week 2

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17
September

Week 2 Start 'em, Sit 'em (2015): QB,RB,WR,TE

As the general manager of a fantasy team, each week you are presented with many decisions to make. The choices you make can then have dire consequences on the fate of your team for the remainder of the season. It’s important to weigh these start/sit questions very heavily against the health and recent performance of the player, the efficiency of the defense they are facing and the ability of the offense in which they play to score points on a week-to-week basis. We’ll help to make some of these decisions easier, but ultimately it’s up to you which way you decide to go! Here are our Week 2 Rankings, and feel free to use the start/sit tool here on the site as well.

Quarterbacks

START Peyton Manning (DEN) vs. KC – Could Peyton Manning have peaked in 2013 and he is now on the decline? Sure. But you drafted Manning to be your #1 QB and it’s silly to give up on a guy after one bad performance. Just ask those people who dropped Tom Brady after a few bad performances last year and he went on to make them regret that decision in short order.

sam bradford week 2 sit

SIT Sam Bradford (PHI) vs. DAL – Bradford had a good completion rate (69.2%) in week 1 against the Falcons, but he did throw 2 interceptions and only 1 TD against a team that was dead last in passing defense last year. Bradford still does not look completely comfortable in his new offense, and the Eagles will likely try to get DeMarco Murray going against his former team. I’m not saying that Bradford is off the radar, just that you may have a better option at QB this week.

Running Backs

START Darren Sproles (PHI) vs. DAL – Sproles was second in targets on the Eagles only to Jordan Matthews last week and finished the game with 126 all-purpose yards. Until Bradford has complete command over the passing offense this season, we’ll likely see Sproles’ usage stay at a high level. I’m suggesting that Sproles be considered a flex play even in standard leagues this week as the Eagles try to find a sure-footed way to beat the Cowboys.

START Giovani Bernard (CIN) vs. SD – San Diego’s passing defense is weak at best, and Andy Dalton and the Bengals will use short passes around the line of scrimmage (in conjunction with A.J. Green stretching the field, of course) to Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard to maximize their YAC (yards after catch) abilities. In a game where the Bengals may be playing catch-up, look for Bernard to be used as much or more than he was in week 1.

SIT Bishop Sankey (TEN) vs. CLE – Bishop Sankey and Terrance West are involved in a rotation based on the game situation, and starting Sankey due to a touchdown heavy performance in week 1 (2 TDs on 86 all-purpose yards) is not a smart move. Plus, Tennessee is more than likely to falter here, with a young offense led by a young quarterback – expect missteps in week 2.

SIT Latavius Murray (OAK) vs. BAL – Murray looks like the guy who will shoulder the majority of the running game in Oakland as long as he can remain healthy. The problem is that he is on the Oakland Raiders. Look, the Raiders may be headed in a good direction but when they go up against good NFL teams like the Baltimore Ravens we cannot expect the game to go in their direction. The truth of the matter is that Murray’s great games will come against much lesser teams until the rest of the Raiders’ offense can step up.

Wide Receivers

START Jeremy Maclin (KC) vs. DEN – This was a tough one for me to declare since I’m not a huge believer in Alex Smith’s ability to air out the ball, but Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the 2015 NFL season is when the Great WR Touchdown Famine will come to an end for the Chiefs. Alex Smith will throw a touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin and there will be much rejoicing. Editor's Note: After putting up less-than-great stats on Thursday, Maclin has officially landed on the 'Prove It' list going forward.

percy harvin week 2

START Percy Harvin (BUF) vs NE – Probably the riskiest start on the board this week, Harvin looked like he had something to prove (and he did) in Week 1 against the Colts, putting up 5 receptions for 79 yards and a TD. He also had a 9 yard rush. Buffalo is going to pull out all of the stops against the division rival Patriots and with Watkins sucking up coverage, Harvin should be moved all around the field to make plays. Underestimating Buffalo’s offense this year is a mistake.

SIT Davante Adams (GB) vs SEA – It was Davante Adams year to break out they said, with Nelson gone, Adams should really take a step up this year they said.. yeah, well the fact is it will take Adams and Rodgers more than a few games this year to establish real chemistry and a lot of that jazz is going to Randall Cobb and James Jones instead. Every starting receiver on the Packers has good fantasy value, but this week’s match-up against Seattle combined with James Jones triumphant return don’t bode well for Adams in week 2.

SIT Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) vs. CHI – Fitz is nearing the end of his career and he has a few big games left in him this season, but Arians doesn’t need to overextend Fitzgerald against the hapless Chicago Bears. In an offense where the ball is normally spread around anyway, Fitzgerald will likely be used mostly as a decoy, drawing defenders away from the real game plan this week. I would expect 6-8 points at most in standard leagues.

Tight Ends

START Heath Miller (PIT) vs. SF – Miller caught 8 passes for 84 yards last week against the Patriots and is always a red zone threat for Ben Roethlisberger, due to his 6’5” frame. Although his production has waned over the past few years, suspensions to Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell have forced him back into use as a regular passing target. One of Ben’s most trusted targets of all time, Miller should be treated as a top 10 TE this week and will likely see higher than normal usage until Bryant returns.

SIT Jordan Reed (WAS) vs. STL - We know that Reed performed well in Week 1 against Miami (7 receptions for 63 yards and 1 TD), but the Rams should prove to be an even tougher opponent defensively and it doesn't help that Desean Jackson will be sidelined for at least this game, closing in the defense on Kirk Cousins and the short game. Reed may be a fill-in play in a PPR league at best, because I don't see any substantial amount of yards or any touchdowns, for that matter, coming from him in week 2. To top it all off, Reed had a quad issue all week and we hate to see injury prone players on the injury report.

