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Welcome back to the rookie report! Week one was full of surprises and upsets, but isn’t every week in the NFL? Hey, “On any given Sunday…..,” right? Nowadays it’s more like any given Thursday, Sunday or Monday. Hopefully your fantasy teams were able to come out on top in week 1, but if not, it’s time to bounce back. Before we dive in to week 2’s rookie outlook, let’s take a look back at the fantasy rookie performer of the week for the season openers.

Rookie Performer of Week 1: Brandin Cooks, WR, NO: Cooks was a stud in the opener with Kenny Stills sidelined, racking up 3 catches on the opening drive and ending the game with 7 catches, 77 yards, 18 rushing yards, and a TD. It was just the start of what figures to be a dominant rookie campaign in PPR leagues. Honorable mention: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, CAR

Here’s a quick look at what to expect for week 2:

Rookies to Start:

RB Terrance West, CLE (Wk. 2: vs. NO): West was one of the biggest surprises in the league in week 1. He put up triple-digit yards after starter Ben Tate did what Ben Tate does and got hurt. West struggled throughout the preseason, registering a yards per carry mark somewhere in the negative YATR range (Yards above Trent Richardson. We’re making his usual 2.9 YPC football’s Mendoza line). West looked like a different player in week one, putting up over 6 yards a carry. He’ll start against a not so scary Saints run defense. If you’re afraid the Browns will abandon the run after falling behind, don’t be. They didn’t when they fell behind the Steelers 24-3 and it almost helped them win the game. West is a no-brainer flex choice and a low end RB2 in 10-team leagues this week.

WR Brandin Cooks, NO (Wk. 2: @Cle.): On the other side of the Browns-Saints game, Cooks should be able to come close to matching his week one output. He is running a lot of the same routes that Darren Sproles ran in New Orleans, and that means they’re getting him the ball in space. It’s only a matter of time before he’s able to break a long one. Until he does, you’ll happily settle for his 14-16 points in PPR formats. He should be good for that again with Stills still on the mend and possibly out this week.

WR Kelvin Benjamin, CAR (Wk. 2: vs. Det.): I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, and I’ve been wrong about Benjamin. I still don’t think he’s got the upside of a true fantasy WR1, but he looks like a very safe play most weeks. The Panthers’ passing game really revolves around Kelvin and Greg Olsen. I’m a little hesitant to trust Kelvin since we haven’t seen him play with Cam, but everything I’ve heard this preseason said he and Cam were fast friends. I think the chemistry will be solid. Against the Lions sub-par secondary, Kelvin should approach 100 yards again and might find paydirt again. Feel free to trot him out comfortably as a WR3.

Borderline Rookies:

RB Bishop Sankey, TEN (Wk. 2: vs. Dal.): I wouldn’t have the courage to play Sankey after watching him play behind Dexter McCluster and even Leon Washington on the depth chart in week 1, but I think he’ll climb soon. There’s at least a little worry that he’s this year’s version of Montee Ball, who was highly touted entering the season and wound up stuck behind Knowshon Moreno all season. Sankey did put up 25 yards on just 6 carries in week one, and the Cowboys defense is really bad. All Bishop needs is a chance. I’m just not sure if he gets it this week. You are probably best served with Sankey on the bench, but you should continue to keep him rostered. He’s got every-down skills.

WR John Brown, ARI (Wk. 2: @NYG): Brown was really impressive in the Cardinals’ opener. He’s the clear cut WR3 in a vertical passing offense that often employs 3WR sets. He caught just 2 balls for 29 yards in the opener, but he did find the end zone and was on the field for nearly 60% of the offensive snaps. Head coach Bruce Arians has openly compared Brown to T.Y. Hilton, and Hilton had an impressive (albeit inconsistent) rookie campaign. Brown will be boom-or-bust. I feel like against the G-Men, Carson Palmer will have his pick of where to go with the ball. I’d expect Fitzgerald to be targeted more heavily to make up for week 1, which means Brown is likely more WR4 fodder than WR3.

WR Sammy Watkins, BUF (Wk. 2: vs. Mia.): Like Brown, Watkins is likely more WR4 than WR3. He managed just 3 catches for 31 yards in week 1 as he played through a foot injury, and this week he’s likely to see a lot of Brent Grimes. I’d expect him to at least match the week one stats, but I’m not sure he exceeds them by much. I’d likely leave Sammy on the bench until I see him start to produce more, but like I wrote last week, Watkins is going to be a focal point in this passing game eventually.

