Fantasy Football News 2013/2014

HacheMan · Sep 12, 2013

[h=1]Flex ranks: Reggie Bush enters top 10

[/h][h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
Let the overrating and underrating begin! The weekly flex rankings aim to avoid the sudden reactions and focus solely on the pending weekend, but there's obviously a lot of "rating" going on around the fantasy world. The top running backs, wide receivers and tight ends are combined in this space to (hopefully) make your Week 2 decisions a bit easier, and add some perspective. Have a struggling running back and don't know what to do with him? Or maybe one of your lower-level wide receivers outplayed the stars last week? Well, my thoughts are below … but it's important that you follow your gut!

For more help, check out the Week 2 staff rankings in the usual spots, or perhaps your question was answered in one of our many chats this week or by me on Wednesday.

<offer style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Good luck to all of you this week, and remember, these are your teams so make your own decisions, though it never hurts to get another opinion!

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings: Generally destroys the defenses in his division, and here comes another one (Chicago).

2. LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles: Awesome first game, and there's no reason to expect a poor performance versus the Chargers.

3. Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers

4. Ray Rice, RB, Ravens

5. Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs: It's not time to add backup Knile Davis yet, but it would be nice to see Charles practice this week.

6. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks: Still a stud. Don't panic here. And for the record, in two meetings against the awesome 49ers last season, he ran for 103 yards and 111 yards. Don't sit him.

7. Matt Forte, RB, Bears

8. C.J. Spiller, RB, Bills

9. Arian Foster, RB, Texans: Still a stud? Hedging a bit this week because he's splitting carries again, perhaps even more than in the first game.

10. Reggie Bush, RB, Lions: Nice to see him playing through injuries. Still, people view him as a brittle.

11. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions

12. Trent Richardson, RB, Browns

13. Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins: Well, it's a good time to buy low here. Just be prepared for him to see fewer touches in games the Redskins trail in because he doesn't catch many passes.

14. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos

15 Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: I'll probably say this 1,000 more times this season, but it's amazing how a quarterback change can save a wide receiver's fantasy value.

16. Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots: Buy, buy, buy! Credit the Shane Vereen injury if it makes you feel better, but Ridley was going to be fine regardless.

17. Brandon Marshall, WR, Bears

18. Steven Jackson, RB, Falcons: Not a bad first game with Atlanta. Certainly will get many chances to thrive this year.

19. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals

20. Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers: The quarterback controversy in Tampa could affect him, but not this week.

21. Victor Cruz, WR, Giants: Unless the team's defense improves, Eli Manning & Co. will be playing catch-up quite a bit, including this week against Eli's big brother.

22. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars: As noted Wednesday, this is a good matchup and Jones-Drew is healthy. You can count on him.

23. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans

24. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons

25. Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts: If you're in one of my leagues, own Wayne and believe you should sell high here, please contact me for a trade.

26. Darren Sproles, RB, Saints

27. Jimmy Graham, TE, Saints

28. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: Let's just say the Redskins don't play defense like the 49ers do.

29. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans: Still a borderline WR1, but don't expect 16 targets every week.

30. DeMarco Murray, RB, Cowboys: I'm not a fan, but I have to admit he ran well Sunday night.

31. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers: Well, at least I'd say his health is no longer a concern.

32. Eddie Lacy, RB, Packers: Week 1 wasn't a great week for rookie running backs, but at least he scored. There's little competition in this backfield.

33. Wes Welker, WR, Broncos

34. Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders

35. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys: Would move 10 spots better if he were healthy, but clearly he's not.

36. Marques Colston, WR, Saints

37. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles: Great first half Monday. He was quiet in the second half, but that still works for us.

38. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers

39. David Wilson, RB, Giants: I find it hard to believe Brandon Jacobs will threaten Wilson's playing time much. In fact, view this signing as a positive. It could have been Willis McGahee, which really would have affected Wilson's value. Buy him now.

40. Steve Smith, WR, Panthers: He's going to be fine, starting this weekend.

41. Daryl Richardson, RB, Rams: Some risk here in the long term, with much competition. Still, he's talented enough to keep the starting role.

42. Pierre Garcon, WR, Redskins

43. Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers: He makes for a nice WR2, but it's also a wise time to sell high based on that performance. I mean, he hadn't done that in a really long time.

44. Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants

45. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Falcons

46. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys

47. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Bengals: No, he didn't play particularly well, but he's the one getting the carries, and there's no indication that will cease.

48. Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars: In Chad Henne he trusts. Beats the alternative.

49. Mike Williams, WR, Buccaneers: Love the matchup, and Josh Freeman's mistakes don't hurt the receivers much.

50. Eric Decker, WR, Broncos: I still see at least five double-digit fantasy games this season. Including this week.

51. Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots: Has probably become a tad overrated, but he should be owned in all leagues and used this week with Danny Amendola out.

52. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers: Quietly ran well in Week 1.

53. Joique Bell, RB, Lions: Ran and caught the ball well in Week 1. Now he's beloved.

54. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers

55. Roddy White, WR, Falcons: Falcons should just sit him for a week or two to be safe … but they won't.

56. Steve Johnson, WR, Bills

57. Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins: Not feeling as confident that he's going to distance himself as a starter this month, but he shouldn't be dropped.