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23
September

Week 2 Overview: Game by Game Breakdown

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Sorry folks, a late WK2 but it will be a good read, I promise. My REAL job comes first....and they made me earn that $1.50.

TNF: 9/17/15: Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
First let me say, this was not a top notch game on Denver's end. They were dropping balls, couldn't get into the end zone, Peyton throwing interceptions. It had all the markings of a Bears game. Denver did manage to pull it out and to write about the 31-24 win over the Chiefs, just would not do you guys justice, you had to see it, but I'll try. This game was tight all the way, no one scored in the 1st Qtr, then both scored 14th in the 2nd Qtr, then they copied each other again with 3pts each in the 3rd Qtr. That's when Peyton had that look like, am I really going out looking like Jay Cutler on what could be my last season? Then Denver went to work and mind you, the Chiefs were in it all the way, even had the game, until the last 9 seconds. Yep, K.C. was up 24-17 with 2:27 left. Then Peyton hit E. Sanders with a 19yd pass for a TD & of course the FG was good, tying the game at 24 all with 36 seconds left. It's K.C. ball and what happen, you guessed it, Jamaal Charles fumbled, 2nd time in this game and when you saw the ball again, Bradley Roby was going in for a 21yd recovery & TD with 27 seconds left on the clock & of course, the FG was good. Not only did that take the wind out of the sails of the Chiefs, it also cost them the game. The BIG momentum changer in this game was when Aqib Talib picked off Alex Smith's throw and later was converted to the TD that tied the game at 14-14 all with 48 seconds left in the half. Denver played a totally different game after that, still not the best I've seen out of them but it worked. Smith was sacked 4x & Manning 2x. I hope this helped. P. Manning threw for 256yds, 3 TDs & 1 int., R. Hillman had 9 carries for 34yds and D. Thomas had 8 receptions for 116yds. A. Smith threw for 191yds & 2 ints., J. Charles had 21 carries for 125yds, 1 TD & 2 fumbles, the last one cost them the game. I bet he would trade all that in for a win. T. Kelce had 4 receptions for 58yds.

MNF: 9/21/15: New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts:

LOL all day long. No LUCK in Indy just yet. This puts them at 0-2. I know, so are the Bears but I'm not tripping, I take my Valium for every game, lol. So boy wonder, that would be Andrew Luck has yet to give Indy a win. The man of the day was Darrelle Revis. He picked off one pass, recovered 2 fumbles & helped the Jets D again come up with 5 turnovers to help N.Y. pull away for a 20-7 win at Indy. The Jets have been on point since game 1 when they converted 5 turnovers into 21pts against Cleveland. They did the same thing to the Colts, 5 turnovers, kept the Colts out of the end zone for 3 full Qtrs & never gave Luck a chance to get comfortable. When the Jets cooled their heels in this one, they were off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011. But, they should beware, they struggled to put this one away, it wasn't an easy close. The Colts are not letting the Joneses get them down. After starting last season with back to back losses, they won 5 straight. I bet that can't wait for that swing to come about. R. Fitzpatrick threw for 244yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., C. Ivory had 14 carries for 57yds & B. Marshall had 7 receptions for 101yds & 1 TD. Keep it up BM, I miss you man. No Luck threw for 250yds, 1 TD & 3 ints., F. Gore had 15 carries for 51yds & 1 fumble & D. Moncrief had 7 receptions for 122yds & 1 TD.

NFC NORTH:

GREEN BAY PACKERS: 2-0

I turned on a fight and a NFL game broke out :o). I personally think this was the best game I saw this weekend. This was a watcher from start to finish. They beat up on the Seattle Seahawks 27-17. Man, Lynch was stopped so many times, he must have felt like a cow with all of the grazing in the grass he was doing. The Packers took this game personal, no matter what they say, they was on a mission for pay back from the NFC title game last year when the Packers blew a 16-0 lead against the Seahawks and lost the chance to go to the Superbowl. Even though they gave up a 13-3 lead at half time, they pulled this one off. This lost gave the Seahawks an 0-2 start for the season for the first time since 2011. My Bears are looking better everyyy day, LOL. The go-ahead play was in the 4th Qtr, with the Packers down 17-16, Rodgers orchestrated a 10-play, 80yd scoring drive, capped by a 5yd scoring pass to Richard Rodgers and a 2pt conversion by R. Rodgers, made it 24-17 with 9:28 left. Mason Crosby FG put the Packers up for good, 27-17 with 2 mins. left. It gave Crosby a franchise record of 1,057 career points. The Seahawks last 2 series ended in turnovers. The Beast was held to 15 carries for 41yds. Eddie Lacy left with a right ankle injury, not sure for next week. A. Rodgers threw for 249yds & 2 TDs. J. Starks had 20 carries for 95yds & 1 fumble, R. Cobb had 8 receptions for 116yds. R. Wilson threw for 206yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., R. Wilson had 10 carries for 78yds & D. Baldwin had 7 receptions for 92yds & 1 TD.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: 1-1