WR Marquise Lee, JAX (Wk. 2: @Was.): Lee put up a respectable stat line in week one with 6 grabs for 62 yards, but he got a bunch of it in garbage time. Not sure there will be as much of that this week in what I think is actually a winnable game for the Jags. I think he still might approach last week’s numbers as Allen Hurns comes back down to earth, but it would have to be PPR and a deeper league for me to consider trotting out Lee, even against a weak Redskins D.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Derek Carr, OAK (Wk. 2: @Hou.): This is going to get redundant quickly. I have to put Carr somewhere on here as long as he’s starting, but things are going to be ugly for a while. They have a weak o-line, limited weapons, and are down MJD this week. They also face JJ Watt and the Houston Texans. I wouldn’t want Carr starting in a 2 QB league. He’s a bottom 10 option amongst the 32 starters.

RB Jeremy Hill, CIN (Wk. 2: vs. Atl.): I was excited for Hill coming into week one, and then he got just 4 carries and played just 10 offensive snaps. I still think Hill has some big weeks coming as coach Hue Jackson mentioned that Hill will play more going forward, but I can’t trust that it starts this week. The Falcons’ defense is far from frightening, but I just don’t know how much more work Hill will see. Gio Bernard wasn’t exactly great on the ground last week, but he got the red zone touches. Keep playing the waiting game with Hill this week.

RB Devonta Freeman, ATL (Wk. 2: @Cin.): Freeman looked really good on the limited touches he saw against the Saints, and his time is coming, but Steven Jackson isn’t done for yet. I think most of Jacquizz Rodgers’s touches will eventually make their way to Freeman, who might be the heir apparent to S-Jax. The problem for now is that the backfield is just too crowded to even roster Freeman in re-draft leagues. Antone Smith also continues to see some work, making this a 4-headed monster at RB.

WR Mike Evans, TB (Wk. 2: vs. StL.): I like Evans' upside, but I’m not sure the Bucs will throw it enough this week to make Evans playable. He was targeted a healthy 9 times in week 1, making 5 grabs for 37 yards and nearly secured his first TD. The usage is encouraging, but the Rams looked like a dumpster fire in the opener. If the Bucs can get out in front, they’ll ride the running game and really limit the damage Evans can do. He might be a good buy-low candidate after this week.

TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, TB (Wk. 2: vs. StL.): ASJ caught just one pass in the opener for 26 yards, and seems like a long shot to even suit up this week. He’s still running behind Brandon Myers on the depth chart, but his size will make him a tough matchup once he starts getting starter’s reps.

Deep League Sleepers:

RB Isaiah Crowell, CLE (Wk. 2: vs. NO): With West getting the starting nod, Crowell will undoubtedly be overlooked in many leagues, but he is the superior talent of the 2 Browns’ rookies. Crowell is worth a stash if you have room on your bench in any league. He has RB1 upside if he can secure the starting gig and is a player to target in dynasty leagues. He’ll see change of pace work this week behind West in a run-heavy offense, but he found the end zone twice on just 5 carries last Sunday. He might still be a goal line vulture this week.

RB Carlos Hyde, SF (Wk. 2: vs. Chi.): Hyde was impressive in limited carries in the season opener, and this week the 49ers get the porous Bears’ run defense. The Bears let Fred Jackson carve them up for 61 yards on just 7 carries and allowed nearly 6 yards per carry to the Bills as a team. The 49ers live for the power run game, and Hyde is going to be a big part of that, especially now that LaMichael James is off the team. I think he could certainly match the 50 yards and a score he put up against Dallas last week.

WR Jordan Matthews, PHI (Wk. 2: @Ind.): I was a bit disappointed by Matthews usage in week one. He saw just 4 targets, and ended the game with 2 catches for 37 yards. He has superior talent to Riley Cooper, but until he leapfrogs him on the depth chart, his fantasy production will be inconsistent. He gets a solid matchup this week in what should be a shootout with Indy, but it’s hard to predict a huge week given his limited opportunities. Anything over 60 yards would be a win for Matthews in my opinion.

That’s all I’ve got for week 2. Hopefully it helps you make some tough lineup calls this week, but as always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider.