58. Mike Wallace, WR, Dolphins: Usually when a veteran complains about targets, he gets a lot more the next week.

59. Jared Cook, TE, Rams: As good as advertised.

60. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Cardinals: As average as advertised.

61. Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs

62. Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens

63. Vernon Davis, TE, 49ers

64. Ryan Mathews, RB, Chargers: Matched his 2012 touchdown total in the first minute of his season, then looked awfully ordinary. Hey, at least he didn't break a collarbone. Yet.

65. James Jones, WR, Packers: You don't have to believe me, but he's going to be relevant this month. And all year, for that matter.

66. Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys

67. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Colts: Still a guy to buy low on, as he should get more work as he gets healthier.

68. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts

69. Vick Ballard, RB, Colts

70. Lance Moore, WR, Saints

71. Tavon Austin, WR, Rams

72. Isaac Redman, RB, Steelers: Was so bad in Week 1 that the Steelers brought back a guy they had cut. And that guy stands to get touches, too.

73. Kenbrell Thompkins, WR, Patriots: As erratic as he was last week, I'm not remotely giving up on him yet. I'm just not as trusting as I was.

74. Montee Ball, RB, Broncos: Is still going to score at least seven touchdowns this season.

75. Denarius Moore, WR, Raiders

76. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Steelers

77. Bryce Brown, RB, Eagles: Remember, if McCoy gets hurt Sunday, you'll wish you owned this guy in that crazy offense. I've got to say, he didn't look great in the opener. In a deep league, take a look at Chris Polk as insurance, too.

78. Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings

79. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals: It's going to take some time before he gets 20 touches a week. Perhaps a long time.

80. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos: Just because he's getting the most snaps doesn't mean he's doing much with them. Oh, and the fact that his quarterback throws nearly every down doesn't help him.

81. Brian Hartline, WR, Dolphins: You know, he had one monster game last season, too. And then a whole lot of ordinary ones.

82. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints: Speaking of ordinary, this guy just has to play better, no? What a lost opportunity.

83. Rueben Randle, WR, Giants

84. Ben Tate, RB, Texans: Outplayed Foster in the first game, and supposedly will see a more even breakdown of touches. We shall see.

85. Vincent Brown, WR, Chargers: Scored a cool-looking touchdown, but he was otherwise quiet in the first game.

86. Golden Tate, WR, Seahawks

87. Owen Daniels, TE, Texans

88. Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins: Worth owning in case he wins the job, but it's hard to see him doing much with it.

89. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: And now we get to a New York Jets player. At No. 89. Ouch.

90. Chris Ivory, RB, Jets: Oh wait, here's another! Awesome.

91. Kenny Britt, WR, Titans

92. Fred Jackson, RB, Bills

93. Chris Givens, WR, Rams

94. Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers

95. Sidney Rice, WR, Seahawks

96. Isaiah Pead, RB, Rams

97. Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals

98. Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers

99. Bernard Pierce, RB, Ravens

100. Leonard Hankerson, WR, Redskins

Others: Julius Thomas, TE, Broncos; LeGarrette Blount, RB, Buccaneers; Jordan Cameron, TE, Browns; Andre Roberts, WR, Cardinals; Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears; Marlon Brown, WR, Ravens; Harry Douglas, WR, Falcons; Da'Rel Scott, RB, Giants; Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints;Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks; Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Steelers; Mike Tolbert, RB, Panthers;DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans; Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos.</offer>

HacheMan · Sep 12, 2013

[h=1]Fantasy Future Rankings: Week 2[/h][h=3]After lackluster showing in opener, don't ditch Decker just yet[/h]
By Field Yates and numberFire | ESPN Insider

top using past performance to evaluate fantasy players. Start using the future. Each week,numberFire will provide updated projections for future fantasy points through Week 17. To go with the numbers, Field Yates will provide analysis on what the numbers reveal. Fantasy players have a new resource to evaluate trades and roster moves: The Fantasy Future Rankings.

There were two inevitabilities stemming from the Denver Broncos' acquisition of Wes Welkerthis past offseason: an already lethal offense would improve, and the production of some of the 2012 holdovers was going to be scaled back.
Welker, arguably the best slot receiver in the game, averaged well over 100 catches during his six seasons with the Patriots and topped out at 174 targets in 2012. Adding such a voluminous receiving threat was bound to cut into someone else's touches.
If Week 1 was any indicator, that player will be receiver Eric Decker, who managed just two catches and 32 yards Thursday night against the Ravens, good for nothing more than a paltry three points in standard scoring leagues.
Decker owners everywhere are wondering whether it's already time to sell, as he had fewer receiving yards in the opener than four of his teammates, including Julius Thomas, the third-year tight end who had precisely one catch for 5 yards entering the season.
And yet, the folks at numberFire have a decidedly different take on what Decker's performance from Thursday means: not much, as he still ranks 21st among their wide receivers in TPS (total player score). TPS is a player's value relative to other players, incorporating such factors as positional scarcity and how much a player contributes over the average player at the position.
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They also project Decker to log another 128 points during the balance of the season, which would equate to 8.5 per game, nearly three times his Week 1 total and ahead of such No. 1 targets as Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
So why the optimism over Decker, whom some are already pegging as the fourth option forPeyton Manning?
Let's start with this: That's about as bad as it will get from a production standpoint with Decker. His floor is three points; he just happened to hit it in Week 1 in front of a national TV audience. Since the addition of Manning (and even when he was catching passes fromKyle Orton), he's been a consistently productive target.
He has the requisite athleticism, route-running skills and dependability to be a fantasy starter every week.

