Fantasy Football Week 2: Breaking Down the Implications of This Week's Games
Chances are if your team features Arian Foster, you smiled from your couch as you watched the stat ticker add yard after yard, and touchdown after touchdown... after touchdown to his total.
That was last week. This week is different, with different matchups and expectations.
Chances are if you are a Ryan Grant owner, though, you may have shed a tear or two into your beer on Sunday. He badly sprained his ankle, and will miss the rest of the season.
Yep. Now's the time to add Brandon Jackson to your roster.
We'll look at some of the key matchups, a surprise as well as a disappointment, and we'll check in with Chris Johnson in his quest for his fantastic goal of 2,500 yards.
Joe Flacco Could Be Safe Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
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Yes, Flacco had pretty dreadful performances against the Bengals last year (one touchdown, four interceptions in two meetings). But that was a different year, and now Flacco has weapons Anquan Boldin and TJ Houshmandzadeh at his disposal, as well as old stand-by's in Todd Heap and Ray Rice.
Of course, you could look at his slow start in Monday night's game against the Jets as a reason for concern, or you could simply remember that they had the No. 1 pass defense last year, and you might have your worries calmed.
The Bengals showed a lot of weakness against the pass, especially underneath, which is where Boldin and Rice thrive. Look for the short completions to open up the vertical game down the stretch in this one.
Last week's prediction: 15-for-30, 150 yards, interception
Last week's production: 22-for-40, 248 yards, interception
Prediction: 18-for-28, 209 yards, two touchdowns, interception
Arian Foster Will Be a Home Run Again Vs. Washington Redskins
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The chalk talk of the week has centered around the various ways in which Arian Foster and the Houston Texans carved apart the Colts rush defense last week.
It looks like he might have another big game against the Redskins. Giving up only 103 yards to the Dallas Cowboys may look good, but when you factor in 48 pass attempts by Dallas against just 22 rushes, the stat looks a little more skewed.
Allowing that kind of average yardage (almost five per carry) to Foster and the Texans will prove more troublesome, though. Houston proved that they want to be multi-dimensional this season when they proceeded to cram it down Indy's throat despite thoughts that they'd air it out repeatedly in 2010.
He may not light it up the same way he did against the Colts, but I like his chances to put up good numbers again in the Nation's Capital.
Prediction: 23 carries, 140 yards, touchdown
Can Tom Brady Have a Solid Performance Vs. New York Jets?
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I read an interesting article in the Boston Globe this morning, touching on the subject of New York's lack of discipline and inability to maintain a drive in their Monday night game against the Ravens compared with New England's ability to capitalize on their opponent's mistakes and lack of momentum in the first half.
This is a good reason why the Patriots will win the game. But it doesn't hold any special merit for Tom Brady in fantasy. If only pass interference and holding calls counted as yardage, Brady might have a big day against the undisciplined Jets. Those type of mistakes will cost the Jets the game, but won't help Brady's stats.
When the Jets aren't committing dumb penalties, I expect Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski to be the only one getting open in New England's pass attack for the most part.
Prediction: 22-for-37, 200 yards, two touchdowns
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Can Larry Fitzgerald Fly High Over Atlanta Falcons?
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Talk about a drop-off, it's like the Cardinals dropped off a cliff when future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner retired. Larry Fitzgerald had a surprisingly average game against the below-average St. Louis Rams, with three receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Blame it on the quarterback, or blame it on a lack of rapport between the two. Blame it on the "Week 1 Blues" as they've been called. Whatever the case, those who drafted Fitzgerald high were hoping for far more.
Don't get your hopes up for this week, either.
Derek Anderson barely completed 50 percent of his 41 passes, and only got one touchdown out of it. He targeted Fitzgerald 15 times for those 3 completions. It's safe to say the Falcons are far more fearsome in the front seven than the Rams, and Dunta Robinson is a bit better than Ronald Bartell in coverage. Though he gives up a bit in size, he doesn't give up much at all in speed and athleticism.
Prediction: 5 receptions, 52 yards, touchdown
New York Giants Defense No Match For Eli's Big Brother
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The Colts may have lost to their perennial punchbag, the Houston Texans, but make no mistake that it was Peyton Manning who delivered three touchdowns for the offense. The Giants may have had their way with Matt Moore, but Moore is no Manning, and likely won't give up three interceptions at home.
He may be hurried on occasion, but Manning's overcome that before. He typically dominates against the 4-3 defense, but probably won't be throwing 57 times again this week. Look for him to have a big game against a wounded Giants defense.
Last week's prediction: 30-for-40, 300 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception
Last week's production: 40-for-57, 419 yards, three touchdowns
This week's prediction: 28-for-37, 350 yards, two touchdowns
Shonn Greene Could Falter Vs. New England Patriots
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Why does it feel like while other teams are 0-1, the Jets are 0-4?
A lot of scary things happened for New York Jets fans in New Meadowlands Stadium on Monday night, not the least of which was the offense's utter inability to get anything moving on the ground, where they ranked No. 1 in the league last year.
