Week 2 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Tom Brady, Patriots – Handled the vaunted Bills D with ease, passing for 466 yards and a TD hat trick, though he lost a fumble.

Carson Palmer, Cardinals – Passed for 185 yards and 4 TDs plus an INT.

Andy Dalton, Bengals – Racked up 3 TD passes and 214 yards without a turnover.

Tyrod Taylor, Bills – Coughed up 4 turnovers, but also scored 4 TDs with 242 passing and 43 rushing yards.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – Put up 369 passing yards and 3 TDs without a turnover.

Derek Carr, Raiders – Blitzed the Ravens with 351 yards and 3 TDs, plus 23 rushing yards and an INT.

RBs

DeAngelo Williams, Steelers – Ran for 77 yards and 3 short TDs, plus 15 yards on 4 catches.

Matt Jones, Redskins – Made a statement with 123 yards and 2 TDs rushing, plus 3 receptions for 23 yards, though he lost a fumble.

David Johnson, Cardinals – Scored while rushing for 42 yards and took a kickoff return to the house.

Dion Lewis, Patriots – Despite losing a fumble, rushed for 40 yards and a TD and caught 6 passes for 98 yards.

WRs

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Had a TD trifecta to go with his 8 receptions for 112 yards.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars – Torched Miami with 6 catches for 155 yards and 2 TDs.

Julio Jones, Falcons – Scored twice on 9 receptions for 141 yards.

Travis Benjamin, Browns – Mr. Big Play made the most of his 3 catches, with 115 yards and 2 TDs, plus a 78-yard punt return.

Julian Edelman, Patriots – Pulled down 11 passes for 97 yards and 2 TDs, plus 12 rushing yards.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – Reeled in 9 passes for 195 yards and a TD.

Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos – Caught 2 TDs on his 8 receptions for 87 yards.

Odell Beckham, Jr, Giants – Took 7 passes 146 yards, with a TD.

Michael Crabtree, Raiders – Grabbed 9 passes for 111 yards and his first TD as a Raider.

Amari Cooper, Raiders – Nearly matched his counterpart with 7 catches for 109 yards and a score.

Brandon Marshall, Jets – Also had 7 receptions, and produced 101 yards and a TD with them.

Donte Moncrief, Colts – He generated 122 yards and a TD with his 7 catches.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Got on track in PPR leagues with 10 receptions for 83 yards and a score.

Steve Smith, Ravens – Golden in PPR leagues with 10 grabs for 150 yards.

TEs

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Dominated again with 113 yards and a TD on 7 receptions.

Crockett Gilmore, Ravens – Seized the spotlight with 5 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs.

D/STs

Broncos – Racked up 4 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 fumble recoveries and the winning TD on a fumble return.

Cardinals – Collected 2 sacks and 2 INTs while scoring on an INT return and Johnson’s kickoff return.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Alex Smith, Chiefs – Passed for just 191 yards without a TD, plus 2 INTs.

Andrew Luck, Colts – Came up flat again with 250 yards and a TD ruined by 3 INTs and a fumble.

Tony Romo, Cowboys – Held to 195 yards without a score before getting knocked out with a broken collarbone.

Sam Bradford, Eagles – Looked dreadful while passing for 224 yards and a TD, with 2 INTs and a fumble.

RBs

Eddie Lacy, Packers – Exited with an ankle injury after gaining just 9 yards.

Ameer Abdullah, Lions – Practically invisible with 9 yards both rushing and receiving, which matched Joique Bell’s 18 combined yards.

Alfred Blue, Texans – Marginalized with 10 combined yards.

C.J. Anderson, Broncos – Another disappointing effort with 27 rushing yards and a 2-yard reception.

Rashad Jennings, Giants – Posted 12 yards both rushing and receiving.

Tre Mason, Rams – Just 26 rushing yards to go with 4 receiving yards.

Jeremy Hill, Bengals – Out-performed by Gio Bernard, with just 39 rushing yards and a 2-yard catch, before being benched after two fumbles.

Bishop Sankey, Titans – Just 42 rushing yards on the day.

Lamar Miller, Dolphins – Limited to 14 rushing and 28 receiving yards on 5 catches before leaving with an ankle injury.