And although the result didn't look great for Decker -- three points is ugly -- he still managed seven targets, more than a full target better than his 2012 per game average. So the opportunities were there; the execution wasn't quite.
Thomas was brilliant in his coming-out party, but while Decker hit his floor in Week 1, Thomas reached his ceiling. Counting on him for 23 points every week is silly; counting on him for 23 points in a game even once more this season might be a stretch. And that's not a knock on his talent, just a testament to the difficulty of repeating such a marvelous performance. In fact, the tight end has a TPS of minus-1, meaning he still projects below replacement level as a fantasy option.
Remember, before Thursday night his track record wasn't exactly dominant. One catch. Five yards. While he showed the ability Thursday to clearly outpace his current projections (77 fantasy points remaining), he doesn't have much of a favorable history.
Looking to Week 2 and beyond, it's reasonable to expect a progression toward the mean for Decker (and a regression from Thomas). Defenses have no choice but to account for all four of the top targets in Denver, with Demaryius Thomas likely to draw the most attention on the perimeter and Welker to draw bodies in the slot.
Baltimore perhaps underestimated Julius Thomas' skills in Week 1, something the Giants and other future Broncos opponents will be sure not to repeat. If anything, that helps Decker -- it's a further focus drawn away from him, opening up space and, in turn, opportunities.
Decker may be the third-most talented receiver on his team, but put him on any other of the AFC West opponents and he's their most talented and consistent target. By sheer volume of throws, the Denver offense offers enough to make four players or more productive in a single week, something the Broncos should do consistently.
Will he be the Broncos' leading receiver every week? No. But can he be their leading receiver some weeks and become a reliable target every week? That's a bet you can make.
Wilson worries
Call it the curse of Week 1 or call it a fumbling problem, as Giants running back David Wilson coughed it up twice more in the season opener (after fumbling once against the same Cowboys in the 2012 season opener). Either way, Wilson's TPS has dropped all the way to 89, 10 points below teammate Victor Cruz. Running backs are at a premium in fantasy while receivers are more readily available, and yet Wilson is now the second-most valuable Giant, per numberFire's projection.
One reason for Wilson's drop: coach Tom Coughlin has long had a short leash for running backs who struggle with ball security and pass-protection duties. Turns out both of those are Wilson's weaknesses, as confirmed in Week 1. Not only did he have the costly turnovers, but a whiff on a protection assignment led to quarterback Eli Manning being smothered.
He remains an electric talent who can score on nearly any touch he receives, but with the Giants adding Brandon Jacobs on Tuesday, it's fair to wonder how many goal-line opportunities there will be for Wilson. If his first- and second-down roles are reduced at all due to the fumbling troubles, he'll experience a precipitous drop after entering the season as a trendy pick to break out as a top 12 running back.