The Patriots looked aggressive on defense, attacking the line of scrimmage and holding Cincinnati's feature back Cedric Benson to 43 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for 2.9 yards per carry.
They weren't perfect, but looked pretty close. Still, if there's a weak spot in the defense, the Jets will find it and exploit it. Brandon Spikes was mysteriously quiet in the game against the Bengals, and the Jets could hone in on him if he doesn't prove up to the challenge.
If the Patriots can play defense like they did against the Bengals, and if the Jets don't pick up the pace on the ground, it could be a long day for Shonn Greene and the Jets rush attack.
Prediction: 18 carries, 65 yards, touchdown, fumble
Can Adrian Peterson Finally Break 100 Yards?
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It's been since Week 9 of last season that Adrian Peterson broke 100 yards in a regular season game (he shattered that number against the Saints in the playoffs). This has to be concerning for Peterson owners going forward.
He goes up against the Dolphins, a rush defense that ranked 18th last year but only gave up 50 yards last week, albeit to the Bills. The Vikings will go into the game with a lot more rest than the Dolphins, since Minnesota hasn't played since last Thursday. This will be their home opener, and they will have a big point to prove after hearing the talk that they're not the NFC Championship-caliber team of 2009.
Prediction: 22 carries, 110 yards, touchdown, 2 receptions, 30 yards
Surprise Of The Week: Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck's been balding since long before anyone began talking about his potential retirement. Unlike his former mentor, he hasn't made a media circus out of it. An injury-shortened '08 campaign was followed by a humbling '09 season, but Hasselbeck got it done against the preseason No. 1-ranked fantasy defense, the San Francisco 49ers.
He completed 18-of-23 for a league-high 78.3 percent of his passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. He even rushed for an athletic touchdown where he dove and reached the ball in front of the pylon.
They travel to Denver this weekend, and face a defense that looked suspect against a below-average pass attack in Jacksonville in Week 1, giving up three touchdowns to David Garrard last week. If Matt Hasselbeck can keep his rhythm from last week, he could have another big week at Mile High Stadium.
Prediction: 20-for-27, 185 yards, two touchdowns
Disappointment Of The Week: Cedric Benson
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Many fantasy owners were intrigued when Cedric Benson showed his teeth last year as he rushed for over 1,200 yards, but the Patriots made him look like a paper tiger in Week 1, as the roar of the Bengals featured back was quieted to a purr. He averaged a piddling 2.9 yards per carry, going for 43 yards and a score.
Bernard Scott even stole some carries, and was far more effective than Benson with six carries for 35 yards and a 5.8 yard average.
The rough start to Benson's 2010 campaign doesn't look to smooth out this week, as the Bengals face the division rival Baltimore Ravens, who feature one of the most impenetrable rush defenses in the league. Their dominant defense grounded the Jets rush attack, holding featured back Shonn Greene to five carries for 18 yards and two fumbles.
Furthermore, the Bengals seemed content throwing the ball to "Batman and Robin" for a combined 26 targets. That could be because they were behind, but the other signs don't look promising.
Win or lose, the Ravens will refuse to be smacked around on the ground. Benson owners, proceed with caution.
Prediction: 20 carries, 72 yards
Waiver Wire Wonder: Brandon Jackson
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There are two types of fantasy owners. There are the Ryan Grant owners who will drop Grant and add his backup Brandon Jackson. Then, there are the non-Grant owners who will pick him up as a solid backup and watch as the Grant owner cries into his beer for 16 more weeks.
What's not to like? The Packers feature a top-end passing offense, meaning when Jackson gets the ball, he'll have more room to run. They face the Bills this week, one of the weakest rush defenses in the league last year. The Bills gave up 132 yards last week to the Dolphins, and though the Packers may throw it a bit more, they'll still be effective running the ball.
Grant owners should start Jackson immediately. Others should pick him up if you have a bad matchup or your back underperformed, or both. I'm looking at you, Cedric Benson owners.
Prediction: 18 carries, 86 yards, touchdown
Chasing 2,500: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans
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We heard the stories all offseason of an improved Steelers defense. That was a scary thought anyway, since they held opposing rush attacks to 89.9 yards per game and only gave up seven touchdowns all season, but the Steelers impressed on Sunday. They held Michael Turner and the rest of Atlanta's running backs to 54 yards on 23 carries. That's less than two yards per carry. They also didn't give up a single touchdown.
That doesn't bode well for Chris Johnson, but he couldn't have asked for a better game to get him started than the one he had against the Oakland Raiders. There's no reason to bench Johnson, though. He still figures to be the focal point of the Titans' offense. If they're able to accumulate yards, chances are Johnson will be the one doing it. He'll have a better chance at home, as well, where the crowd won't be as supportive as they are at Heinz Field.
Last week's prediction: 132 yards, two touchdowns, two receptions, 16 yards
Last week's production: 142 yards, two touchdowns, four receptions, eight yards
This week's prediction: 108 yards, one touchdown, three receptions, 15 yards
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