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks – 41 rushing and 21 receiving yards is not what you expect from your first-round pick.

Chris Ivory, Jets – Just 57 rushing and 3 receiving yards in a big MNF win.

Frank Gore, Colts – He also had only 57 points, but he fumbled.

WRs

Roddy White, Falcons – Blanked by the Giants.

Mike Evans, Buccaneers – Rewarded those who counted on him with a goose egg.

Charles Johnson, Vikings – Only 10 yards on his 3 receptions.

Keenan Allen, Chargers – A week after hauling in 15 passes, had just 2 for 16 yards, with a fumble.

Andre Johnson, Colts – Another disappointing night with 27 yards on 3 receptions.

Kendall Wright, Titans – Just 34 yards on 2 catches.

Mike Wallace, Vikings – Just 3 catches for 38 yards.

Davante Adams, Packers – Managed only 33 yards on 5 receptions.

 

TEs

Greg Olsen, Panthers – Managed just an 11-yarder.

Owen Daniels, Broncos – No Julius Thomas here, with 3 for 19 yards.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Bucs – The waiver-wire darling nabbed just 2 passes for 29 yards.

It’s ‘next man up’ in Fantasyland

That moaning sound you hear is the world’s most depressing victory celebration in Dallas. The angst is shared across Fantasyland as Tony Romo’s owners now must shift to Plan B, which hopefully doesn’t stand for Bradford.

Romo’s broken collarbone – coupled with last weekend’s loss of Dez Bryant – will almost certainly have a negative domino effect on every other member of the Cowboys’ offense. Sorry, but Brandon Weeden’s “perfect” showing in relief of Romo on Sunday is about as relevant as Sam Bradford’s outstanding preseason.

I suppose developments like these are what fuel much of the interest in weekly fantasy games. But those of us old schoolers who remember a simpler time before 24x7 DraftKings commercials can’t just start over with a whole new team this week any more than Jerry Jones can.

And dagnabbit, that’s the way we like it!

So we’ll take our lumps, turn to our bench for the “next man up” and play them one game at a time. Then we’ll scour the waiver wire for a young buck or two to buttress our lineup while our starters mend their wounds.

We don’t yet know how many games, if any, will be missed by Eddie Lacy (ankle), Lamar Miller (ankle), Tevin Coleman (ribs) or Jordan Cameron (groin), or if Jeremy Hill’s benching is permanent. No one can predict with certainty when DeMarco Murray will celebrate his first double-digit rushing performance in Philly. Heck, we don’t even know who Crockett Gillmore is, period.

But we’ll move forward, uphill, barefooted, in the snow, like real fantasy football players, all the way to the playoffs. And we’ll do it with the core group of men we drafted during the preseason. Because that’s what Vince Lombardi would want us to do.

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

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Bills. It’s hard not to be impressed by how resilient the athletic quarterback has been in his first two starts in Buffalo. Though Taylor coughed up the ball four times and was sacked eight times by New England, he also amassed four TDs, including one on the ground. Just as important, he got Sammy Watkins involved this week. The Bills’ schedule is favorable moving forward so Taylor is worth a backup spot on your roster if you’re in need of QB help.

Matt Jones, RB, Redskins. Those banking on Alfred Morris should be very concerned, as the third-round draft pick significantly out-performed the starter against a very stout Rams defense. With 146 combined yards and two TDs on Sunday, Jones just had his coming-out party. Could the rookie be the new leading man in Washington?

James Starks, RB, Packers. Eddie Lacy’s owners should already have Starks handcuffed for times like this. The veteran is fully capable of carrying the rushing load as long as Lacy’s ankle injury keeps him out.

Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons. If Tevin Coleman’s rib injury forces him to miss games, Freeman will become Atlanta’s workhorse by default. The committee system has kept both backs’ value in check thus far, but Freeman’s stock will rise sharply if the rookie can’t go.

Travis Benjamin, WR, Browns. The knock on Benjamin is that he sees so few targets in Cleveland’s lackluster pass offense. But he sure knows how to make the most of them! With three long receiving scores and a punt return TD in the first two weeks of 2015, it’s time to give Mr. Big Play his due.