HacheMan · Sep 12, 2013

[h=1]IDP rankings for Week 2[/h]
By Jim McCormick | Special to ESPN.com

We often hear about how early in the season it is, but just like a good party, the campaign goes by amazingly fast. All of a sudden, it's 3 a.m. and you are eating pizza or tacos (or both). That or you realize it's somehow Week 10 and you are eating pizza or tacos (or both). Considering that the standard fantasy regular season is 13 weeks long, we are going to be just over 15 percent of the way through the fantasy campaign come the conclusion of Monday night's AFC North battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers andCincinnati Bengals.
With that in mind, it's really never too early to reassess your team and consider how the market for talent outside of our roster could help you going forward. The easiest route toward mending any post-draft issues on your roster is to hit the wire or free agency, where an infusion of talent can be acquired for a few clicks. As we see on offense every season, some of these early claims can really result in fantasy gold. It's certainly advisable to allow your star players to find their footing, but for those somewhat unproven players in your portfolio, it's always worthy to compare them to the freely available talents. St. Louis Rams third-year man Robert Quinn, for example, is a guy we hyped last week as a breakout candidate and he didn't let us down in Week 1, with three sacks and two forced fumbles. Quinn is owned in just 37 percent of ESPN leagues and is just one example of the many emerging commodities floating in free agency at this stage of the season.
[h=3]Front Four: The weekly word on the world of defenders[/h]
Fast Football: I covered the Philadelphia Phillies a few seasons back and learned the unique lexicon of former manager Charlie Manuel well. When it comes to how the advent of rapid-fire, no-huddle offenses in the NFL might effect defensive production, Manuel might tell us something like (in a garbled Southern drawl), "The more times a guy runs, well, um, the more times you can hit him." This imagined "Charlie-ism" rings true for how a Chip Kelly or Bill Belichick offense affords opposing defenders far more shots at tallying tackles, however exhausting that might be.
In these types of systems, the numbers of plays dramatically inflates and, of course, so do the statistics. The Washington Redskins' Perry Riley posted 15 tackles versus the video-game Eagles offense. While Riley has been a productive linebacker before and was on the rise heading into the season, the production level was much more about opportunity than transcendent play. It's no surprise to see defenders from the Buffalo Bills, Redskins andMinnesota Vikings dominate the leaderboard for defensive snaps from Week 1 given the offenses they faced. The sample size is small, but the effect on inflated tackle totals and the like will prove enduring. If you are seeking out value plays, seeking out the high-octane snap machines in Philly, New England, Detroit and Denver and the like would be a wise strategy for maximizing matchups.
Savvy Stashing: This isn't a discussion of Mike Ditka's famous facial stylings, but rather a focus on some of the key names coming off suspension in the coming weeks and how we can best navigate these scenarios. The Arizona Cardinals' Daryl Washington can return in Week 5 and he was the only other linebacker contending with Luke Kuechly for the No. 1 spot at the position when his suspension came down. While stashing an IDP commodity in many formats can prove quite difficult, in leagues with some room on the bench, there is no greater stash in the game than Washington at this point. Expect an elite blend of sacks and tackles from the moment he hits the field. Washington is currently available in over 95 percent of ESPN leagues. … Von Miller isn't going to return for the Denver Broncos until Week 7 at the earliest, and even that isn't clear at the moment. At this point, I'd much rather have shares of Washington than Miller (owned in 11 percent of ESPN leagues).
H2-Poe: After years of expensive draft investments, the Chiefs defense might just be the real deal. If it's a passing league, predicated heavily on quarterback play, having Dontari Poe up the middle and Justin Houston and Tamba Hali on the ends is going to help the Chiefs contend thanks to the consistent pressure this trio can produce most Sundays. Call it "H2-Poe," while Houston and Hali hunt down the pocket from the outside lanes, Poe is causing havoc up the gut. Hali and Houston are fine matchup plays, and Poe, in particular, has immense fantasy value in leagues that roster defensive tackles.
Rising Rushers: The Tennessee Titans' Zach Brown had 5.5 sacks as a rookie last season and already has two after just four quarters so far in 2013. With regular deployment on blitzes and six turnovers produced in 2012, there is a lot to like about Brown's booming fantasy impact. … Dwight Freeney is back at it as an effective pass-rush specialist for theSan Diego Chargers. With eligibility at defensive end due to his hybrid history of usage, some strong value is present for those seeking help on the line. … Tampa Bay Buccaneersmiddle man Mason Foster is the rare 4-3 "Mike" who has healthy pass-rush upside each week out.
[h=3]Bargain bin -- Defenders available in more than half of ESPN leagues[/h]Denver Broncos backer Wesley Woodyard remains criminally underappreciated in fantasy circles despite proving beyond any doubts that he's a fantasy star. If you like guys who can net you well over triple-digit tackles and a rare blend of sacks and turnovers, "Wes Wood" is your man. … Linebacker Bruce Carter claims a very valuable outside role in the Dallas Cowboys defense and much like Woodyard, he has the potential to contribute a rich stat line. … While he was in danger of even making the cut this August, Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy is now starting on a depleted secondary rich in production opportunities at the safety position. … Rookie Bills 'backer Kiko Alonso was a favorite of ours in the offseason, and Week 1's work only helped confirm our suspicion that he could walk right into a starting fantasy role. … Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark could post linebacker-like tackle numbers this year chasing down ball carriers. … Keep an eye on St. Louis Rams rookie Alec Ogletree, who might help make up for that Kevin Oglretree waiver claim you made last September.
[h=3]IDP Rankings Week 2: The Top 25 linebackers, linemen and defensive backs[/h]So that we're working from agreed parameters, we'll use what many consider traditional scoring modifiers for an IDP league: Tackle - Solo (.5), Tackle - Assist (.25), Sack (3), Interception (3), Forced fumble (3), Fumble recovery (3), Touchdown (6), Safety (2), Pass defended (.5), Blocked kick (3).
[h=4]Linebackers[/h]

Rank/Name	Team	Opponent
1. Luke Kuechly	Car	Buf
2. Sean Lee	Dal	KC
3. Chad Greenway	Min	Chi
4. Derrick Johnson	KC	Dal
5. Bobby Wagner	Sea	SF
6. James Laurinaitis	StL	Atl
7. Jerod Mayo	NE	NYJ
8. NaVorro Bowman	SF	Sea
9. D'Qwell Jackson	Cle	Bal
10. Donald Butler	SD	Phi
11. Paul Posluszny	Jac	Oak
12. Lavonte David	TB	NO
13. Wesley Woodyard	Den	NYG
14. Patrick Willis	SF	Sea
15. Brian Cushing	Hou	Ten
16. Kiko Alonso	Buf	Car
17. Lawrence Timmons	Pit	Cin
18. Jerrell Freeman	Ind	Mia
19. Nick Roach	Oak	Jac
20. London Fletcher	Was	GB
21. Bruce Carter	Dal	KC
22. Mychal Kendricks	Phi	SD
23. Brad Jones	GB	Was
24. Curtis Lofton	NO	TB
25. Zach Brown	Ten	Hou

[h=4]Defensive Linemen[/h]