Well at least the Bears are not the only team 0-2 in our division or in the NFL for that matter. The Vikings made easy work of the Lions to the tune of 26-16. I guess this was the game everyone was waiting for from Peterson with 29 carries for 134yds and 1 fumble, he's still fine tuning his game, should get better with time. He said it felt good to be home, the last time he took the field in Minnesota was Dec., 1, 2013 and also the last time he had a 100yd game. Peterson received a pregame standing ovation. Bridgewater played a good game after looking lost Monday at San Francisco. AP wasn't flawless though. 3 carries in the 2nd Qtr netted him only 1yd. I really doesn't matter what your stats are, it's the win that counts. Funny thing, Vikings had 10 penalties for 97yds & Lions had 6 penalties for 39yds, clearly, they didn't jump on those advantages in penalties. Peterson (12,577) passed Cris Carter (12,410) for the most combined receiving, returning & rushing yards (all purpose yards), in Vikings history. Stafford had X-rays on his chest & ribs after this game and is playing through a sore throwing arm. T. Bridgewater threw for 153yds & 1 TD, A. Peterson had 29 carries for 134yds & 1 fumble and A. Peterson had 2 receptions for 58yds & 1 fumble. M Stafford threw for 286yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., M. Stafford had 4 carries for 20yds, he is just getting beat up & C. Johnson had 10 receptions for 83yds & 1 TD.

CHICAGO BEARS: 0-2

You knew it was going to be a bad day when the very 1st play of the game was a 108yd punt return by Arizona and it did get worse. I don't believe Jay is really hurt, he just saw the massacre coming and got out of dodge ASAP. He is such a loser. If you go to you tube and look up "Stephen A. Smith totally destroys Jay Cutler." I bet a ton of you will agree with what he says. He talks about some players did not outright say that Jay would throw a game but did say that that in some games, after he has been called out by the Coach, he will go in and throw an incomplete pass then smile about it on the sidelines. Like Smith says, Jay is not a scrub, he can play, he has the arm and when you play like a scrub and you are not a scrub, then you a loser. He is, what reason does Jay have to win, he got his money and don't care about this team. I don't like him but I love the BEARS. Check out you tube. That's all I'm trying to say. Read the details of this A#$ kicking in Arizona's update.

DETROIT LIONS: 0-2

After reviewing the game film, Golden Tate wasn't too happy with the cheap shots he said the Vikings were taking. Read about their 2nd lost in as many games to the Vikings, 26-16 in the Vikings update.

NFC SOUTH:

ATLANTA FALCONS: 2-0

Even when he is unstoppable, it's not good enough for Julio Jones. Jones out shined O. Beckham Jr. on the road in the Falcons 2nd straight win this season over the NYG, 24-20. Jones tied the club record with 13 receptions, good for 135yds. Jones says that he feels that when a ball is thrown to him, it's his job to get that ball. He said he had 15 thrown to him Sunday and got 13 of them, he said he think he did OK, pretty modest. Despite the often 2x coverage on Beckham, he set an NFL mark with 1,495yds in the first 14 games of a career. Beckham was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is in the NFL's concussion protocol program after a 2nd half injury. As for the fearless leader of the Giants, E. Manning has been, well, to put it nicely, not himself. I think he did even worse in this game. On the Giants final drive, he misfired to 2 open receivers in what proved to be another ugly finish in N.Y. Word on the street is that Coach Couglin said that he is "frustrated" by Eli's performance. After this game, he said "that they talk every week about finishing. He said this wasn't a finish to me." I have no comfort words for Coach Coughlin, I'm dealing with my teams 0-2 start, smh. M. Ryan threw for 363yds & 1 TD, T. Coleman had 9 carries for 32yds & 1 TD and J. Jones lead the way with 13 receptions for 135yds. E. Manning threw for 292yds & 2 TDs, a. Williams had 6 carries for 43yds & O. Beckham did his thing with 7 receptions for 146yds & 1 TD.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: 2-0

Cam Newton joked with Stephen Curry before Sunday's game, telling the NBA star "I'm trying to be like you, man." Cam literally put on his superman cape in this one. He showed off his acrobatic skills by somersaulting into the end zone on a QB draw to lead the Panthers to a 24-17 win over the Texans. Garrett Graham tied the game at 10 with a one handed 7yd TD grab in the back of the end zone from Ryan Mallett. That's when Cam, on a 1st & goal from the 2, took a step back before racing through an open hole in the line. Newton decided the best way into the end zone was to somersault over Rahim Moore rather than try to take on the contact. He said that while going over the pile, all he could think was, "I don't even know how is this going to end." Well, it turned into the TD that would put them in the lead for good, late int he 3rd Qtr. He threw TD passes of 25yds to Ted Ginn Jr. & 36yds to Philly Brown and ran for 76yds. Panthers got some of their money's worth off the fat contract they just gave him. Mallett started in place of benched Brian Hoyer. He did run in a TD on 4th & 4 to cut the lead to 24-17 with 6:31 left. The Texans had one last chance to tie the game after Graham Gano's 53yd FG was blocked. But Mallet's pass on 4th & 16 from the Carolina 20 sailed out of the end zone in the closing seconds. Chalk it up to another lost for the Texans. Cam always start the season on 100%, let's see if he fizzles out as usual. C. Newton threw for 195yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., C. Newton had 10 carries for 76yds & 1 TD, G. Olsen finished with 6 receptions for 70yds, Bears still stupid for letting him go. R. Mallett threw for 244yds, 1 TD & 1 int., C. Polk had 14 carries for 38yds & N. Washington had 3 receptions for 63yds. Watts had 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries & 2 tipped passes for the Texans. Means nothing if you don't win.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: 1-1