Carson Palmer QB Arizona – Carson Palmer might be dealing with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder, but it didn’t stop him from throwing over 300 yards with two touchdowns against San Diego last week. Palmer should find similar success this week, albeit on the road, when Arizona takes on the New York Giants who surrendered 341 yards in the air to Detroit in Week 1. Palmer has a big play weapon in Michael Floyd and don’t discount Larry Fitzgerald just yet. The good news for Palmer is that RB Andre Ellington seem like he will be able to play through his foot injury, giving Palmer another dangerous passing option. Monitor his status, but it sounds like he will be ready to go. Start Palmer as a high end QB2.

Frank Gore RB San Francisco – Chicago just gave up 193 rushing yards at home to Buffalo in Week 1. With QB Colin Kaepernick expected to get his running yards, Gore and rookie RB Carlos Hyde should also see significant rushing yardage in the team’s home opener. Gore only tallied 66 rushing yards in Week 1, but he should not have too much trouble eclipsing the 110-yard mark in Sunday night’s Week 2 showdown. Gore is 31 years old and was expected to slow down last season, but still managed to put up 1,128 rushing yards with 9 rushing touchdowns - the second highest in his prolific career. Start Gore with confidence as your RB2 with expectations of 100+ rushing yards and a score.

C.J. Spiller RB Buffalo – Spiller’s timeshare with Fred Jackson will continue throughout the 2014 season barring injury. Still, both can be effective options with Spiller having much more potential due to his powerful burst and electrifying speed. This week Buffalo goes up against a Miami defense who held New England to just 89 rushing yards and 226 passing yards. But Miami is on the road in Week 2 and has a slew of defensive players battling injuries – though most should end up on the field Sunday. Buffalo is coming off a big upset where they manhandled Chicago on the road in Week 1 and will be looking to carry that momentum into Week 2 against Miami. Spiller can be dangerous when he finds a hole and is always a candidate for a big play. Big play of not, Spiller should still put up serviceable numbers this week, enough to qualify as a decent RB2 option.  

Kelvin Benjamin WR Detroit – Kelvin Benjamin was much of a secret by the time your league had its draft, but he still probably didn’t go as high as his worth this season will dictate. The 6’5” 240 pound rookie receiver wasted no time in making his name known in the NFL churning out a 6-catch, 92-yard performance with a touchdown to boot. And this was on the road against a should be tough Tampa Bay defense with back up QB Derek Anderson at the helm. This week Benjamin plays at home against Detroit and starting QB Cam Newton is expected to return. Newton will often be hurried by Detroit’s aggressive D-line, but Benjamin is a big target that has speed and the ability to get open in a hurry. I fully expect Benjamin to put up similar numbers to what he did in Week 1 with the potential to haul in his first 100-yard receiving game. Benjamin is a very nice WR2 option and maybe even a lower end WR1 for Week 2.   

Reggie Wayne WR Indianapolis – Reggie Wayne was drafted in the latter rounds of so many fantasy drafts this year – much lower than receiving counterpart T.Y. Hilton. The thought process was that the Wayne is now 35 years old, had ACL repair surgery last season and that Hilton has taken over as the big go to option for QB Andrew Luck. Well, as we all saw in Indy’s Week 1 opener at Denver, Wayne is back and better than ever. He is obviously the guy that Luck entrusts catching 9 of 13 targets and seemed to get open at will. Hilton will still be a major part of the Indianapolis passing game, but Wayne looks to be a bigger part. Yes, it was only one game, but Wayne sure showcased himself as a top league receiver in Monday night’s battle with the AFC champs and showed zero indication that he plans to slow down. As long as Wayne’s big-time play holds up, he should hold borderline WR1 status and that especially goes for this week’s matchup at home against Philadelphia that let Jacksonville’s Chad Henne pass for two first quarter touchdowns. Wayne will light it up in Philly, especially in PPR leagues). Expect 7 or more catches, lots of yards and Wayne’s first score of the year.  

Larry Donnell TE New York Giants – Larry Donnell is separating himself from the TE pack. QB Eli Manning has always liked hitting his TEs and this year should be no different. Donnell, a 6’6” 265 pound target, had preseason completion from Daniel Fells and Adrian Robinson, but has established his starting role in Week 1 by catching 5 or his 8 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown grab against Detroit. Coach Tom Coughlin had mentioned a committee attack at TE but Donnell is certainly Manning’s go-to guy. New York has a tougher defensive matchup in Week 2 against Arizona, but they are at home and Donnell should still have plenty of opportunities. In leagues that start two TEs, Donnell is a nice play this week, but can even be useful in one TE leagues as a replacement for injured players like Jordan Reed or Jordan Cameron.