Rank/Name	Team	Opponent
1. J.J. Watt	Hou	Ten
2. Cameron Wake	Mia	Ind
3. DeMarcus Ware	Dal	KC
4. Geno Atkins	Cin	Pit
5. Jared Allen	Min	Chi
6. Robert Quinn	StL	Atl
7. Charles Johnson	Car	Buf
8. Greg Hardy	Car	Buf
9. Michael Johnson	Cin	Pit
10. Calais Campbell	Ari	Det
11. Mario Williams	Buf	Car
12. Chandler Jones	NE	NYJ
13. Julius Peppers	Chi	Min
14. Rob Ninkovich	NE	NYJ
15. Derrick Morgan	Ten	Hou
16. Carlos Dunlap	Cin	Pit
17. Lamarr Houston	Oak	Jac
18. Jason Pierre-Paul	NYG	Den
19. Chris Long	StL	Atl
20. Jason Babin	Jac	Oak
21. Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	NE
22. Osi Umenyiora	Atl	StL
23. Fletcher Cox	Phi	SD
24. Ezekiel Ansah	Det	Ari
25. Cameron Jordan	NO	TB

[h=4]Defensive Backs[/h]

Rank/Name	Team	Opponent
1. Eric Weddle	SD	Phi
2. Eric Berry	KC	Dal
3. Charles Tillman	Chi	Min
4. LaRon Landry	Ind	Mia
5. Bernard Pollard	Ten	Hou
6. Harrison Smith	Min	Chi
7. Tyvon Branch	Oak	Jac
8. Mark Barron	TB	NO
9. William Moore	Atl	StL
10. Kam Chancellor	Sea	SF
11. Duke Ihenacho	Den	NYG
12. Morgan Burnett	GB	Was
13. Patrick Peterson	Ari	Det
14. Antoine Bethea	Ind	Mia
15. Ryan Clark	Pit	Cin
16. Yeremiah Bell	Ari	Det
17. Roman Harper	NO	Atl
18. Glover Quin	Det	Ari
19. Reshad Jones	Mia	Ind
20. Jason McCourty	Ten	Hou
21. Cortland Finnegan	StL	Atl
22. John Cyprien	Jac	Oak
23. Tyrann Mathieu	Ari	Det
24. Thomas DeCoud	Atl	StL
25. Troy Polamalu	Pit	Cin

HacheMan · Sep 12, 2013

[h=1]Jets injury update: Smith, Holmes probable[/h][h=5]Stephania Bell[/h]
Thursday night’s matchup between the New York Jets and New England Patriots has no shortage of storylines, including several injury question marks that will have major implications for both the game and fantasy.

Of particular note are injuries to several of the Jets’ key offensive weapons. Here’s an updated look at New York’s offensive players from an injury perspective heading into Thursday’s game:

Quarterbacks

Geno Smith, ankle (P): It’s widely known that Mark Sanchez won’t be playing for quite a while as he sits out with a shoulder injury -- which may have him going under the knife in the near future. The Jets plan on having Smith under center, and his presence on the injury report does nothing to threaten his status.

However, it does remind us that Smith suffered an ankle injury in the preseason, an injury that is not completely behind him. Smith injured his ankle in the team’s first preseason game and struggled in practice the following week. He sat out the team’s second preseason game but was able to return shortly thereafter and ultimately start in the Jets’ regular-season opener.

In the Jets' Week 1 victory, Smith moved well and managed to amass 47 rushing yards. However, his presence on the injury report tells us the ankle is not yet fully healthy. It should be noted that he practiced in full every day this week. While the ankle is not expected to limit him, it could be a factor if he were to aggravate it Thursday night.

Wide receivers

Santonio Holmes, foot (P): Holmes was surprisingly active for Week 1. I say “surprisingly” after a preseason during which, no matter how much progress the Jets said Holmes was making following foot surgery, he never seemed to express confidence.

Holmes suffered a more severe form of a Lisfranc injury, and it is not surprising that his comfort with higher-level activities is slow to return. Running at full speed, decelerating quickly, cutting sharply and pivoting all put high demand on the foot -- and it can take time to return to form. In Week 1, Holmes was on the field for a hefty 44 snaps but was targeted just three times, netting one reception for 13 yards. He was listed as a limited participant in practice this week, but the probable designation indicates the team expects to have him available Thursday night.

What is unclear is how much Holmes will play just four days after his first outing following surgery and how significant his contributions will be in Week 2. In the meantime, teammate and fellow WR Jeremy Kerley is out for Thursday’s game with a concussion.

Running backs

Chris Ivory, thumb (P): Ivory was a full participant in practice throughout the week and is expected to play Thursday night.

Bilal Powell, shoulder (P): Powell was also a full participant throughout the week, and he too will be available Thursday.

Tight ends

Kellen Winslow, knee (P): Winslow did not participate in practice on Monday or Wednesday, and on Tuesday, he took part on a limited basis (note that Tuesday is considered the most significant practice day in prep for a Thursday night game). It’s also worth keeping in mind that Winslow has an extensive history of multiple knee surgeries and, as a result, taking days off are well warranted -- especially during a short week. The probable tag tells us that the Jets plan on him playing.