Winston wins his second game of the season. But remember Winston, you play for Tampa Bay, that's all I'm saying, you will figure it out. They beat the Saints, 26-19. Let's be real people. Nobody, saw this coming & I don't care if you are a loyal, true blue TB fan, y'all had already put this one in the lost column. Winston remained pretty calm at the less than welcoming Super dome, completing 14 of 21 passes for 207yds & was not intercepted. He lost 1 fumble, but the Saints could not cash in on that, missing a 42yd FG. Bucs kicker hit 4 FGs ranging from 22 to 55yds, 3 of those kicks helped TB build a 23-7 lead. But the Bucs turned around and made their own mistakes in the form of late turnovers & penalties that forced them to sweat it out until the final play. The Saints fumbled twice and still had a chance to tie it on two plays from the Bucs 27 in the final 8 seconds, but both passes fell incomplete. They probably stepped on a crack and broke they mommas back, thing were just that bad and just when the Saints are wondering, when is this nightmare over, Drew is possibly out on Sunday and back-up Luke McCown says he's prepared to shine if he has to. This ain't no commercial man and it's not about a mobile phone, I'm just saying, be ready or be gone. But, this was a special day for Winston, he got his 1st NFL win and he was able to do it in front of his grandmother, Myrtle. He said he was pumped up to see his granny there. She had to get clearance to fly to see him play and he made sure it was worth her trip. It's reported that she is the reason Winston chose to stay home during the NFL Draft. Brees says an early hit to his throwing arm may have affected him in loss. Brees has had major surgery on his throwing shoulder before, but that was about a decade ago, in the 2006 off season. When all was said and done, he still did not perform to his usual standards. J. Winston threw for 207yds & 1 Td, D. Martin had 21 carries for 78yds & 1 fumble and L. Murphy had 3 receptions for 82yds. D. Brees threw for 255yds, 1 TD & 1 int., M. =Ingram had 16 carries for 53yds, 1 TD & 1 fumble and M. Colston contributed 4 receptions for 69yds.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: 0-2
The 26-19 loss to the Bucs was not a total loss, at least not for Brees, he did past former Dolphins hall of fame QB Dan Marino for 3rd in all time completions with his 4,968th career connection early in the game. That left Brees, now with 4, 991 completions, behind only Brett Favre (6,300) and P. Manning (5.977). Here is my proposal. My grandson Todd, his team the Dalton Bears, their uniforms are yellow & black, that's close enough to gold & black, they can fill in. They are undefeated 5-0. They are midgets, so their bed time is kinda early and no drinking, but they play pretty good, lol. Just putting it out there. Read Bucs update for details.

NFC EAST:

DALLAS COWBOY: 2-0

The Cowboys won this one vs. the Eagles, 20-10. But it ain't looking to good down the road for them since they have added Tony Romo to the injured list with a broken left collarbone. He had a similar injury in WK 7 in 2010 and missed the rest of the season. Kyle Wilber returned a block punt 26yds for a TD and Brandon Weeded threw a 42yd TD pass to Terrance Williams and just like that, the Cowboys are 2-0. They overcame a franchise record 18 penalties for their 10th straight road win. Weeden, who took over for Romo, had me laughing so hard. They put the camera on him while he was waiting to see if Romo was coming out, his eyes was as big as a deer in headlights, you had to see it. He is 5-16 as a starter, including 0-1 for the Cowboys. He finished 7 of 7 for 73yds. Jerry Jones seems to think that Romo will be back by the end of the season, I don't know, he was 5yrs younger on that first broken collarbone, I'm just saying. Though they did shut down DeMarco Murray, they held him to 13 carries for 2 yards, and yes, I did not leave off a digit or two. He claims this was just a regular game, lying through his teeth. I think it's all downhill for them going forward. T. Romo threw for 195yds before leaving with an injury, J. Randle had 18 carries for 51yds & T. Williams had 4 receptions for 84yds & 1 TD. S., Bradford threw for 224yds, 1 TD & 2 ints., S. Bradford had 2 carries for 9yds & 1 fumble, how do you like that, the QB had more yds than Murray. J. Matthews did his job with 6 recs for 80yds & 1 TD.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: 1-1

Word around town is that Washington has found their "MoJo" with the 1-2 punch of Matt Jones & Alfred Morris. Through 2 games, these guys have 331 rushing yds, 2 TDs & 1 new nick name, "MoJo." Behind a running game that added 182yds rushing, the Redskins easily beat the St. Louis Rams 24-10. Through the 1st two weeks of the season, Washington features the NFL's top-ranked ground attack with an average of 171.5yds per game and a league high 74 rushing attempts. It was definitely a ground game, Washington out rushed St. Louis 182-67. Gruden said this is the blueprint he wants to have. They have a young QB & they don't want him throwing the ball 50x, we want to run the ball, be physical. M. Jones, part of the "MoJo" had 19 carries for 123yds, 2 TDs & 1 fumble, they said he ran like his hair was on fire. The Redskins led at half time 17-0, this is the first time they shut out the opponent in the first half since Oct., 2, 2011. A week ago the Rams beat the Seahawks in OT. But St. Louis is now only 2-15 since 2005 in regular season games immediately following a game against the Seahawks. RGIII, who was not even in uniform, inactive as the #3 QB behind Cousins & C. McCoy. Man, what a difference a season makes. K. Cousins threw for 203yds & 1 TD, M. Jones, stats mentioned in update & J. Reed had 6 receptions for 82yds. N. Foles threw for 150yds & 1 TD, T. Austin had 4 carries for 40yds & J. Cook had 5 receptions for 47yds in this losing battle.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: 0-2

Not looking to good for the Eagles or DeMarco Murray in his first game against his former team. Read about the 20-10 slap on the hand from the Cowboys in that update.

