Maniac Monday: Time To Let Go

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears:

This isn't your Green Bay Packers of past years where the team could carry 3 relevant fantasy wide receivers. What they are though is a team with two top 10 in Randall Cobb & Jordy Nelson. Nelson led the team in targets (12), receptions (10), and finished behind Cobb in yards (108). Both men were able to find the endzone twice and no other receiver had more than 3 targets. Aaron Rodgers had his best game of the season and was clearly backing up his statement to Packer fans to relax. My concern with Eddie Lacy is legit. He had his first touchdown of the season yesterday but only average 2.8 yards per carry against a team who allowed 5.8 yards week 1, 4.7 week 2 (skewed by the fact Miller and Hyde ran it 5 times for 0 yards), & 4.4 week 3. This was his easiest matchup and couldn't do much with it, I would look to trade him now that he finally scored his first TD before it is to late and you don't get anything for him.

Old Jay Cutler returned this week and he made some bad decisions trying to force the ball into some tight windows. Good news for Matt Forte owners is he returned to form in a great matchup, he had 28 touches for 171 yards. Here is the difference between Forte and Lacy, both were drafted on average 4th and 5th in most peoples draft. Lacy had 19 touches for roughly 50 yards in a really good matchup and Forte had the 28 for 171 in his really good matchup. I am holding on to Forte knowing great days are here to stay. Martellus Bennett is making a case that he should be considered in that top 3 conversation. He led the team in receptions, yards and targets. Brandon Marshall is clearly still hobbled by his ankle injury but even with that he is still a redzone threat as he scored his 5th touchdown of the season. I am starting him every week but right now until he is healthy he is touchdown dependent. Alshon Jeffrey saw 7 targets but the Packers were able to eliminate his usual big play, but he was able to find the endzone which helped his fantasy day.

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans:

EJ Manuel had his worst game of the season so far barely completing 50% of his passes and throwing 2 interceptions. CJ Spiller led the running back tandem in touches seeing 15 carries and 3 receptions. Putting together 84 yards on his 18 touches and having one of his better offensive games of the season. Fred Jackson was able to put together a nice game as well seeing 13 touches for 85 yards. Both can be considered low end RB2 during these bye weeks. Robert Woods led the team with 12 targets but only converted 3 of them. Sammy Watkins continues to play around the WR3 level but owners should understand they will get burned some weeks by the rookie.

The Bills run defense is legit and they shut down Arian Foster & Alfred Blue as both avg 1 yard per carry or less. This was their heaviest passing game of the season and Ryan Fitzpatrick did well enough but did make the 2 interceptions. Foster made his day better for fantasy owners in PPR leagues seeing 7 catches for 55 yards. Andre Johnson led the receivers in targets, reception and yards but it was DeAndre Hopkins finding the endzone again. Hopkins finished 5 for 64 and a touchdown and is making a case he is a legit WR2. He should be starting for most teams right now.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts:

As was to be expected Jake Locker ended up being inactive for the game and that led to Charlie Whitehurst to start. The most telling thing for me in this game was the fact that Bishop Sankey led the running backs in carries. Looks like he is starting to take over the running back duties in Tennessee. I lowered all Titans in my rankings except Walker and that paid off as Delanie Walker found the endzone again this week and is playing top 5 level at tight end right now. Kendall Wright had an ok PPR game but isn't worth starting in standard leagues and Justin Hunter continues to disappoint fantasy owners who thought he was due for a breakout year.

Andrew Luck is the best fantasy QB in football right now and even in these blowouts is putting up great numbers. Luck threw for 4 touchdowns and passed for almost 400 yards dominating all fantasy QBs again this week. Trent Richardson dominated all RBs in carries seeing 20 to Ahmad Bradshaw's 9 but only managed 2.4 yards per carry (Bradshaw only had 3.4) but he did find the endzone. Interesting to see is that Richardson also led Bradshaw in receptions seeing 4 to his 2 and getting 52 yards in that department. Reggie Wayne had his best game post ACL surgery but still finished 2nd in targets to TY Hilton who also had an excellent game. Wayne wins because he caught the TD pass.

Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens:

Cam Newton continues to get beat up this season and that should worry most fantasy owners. Even though this turned into a blowout this is another game in which Cam didn't finish. DeAngelo Williams injured himself and Darren Reaves took over but he didn't do anything that made you want to pick him up next week. Kelvin Benjamin is the only fantasy consistent receiver I want to own on this team. Greg Olsen got a bit banged up and I think thats why his numbers ended up being so low yesterday.

It was the redemption for Steve Smith and he didn't disappoint. Through the first four games of this season Smith has as many multi receiving TD games as he did in 3 years with Cam Newton (Adam Shefter). I put Smith in my top 8 but clearly he needed top 10 status as he finished with 7 catches 139 yards and 2 TDs. Torrey Smith found the endzone but he clearly isn't an offensive threat right now seeing just 3 targets. The biggest news was Bernard Pierce being active and not getting a touch as Justin Forsett & Lorenzo Taliaferro split the duties and both found the endzone. Both can be considered back end RB2s during the bye weeks ahead.

Detroit Lions at New York Jets:

Coach Caldwell clearly his helping Matthew Stafford make smarter decisions and it is paying off. Stafford is making smart throws and in turn having a lot less interceptions. Interesting for my is the Reggie Bush led the team in carries (for the first time this season) and receptions. Joique Bell had a very quiet day but the Jets defense has been very good against running backs. Calvin Johnson played but he didn't play well for fantasy owners. The big news was Golden Tate I will be the first to admit that I was to low on him. He is a good WR2 and based on Johnson's health is a must start if he sits at all.