HacheMan · Sep 15, 2013

[h=1]What to make of early game plans?[/h][h=3]Luck, Richardson usage questionable; how to stop Eagles offense[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Christopher Harris[/FONT] | ESPN.com

We've come a long way in our evaluation of what a "nerd" is. Nerd culture now dominates a large quadrant of Hollywood, and in many quarters, it's flattering to be considered a nerd. But I absolutely agree not everything is about numbers. It's becoming increasingly, lamentably easy to fall back on statistical arguments to uphold a pre-existing opinion. And football isn't really a game of numbers. It's a game of moves and countermoves, a highly technical and interconnected dance where player quality frequently isn't reflected by stats.

nd this is why I watch film. Do I sometimes make arguments based on statistics? Absolutely, though I have my favorites. (You'll see me talk "Air Yards" and "Yards at the Target" and "Yards after Contact" more than most.) But I think I live in a nether-land: not a former pro athlete, but not a numbers geek. I guess I'm a "film nerd," which gives me my own little ostracized paradise to roam around in. And that's where this column, and the Fantasy Underground podcast, mostly come from. For better or worse, I write what I see.
With that in mind, let's get to today's topics:
Three In Depth:

1. What in the wide, wide world of sports was up with the Indianapolis Colts' game plan? Andrew Luckcapped off Week 1 with a heroic comeback, including a winning TD run that saved his fantasy owners. But Pep Hamilton's first foray into NFL play-calling was a head scratcher. The Oakland Raiders look incredibly thin at corner, with Tracey Porter and Mike Jenkins starting, and Brandian Ross playing nickel, yet the Colts (who were in a struggle all day) had more run plays called (26) than pass plays (23). Not only that, but Luck also took very few downfield shots when he did throw. Only 10 of his 23 attempts traveled 10 or more yards in the air, and only three traveled 20 or more yards. This from the NFL QB who took the most shots of 20-plus yards in the entire league last year.
Now, the Raiders did seem to be in a Cover-2 shell an awful lot of the time; their safeties (Tyvon Branch andCharles Woodson) backed up 15 and 20 yards on a regular basis. No question, it seemed Luck audibled a good amount through the game, and I'm sure he saw that the defense was giving him shorter stuff. I'm not saying the Colts should've been flinging it way down deep into the hands of two good safeties when a simple dump-off would do. But there were also enough plays where Oakland went single-safety-high to have expected more shots taken.
I think this is a fascinating story in light of all the ink that was devoted to forecasting the changes in Luck and the Indy offense going from Bruce Arians to Hamilton as the primary play caller. The common narrative was Luck and his weapons would be somewhat less enticing because Hamilton is more of a West Coast devotee, and Hamilton spoke often this summer about "offensive balance." Take away Luck's rushing TD and he scored you 18 fantasy points in Week 1, which would've been almost exactly average for all QBs in Week 1. (Including Blaine Gabbert.) It's one week. But I (and T.Y. Hilton's fantasy owners) sure would like to see a happy medium in game-planning between Arians and the John Riggins-era Washington Redskins.

2. Norv being Norv. Seriously, people. If I hear one more interview where Norv Turner asserts his desire to get his running back "x" number of carries, I'm going to do something drastic.LaDainian Tomlinson's rapid decline in San Diego was marked by Turner's regular pronouncements that he expected LDT to lead the NFL in carries, or break Eric Dickerson's record, or run so quickly and well it would create some kind of interdimensional rift in the space-time continuum. And now he's asserting his goal to make Trent Richardson the focus of the Cleveland Browns' Week 2 game plan.
That's great, Norv, but why the heck wasn't that the case in Week 1? My friend and colleague Keith Lipscomb was at the Browns opener against the Miami Dolphins last week, and he urged me to recheck a couple Cleveland red zone possessions, one at the end of the first half, and one in the third quarter. In the first, the Browns had a first-and-goal from the Miami 2. T-Rich was in the backfield (as he should be!) on first down and made a nice play-action fake. That's OK, you can't win 'em all. It turned out that there was an illegal formation, so there was no play anyway. Now it's first-and-goal from the 7. Who's in the backfield? Chris Ogbonnaya. C'mon! Second down? T-Rich is in there, but it's a pass toJordan Cameron (for a nice TD). In the third quarter, once again, Richardson is in there on first down (he catches a dump pass), is in a two-back set on second down with Ogbonnaya (who gets the target) and rides pine on third down.
I grant you, this doesn't sound entirely egregious until you realize ... it's Chris Ogbonnaya. There's no reason for Chris Ogbonnaya to be on the field in high-yield situations. Richardson does everything better. And in each case (and these were the only two drives where Cleveland got deep into Miami territory until a final, fruitless, fairly meaningless drive at the end of the fourth), Richardson got exactly zero red-zone carries. Combine this with the fact that he had six carries in the first quarter and seven thereafter, and the fact that T-Rich had zero third-down carries, and you have a mismanaged RB situation. Do I trust that somewhere deep down the Browns know that Richardson is their best offensive player? I guess so; I rated T-Rich No. 9 among RBs this week. But will I be able to believe it if Norv comes out and gets over-fancy and ignores Richardson for long stretches again Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens? I will not.
3. How will defenses try to stop the Philadelphia Eagles? By any measure, Chip Kelly had a spectacular NFL debut. His fast-paced, high-octane, relatively-low-risk offense ripped the Washington Redskins to shreds in the first half, and only really slowed down in the second because of a big lead. By my count, the Iggles called 24 pass plays in the first half and only seven in the second. Even as the Skins drew a bit closer in the fourth quarter, Kelly kept dialing up LeSean McCoy runs because Washington had no answer for them. As my podcast partner Field Yates noted, Philly didn't really even go razzle-dazzle with exotic formations; for instance, you didn't see any of the three-tight-end stuff they exhibited in the preseason. It was a bravura performance, and Michael Vick has a whole lot more appeal now than he did a week ago.
What kept running through my mind rewatching this game was how defenses are going to counter this offensive speed. My initial theory is that they'll try and test Vick via multiple fronts and added pressure. Here's how the Redskins changed their approach as Week 1 progressed:

Quarter	Rushed 4	Rushed 5	Rushed 6
First	9	7	0
Second	4	4	0
Third	0	2	0
Fourth	1	4	0
Total	14	17	0
(Courtesy ESPN Stats & Info)

As you can see, at halftime Washington defensive coordinator Jim Haslett decided his approach of rushing four, sitting back, and trying to cover (and assuming Vick would make a mistake) wasn't working. I admit that seven post-halftime plays isn't a great sample size, but given the fact that Haslett brought an extra rusher on six of those plays, I think we can conclude he decided to force the issue. Nor do I think the defense's relative success (26 points and 322 total yards in the first half, seven points and 121 yards in the second) is related entirely to blitzing, because Philly's foot was off the accelerator.
Still, given Vick's history of injury and mistakes, this is how I expect better defenses to attack: Put between six and eight men on the line to disguise who's actually coming, and send blitzers with frequency and an element of surprise. This isn't likely to be some kind of total neutralizer, but Vick has sometimes struggled with quick decision-making. It'll be fascinating to watch.

Six In Brief

4. Another rookie RB starts slow. Eddie Lacyaveraged 2.9 yards per carry and lost a fumble.Montee Ball played 17 snaps. Le'Veon Bell's foot won't let him get on the field. As for Giovani Bernard? He just didn't seem to be a big part of the Cincinnati Bengals' game plan. The charismatic "Hard Knocks" star was on the field for 18 snaps in Week 1, while BenJarvus Green-Ellis played 37. On first downs, the Law Firm had 11 carries to Bernard's two. I'm not ready to blast the Bengals' run blocking for the season, because they're currently without a really good left tackle in Andrew Whitworth. And in general, the team's pass blocking was pretty solid. But against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, BJGE lost yardage on four of his carries and was met in the backfield at least a few times. You can't really pin those on him, which is my way of saying: I'm not assuming a major shift in workload in Week 2 in another rugged matchup, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think Bernard will gradually earn more of the workload, but you probably can't start him even as a flex unless you're already in desperate straits. And the Law Firm is just as tough to put out there, because he's so TD-dependent.
5. Drinking the Chad Henne tonic? Blaine Gabbert flopped again in Week 1. Playing with a fractured thumb, Gabbert was awful (16-for-35, 121 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs), and if that doesn't seal his fate with the Jacksonville Jaguars, I don't know what will. Gabbert also suffered a gash on his throwing hand, which is the team's convenient excuse to bench him for Week 2 against the Oakland Raiders. Fantasy owners are looking at the backup, Chad Henne, and remembering a huge game in Week 10 last season, when Henne threw for 354 yards and four scores. Justin Blackmon came alive in that contest and was decent thereafter, and Cecil Shorts continued a strong skein of games, too. So surely, this is the tonic that the Jags (and their fantasy weapons) need, right? Not so fast, my friend. As bad as we remember Gabbert being in '12, his QBR was 39.7 (with a 58.3 percent completion rate, 9 TDs and 6 INTs). Henne's QBR was 26.1 (with a 53.9 percent completion rate, 11 TDs and 11 INTs). And those Henne numbers include his crazy Week 10 performance against theHouston Texans. I'll grant you that Henne was slightly better on throws that traveled at least 20 yards in the air (10-of-30 for 363 yards, compared to 8-of-27 for 242 yards for Gabbert), but he was still underwhelming. I think our memories and our disdain for Gabbert are distorting the situation here. Henne is terrible, too. I'm not biting on a sudden resurgence for these weapons.

6. Larry Fitzgerald is ... a slot machine? Seeing how pass-heavy Bruce Arians went in his first game with the Arizona Cardinals is heartening: 40 pass attempts compared to 26 runs. And seeing Fitz score twice after finding the end zone only four times last year is a ringing endorsement of the Carson Palmer effect. But I found it interesting how frequently big No. 11 lined up in the slot Sunday. According to ProFootballFocus, Fitzgerald ran a whopping 17 routes from the slot against the St. Louis Rams. For one frame of reference, Andre Roberts(the nominal slot receiver) ran 19 such routes. For another frame of reference, all last year, the most routes Fitz ran from the slot in a single game was 12, and he averaged 6.5 such routes per game. Now, to be fair, on those 17 routes in Week 1, Fitzgerald only had three targets (compared to nine slot targets for Roberts). So this isn't necessarily something that yielded immediate benefits. But it does indicate a commitment to moving Fitz around in the Arizona formation, looking both for mismatches and to shake over-the-top help.