NEW YORK GIANTS: 0-2

On a positive note, the Giants honored their 1990 NFL Championship team at halftime, with former coach Bill Parcells carrying the Lombardi Trophy onto the field. Probably close as they are going to get to that trophy for yearsss. Read the update on their lost to the Falcons, 24-20.

NFC WEST:

ARIZONA CARDINALS: 2-0

Why you treat me so bad, why you treat me so bad. Sorry, that's the line that came to mind after the Cardinals ripped us apart, 48-23. David Johnson clearly had his day in the sun. He returned the opening kickoff a club record 108yds and when he decided that wasn't enough, added a rushing TD, becoming the first payer in NFL history with a rushing TD, receiving TD & kickoff return TD in his first two games to begin his career. I bet he will have that record for a long time. So you know if the rookie took us down, you know that Palmer & Fitzgearld wasn't going to be nothing nice and they wasn't. 3 of the 4 TDs that Carlson threw were to Larry, my boyfriend. The seven TDs allowed tied the franchise record record for the Bears, who had never given up 48pts in a home game. They also tied a club record with 170 penalty yards. Claussen and I don't know how is just optimistic to the 10th power or hit to hard last game, said we will do well against Seattle, said we will be ready. I hope so Claussen, I'm hanging with you man. Well looks like Bruce Arians had his revenge on the Bears after the Bears hired the QB whisperer Trestman over him in Jan. 2013. HA, look how that turned out. C. Palmer threw for 185yds, 4 TDs & 1 int., C. Johnson had 20 carries for 72yds & L. Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 112yds & 3 TDs. J. Clausen threw for 121yds & 1 int., M. Forte had 15 carries for 61yds & M. Bennett had 4 receptions for 48yds.

SAINT LOUIS RAMS: 1-1
How do you take down Seattle one week and turn around and lose to Washington the next? Read the Redskins update to find out how.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: 1-1

Read about their 43-18, whose yo momma, spanking in the Steelers update. They put Kap down 5x man.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: 0-2
Well, I can honestly say, this was & wasn't surprising. I turned on a Packers & Seahwaks fight and a game broke out. Read all about it in the Packers update.

AFC NORTH:

CINCINNATI BENGALS: 2-0

And the Beat goes on and so does the Bengals, joining the few still boasting a 2-0 start. They took the charge out of San Diego with a close shave, 24-19. Andy threw 3 TDs to 3 different receivers, taster's choice I guess. Jeremy Hill fumbled the ball 2x and was benched for his efforts and to make matters worse, his back up, Giovanni Bernard, runs for 123yds. I see some writing on the wall for Hill.The Bengals are unstoppable right now, they are looking good. Their receiving group is back in full strength this season and it shows. San Diego set up the 1st TD with a fumble and they never led in the game from the point on. Rivers brought a streak of 20 straight completions into the game, 4 shy of D. McNabb's NFL record. With 2 more in this game, River's streak set a Chargers record & tied for 3rd longest in NFL history. He threw a 10yd TD pass early in the 2nd half, his 255th one of his career that moved him ahead of Dan Fouts for the club record. Both teams missed a FG & fumbled 2x. He said, it's a sweet feeling, but not as good as it could have been if they had won. A. Dalton threw for 214yds & 3 TDs, G. Bernard had 20 carries for 123yds, filling in for the fumbling Hill. T. Elfert had 4 receptions for 49yds & 1 TD. P. Rivers threw for 241yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., M. Gordon had 16 carries for 88yds & d. Woodhead had 6 receptions for 68yds.

CLEVELAND BROWNS: 1-1

The Browns beat the Titans 28-14. This game even sounds boring, probably why I didn't want to see any of it. But here is the low down. Johnny Football played like he played every Saturday for Texas A&M and he needed that type of game. Manziel threw for a 60yd TD pass to Travis Benjamin on Cleavland's 2nd play & connected with his WR again for a clutch 50yder with 2:52 left, giving the Browns the needed win over the Titans. Benjamin also returned a punt for 78yds for a TD in the 1st half as they built a 21-0 lead, never looking back. With the Titans down 14 and needing 2 scores, Mariota, who recorded a perfect passer's rating last week in his pro debut against TB, drove Tennessee inside Cleveland's 20 but was sacked & stripped by DE Armonty Bryant. Mariota said that he could have made a lot more accurate throws & could have been better with the football. But he said he will learn that and get better. Good lesson learned grasshopper. As for Manziel, he's come a long way from last season where he was riding the bench. J. Manziel threw for 172yds & 2 TDs, I. Crowell had 15 carries for 72yds & 1 TD & T. Benjamin had 3 receptions for 115yds & 2 TDs. He finished the day with 269 all purpose yds. M. Mariota threw for 257yds & 2 TDs, D. McCluster had 10 carries for 98yds & A. Fasano had 5 receptions for 84yds & 1 TD.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 1-1

I guess somebody had to take the frustration from the Steelers, just so happens it was the 49ers turn up at bat. Big Ben passed for 369yds & 3 TDs, DAngelo Williams tied a team record with 3 rushing scores & the Steelers converted a pair of early 2-pt attempts to bulldoze the 49ers, 43-18. The Steelers began each practice during training camp with a drill called "seven shots." The starting offense would run seven plays from the 2--the distance of a 2pt conversion, against the starting defense. I think it's working. You know every team has that game where they could do no wrong, well this was that game for Pittsburgh. The Steelers piled up 453yds in all of 23 minutes, even without All Pro RB LeVeon Bell & WR Martavis Bryant. The two 23yr old kids sat out a 2nd straight game for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Bell will return next week, not sure on Bryant. The Steelers clearly got over the 28-21 loss to the Patriots about 10 days ago. To tie a bow on this beauty of a win, Roethlisberger tied T. Bradshaw's team record for career wins (107). B. Roethlisberger, stats noted above. D. Williams had 20 carries for 77yds & 3 TDs and A. Brown earned his check today with 9 receptions for 195yds & 1 TD. C. Kap threw for 335yds & 2 TDs, C. Kap on double duty with 9 carries for 51yds & 1 fumble, T. smith had 6 receptions for 120yds & 1 TD.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: 0-2