Chris Ivory has taken over as the #1 running back in New York. He almost tripled the carries between him and Chris Johnson who did salvage his day with the nice touchdown run. Ivory was also targeted 6 times to Johnson's 2. I was way to high on Johnson coming into the season and way to low on Ivory. Geno Smith had another rough game and Michael Vick rumblings are beginning to become a lot louder. Jace Amaro had his best game of the season and is an interesting guy to keep your eye on.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers:

Mike Glennon only completed 50% of his passes so I am not sure how much of an upgrade he was from Josh McCown but he does take more shots towards the endzone. Louis Murphy was his favorite target down the stretch but Mike Evans was out and not sure the severity yet, Vincent Jackson found the endzone late which helped fantasy owners. Doug Martin is still clearly the guy in Tampa when healthy seeing 14 carries to Rainey's 4.

Ben Roethlesberger had another great game and with the lack of play from other top QBs he is looking like a top 12 type of quarterback right now. Antonio Brown is dominating at wide receiver right now and is playing like a top 3 receiver this season. Heath Miller had a dominating game at tight end but I think this is once every few weeks he puts up numbers like this. Nothing to say about Le'Veon Bell other than he is the 2nd best running back in the league right now.

Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders:

Coach Philbin lit a fire under Ryan Tannehill and he responded with his best game of the season. Lamar Miller continued his hot run at running back with a two touchdown performance. Knowshon Moreno is supposed to return after the bye week so it'll be interesting to see what happens. Mike Wallace salvaged a quiet day with another touchdown and Brian Hartline and Jarvis Landry continue to battle for the #2 WR spot.

Derek Carr got injured late in this game and he may be out a few weeks with  sprained knee. Darren McFadden led all ball carries for the Raiders which was surprising for some people who thought Maurice Jones-Drew would get more touches. James Jones had a good WR3 game and Andre Holmes had his best game of the season. Nothing worth owning other than Jones.

Jacksonville Jaguar at San Diego Charges:

Blake Bortles had a decent game and clearly is more dangerous back there than Henne was. Bortles did a nice job spreading the ball around on offense but no receiver stuck out. Shorts got hurt and Allen Robinson & Allen Hurns are deep league owns only. Toby Gerhart found the endzone on what was a quiet fantasy day again for him.

Keenan Allen looked like the top 15 receiver everyone drafted him to be this season. Another quiet game for Antonio Gates which isn't to concerning for fantasy owners who probably drafted Gates as their #2 tight end. Eddie Royal  had two touchdowns and looks like last years early season success. If you have him I am selling high if I can. In a great matchup both San Diego's running backs struggled. Donald Brown & Brandon Oliver disappointed.

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings:

Matt Ryan continues to struggle on the road he is a decent back end top 10 QB rest of the way because he is on the road every game until week 12. Antone Smith is getting close to taking over for Stephen Jackson as he had another long TD run and his to explosive not to give more touches too. Wide Receivers had their usual production.

Teddy Bridgewater looked great until he got hurt and that was the concern with him coming into the season. Matt Asiata found the end zone 3 times this game but Jerrick McKinnon looked like the future at running back this season showing explosion and big play ability. Jerius Wright was Bridgewaters favorite target and was used a lot in the quick screen game. He is a player to monitor.

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers:

Lesean McCoy owners need to start worrying, with all these offensive line injuries they are struggling to block for him in the run game. In the pass game Nick Foles is getting hit often and that is causing him to rush throws. Only player to have a decent game was Jeremy Maclin who saw a crazy 16 targets but only was able to convert 5 of them.

Colin Kaepernick had a good game so did Anquan Boldin & Michael Crabtree but they weren't top wide receivres. Frank Gore looked youthful in his 100 yard rushing game and there is still no split carries with Carlos Hyde.

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys:

Drew Brees got it going late but still doesn't look like his old self in this offense. Pierre Thomas was healthy but barely saw the field and that is very concerning for Thomas owners. Khiry Robinson had an "OK" game again this week and can be looked at as a flex RB for the time being. Wide Receivers and Tight ends nothing stuck out.

Tony Romo had his best passing game of the season and Terrence Williams was the recipient of that good game. DeMarco Murray is still the best RB in the league and in redraft leagues he is probably the #1 RB and #1 player drafted today. Jason Witten had one of his better games of the season.

RANKINGS WEEK 4

Good Luck to all of you in week 4. Don't forget to remove your players from your rosters; Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals are all on Bye Week.
QUARTERBACKS:

1. Phillip Rivers

2. Matthew Stafford

3. Drew Brees

4. Nick Foles

5. Andrew Luck

6. Aaron Rodgers

7. Cam Newton

8. Jay Cutler

9. Colin Kaepernick

10. Matt Ryan

11. Jay Cutler

12. Tom Brady

13. Ben Roethlesberger

14. Tony Romo

15. Geno Smith

16. EJ Manuel

17. Alex Smith

18. Blake Bortles

19. Teddy Bridgewater

20. Joe Flacco

RUNNING BACKS:

1. Matt Forte

2. DeMarco Murray

3. Le'Veon Bell

4. Lamar Miller

5. Eddie Lacy

6. Lesean McCoy

7. Arian Foster

8. Jamaal Charles

9. Donald Brown

10. Ahmad Bradshaw

11. Fred Jackson

12. Khiry Robinson

13. Frank Gore

14. Reggie Bush

15. Doug Martin

16. Matt Asiata

17. Darren Sproles

18. Stevan Ridley

19. Joique Bell

20. Trent Richardson

21. Pierre Thomas

22. Shane Vereen

23. Chris Ivory

24. CJ Spiller

25. Chris Johnson

26. Stephen Jackson

27. DeAngelo Williams

28. Bobby Rainey

29. Bishop Sankey

30. Maurice Jones-Drew

31. LeGarrette Blount

32. Bernard Pierce

33. Shonn Greene

34. Brandon Oliver

35. Toby Gerhart

36. Kniles Davis

37. Justin Forsett

38. Carlos Hyde

39. Lorenzo Taliaferro

40. De'Anthony Thomas

WIDE RECEIVERS:

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Julio Jones

3. Jordy Nelson

4. Antonio Brown

5. Dez Bryant

6. Alshon Jeffrey

7. Steve Smith

8. Jeremy Maclin

9. Julian Edelman

10. Michael Crabtree

11. Brandon Marshall

12. Randall Cobb

13. Mike Wallace

14. Keenan Allen

15. Andre Johnson

16. Roddy White

17. Brandin Cooks

18. Vincent Jackson

19. Kelvin Benjamin

20. DeAndre Hopkins

21. Kendall Wright

22. Reggie Wayne

23. Marques Colston

24. Cecil Shorts III

25. Golden Tate

26. Cordarrelle Patterson

27. TY Hilton

28. Greg Jennings

29. James Jones

30. Torrey Smith

31. Markus Wheaton

32. Allen Hurns

33. Sammy Watkins

34. Anquan Boldin

35. Justin Hunter

36. Terrence Williams

37. Jarvis Landry

38. Mike Evans

39. Stevie Johnson

40. Donte Moncrief

41. Malcom Floyd

42. Dwayne Bowe

43. Jordan Matthews

44. Jeremy Kerley

45. Philly Brown

46. Davante Adams

47. Brian Hartline

48. Hakeem Nicks

49. Eddie Royal

50. Riley Cooper

TIGHT ENDS:

1. Jimmy Graham

2. Rob Gronkowski

3. Greg Olsen

4. Martellus Bennett

5. Vernon Davis

6. Delanie Walker

7. Antonio Gates

8. Zach Ertz

9. Travis Kelce

10. Owen Daniels

11. Jason Witten

12. Levine Toilolo

13. Dwayne Allen

14. Heath Miller

15. Charles Clay

16. Colby Fleener

17. Jace Amaro

18. Andrew Quarless

19. Tim Wright

20. Eric Ebron

KICKERS:

1. Stephen Gostowski

2. Justin Tucker

3. Phil Dawson

4. Cody Parkey

5. Nick Novak

6. Adam Vinatieri

7. Mason Crosby

8. Dan Bailey

9. Shaun Suisham

10. Matt Bryant

11. Graham Gano

12. Nick Folk

13. Blair Walsh

14. Shayne Graham

15. Robbie Gould

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS:

1. San Diego Chargers

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

3. New England Patriots

4. Houston Texans

5. Miami Dolphins

6. Baltimore Ravens

7. Carolina Panthers

8. Buffalo Bills

9. Indianapolis Colts

10. Detroit Lions

11. Kansas City Chiefs

12. San Francisco 49ers

13. Chicago Bears

14. New York Jets

15. New Orleans Saints

Thursday Night Preview: Who to Start

New York Giants:
Starters:                                                                                         
Victor Cruz WR2                                                                          
Rueben Randle WR3
Rashad Jennings RB1
Eli Manning QB2
Larry Donnell TE2

The Giants offense seems to be figuring it out and Eli is beginning to complete the passes. Washington has a surprisingly good run defense but with all the RBs on byes this week and with so many injured I think Jennings could be a back end RB1. As for the WRs I feel comfortable with Cruz starting but he is a late WR2 early WR3 type of player this week. He definitely had his best game of the season last week and I think Thursday night will be a shoot out. Eli Manning is creeping into the top 15 but I would still hold off on him for now. If he can continue to play turnover free football than he is worth be looked at in most leagues.


Washington Redskins:
Starters:
Desean Jackson WR2
Pierre Garcon WR2
Kirk Cousins QB1
Niles Paul TE1
Alfred Morris RB1

I think this game is going to look like the Philadelphia Washington game from last week. I like Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon this week but one will be a high end WR2 and the other more of a low end WR2/high end WR3. It is not known who Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will cover but the Giants (outside of week 1) do a good job eliminating the deep plays downfield. Because of that I think I'd go with Garcon to have the better game. Beason seems unlikely to play and because of that I think Alfred Morris will have a very strong guy and vie for the top RB of the week type numbers. Kirk Cousins will have another very good week but I would expect a small regression from last week. Niles Paul is a top TE in PPR leagues and a decent play in standard leagues.
 

Waiver Wire Gems

Donald Brown San Diego Chargers: Brown gets matched up with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week and that could mean big things for the new starting RB in San Diego. After Matthews went down in week 2 and Woodhead in week 3 we can expect a lot of touches for him in week 4. He is a career 4.2 yards per carry guy but average over 5 last season with the Colts. He has potential and is only 28 years old. Brown should be owned in all leagues.

Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins: Cousins was thought to be the better fit in this offense than RGIII and there was only a matter of time until he took over. We saw against the Eagles the type of potential he has and what his coach would like to do with him. Gruden loves highly accurate passers, like Dalton who last year in Gruden's offense finished as a top 10 quarterback. Cousins could be a top 12 player for the rest of the season with top 8 potential.

Andrew Hawkins Cleveland Browns: Hawkins is currently 8th in the league in receptions, 14th in yards and tied for 3rd in targets. Yet he is owned in less than 25% of leagues. This isn't going to change he is the best option and clearly Hoyers favorite target. Not only should he be owned in all leagues he should be starting for most teams. Just remember he has a bye this week.