Don’t be fooled

Brandon Weeden, QB, Cowboys. He looked awful last season when pressed into action as the Cowboys’ starter, and that was with Dez Bryant on the field. Look elsewhere (like Buffalo, or even Oakland) for help if Romo was your guy.

Alfred Blue, RB, Texans. Blue has been marginalized in Houston’s backfield rotation, touching the ball just six times on Sunday. With Arian Foster (groin) on pace to return soon, you can safely unload the underachieving backup.

Owen Daniels, TE, Broncos. With just five receptions for 24 yards over his first two games as a Bronco, there’s scant evidence that Daniels will be the next Julius Thomas. Feel free to drop him. Virgil Green scored on a short pass on Sunday, but he, too, is a bit player in Denver’s retooled passing attack.

Sunday morning updates - Week 2

Good morning, Fools. Hope you're undefeated (like me!) and ready to keep the good times rolling. Let's take a quick swing around the NFL for the news we can use...

Shady McCoy will play today, despite being slowed all week by a bum hammy. You have to start him, but there's a risk he could pull up lame at some point.

Tre Mason will be the lead back for the Rams today, but he's a flex play at best. Benny Cunningham will get some carries too, and hopefully Todd Gurley will see his first action of the year. Gurley is a game-time decision. Keep in mind that Washington's run defense is pretty solid. (Update: Gurley won't be active today, but I wasn't expecting much from him anyway. Doesn't change my opinion about Mason.)

If you need a sneaky flex play this week, I really like Lance Dunbar in PPR leagues. The Cowboys are using him a lot like the Eagles use Darren Sproles, and with Dez out, Dunbar should be one of the main beneficiaries.

C.J. Spiller appears on track to make his New Orleans debut today, but how much he'll be used is unknown. Hold him out until he's 100% and his role is clear.

Chris Ivory (groin) is questionable going into the Monday nighter, but I would be very surprised if he doesn't suit up and have an solid outing. Just understand that there's some risk there, and you'd be wise to have a backup plan in place if he's inactive.

Same story for T.Y. Hilton (knee), though he seems a little more in jeopardy of missing MNF. He could also be on a pitch count or used as a decoy. There's more risk involved with Hilton.

The worries about Alshon Jeffery's status have come to fruition. He has been declared out today. That means more targets for Forte, Martellus Bennett, Eddie Royal, et.al, but only Forte and Marty B deserve starts.

Mike Evans is expected to play this week, and you have to like his chances in the red zone. Again, you have to start a WR of his caliber when he's active, but you'd much prefer that he be fully healthy, and that's still a question mark with Evans.

You know Victor Cruz is still out. For those of us with OBJ, let's hope he gets his act in gear this week.

Delanie Walker won't play with Week 1 shooting star Marcus Mariota today. That's one more reason I can't imagine putting my fantasy team in the rookie QB's hands.

Jordan Reed is expected to go today, but he has a rough matchup against the visiting Rams.

Dwayne Bowe will play, but, seriously....

That's it for this morning. I'll start tweeting inactives and other late-breaking news shortly. Good luck, Fools!

Week 2 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Drew Brees and Julio Jones, or to bench Blake Bortles and Taiwan Jones? 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 2 of the 2015 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals vs. Chargers. His team won handily in Oakland last week, so Dalton wasn’t asked to do much in the second half. That should change on Sunday, and the Red Rifle is sure to turn his attention from Tyler Eifert to A.J. Green in a more wide-open attack. San Diego’s secondary gives up plenty of TD passes, so Dalton should have a fine outing in his home opener.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions at Vikings. The rookie’s stellar debut last weekend wasn’t as shocking as starter Joique Bell’s poor performance. We expected Abdullah to overtake Bell at some point this season, but not quite this quickly. Against the defense that just made Carlos Hyde the darling of fantasy football, Abdullah is a must-start.

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars vs. Dolphins. Let’s go with another rookie who got off to a solid, though not spectacular, start last week. What’s most significant is that Yeldon received the majority of the carries against the Panthers’ stingy defense, so look for a similar workload and better results against Miami’s more-generous run defenders.

John Brown, WR, Cardinals at Bears. Michael Floyd is still working his way back from his finger injury, giving the second-year speedster another opportunity to assert himself in Arizona’s passing game. Carson Palmer should continue to shine against Chicago’s weak secondary.

