NFL Fantasy Football: Week 1 Fantasy Football Disappointments

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Fantasy football can be truly devastating.

You pour over projections and stats, listen to all the experts, flip coins, throw darts, play “eenie-meenie” and “go with your gut” on who to sit and who to start, but sometimes nothing works.

Matchups are lost and weeks are braved through shame and sadness.

Along with golf, geometry and understanding cricket, fantasy football ranks decently high on the mental anguish scale.

Obviously fantasy football and all sports are over-reactionary, but what’s the fun in being calm and rational when there’s someone that should be blamed for your losses?

As hard as you try, there will always be those players who are “must starts” and still let you down. These are those players from Week 1.

We’re not angry, just disappointed. Ok, maybe a little bit angry.

*All scores used are ESPN Fantasy Football Standard Scoring. 

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans RB: 4 Points

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Need I say more? CJ0K was a huge source of sighs and screams last year, and with all the “he’s gonna have a huge comeback” talk, not much happened Week 1.

With a massive score of four fantasy points, he should be a player for whom you hold out hope. But if you had him last season and were crazy enough to draft him again, I am sorry for your pain.

 

Bright Side

While he had 11 rushes for a grand total of four yards and averaged 0.4 yard per carry, he did have six catches for 47 yards.

With 17 touches, he’s still the Titans’ main weapon and is one of the few running backs in the league without any real competition for his job.

Start with caution, but get the booze ready when he disappoints again.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots WR: 1 Point

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Call it a bad day. Call it good defense. Call it what you want, but the truth is that Welker had just one fantasy point.

Welker, in Week 1, was lost in the sea of New England’s offensive weapons

Having to compete with Brandon Lloyd, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Stevan Ridley and even Julian Edelman at times, Welker was thrown to a measly five times, resulting in three catches for 14 yards.

 

Bright Side

He’s Brady’s favorite target?

He was last year, he’s fit and healthy and—hopefully for his owners—his skill will shine through despite all the contenders on his own team for his role in the offense and he’ll return to his top-five receiver status.

Also, the Patriots play the Cardinals in Week 2. Prepare accordingly.

Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons RB: 3 Points

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The jury is still out on Michael Turner.

He’s reached the running back panic zone of being 30 years old, and with Atlanta’s potent passing attack and Jacquizz Rodgers nipping at his heels and getting talked up by head coach Mike Smith, there wasn’t much work to be done in Week 1’s thrashing of the Chiefs.

Turner isn’t a pass-catching back, and with 11 rushes for 32 yards, he didn’t blow anyone away with his rushing in Week 1.

 

Bright Side

With Atlanta flinging the ball around, it will need Turner’s run game to help open up the receivers.

He finished tied for the fifth-best fantasy running back last season and has had over 1,300 yards in three out of the last four seasons. He also has at least 10 rushing touchdowns in the last four seasons.

So, should people be so negative about Turner? We’ll soon find out, but the Broncos gave up just 75 rushing yards last Sunday night against the Steelers. Start with caution.

Victor Cruz, New York Giants, WR: 5 Points

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

OK, show of hands: who had Aldrick Robinson, Devin Aromashodu, Rod Streater and Michael Crabtree outscoring Victor Cruz? No one?

The guy who auto-drafted and didn’t touch his lineup may have gotten lucky with Crabtree, but the rest of us rational people were very sad to see the salsa-dancing phenom drop three passes and let fantasy players down Wednesday night.

 

Bright Side

Cruz, of all the people on this list, is the one most likely to get out of his Week 1 funk.

As the most-targeted Giant, Eli Manning definitely trusts him, targeting him 11 times for six receptions and 58 yards. Cruz remains a “must-start” and hopefully he is never on this list again.

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons WR: 8 Points

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Roddy White's performance wasn’t disappointing. He's on this list because he’s one of very few players in recent memory that has actually apologized to his fantasy owners for playing poorly.

‏@roddywhiteTV: Fantasy owners got to get y'all some more points

How thoughtful. Roddy White had a solid six receptions for 87 yards on eight targets and he still feels bad. What a guy.

 

Bright Side

Why would you sit a player that has a personal mission to score more fantasy points? If only more players were like this.

Honorable Mentions:

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns RB: 3 Points

Richardson and all Browns, for that matter. Just avoid any Cleveland-related sports teams unless Kyrie Irving is involved.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys TE: 1 Point

Witten is still recovering from a lacerated spleen, so this line isn't a total surprise.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers WR: 3 Points

Jennings posted five receptions for 34 yards on nine targets and now listed as doubtful to play in Thursday’s game against dah Bears. While it was against a brutal 49ers defense, he most certainly did not put the team on his back.

Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots WR: 6 Points

He was solid and targeted the most of any Patriot, but a TD would have been nice. Ahem, Brady.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots QB: 17 Points

Brady was outscored by Blaine Gabbert, Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez. This can’t stand and I doubt it will. 

Did I miss anybody?