Sunday Recap: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Houston Texans at New York Giants:
There wasn't a lot to love on the Texans side of the ball. The rookie Alfred Blue had a respectable first game and the biggest thing to note is that Grimes only got 1 carry. Blue is the true back up to Arian Foster. I am a bit surprised by DeAndre Hopkins having the better game over Andre Johnson. Johnson led the team in targets but Hopkins was able to convert more of them. Fitzpatrick was able to salvage his fantasy performance with his legs and running in a TD, he is a sneaky consideration for bye week plays coming up if the matchup is right.  

I think Eli Manning is slowly beginning to grasp this offense he is now 47/67 in his last two games which is a 70% completion rate. If he continues this play I think it is safe to say he may move back into the top 20 especially limiting the turnovers. The real story was Rashad Jennings who carried the ball 34 times 176 yards and a touchdown. He is slowly becoming a player that should be considered a RB1 with how bad some of the top guys are performing. Larry Donnell to me is still outside the top 10 but should begin getting some consideration in 12 team PPR leagues. This is back to back good games for Victor Cruz safe to say you can begin starting him again in all leagues. Rueben Randle led all Giants with 10 targets he seems to be racking up the targets the last two weeks I might look to stash him away in deep leagues.

San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills:
Philip Rivers continues to show that last year wasn't a last hoorah as he continues to put up solid fantasy numbers every week. Donald Brown did not run the ball that well but the Bills have a good run defense. He did get 36 touches though and because of that and Woodhead getting hurt he might be a RB1 next week. Keenan Allen & Antonio Gates both came into the game on the injury report, so their lackluster performances are nothing I would worry about. Ladarius Green showed that if Gates is to every miss significant time he can fill in nicely for him.

EJ Manuel is doing a nice job not turning the ball over but other than that he doesn't do enough in the passing game to use him as a QB or a back up QB. C.J. Spiller disappointed yet again and if it wasn't for his decent game last week I would say Bryce Brown owners be ready it might be his time soon. Sammy Watkins admitted he may have taken a play off today after a poor showing (which was expected just not this poor).

Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis Rams:
Another lackluster performance from Tony Romo, this is clearly a run first team and I think Tony might be outside my top 15 now. Demarco Murray wasn't able to keep up with crazy numbers from the first two weeks but he was still a very good play this week. I honestly think in a Dallas Cowboys offense Dez Bryant is the only receiver/tight end I want to own. Witten is outside the top 12 and no other WR is worthy (even though Williams has been respectable with a TD grab this week).

Austin Davis broke all of Brett Favre's records at Southern Mississippi and is starting to get some confidence here in the NFL. I liked  Jared Cook this week and he didn't disappoint with 7 catches for 75 yards on 9 targets which led all Rams. Zac Stacy still is only a flex player for me for the time being he just isn't a player who is going to do anything special. The most surprising thing for me was Kenny Britt saw more targets than Brian Quick and Britt finished with more catches but Quick was able to explode for a 51 yard TD. Might be time to think about selling high on Quick, may want to give it one more week if you are willing to chance it.

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles:
Kurt Cousins we all knew had a good matchup this week but I didn't expect him to hang 420+ yards and 3 TDs. He is a legit own in all leagues and I could honestly see a Nick Foles type finish in fantasy except a few more interceptions. Pierre Garcon showed last week was just a one time thing he is the top target and Desean Jackson is close behind. Niles Paul still put up a respectable game but I think my ranking in the bottom 10 for him was realistic. Alfred Morris had a quiet game and one of his tougher ypc games I've seen from him in awhile.

If they can't do it one way they do it the other way. Lesean McCoy & Darren Sproles had very quiet games this week. McCoy clearly not living up to his #2 draft ADP this season so far. Nick Foles had his best passing game of the season and found rookie Jordan Matthews for two of his three TD passes. Matthews saw 9 targets and I am beginning to think he has overtake Riley Cooper for the #2 WR in this offense. Zac Ertz only saw three targets which is concerning but he is a big play guy and others made those plays today. Jeremy Maclin is looking like a top 10 WR right now if he is healthy I think he can finish there too.

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints:
Not a lot to say about the Vikings this week in fantasy other than it is Teddy Bridgewater time. Greg Jennings led in targets like I thought he would. Cordarelle Patterson just isn't a reliable route runner yet to be trusted to go to on short and intermediate clutch routes. Matt Asiata is only worth owning but I am not starting him because I think eventually the team is going to go to Jerrick McKinnon.

Drew Brees finally showed late in this game which made many fantasy owners rejoice. Hopefully this is the start of the old Brees coming back. Khiry Robinson had a decent game and Pierre Thomas did the same but he was able to add a touchdown to his total. Brandin Cooks had a nice game and I think this inconsistent play should be a regular thing the first couple of weeks entering into the season. Marques Colston had a TD catch but not much else and is looking like a receiver on his way out of fantasy relevance rather than holding onto his spot.

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals:
The Titans had to go against a very good Bengals defense and I don't have a lot to say about it. Nothing really surprised me in this game except for the fact that it might be time for Bishop Sankey in this Titans offense. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and looked much more explosive than Greene. If he is available in your league add him quickly before someone else does.

First bad game for Giovani Bernard but it is nothing I would be worried about. Andy Dalton certainly does not look like the QB who slung it around all last season. AJ Green is a must start no matter what injury report or no injury report. No other skill player is worth adding currently for the Bengals.