Terrance Williams, WR, Cowboys at Eagles. He’s no Dez Bryant, nor is he Julio Jones. But Williams is capable of inflicting major damage on a Philly secondary that surrenders passing yards and TDs in big chunks. The third-year wideout should pickup more than his fair share of Bryant’s targets, and at least one long scoring play seems inevitable.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Sam Bradford, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Tannehill, Nick Foles; RBs Chris Ivory, Justin Forsett, Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, Carlos Hyde, Bishop Sankey, Joseph Randle, Lamar Miller, Alfred Morris, Jeremy Hill, Tevin Coleman; WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, DeAndre Hopkins, Roddy White, Jordan Matthews, Vincent Jackson, Keenan Allen, Julian Edelman, Jarvis Landry, Davante Adams, Golden Tate.

Roll ‘em back

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks at Packers. Marshawn Lynch’s mom isn’t the only one who thinks her son should be better deployed by the Seahawks. Despite a hefty 41 pass attempts against the Rams, Wilson had a mediocre fantasy performance in the opener – highlighted by six sacks. He’ll face another stiff test at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, so consider a safer option this weekend.

Alfred Blue, RB, Texans at Panthers. Blue was expected to be the bell cow until Arian Foster (groin) returned; but instead, Houston rolled out a full-fledged running back by committee in the opener. This is a tough matchup already, but having to compete for touches with his own teammates spells trouble for Blue.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers vs. 49ers. Williams looked surprisingly spry in the season kickoff, though he failed to reach the end zone. San Francisco effectively shut down a rusty Adrian Peterson on Monday night and should have less trouble keeping the 32-year-old Williams in check on Sunday.

Torrey Smith, WR, 49ers at Steelers. It’s not entirely clear that Colin Kaepernick has been introduced to Smith yet. With just one 11-yard reception on three targets, the “prized” offseason acquisition was virtually invisible in the opener. Despite the favorable matchup, Smith should be nowhere near your starting lineup until he and his quarterback recognize each other.

Pierre Garcon, WR, Redskins vs. Rams. Garcon was Kirk Cousins’ most-targeted wideout in the opener following DeSean Jackson’s exit, and that should continue. What is also likely to continue is Cousins’ struggles, particularly against a legit Rams defense. The Redskins should lean heavily on Alfred Morris in this tough matchup.

More thumbs down: QBs Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Kirk Cousins, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Mariota, Johnny Manziel; RBs Devonta Freeman, Todd Gurley, Rashad Jennings, Dion Lewis, Frank Gore, Latavius Murray, David Johnson, Isaiah Crowell, Melvin Gordon, Ryan Mathews; WRs Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin, Travis Benjamin, Allen Robinson, Stevie Johnson, Markus Wheaton, Amari Cooper, Andre Johnson, Kendall Wright, Eric Decker, Danny Amendola.

TAKING A FLIER

Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals at Bears. I have serious reservations about CJ.6K’s season-long prospects behind Arizona’s line – especially since Andre Ellington (knee) isn’t expected to miss too long. But Johnson will be the workhorse against the vulnerable Chicago run defense, and Palmer will put the former fantasy superstar in good position to rack up a rushing score or two on Sunday.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…benches Tom Brady against the vaunted Bills defense. Sure, they made Andrew Luck look average in Week 1, but Brady has a stellar track record against this secondary and nobody can cover Rob Gronkowski. Enjoy the ride if you have either superstar on your roster.

Week 1 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Tom Brady, Patriots – Flipped off Roger Goodell with 288 yards and 4 TDs, without a blemish.

Carson Palmer, Cardinals – Passed for 307 yards and 3 TDs, without a turnover, plus 14 rushing yards.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Started off slowly, but finished with 189 yards, 3 TDs, 35 rushing yards and no turnovers.

Alex Smith, Chiefs – Passed for 243 yards and 3 TDs, and ran for 15 yards, with no turnovers.

Tony Romo, Cowboys – Passed for 356 yards and 3 TDs, plus 2 INTs – neither of which were his fault.

Marcus Mariota, Titans – Enjoyed a tremendous debut with 209 passing yards and 4 TDs, all in the first half.

RBs

Matt Forte, Bears – Rushed for 144 yards and a TD, and added 5 catches for 25 yards.

