Fantasy Football Week 2: Complete Monday Night Preview
Now that the dust has almost settled on Week 2 of the 2014 NFL season, what have we learned?
The running game remains important and for the second-straight weekend, protecting a lead remains pretty difficult for a lot of teams.
We also learned that the defending Super Bowl champions are certainly beatable, as evidenced by their 30-21 setback at San Diego.
But let’s not bury the lead. On Monday night, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly will be seeing another former Pac-10 standout across the field in Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
And Colts head coach Chuck Pagano will be seeing that Philadelphia offense.
This could be fun, especially if you have any of these players on your fantasy squad.
Starting Quarterbacks
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Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Foles
Yes, the Pro Bowl MVP from a season ago did cough up the ball a few times in last week’s comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Foles did throw a pair of touchdown passes but gave up the football three times in the comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Still, dating back to 2013, the young signal-caller has thrown for 29 scores and been picked off just three times in 14 regular-season games.
Fantasy Prediction: 26-of-35, 283 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 2 carries, 9 yards, 0 TD
Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck
Not sure how lucky you feel being almost a one-man show on offense.
Luck continues to be the team’s best option because the Indianapolis running game remains AWOL. And with his good moments comes the third-year pro’s bad ones as well.
Last season, Luck was much more efficient in terms of ball security in 2013 than as a rookie. But during last year’s playoffs, the talented signal-caller threw six touchdown passes and was picked off seven times. In last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos, Luck threw for 370 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of picks but also ran for a score.
Fantasy Prediction: 29-of-44, 354 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 4 carries, 25 yards, 1 TD
Running Backs
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Philadelphia Eagles Starter: LeSean McCoy
The NFL’s leading rusher from 2013 got off to a so-so start last Sunday against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, running for 74 yards on 21 carries and catching all six passes thrown his way for 41 yards.
McCoy didn’t find the end zone last week, despite the team scoring 34 points. It’s hard to believe that will remain that way two weeks in a row.
Fantasy Prediction: 23 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD; 3 receptions, 23 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Darren Sproles
Sproles saw his regular-season debut with the Birds amount to “just” 85 yards from scrimmage.
However, “just” means that half of that came on a 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, the first of the team’s 34 unanswered points against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It will be interesting to see how the Colts opt to cover him out of the backfield.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 carries, 44 yards, 0 TD; 5 receptions, 52 yards, 0 TD.
Indianapolis Colts Starter: Trent Richardson
The third overall pick in the 2012 draft continues to be a mystery, and no one is enjoying trying to figure it out.
Richardson touched the ball just nine times vs. the Broncos in Week 1, totaling more receiving yards (31) than rushing yards (20). The Eagles defense figures to pose yet another stiff challenge to a player who remains unpredictable at best.
Fantasy Prediction: 9 carries, 40 yards, 0 TD; 2 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD
Indianapolis Colts Backup: Ahmad Bradshaw
The Colts totaled 70 plays from scrimmage at Denver last week and 14 of those were runs. Fortunately, Bradshaw can be a factor when it comes to the passing game and last Sunday, he caught five passes for 70 yards.
Against Philadelphia’s 3-4 defense, the speedy runner could exploit the Eagles linebackers via the pass, especially if Richardson is ineffective once again.
Fantasy Prediction: 13 carries, 51 yards, 0 TD; 3 receptions, 26 yards, 0 TD
Wide Receivers
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Philadelphia Eagles: Jeremy Maclin
After missing all of last season with a knee injury, the former first-rounder looked just fine last Sunday vs. Jacksonville.
While he was targeted 10 times and caught only four passes, Maclin totaled 97 yards through the air and scored on a 68-yard touchdown. He should continue to see even more passes his way as he continues to get healthier.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 55 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Riley Cooper
Cooper caught just four passes for 29 yards in last week’s comeback win, his longest reception covering just 13 yards. We’ll see if those numbers improve against a defense that couldn’t cover the tight end last week.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 61 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Matthews
The rookie sensation from the summer was targeted four times last week and totaled receptions of 30 and seven yards. But he could see even fewer throws his way if the Philadelphia running game performs as expected.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 19 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles: Jeff Maehl
Maehl caught one pass for 12 yards last week. He doesn’t figure to be much of a factor this week unless the Eagles fall way behind…again.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 18 yards, 0 TD
Indianapolis Colts: Reggie Wayne
The prolific wideout missed the majority of last season but showed no signs of wear and tear or age last Sunday at Denver.
Wayne was the game’s most targeted pass-catcher last week and hauled in nine passes for 98 yards vs. the Broncos. He should school the Philadelphia secondary on more than one occasion in this tilt.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 receptions, 106 yards, 1 TD
Indianapolis Colts: T.Y. Hilton
The speedy wideout had a rough evening last Sunday night in the Mile High City.
Totaled 11 times by quarterback Andrew Luck, Hilton caught only five passes for 41 yards, and his longest reception was only nine yards. The Eagles secondary should be a bit more generous this week and look for the third-year pro to score and make a big play or two.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD
Indianapolis Colts: Hakeem Nicks
The former New York Giants wideout knows what it’s like to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Last week vs. the Broncos, he caught five passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the seven-point loss.