OK, I'm going to say this one more time, to see if it sinks in. The Ravens lost to the Raiders, 37-33. Nope, still not sinking in. Read about this, who took my cheese win for the Raiders in that update. They are feeling the loss of T. Suggs right about now. He's out with a season ending injury that happened in the season opener.

AFC SOUTH:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: 1-1

Christmas came early for the Jaguars and they ate them some Dolphins for dinner, 23-20. As of WK 2, they are 1-1, not bad for a team that lost I think 9 or 10 games last season before winning even one. Now Johnny can go to school and say his dad plays for the Jaguars. QB Blake Bortles said they expected this outcome. It was the rest of the NFL, especially Miami, that was surprised by their 23-20 victory. Receiver, Allen Robinson was unstoppable early. Bortles & JJ defense came up big late & Myers delivered his first clutch kick, a 28yd FG with 40 seconds left that turned out to be the winner. With this win, JJ avoided a 4th consecutive 0-2 start. The Jaguars allowed no sacks after giving up at least 4 in 8 straight games. Good for them, can they help my Bears?? B. Bortles threw for 273yds & 2 TDs, T. Yeldon had 25 carries for 70yds & A. Robinson had 6 receptions for 155yds & 2 TDs. He clearly ate his Wheaties this morning. R. Tannehill threw for 359yds & 2 TDs, R. Tannehill had 3 carries for 17yds & R. Matthews had 6 receptions for 115yds.

TENNESSEE TITANS: 1-1

Read about their losing efforts against the Brown's in that update.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 0-2

They drop another one, this time to the Jets, 20-7. Read the MNF update for the 411.

HOUSTON TEXANS: 0-2

Read about their 24-17 loss to the Panthers in that update.

AFC EAST:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 2-0

It could be me, but I am going to say that N.E. will win 10 games before they are handed their 1st lost of this season. I could be wrong, I am about every 7 years or so, might be that year, I'm just saying. They won #2 against the Bills 40-32 which I think was a good showing for the Bills. Brady threw for 466yds passing, the 2nd most of his career and most by any player against Buffalo in driving the Patriots to this win. They called him a buzz kill in silencing a rowdy crowd and exposing Bills coach Rex Ryan's brash talk for bluster. Clearly I missed some pre-game chatter on this one. When the game was over, Brady shrugged and said he could have done better. The Bill's final drive ended when Tyrod Taylor was intercepted a 3rd time after his pass waived bye bye to receiver Sammy Watkins and into the arms of Logan Ryan, how you doing, lol. That's was the end of this story. Word on the street? I heard that Brady still might serve a suspension. I told y'all that. Did you really think they was going to bench Brady in the 1st game of the NFL season on national TV? NO, they were not, it's all about the Benjamin's baby!! But stay tuned on the suspension front, it's coming. Don't believe me, just watch! T. Brady threw for 466yds & 3 TDs, D. Lewis had 7 carries for 40yds, 1 TD & 1 fumble, R. Gronk had 7 receptions for 113yds & 1 TD. T. Taylor threw for 242yds, 3 TDs & 3 ints., It's ok youngster, it's bound to get better. L. McCoy had 15 carries for 89yds & R. Woods had 3 receptions for 60yds & 1 TD.

NEW YORK JETS: 2-0

Read about their near shut-out of the Colts 20-7 in the MNF update.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: 1-1

They drop a shocker to the Jaguars. Read about it in Jacksonville's update.

BUFFALO BILLS: 1-1

Well, we all know how this story ended, surprisingly, not as bad as expected. The Bills had a scare in this game when starting safety Aaron Williams was taken off the field via ambulance with a neck injury late in the 3rd Qtr. He was released after undergoing a series of test. That's good news. The lost to the Patriots 40-32, check out the Pats update.

AFC WEST:

DENVER BRONCOS: 2-0

I'm sure you read the update in TNF. On one of Peyton's passes that he completed, it gave him 70,000 career passing yds, making him only the 2nd player in league history to hit that mark. Brett Favre, who on Weds. was named a first-time Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee, holds the record with 71,838 career yds through the air. If Peyton keeps going at this pace, he could have the record to himself by the end of October.