Hot Pick Up Bust of the Week

Terrance West RB Cleveland – New Orleans can give up the rushing yards – especially on the road, where they find themselves in Week 2 at Cleveland. The question is, how much Cleveland will be running the ball. In Week 1 New Orleans was on the road battling Atlanta where they gave up 123 rushing yards. Of course, Atlanta has a much more potent offense and not only kept up with Drew Brees and company but pasted them with 445 passing yards. West, who is starting in place for the injured Ben Tate, may find his team unable to keep up with New Orleans’ high flying offense and not getting as many run opportunities, most likely trailing early on. Plus, he has fellow backfield mate Isaiah Crowell to contend with. West has been a popular pick up this week, but it’s just not in the cards for him to put up fantasy relevant numbers in Week 2. Hold onto him and hope he starts at home in Week 3 vs Baltimore where it will be much more of a smashmouth type game that could offer plenty of run opportunities. Unless you are desperate for RB help this week, West should be on your bench.   

Sleep-er (n) - A Player who has been warming your bench, but is ready for a breakout week this week. Here's your sleepers, this week.

QB

Mark Sanchez, PHI - Chip Kelly has managed to find success in the NFL even with an under performing Nick Foles this season. The 6-2 Eagles will now have Mark Sanchez leading the offense after Foles went down against the Texans with a broken collarbone. Sanchez went 15-22 for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions after entering the game. It's a small sample size but compared to Nick Foles' 13 TD's and 10 INT's, Sanchez was right on par with the Eagles do-enough-to-win offense. In any case this week Sanchez tops the list as a sleeper. The Panthers 26th rated defense has allowed an average of 246 passing yards while giving up 17 passing TD's. Despite a less than spectacular career in New York Mark, Sanchez is a capable quarterback and under Chip Kelly's tutelage we could see a relevant fantasy quarterback for the rest of the season. 

Kyle Orton, BUF - BOILER UP! Kyle Orton has a 104 QB rating through his 4 games as starter. His stat line is 1128 yards with 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The Bills have a tough matchup in week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs but the key is that they are coming off the bye week and hosting. While KC isn't giving up a lot of yards through the air, they are on par with other defenses around the league with 13 passing TD's against. Kyle Orton is one of the best game managers in the league and that has been proven since he got the nod in Buffalo. His 9:3 TD to INT ratio proves he can take care of the ball and the Chiefs pass defense has only 4 interceptions on the year. The Chiefs pose the toughest test for Orton since taking over but that week of rest and extra time to game plan can't be underrated for the 5-3 Bills still in the playoff hunt.

RB

Terrance West, CLE - The Browns have officially raised the frustration level of fantasy owners everywhere. Isaiah Crowell was no where to be seen last week, Ben Tate was unable to get anything going and Terrance West sucked the least averaging 3.2 yards on 15 carries. Week 10 is a heavy bye week however, and Terrance West finds himself at the top of the Cleveland depth chart heading into a juicy match up with the Bengals. Cincinnati is tied with Cleveland for the second to last run defense in the league. I like West this week because Ben Tate is the opposite of the hot hand and Isaiah Crowell has fumbling issues. I don't expect West to run away with the running back position this week but he is my favorite to get more opportunities. He is also the clear cut red zone favorite over the bumbler and the fumbler. It's worth taking a flier if you need him this week.

Bobby Rainey, TB - As of right now, Doug Martin still has yet to be cleared for practice this week. This means Bobby Rainey is good bet to get the start against Atlanta in week 10. Last week against Cleveland, the second to worst run defense in the league, Rainey ran for 89 yards on 19 carries and added another 34 yards out of the backfield. This weeks matchup is just as good against an Atlanta run defense that has allowed 13 rushing TD's this season and isn't far behind on yards allowed either. Rainey is only owned in 50% of leagues and considering this weeks bye week jumble he is a good play with the match up.