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns:
From how this season was going I am very surprised Joe Flacco only threw the ball 31 times. Lorenzo Taliaferro  looks like it might be his time as the rookie impressed with 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. Justin Forsett had a respectable game as well and a good flex play in PPR leagues. Dennis Pitta went down with a dislocated hip and I think it is safe to say his season is over. Steve Smith Sr. is the real deal and is the clear wide receiver to own over Torrey Smith who I would say is a safe drop for all teams.

Brian Hoyer had another good game and is entering the top 20 talk as well as some other QBs are falling down the list. Andrew Hawkins is a must own in all formats and Miles Austin isn't to far behind him. It is still a cloudy picture in the Browns backfield but I think Isiah Crowell will be taking over the load here soon enough as Terrence West put up a below average performance but made it decent with the early TD run. Jordan Cameron was non existent and I don't see him having any truly big fantasy weeks any time soon.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions:
Eddie Lacy is a good buy low candidate for most analysts right now but I am still weary on him. He has had tough match ups the first 3 weeks and if you are desperate at running back that I'd make an offer because if he has a big game this week against the Bears than he will no longer be able to be acquired for cheap. Everybody disappointed in the Packers passing offense leaving the only guy to catch a TD pass from someone who isn't owned in the majority of fantasy leagues.

The Lions OC held strong to his words as Reggie Bush  saw more targets this week than Joique Bell and rewarded his team by scoring a TD on a long touchdown run. Calvin Johnson was the only other Lion to put up good fantasy numbers as what was thought might turn into a shootout ended up being a defensive battle.

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars:

 Andrew Luck continues his run as one of the top quarterbacks in the league and making a serious push to be considered a top 3 fantasy quarterback. He threw 4 passing touchdowns to raise his season total to 9 already on the season and is on pace to throw 48 of them this season. This was another very good game by Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson looked better running the ball as well at times. Clearly the Colts are still giving Richardson more carries which is fine because it is making Bradshaw more effective in what he does get and keeping him healthy. TY Hilton, to me seems like the new go to guy for Luck over the last two weeks and that Reggie Wayne has fallen to his second favorite target. I liked Donte Moncrief coming into this game to start surpassing Hakeem Nicks and while Nicks had a TD catch Moncrief saw one more target. I like Moncrief over Nicks going forward.

The big story for the Jaguars is rookie Blake Bortles will start from here on out for them. He looked good in his first game but had some rookie mistakes. He isn’t going to be as good as he was in the preseason and I expect some up and down games along the way but he is worth stashing in dynasty and keeper league formats. Denard Robinson had more carries than Toby Gerhart, and did decently with them but he is to small to carry a full load himself. Allen Robinson had back to back strong games now. I know the Jaguars really liked the rookie out of the preseason and this isn’t unexpected. Cecil Shorts saw his targets but I would wait to play him to see how he fits with Bortles as his new QB.

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots:

Not a lot to say here regarding the Oakland Raiders offense. We knew they were going to struggle as most rookie QBs do against a Patriots team. Only thing to note for me is this is the second game this season in which Denarius Moore has led the team in targets. He hasn’t been converting many of his targets to catches but if he does he could become a low end flex play in deeper leagues.

Tom Brady is playing well enough for his offense to win and if you’re a fan of the Patriots than you are ok with that, but if you own him in fantasy you aren’t. No wide receiver other than Julian Edelman had more than 4 catches even Rob Gronkowski had a quiet game except for his touchdown. Stevan Ridley had a subpar game for what we thought was a great matchup. Not sure what to expect from the Patriots running backs going forward as Shane Vereen had another disappointing outing as both a runner and a receiver.

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals:

Colin Kaepernick once again showed he doesn’t have to have a monster game in the passing department to have a good fantasy day as he ran for 50 yards as well. Very surprised at how little this team ran the football and I don’t think it’ll be that way again. But disappointing game from both Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde as neither did anything all day long. The surprise of the day was from Stevie Johnson word out of San Francisco was that he is an unconventional route runner and it has taken some time for him and Kaepernick to work out their timing. In the last two weeks it seems Kaep is looking his way often and is worth owning in most leagues. Michael Crabtree led the team in targets and caught the lone touchdown. If this team decides the passing game is their future than owning their 3 big receivers wouldn’t be too crazy a notion.

I will apologize now to all Michael Floyd owners. When I watched Drew Stanton play last week I didn’t see a quarterback willing to take shots down field. Because of that I like Larry Fitzgerald more, but clearly no matter who is running a Bruce Arian’s offense the ball is going deep. Larry will go back to my lower ranks because of this and Floyd will move back to where I think he belongs which is top 15 this season. John Brown saw 1 less target than Fitzgerald but did way more with his converting two of them for touchdowns. I like Brown as a deep league add for now. Andre Ellington had a respectable game going against a very good run stuffing defense and he looked fluid and healthy which is a good sign.

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins:

Alex Smith looked like the QB from last season that played top 15 fantasy football. The surprise was Joe McKnight in the passing game, I thought his role would’ve been played by De’Anthony Thomas but clearly it wasn’t. Not sure if McKnight keeps this role but he could be a very good stash guy if he does. Kniles Davis showed the Chiefs aren’t missing to much if they need to let Jamaal Charles rest his ankle a couple of weeks with a big game. He has top 10 potential every week in this offense and should be owned in all leagues even if Charles is back next week.

The Dolphins probably should have ran the ball more while the game was close since Lamar Miller averaged over 7 yards per carry. If he continues playing at this level I am not sure Knowshon Moreno has a job waiting for him when he returns. Ryan Tannehill really disappointed people today with his accuracy and hopefully it was just a one game thing because he was showing signs of improvement. Mike Wallace is clearly his top target and continues to play top 15 level wide receiver this season. Jarvis Landry tied Brian Hartline in targets this week but Hartline had the better day because of his touchdown. I like Landry more from here on out though.