OAKLAND RAIDERS: 1-1

Who knew, I didn't. Raiders beat the Ravens 37-33 on a late TD pass from Derek Carr. All Carr wanted was another chance after he threw a late interception in a tied game. It was 26 seconds left when he threw a 12yd TD pass to Seth Roberts. Bam, chalk that wish of your list Derek. That was a shocker for the Ravens, I saw most of that game and believe me, they didn't see it coming. Well, he was helped by a personal foul on T. Jernigan & a hold on W. Hill III that negated an interception on the play before the TD that gave Jack Del Rio his 1st win as coach of his childhood favorite team. Jack said, this is war, favorite team or not, he was out to win, well, I said that, but I'm sure he thought it, lol. The Ravens lost for the 2nd time in 9 meetings with the Raiders with the other being in 2003. D. Carr threw for 351yds, 3 TDs & 1 int., L. Murray had 15 carries for 65yds & 1 TD. M. Crabtree had 9 receptions for 111yds & 1 TD. J. Flacco threw for 384yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., J. Forsett had 15 carries for 68yds & S. Smith Sr., had 10 receptions for 150yds.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: 1-1

Read about their close shave from the Bengals, 24-19 in that update.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: 1-1

No doubt you have read about their 31-24 in Denver's update. What I also checked out was some crazy tweets from "fans." The blame was laid on 4 people in particular. 1. Andy Reid for his play calling. 2. J. Charles for his fumbles, which brings up the buzz going around asking if he is having ball control issues. 3. A. Smith and his interceptions and of course, 4. J. Fleming and his receptions given up. One tweet say that "Alex Smith is Jay Cutler after he goes to one of those trouble teen boot camps on Maury." This one is funny, "The traffic leaving Arrowhead is Jamel Fleming bad." Or, "There's still 20 seconds left, enough time for Jamaal Charles to fumble one more time." My favorite, "Hi, I'm Andy Reid and I coach football." "Hi I'm cable Andy Reid and it's under two minute." Just sharing the love people.

Passing Notes:

Peyton Manning completed 23 straight passes for the NFL's 2nd longest streak. Joe Montana, Mark Brunell, David Carr & Matt Ryan had also streaks of 22 completions along with Rivers....River's 2 TD passes moved him ahead of Sunny Jurgensen into 14th on the all-time list with 256.

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20
September

Week 2 Injury Roundup

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Well, it was fun while it lasted! This was a tough week of injuries around the league. Incredibly tough on the Chargers. 2 weeks, 2 ACLs. Hopefully, you avoided most of the injury bug that is going around and good luck in week 3.

Quarterback

Josh McCown – Shoulder injury- Multiple week absence

Rough loss for the Browns who showed some life in the first half of the game. Cody Kessler is the next man up and will make the start this weekend. Bump down for all Browns players. Expect to see lots of pressure from Miami to force the Rookie to make some plays. Hopefully, McCown can make his way back by week 5 for Josh Gordon’s return.

Jimmy Garoppolo – Shoulder- Questionable

To my surprise, Jimmy participated in walk trough’s Tuesday morning but I would not expect him to start this week. Rookie Jacoby Brissett will get the nod. I would like to say this hurts everyone on the Patriots, but with Bill Belichick anything is possible.

Andy Dalton – Ankle – Played through injury

Was injured in the second half vs the Steelers and played through. Was limping after the game and will most likely be limited in practice this week. He will be good to go vs Denver on Sunday.

Jay Cutler- Ligament Damage right Thumb – Possibly out for weeks

Smoking Jay looks like he will be missing some time which leaves the door open for Hoyer the Destroyer. I do not see this hurting any of the fantasy options (what little there are) in Chicago. I expect Hoyer to pepper Jeffery with targets and the Bears will continue to be a below average team.

Running Backs

Danny Woodhead – Torn ACL- Out for the Season

Our favorite gym rat Danny is out for the year. Huge loss for owners in PPR and those zero RB drafters. Melvin Gordon will see 3 down duties and I expect Woodhead's passing targets to get spread around that offense. Melvin is trending up to RB1 play now and Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin will see more targets.

Jonathan Stewart – Hamstring – Left game and out at least a week or two

Stewart was forced out of the third drive of the game with a Hamstring issue. This left the ground game to Fozzy Whittaker who rushed for 100 yards after getting the nod. Whittaker will be a hot add this week but I expect a timeshare of Fozzy and Cameron Artis-Payne until Stewart is back.

Adrian Peterson – Torn Meniscus – Unknown timetable

I am sure we have all seen the highlights of AP being helped through a bar to the locker room in Minnesota’s new state of the art stadium. There are a lot of conflicting reports on the timetable for return so we are sitting in wait and see mode. McKinnon will be the hot add this week but do not sleep on the TD vulture Matt Asiata. I expect McKinnon to continue his role of change of pace back and the Vikings using Asiata in the red zone and between the tackles until AP is back.

Doug Martin – Hamstring – Unknown Timetable

Martin suffered a “slight tweak” and will be getting an MRI Tuesday. He seems unlikely to suit up against the Rams but good news for owners is the injury does not appear to be too serious. Charles Simms will get the nod and a heavy workload on Sunday. If he is available pick him up, especially in PPR where even with Martin he is a borderline flex play.

Ameer Abdullah – Foot – Unknown Timetable

He left Sundays game with a foot injury. X-Rays came back negative, but Abdullah is visiting with the famous foot doctor, Robert Anderson. Not a good sign that they are seeking additional help here. Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington will step into a timeshare here. Riddick may be owned but Washington is a guy to keep an eye on after showing some flashes of greatness in the preseason.

Arian Foster – Groin- Unknown Timetable

According to sources, it is unlikely Foster will play this week but is just dealing with a groin strain. Regardless, this should not come as much of a surprise to owners. It wasn’t a matter of “if” Foster would get hurt, it is “when” will he go down. Look for some combination of Ajayi, Drake, and Pead in the backfield this weekend.

Thomas Rawls – Leg Contusion- Should be good to go

Thomas Rawls exited the game after a poor performance and was replaced by Christine Michael (Who looked explosive). Rawls will be good to go vs the 49ers this weekend but expect a timeshare with Michael who has been the most effective rusher for the Seahawks through 2 weeks.