Carlos Hyde, 49ers -- Ran for 168 with 2 TDs, plus 14 yards on 2 receptions, in the late game.

Bishop Sankey, Titans – Shockingly, rushed for 74 yards and a TD and caught 2 passes for 12 yards and another TD.

Chris Ivory, Jets – Rumbled for 91 yards and 2 TDs.

Danny Woodhead, Chargers – Scored twice while rushing for 42 yards, and hauled in 4 passes for 20 more yards.

WRs

Julio Jones, Falcons – Scored twice on 9 receptions for 141 yards.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – Reeled in 9 passes for 133 yards and a trash-time score.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans – Caught TDs from 2 different mediocre QBs on his 9 receptions for 98 yards.

James Jones, Packers – Returned to Green Bay with panache, catching 4 passes for 51 yards and 2 TDs, and very nearly two more scores.

Keenan Allen, Chargers – Was golden in PPR leagues, with 15 receptions for 166 yards.

TEs

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Made the Steelers defense look silly, with 5 receptions for 94 yards and 3 TDs.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs – Torched the Texans with 6 receptions for 106 yards and 2 TDs.

Tyler Eifert, Bengals – Racked up 9 catches for 104 yards and 2 TDs.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers – Reeled in 5 passes for 110 yards and 2 TDs.

Jason Witten, Cowboys – Scored twice on his 8 receptions for 60 yards.

D/STs

Panthers – Amassed 5 sacks, 2 INTs, a fumble recovery, held Jacksonville to 9 points and scored on an INT return.

Seahawks – Gave up 34 points, but scored on a punt return and fumble return, plus 2 sacks.

Ks

Brandon McManus, Broncos – Booted through FGs of 57, 56, 43 and 33 yards, plus an XP.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Peyton Manning, Broncos – Held without a score, and had just 175 yards with an INT.

Eli Manning, Giants – Just 193 yards passing, no scores and no turnovers.

Joe Flacco, Ravens – Passed for only 117 yards without a score, and had 2 INTs.
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers -- Amassed just 165 passing and 41 rushing yards, without a score.
Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings -- Passed for 231 yards with 16 rushing yards, but no TDs and 1 INT.

RBs

Frank Gore, Colts – Began his Indy tenure with a disappointing 31 rushing yards.

Alfred Blue, Texans – Just 42 rushing yards and a 7-yard catch.

C.J. Anderson, Broncos – Ran for 29 yards and took 4 passes just 19 yards before leaving with a sprained toe.

T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars – Only 51 rushing and 16 receiving yards for the rookie.

Isaiah Crowell, Browns – Held to 20 rushing and 13 receiving yards.

Doug Martin, Buccaneers – Ran for 52 yards and caught a 2-yard pass.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings -- The freak was limited to just 52 combined yards.

WRs

Sammy Watkins, Bills – Blanked in the opener.

DeSean Jackson, Redskins – Pulled up with a bum hammy before catching a pass.

Eddie Royal, Bears – Caught an 8-yarder.
Torrey Smith, 49ers -- Had an 11-yarder in his 49ers debut.

Kenny Stills, Dolphins – For the first game, at least, Stills is the odd WR out with just a 12-yard grab.

Steve Smith, Ravens – Only 13 yards on 2 catches.

Michael Floyd, Cardinals – Had an 18-yarder, and that’s it.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars – Limited to a 27-yarder.

Andre Johnson, Colts – Like Gore, got off to a slow start with just 24 yards on 4 receptions.
Charles Johnson, Vikings -- Just 2 for 27.

Marques Colston, Saints – Only 3 catches for 29 yards.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Caught 2 passes for 39 yards.

Golden Tate, Lions – Limited to 24 yards on 4 passes.
Anquan Boldin, 49ers -- Just 4 for 36.

Odell Beckham, Jr., Giants – Only 44 yards on 5 catches.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys – Managed 48 yards on 5 receptions before leaving injured.

Brandin Cooks, Saints – Just 49 yards on 4 receptions.

TEs

Greg Olsen, Panthers – Managed just an 11-yarder.

Owen Daniels, Broncos – Peyton’s new TE tallied 5 receiving yards.