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks:

Peyton Manning had a better game than I expected with his two late touchdown drives. Emmanuel Sanders looks to be not only Peyton’s favorite target but also the most consistent receiver. Demaryius Thomas isn’t coming close to Sanders production and when they get near the redzone Peyton is clearly looking for Julius Thomas who is now up to 5 touchdowns on the season. Monte Ball disappointed again for me and even though it was the Seahawks he isn’t involved in the passing game the way Moreno was last year. He is outside the top 10 for me for now until he can show me something.

Marshawn Lynch continues to show he might be the best first round draft pick in any fantasy league this season. Clearly his 400+ touches last season are not hampering his production this season like many (not myself) thought. Percy Harvin was said to not be targeted enough in last week’s loss, they made up for that this week with 9 targets. He turn it into 7 receptions for only 40 yards. He is still a WR3 for me and the reason I have been down on his ranking all year long. Russell Wilson is looking like a top 10 quarterback like I projected and I think he continues to stay in that conversation all season long.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers:

Le’Veon Bell lost some weight to improve his quickness and man does it show. He looks a lot like Shady McCoy did when he first burst onto the scene. This guy is going to finish as a top 3 running back this season and possibly #1 if he keeps his play up. A great steal for all of you who were able to draft him late after his preseason off the field incident. Legarrette Blount also put up a great night running the ball and both these backs did it against a top defense in the NFL in Carolina. Antonio Brown is still the only Steelers receiver I am starting but I am still holding onto Markus Wheaton who will have big games when the Steelers need to be more of a passing team.

Cam Newton is getting crushed behind this offensive line and he got hurt again late in this game. If I am a Cam owner I am making sure I have a quality backup because it looks as though this might be a common thing for him this year. Other than that he was having a nice fantasy production game and probably would have completed one more TD pass by games end like Derek Anderson did after he left the game. As for Jonathan Stewart he left the game with a knee contusion and did not come back in to play. That is something to monitor because he and DeAngelo Williams could both be out next week. Philly Brown had a very nice game and saw a lot of targets but still the only two Panther players I am starting every week are Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. Philly could be a good add in deeper leagues looking for a player who could turn into something.

Updated Rankings

Quarterbacks:

1. Andrew Luck

2. Drew Brees

3. Aaron Rodgers

4. Matthew Stafford

5. Nick Foles

6. Phillip Rivers

7. Cam Newton

8. Peyton Manning

9. Russell Wilson

10. Colin Kaepernick

11. Kirk Cousins

12. Tom Brady

13. Andy Dalton

14. Joe Flacco

15. Jay Cutler

16. Jake Locker

17. Tony Romo

18. Ben Roethlesberger

19. Ryan Tannehill

20. Geno Smith

Running Backs:

1. DeMarco Murray

2. Lesean McCoy

3. Giovani Bernard

4. Matt Forte

5. Le'Veon Bell

6. Marshawn Lynch

7. Eddie Lacy

8. Alfred Morris

9. Arian Foster

10. Darren Sproles

11. Rashad Jennings

12. Joique Bell

13. Montee Ball

14. Zac Stacy

15. Reggie Bush

16. Andre Ellington

17. Steven Ridley

18. Jamaal Charles

19. Kniles Davis

20. Alfred Blue

21. Pierre Thomas

22. Frank Gore

23. Ahmad Bradshaw

24. Shane Vereen

25. Terrence West

26. Donald Brown

27. Khiry Robinson

28. Lamar Miller

29. CJ Spiller

30. Chris Ivory

31. Trent Richardson

32. Johnathan Stewart

33. Bernard Pierce

34. Justin Forsett

35. Matt Asiata*

36. Fred Jackson

37. Danny Woodhead

38. Shonn Greene

39. Toby Gerhart

40. Darren McFadden

41. Damien Williams

 Wide Receivers:

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Dez Bryant

3. Jordy Nelson

4. Brandon Marshall*

5. Antonio Brown

6. AJ Green*

7. Randall Cobb

8. Alshon Jeffrey*

9. Demaryius Thomas

10. Andre Johnson

11. Keenan Allen

12. Cordarrelle Patterson

13. Emmanuel Sanders

14. Jeremy Maclin

15. Julian Edelman

16. Mike Wallace

17. Vincent Jackson

18. Michael Crabtree

19. Wes Welker

20. Michael Floyd

21. Percy Harvin

22. Reggie Wayne

23. Pierre Garcon

24. Larry Fitzgerald

25. Steve Smith

26. Cecil Shorts

27. Victor Cruz

28. Golden Tate

29. Marques Colston

30. Desean Jackson*

31. Kendall Wright

32. Torrey Smith

33. TY Hilton

34. DeAndre Hopkins

35. Kelvin Benjamin

36. Justin Hunter

37. Greg Jennings

38. Anquan Boldin

39. Mike Evans

40. Brandin Cooks

41. James Jones

 Tight Ends:

1. Jimmy Graham

2. Julius Thomas

3. Rob Gronkowski

4. Greg Olsen

5. Antonio Gates

6. Zach Ertz

7. Martellus Bennett

8. Vernon Davis*

9. Niles Paul*

10. Delanie Walker

11. Dennis Pitta

12. Kyle Rudolph

13. Jason Witten

14. Larry Donell

15. Travis Kelce

 Kickers:

1. Mason Crosby

2. Adam Vinatieri

3. Justin Tucker

4. Steven Hauschka

5. Stephen Gostowski

6. Dan Bailey

7. Cody Parkey

8. Phil Dawson

9. Robbie Gould

10. Blair Walsh

 Defense/Special Teams:

1. Cincinatti Bengals

2. New England Patriots

3. Houston Texans

4. San Francisco 49ers

5. Seattle Seahawks

6. Buffalo Bills

7. Baltimore Ravens

8. Carolina Panthers

9. Arizona Cardinals

10. Denver Broncos

 
 

Sunday Preview: Man I like Volume

Sorry for posting this late very busy weekend for me at work and family in town for the weekend will cause this weekend’s Sunday preview to be much more brief then priors but here goes:

Houston Texans at New York Giants:

Best Options: Larry Donnell is proving to be the most consistent play in the Giants passing offense. Rashad Jennings has been a good PPR player but against the Texans I think Donnell has the better game.