Rashad Jennings – Hand – Should be good to go

Jennings only played 34 snaps this weekend against New Orleans due to the injury but he should be able to wrap this up and get out there for week 3 against Washington.

Wide Receivers

Donte Moncrief – Concussion/ Shoulder – Unknown Timetable

Originally taken out of the game for a possible concussion, it was later determined that a shoulder injury kept Moncrief out of the game. He had an MRI on Monday but no news has been released on the results. If he misses time, Phillip Dorsett becomes a must-add in all formats.

Julio Jones – Ankle – Julio doing Julio things

Julio owners should know the drill. He is going to get hit, he is going to look like a 70-year-old man getting up, then he is going to run a deep post and score a touchdown. Julio will be fine.

Brandon Marshall – MCL – Might take a week off

After what looked to be a gruesome knee injury, Marshall came back into the game Thursday. He is unsure if he will play this week and it is a situation to monitor. Can’t question his toughness after coming back on the field after that play.

Doug Baldwin – Knee – Day to Day

MRI results came back negative and Baldwin said, “I’m good”. The only issue is I am not sure that offense is good. Regardless of his playing time hopefully you have other options available while we wait for Wilson to get the offense moving

Tight End

Virgil Green – Strained Right Calf – Day to Day

After leaving the stadium in a walking boot, it seems Green missed serious injury and should be in the lineup on Sunday.

Eric Ebron – Concussion - Good to go

Eric Ebron left the game Sunday but then returned late. He will be good to go against the Packers and is turning into a sneaky TE1.

Photo credits - http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17583949/minnesota-vikings-running-back-adrian-peterson-suffers-right-knee-injury

http://celebcafe.org/danny-woodhead-out-for-season-with-torn-acl-7293/

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13
September

Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Alright, fantasy football fans - it's that time again; time to dig through the waiver wire to unearth some guys that were borderline draftable earlier this Summer but are quickly clawing to the top of their respective position, and some that could even be every-week starters down the road. Just remember, though, for every Victor Cruz or Devonta Freeman there are countless other players that will inevitably fade back into fantasy obscurity. My advice to you is not to be timid, but be brave with your waiver picks each week and always keep a few guys on the bench with the upside to help get you to that all-important league championship this year.

Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 40% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.

Quarterback Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

Joe Flacco (BAL) - 18% owned

Flacco only put up 258 yards and 1 touchdown last week against the Bills, but he looked fully recovered from his ACL injury and connected several times to Mike Wallace including a 66-yard touchdown. He'll be heading up the Ravens' pass-happy offense in Week 2 against a Cleveland Browns team that gave up 278 yards and 2 touchdowns to the Eagles' rookie QB, Carson Wentz. A good streaming, or 2 QB option to consider.

Running Back Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

Theo Riddick (DET) - 36% owned

theo riddick waiver wire pickup week 2

Riddick was on fire Sunday against the Colts, scoring 2 touchdowns and racking up 108 all-purpose yards (most of which came on his 5 receptions). We've been hearing good things about Riddick and his role (along with Abdullah) on this Lions' offense this season, but it pays to temper expectations and to realize that the Colts' defense looked terrible out there. This kind of production cannot be expected on a week-to-week basis, therefore, but Riddick will get enough touches to maintain his value for the immediate future.

Wide Receiver Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

Eli Rogers (PIT) - 8% owned

Rogers caught 6 of 7 targets on Monday night for 59 yards and 1 touchdown. Very much a slot player, we can't expect Rogers to be lining up on the outside or getting many red zone targets. His touchdown, in fact, was actually the result of a throw to Sammie Coates that bounced into Rogers' waiting arms. Incumbent receiver Markus Wheaton also looks to get back on the field soon, limiting Rogers' targets further. There is a lot of potential for Rogers in Pittsburgh, however, as he builds good chemistry with Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley is already enamored with his play.

Nelson Agholor (PHI) - 5% owned

Agholor had a bad start in the NFL last year, having been drafted as a first-rounder but only ending up scoring 1 touchdown all season. It's possible that some combination of rookie jitters and unstable management and play-calling contributed to a disappointing 2015. Rookie QB Carson Wentz looked to Agholor 5 times on Sunday which resulted in 4 receptions for 57 yards and 1 touchdown. Many experts were down on the Eagles' offense this year, but they are just humming along regardless of popular opinion. Granted they played the Browns in week 1, but going up against Chicago and then Pittsburgh in weeks 2 and 3 should still offer plenty of opportunities to exploit the secondary.

Tight End Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

Kyle Rudolph (MIN) - 18% owned

Rudolph caught 4 of his 8 targets for 65 yards on Sunday. Rudolph has always been a talented tight end, and the main problem here is trying to predict the continued volume of targets going his way as the season progresses. The Vikings usually have a conservative approach to the passing game and that shouldn't change when Sam Bradford takes over under center (possibly week 2), so conventional wisdom tells us that Rudolph should continue to receive opportunities in this offense.

Defense Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

New York Jets (@BUF) - 37% owned

The Jets played well last week and look to continue in week 2 against an anemic Buffalo offense that now has #1 WR Sammy Watkins questionable from week-to-week with lingering foot pain. Shaping up to be a good play once again, the Jets should score 8-10 points in a standard scoring league.

Deeper League / Sleeper Picks

Jeremy Kerley (SF, WR), Jack Doyle (IND, TE)

Kerley looks locked into being the go-to target in a quick offense and should continue to pile up passes and opportunities. Doyle scored 2 touchdowns on Sunday, but he will likely prove to be an inconsistent value in fantasy due to the presence of Dwayne Allen and all of the other mouths to feed in Indianapolis.

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