WR

Davante Adams, GB - In his last three games, Davante Adams has 14 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers don't necessarily scream must start but they do show his potential value. Adams is the third guy in the Packers receiving corps and that leaves him prone to duds but he has been on the field for a lot of plays recently. This week the Packers host the Chicago Bears and that match up couldn't be a better time for fantasy owners to take a chance on Adams. The Bears are playing for their life, if any hope even still exists, and will be focused on shutting down the top weapons for Aaron Rodgers. Adams is going to get his fair share of looks and if he executes it could be his best fantasy day yet. He's an option as a WR3 in PPR and deeper leagues if you need him.

Martavis Bryant, PIT - Bryant is hardly a sleeper but it is hard to believe he is still only owned in about 56% of leagues. Let his presence on this list be the bitch smack you need to start this guy in week 10. Bryant has 5 TD's in 3 games on 17 targets. This included two back to back multiple touchdown games. Now, he does have some value issues due to his time spent splitting the position with Markus Wheaton, but that is no reason to ignore a guy who looks like the newest model of Randall Cobb. On top of all this statistical evidence you have maybe the juiciest match up of the week with the Steelers taking on the Jets and their worst rated pass defense. I get it, everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop on this guy. That very well may happen as we usually see hot streaks come back down to earth but it wont happen this week. Roethlisberger is on fire and this week against the Jets is not going to extinguish those flames. If you own him then you need to start him.

TE

Mychal Rivera, OAK - Rivera has become a shining light in the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders. No, that isn't a compliment to their stupid fan base nickname. The Raiders are 0-8 and are not going to be getting their first win in week 10 when they host the Denver Broncos. What we could see against the Broncos is the continued rise of Mycal Rivera. In the last two weeks Rivera has had 20 targets of which he caught 15 for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Now just because both touchdowns came last week doesn't mean you should be wary. His 20 targets and 15 receptions prove that he has become a big part of this offense. While we all know the Raiders won't win the game, that doesn't mean Rivera has no value. Denver is a good match up for opposing TE's and furthermore the Raider rookie QB is going to be forced to throw the ball a lot in an attempt to keep this game close. 

The start of week 5 means we are nearly a third of the way through the fantasy regular season for most leagues. Hopefully, your team is sitting in a good position, but if it's not that just means you have higher priority on the waiver wire to use my advice try and turn things around! Four teams are on bye this week; Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars and Chiefs.

Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.

Quarterback

Carson Wentz (PHI) - 38% owned - Coming off a bye-week Wentz gets an amazing matchup against a Detroit defense giving up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. He's a great fill-in if your QB is on bye and even if your QB isn't you should still consider him as a plus streaming option.

Honorable mention: Joe Flacco (BAL) - 34% owned

Running Back

Terrance West (BAL) - 29% owned - West ended up being named the starting running back for the Ravens in week 4 after they surprisingly announced Justin Forsett as a healthy scratch. He made the most of the opportunity by putting up 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He will have some competition for the starting position coming with Kenneth Dixon returning from injury, but has the first opportunity to separate himself in week 5 against a Redskins defense giving up an awful 133 rushing yards per game.

James White (NE) - 28% owned - White has thus far underwhelmed after taking over for the injured Dion Lewis but he's definitely worth a speculative add this week to see if the return of Tom Brady impacts his fantasy value.

Honorable mention: Kenneth Dixon (BAL) - 25% owned

Wide Receiver

Robert Woods (BUF) - 23% owned - With Sammy Watkins being placed on injured reserve Woods is now the number 1 receiver in Buffalo. While I don't see him as a great talent, I do consider him to be great depth and for your team as an every-week WR3 strictly based on the volume of targets.

Eddie Royal (CHI) - 13% owned - Royal has a long time history of being fantasy fool's gold, but it did look as though he and Hoyer had a connection last week against the Lions after he caught 7 of 7 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown. There are talks of Hoyer keeping the starting QB position in Chicago long term if he continues to play well which might mean more upside for the speedy Royal.

Honorable mention: Quincy Enunwa (NYJ) - 37% owned

Tight End

Cameron Brate (MIN) - 10% owned - Brate has looked to take on a big role in the Bucs offense since Austin Seferian-Jenkins was cut, catching 10 of 18 targets for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The volume of targets should make him a high floor play if you need a TE fill in.

Honorable mention: Jacob Tamme (ATL) - 45% owned

Defense/Special Teams

Buffalo Bills (BUF) - 44% owned - The Buffalo defense is quietly is tied for the second most fantasy points through four weeks and they have a plus matchup against the LA Rams this week. They are my streaming defense of the week.