The Giants run defense looked strong in week 1 against the Lions, but Beason went down injured in week 2 and we saw how much he carries that run defense. Right now Arian Foster is the #11 ranked RB for me this week because Beason may still play. If Beason is out than Foster makes a jump all the way to #3. (Update: Arian Foster sounds like he isn't going to play, read what I wrote about Blue below)

Sleepers: The Giants offense was able to move a bit last week and if they get near the endzone Eli will look for his favorite red zone target. I see atleast 1 Touchdown for Rueben Randle.

Alfred Blue started seeing some action last week, and is being raved about in Houston. I see him taking on a bit of Foster’s workload might not be a flex play yet but if Foster’s injury is anything other than routine veteran day than he could star.

Busts: Victor Cruz is off to a worse season than he had last year and last year he wasn’t fantasy relevant, he is an ignore in all leagues until he proves he is back to top form.

DeAndre Hopkins has two TD catches first two games but the Giants outside of the big play to Calvin Johnson in week 1 haven’t been susceptible to the big pass play.

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots:

Best Options: Rod Streater is the best option for me this game, currently ranked outside my top 40 I think has a chance to maybe sneak into it for PPR leagues with a nice little game.

Stevan Ridley, the Raiders can’t stop the run and it is a known fact when Ridley touches the ball more the Patriots are more likely to win.

Sleepers: Maurice Jones-Drew looks like he is going to play this week. If he does I like him for a sneaky good game against this not so great Patriots run defense. (Update: MJD is out I like Latavius Murray as a sleeper now)

I am still waiting for the Patriots and Tom Brady to actually try a deep ball. This is a good team to try it against and I think Aaron Dobson finally makes his first big play of the season.

Busts: James Jones will have Revis on him all game and Revis will be facing a rookie Quarterback, enough said.

Tom Brady in a very good matchup is ranked 13^th for me this week. I am not willing to say it yet but after most top 10 QB bye weeks happen Brady might be heading to the waiver wire for fantasy owners.

San Diego Chargers at Buffo Bills:

Best Options: Phillip Rivers, if Jay Cutler doesn’t lose his entire wideout core for part of the 2^nd half in Buffalo week one he might have put up big fantasy numbers. Rivers is my #6 QB this week.

Because there is no one else fantasy relevant on this team I am going with Sammy Watkins to have a respectable game this week but don’t expect week 2 numbers.

Sleepers: Week 1 Matt Forte had over 120 total yards against the Bills, in week two the Dolphins lost all their RBs to injury. I like Donald Brown to replace Ryan Matthew’s touches and have a sneaky good game. He is my #27 RB this week.

Fred Jackson is going to get some goal line carries this week and he’ll convert one of them.

Busts: Antonio Gates has started off the season red hot, but he was added to the injury report with a hamstring injury. Granted he was almost a late scratch week one due to a hammy issue and still had a great game. Just think we should temper expectations this week but he is still a top 10 TE play.

EJ Manuel had a decent game last week and is probably a possible two QB league starter right now but I would avoid him this week.

Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis Rams:

Best Options: The Rams allowed over a 100 yards rushing to Bobby Rainey last week, imagine what Demarco Murray will do to them this Sunday.

There is only one Rams player currently worth playing this week for me and that is Brian Quick. The guy is the real deal and should be owned in more leagues.

Sleepers: I think we will see some strong play action in this game and the reward will be Terrence Williams who will have his best game so far this season.

Jared Cook was second to Quick in targets last week. Could have a sneaky good game.

Busts:  Jason Witten has fallen out of my top 10 #13 for the week and it is because he isn’t seeing the targets he used to see in this offense.

This game will get out of hand early if the Rams can’t stop the Cowboys offense. I see Zac Stacy having a very difficult game because he won’t get the touches.

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles:

Best Options: The Eagles allowed some big plays in week 1 to Allen Hurns and the same will be for the former Eagle Desean Jackson who I think will exploded for a couple big plays this weekend.

Lesean McCoy  will have a better game than Sproles this week and will have more explosive plays.

Sleepers: Chad Henne looked defense against this team, Andrew Luck had 3 touchdown passes, I think this is a good matchup for Kirk Cousins first start of the season.

Jeremy Maclin has had touchdown catches in each of the first two games but this week I think we see more volume than he has had in any other game.

Busts: It doesn’t seem to me Pierre Garcon and Cousins have the same chemistry as RGIII and Garcon had. He is still a starter for me but only in my flex.

Zach Ertz has been big play dependent and I don’t think he makes as many big plays this game.

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints:

Best Options: Greg Jennings has returned from Revis Island and will have a much better game this week. He’ll be a nice flex play.

Marques Colstons streak of consecutive games with a catch ended last Sunday. I don’t see that happening again and think they go to him early and often in this contest.

Sleepers: This is the game for me where Jerrick McKinnon begins his takeover of the running back situation in Minnesota.