While he may not find the end zone this week, he may have an impact in this contest. But he's hardly a sure thing.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 62 yards, 0 TD
Indianapolis Colts: Donte Moncrief
The third-round draft choice in May is still learning his craft. Moncrief did catch one pass for nine yards last week but is not much of an option this early in the season.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 17 yards, 0 TD
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Tight Ends
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Philadelphia Eagles Starter: Brent Celek
He caught just three passes for 15 yards last week vs. Jacksonville. But if you saw the Colts trying to cover the tight end in Denver last week, you know Celek could make an impact here.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 22 yards, 0 TD
Philadelphia Eagles Backup: Zach Ertz
Like his teammate, Ertz could enjoy a nice night at Indianapolis against a defensive unit that will be missing inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman and is still looking for its pass rush.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 33 yards, 1 TD
Indianapolis Colts Starter: Dwayne Allen
Healthy once again, Allen totaled four receptions for 64 yards and a score in last week’s 31-24 loss at Denver. Allen will test the Philadelphia outside linebackers, especially Trent Cole, and will make his presence felt on more than one occasion.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 37 yards, 0 TD
Indianapolis Colts Backup: Coby Fleener
Fleener was a popular option for Andrew Luck last week. But Fleener caught just three of the eight passes thrown his way for only 21 yards. Like Allen, he will also test the Eagles linebackers in terms of their coverage skills.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD
Defense/Special Teams
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Philadelphia Eagles Defense/Special Teams
If you are an Eagles fan and had already thrown a shoe through your television after last week’s first quarter vs. the Jaguars, you missed the fact that the Eagles defense did wind up with three sacks and did scoop up a fumble and return it for a touchdown. This was a team that managed 31 takeaways in 2013, more than double the number of turnovers they forced (13) the previous season.
Fantasy Prediction: 21 points allowed, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF
Indianapolis Colts Defense/Special Teams
It looks like recent business as usual for the Colts defense, which gave up three touchdown passes in one quarter to Peyton Manning and 102 yards rushing to the Broncos. Indianapolis totaled just one sack and forced zero turnovers in the 31-24 loss at Denver.
It's hard to imagine they’ve improved very much over the last week, and now outside linebacker Robert Mathis (who would have not played this week due to suspension) is gone for 2014.
Fantasy Prediction: 24 points allowed, 0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF
Best Sleeper Adds
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A couple of these performers may not be on your team and could be worth adding on Monday morning. Sometimes a little last-minute shopping can be beneficial.
1. Brent Celek, Tight End, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 1.8 percent of ESPN leagues)
After watching Peyton Manning and tight end Julius Thomas combine for three touchdowns against the Indianapolis defense, it would make sense to grab Celek. While Ertz has become a huge part of Chip Kelly’s passing attack, don’t count out Celek.
2. Ahmad Bradshaw, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts (Owned in 24.2 percent of ESPN leagues)
As long as Trent Richardson continues to disappoint, the former New York Giants runner and hero of Super Bowl XLVI is a smart addition because of the impact he can have as both a runner and a receiver. It’s somewhat surprising that he’s available in so many leagues.
3. D’Qwell Jackson, Inside Linebacker, Indianapolis Colts (Owned in 42.1 percent of ESPN leagues)
For those of you in an IDP (Individual Defensive Player) league, Jackson has always been a good option dating back to his days with the Cleveland Browns. With fellow inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman out for this game, he would be a very sensible addition if you don’t have him on your roster already.
Injury Report
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Here is a look at the latest injury report regarding the Eagles and Colts, focusing on key performers (courtesy of NFL.com).
Philadelphia Eagles | ||
Player | Status | |
Josh Huff | WR | Out |
Brad Smith | WR | Probable |
Huff was inactive last week and obviously won’t be playing on Monday night. Smith did play last week against the Jaguars but had no numbers.
The biggest news on the injury front for Chip Kelly’s club is the temporary loss of left guard Evan Mathis (sprained MCL) and the season-ending loss of right tackle Allen Barbre, who was filling in for suspended Lane Johnson. Third-year pro Dennis Kelly takes over for Mathis, and Andrew Gardner is the new right tackle until Johnson returns in Week 5.
Indianapolis Colts | ||
Player | Status | |
Jerrell Freeman | LB | Out |
Josh Chapman | NT | Questionable |
Khaled Holmes | C | Questionable |
Arthur Jones | DT | Questionable |
Greg Toler | CB | Probable |
Last week, Freeman totaled seven tackles and a forced fumble in the team’s loss at Denver. Now he’s out for this contest, and two-thirds of the Colts defensive line is hurting as well. We’ll have to see if both Chapman and Jones are available to face last season’s No. 1 rushing team and an Eagles squad that ran for 145 yards last week vs. the Jaguars.
Sit or Start
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We know who the stars are when it comes to this contest. But is there a pivotal player or two who may be on your roster whom you can’t decide whether to start or not? Here’s a little help.
RB Darren Sproles (Eagles): Last week vs. Jacksonville, Sproles totaled 15 touches on offense and accounted for 85 yards and a touchdown. He also returned four punts for 62 yards. He’s a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
Verdict: Start
TE Brent Celek (Eagles): Last Sunday, Celek was targeted four times and caught three passes for 15 yards, with a dozen of those yards coming on one reception. He’s losing some of his opportunities, thanks to the emergence of Ertz, but this Colts defense can cure what ails you.
Verdict: Start
RB Ahmad Bradshaw (Colts): As long as running back Trent Richardson remains an enigma, it’s impossible to leave Bradshaw on the bench. While Bradshaw ran for only 15 yards last Sunday night at Denver, he caught five passes for 70 yards. He’ll get more touches than Richardson by game’s end.
Verdict: Start
WR Hakeem Nicks (Colts): Nicks did catch all five passes thrown his way last week, totaling 36 yards while scoring a touchdown in a 31-24 loss. Still, Luck has both wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dwayne Allen back this season, and Nicks is clearly a fourth option at best.
Verdict: Sit
Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com. Depth chart info provided by Ourlads.
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