on running backs. Jets wideout Brandon Marshall suffered a knee injury on Thursday and could very well miss a game or two.

Jimmy Garoppolo and Josh McCown, backups themselves, were likewise bitten on Sunday. But their teams’ third-stringers have little, if any, fantasy relevance, beyond the impact they will have on their offenses in general, and their receivers in particular.

Fantasy owners who assembled depth on their rosters during their drafts will be rewarded now. But it should be a very busy waiver wire this week, and there’s very likely a gem or two available who could pay major dividends in the short term, if not longer.

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

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings. Peterson’s owners were suffering enough watching their first-round pick get stuffed by the Packers, and the Titans before them. Now they’ll be scrambling to add McKinnon, who has played well in the past when called upon. Asiata is the battering ram with a history of goal-line vulturing, but McKinnon is the shiftier, speedier back who can rack up the yards and big plays.

Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers. Famously fragile Jonathan Stewart pulled a hammy against the 49ers, leading to a career-best 100-yard rushing performance from third-stringer Fozzy Whittaker in his absence. But Artis-Payne, a healthy scratch on Sunday, is Stewart’s primary backup and should be the best option to step into his cleats.

Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins. Speaking of fragile backs…Arian Foster is hurt. Again. Ajayi is the next man up in the Dolphins’ struggling offense, for what that’s worth. He found himself in his coach’s doghouse in Week 1; but now he’ll get the chance to reclaim the starting gig he thought was his heading into the season, before Foster was signed.

Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers. Already owned in two-thirds of all fantasy leagues thanks mostly to his prowess as a receiver, Sims could be the team’s starting tailback if Doug Martin’s hamstring keeps him sidelined. All Sims has ever needed was a chance, and it could be coming as soon as Week 3.

Corey Coleman, WR, Browns. The rookie had his coming-out party on Sunday and is available in about a third of all leagues. Though he’s facing the possibility of playing catch with fellow rookie Cody Kessler, Coleman is a playmaker. And fellow Baylor wideout Josh Gordon will be back on the field in three weeks to take the pressure off.

Don’t be fooled

Christine Michael, RB, Seahawks. Thomas Rawls suffered a leg contusion on Sunday, giving Michael another chance to stake his claim to the lead rushing role. But Michael has flamed out too often for me to justify recommending him, and his offense has looked uncharacteristically lame over the first two weeks.

Danny Amendola, WR, Patriots. He benefitted from the absence of Rob Gronkowski, but the entire team could suffer with Jacoby Brissett (or a free agent signee) under center for the next couple of weeks. Amendola has a history of big games, followed by disappearances, followed by the inevitable injury. Don’t bother.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Lions. He reeled in his first TD as a Lion, and had another score nullified by a holding penalty. But he’s still the third wide receiver in this offense, and he will do more harm to Golden Tate’s value than he’ll add to your fantasy team.