Khiry Robinson was once compared to a young Curtis Martin. Sunday is first game to prove what he can really do as a starter on a team more devoted to running than in years past.

Busts: Cordarelle Patterson was a late add to the injury report and I think doesn’t produce a very strong game.

Brandin Cooks had a nice week 1 but with Stills back his role is reduced.

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals:

Best Options: Delanie Walker has been the most consistent piece of this Titans offense and is the safest option for a good game.

Giovani Bernard, I’ll admit I was to low on him this preseason he is the real deal and a top 10 back #4 RB for me this week.

Sleepers: Justin Hunter will probably remain on this list all season because he has so much talent.

Mohamad Sanu but only is AJ Green can’t go.

Busts: Jake Locker but it is just because this is an extremely tough matchup, I still like Locker in the long run.

AJ Green even if healthy his injury makes it tough for him to plant his foot and make strong cuts.

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns:

Best Options: Steve Smith Sr. has been the most consistent and productive player in this offense and I think it continues.

Andrew Hawkins is going to find the endzone at some point this season, based off of volume alone if he does he’ll end up with wr2 type numbers.

Sleepers: Joe Flacco doesn’t get enough respect and with this team not having a strong run game he’ll be asked to throw more and that is a good thing against this Browns defense.

Miles Austin returned to semi top form last week and the strong his connection and health grow with Hoyer that better he’ll be in this offense.

Busts: Torrey Smith actual has a good matchup this week and I think he fails to produce again, if I am right he is worth dropping in all leagues afterwards.

Terrence West has a tough matchup and the Browns may look to go with Crowell to bang a little bit more against a physical Ravens team.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions:

Best Options: Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb Jordy Nelson they are all must starts in a game I think becomes a passing game shoot out.

Matthew Stafford & Calvin Johnson have a history of big games at home against the Packers and I expect that to continue.

Sleepers: Davante Adams snuck onto the scene last week and I think may have officially overtaken Brandon Boykin for the #3 role in this Packers offense.

Reggie Bush, this is a great matchup for the Lions running backs but Bell was a late addition to the practice report and the Lions may end up giving Bush the majority of the touches.

Busts: Eddie Lacy has another tough match up this week but after this things should return to form for the 1^st rd fantasy RB.

Joique Bell only because you never know how severe his injury is until he tests it during game time.

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars:

Best Options: Andrew Luck continues his success this season with a great matchup.

This team is riddled with injuries but it looks like Cecil Shorts will return this week he and Henne have always had a good report.

Sleepers: Donte Moncrief continues to take over for Hakeem Nicks who looked very lazy and sluggish running routes last week.

Allen Robinson is looking for back to back nice games and with all the injuries I think he will do that.

Busts: Ahmad Bradshaw only because the Colts want Richardson to be the guy still and people think Bradshaw is now a #2 RB. Let’s not get carried away just yet.

Toby Gerhart because it is Toby Gerhart. People have to much faith in such an unproven starter.

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks:

Best Options: Peyton will make it an emphasis to get his guy Wes Welker the ball earlier this game in his return from his suspension.

Marshawn Lynch will have a nice game this week even with the improved Broncos defense.

Sleepers: CJ Anderson, I think he begins to help carry the load this week in Denver.

Jermain Kearse will be the receiver with the best game for the Seahawks this week.

Busts: Peyton Manning he is still a top 8 QB for me this week but he won’t put up the numbers you drafted him for.

Percy Harvin, my hate train continues with him, I stated after his long TD run I may have undervalued him until I saw the rest of the game and he getting almost nothing else.

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals:

Best Options: He awoke last week and I think he continues his top play against Peterson this week. Michael Crabtree is going to have a nice game.

Larry Fitzgerald sure is glad Drew Stanton is the QB right now because he looked Fitz way early and often giving him a team high 10 targets.

Sleepers: I think Stevie Johnson has been getting better and better every week and this will be his best week of the season with Davis more than likely out.

John Brown is going to make a big play at some point because that’s the only way the Cardinals will hang around.

Busts: Frank Gore the Cardinals have been surprisingly good against the run this season.

Michael Floyd  has a tough matchup and I am not sure Stanton is comfortable throwing the deep ball and probably won’t be asked to.

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins:

Best Options: If and I think he will Knile Davis gets the start he has the ability to be a top 10 RB. Jamaal Charles worked out the other day but that was only to see where he was at physically he won’t be ready to go I don’t think.
Mike Wallace has the most touchdowns in the NFL since week 12 of last season. Like him a lot this week.

Sleepers: De’Athony Thomas looks to be playing this weekend and people are saying he is Desean Jackson esq. for Andy Reid with the ability to also run the ball. I am stashing him in my deep leagues.

Jarvis Landry had a respectable game last week as my sleeper and I am sticking with him he is going to make strong strides for this Dolphins offense.

Busts: Dwayne Bowe, see any of his games the last 2.5 years you’d put him here too.

Lamar Miller is not a starting RB in the NFL and the Dolphins will see how badly they need Moreno to get healthy.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers:

Best Options: Tough game for the Steelers against a very good defense. Antonio Brown gets volume and there is always a chance he breaks one.

Cam Newton is back and is a top 10 fantasy player.

Sleepers: Justin Brown they have been trying to develop as a 3^rd receiver for Roethlesberger and they’ll make another concerned effort to get this guy the ball.

Jonathan Stewart is going to have a nice game and is a good flex play this week.

Busts: Markus Wheaton is going to be inconsistent all season and I think will disappear this week.

Kelvin Benjamin a late add to the injury report will struggle this game.