7. The San Francisco 49ers get aggressive.I've already written and said plenty about Colin Kaepernick. You don't need any more analysis of this player from me, nor do I plan on taking a victory lap after a single (terrific) outing. By now you've heard many pundits marvel at the fact that Kaepernick beat the Green Bay Packersalmost exclusively with his arm in Week 1, after having crushed them with his legs in last year's playoffs. Reviewing film of this game, the thing that sticks out like a flashing neon light is the aggressiveness of the Niners' passing plan. Several times late last year, I lamented the fact that Jim Harbaugh seemed to be sticking with Alex Smith-style game plans despite the presence of rifle-armed, swashbuckling Kaep. That was not the case in Week 1. Holy cow. Shot after shot down the field! I counted 11 attempts that traveled more than 20 yards in the air (out of Kaepernick's 39 total attempts); according to ESPN Stats & Info, in Week 1 no other QB had more than eight such shots. Last year, Kaepernick took only 30 shots that long out of his 218 regular-season attempts! It's possible this was game-plan specific, and the 49ers will go back to the short stuff in Seattle this week. But I hope not. It's a total blast watching this kid wing it down the field, despite his lack of a traditional deep threat.
8. Alfred Morris' flaw rears its head early. Why did I consistently rank Alfred Morris No. 10 among running backs this summer, despite the fact that he finished second in both rushing yards (1,613) and rushing TDs (13) last season? We got a big clue Monday night. When the Redskins fell behind, Morris was scarce; in catch-up, spread or hurry-up mode, Roy Helu will usually be on the field for Washington. Indeed, Helu played 36 Week 1 snaps compared to 34 for Morris. Helu isn't much of a fantasy option himself except as a handcuff: He had one carry, two targets, and one reception. But apparently he's the man the Shanahans trust most in pass protection, plus he ran 18 pass routes compared to nine for Morris. Morris saved his fantasy bacon with a third-quarter 5-yard TD run that represented his vintage self: a savvy, powerful "waiter" whose reaction time when he sees a seam is terrific. But he doesn't do you much good if he's carrying the ball six times in each half for scoreboard-related reasons.

9. Be afraid, Tom Brady. Be afraid. This article is not looking like the smartest thing I ever wrote. It's fair to say our collective faith in Tom Brady has been shaken. Blame the second-half rain Thursday night if you like, but it wasn't raining in the first when Brady went 11-of-23 for 134 yards. Aaron Dobson scored an early TD but was a drop machine thereafter, while fellow rookie Kenbrell Thompkins almost made a beautiful TD catch on a deep ball but also made mental mistakes. It isn't good. Brady's fantasy owners (and we player rankers) have some legit soul searching to do. Obviously, you're not dropping him, nor are you trading him away at the nadir of his value. The hope has to be that Rob Gronkowski will ride in on his Brobdingnagian horse and save the day. But if you have a quality backup QB on your fantasy roster, do you consider benching Brady until he notches a good game? Yikes, I hate to even contemplate it, but there's one fact from my preseason Brady article that bears repeating: Deion Branch was the most successful first-year wideout Brady ever had, and in '02 he caught 43 passes for 489 yards and two TDs. I'll say it again: Yikes.

HacheMan · Sep 15, 2013

[h=1]Sneaky fantasy pickups entering Week 2

[/h][h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
It’s understandable that [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pittsburgh Steelers[/FONT] running back [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Jonathan Dwyer[/FONT] would show up on ESPN’s [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]most dropped list[/FONT]. After all, Dwyer didn’t even make the team a few weeks ago, a surprise victim of a numbers game, or perhaps due to the hope that starter [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Le’Veon Bell[/FONT]wouldn’t miss much time. Of course, it's worth pointing out that there are currently fourSteelers running backs among the 14 most dropped, including Bell, so something has to give. I mean, someone has to get the touches, and Dwyer, who was brought back to the team this week, seems to have as good an opportunity as anyone there to seize a relevant role. They’re not bringin’ [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Jerome Bettis[/FONT] back, you know.

You’re probably wondering how any member of the Steelers running game will matter in fantasy football moving forward, but here in the Sneaky Pickups blog entry we like to dream big, or at least consider possibilities, however unlikely they might be. The Steelers not only lost in Week 1 to the[FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Tennessee Titans[/FONT] in a poor offensive performance, but they lost really good center [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maurkice Pouncey[/FONT] to a season-ending injury. Not only that, but nominal starting running back [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Isaac Redman[/FONT] looked terrible, actually costing the fantasy owners who started him two points. He rushed eight times for nine yards and lost a fumble. Bell is out at least another month with foot issues, perhaps quite a bit longer, [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]LaRod Stephens-Howling[/FONT] is out for the year, [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Felix Jones[/FONT] is flat-out terrible and ... welcome back, Mr. Dwyer. No hard feelings, right?

Well, fantasy owners want hard feelings, don’t they? Whatever makes a player more dedicated and motivated to produce numbers is fine with us. As stated in this [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]blog entry[/FONT]from ESPN Steelers writer Scott Brown, it sure looks like Dwyer relishes the new opportunity he’s been given, and has a sizable chip on his shoulder. There’s no guarantee any Steelers running back will succeed Monday night against the [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Cincinnati Bengals[/FONT], which is precisely why you buy low now. Nobody’s saying to use Dwyer or Redman this month! After all, the Bengals are good. Then after that ... it’s the [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Chicago Bears[/FONT]! But Dwyer isn’t as bad as most real-life free agents, either.

But when the bye weeks start up, fantasy owners will be looking for anyone who could see double-digit touches. Dwyer, for all his faults, led the Steelers in rushing last season with 623 yards, averaging 4 yards per tote. That average also led the team. He rushed for more than 100 yards in Weeks 6 and 7 -- the first was a tough game at Cincinnati, incidentally -- but after Week 8, when Redman ran all over the [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]New York Giants[/FONT], he and his colleagues were quiet. Maybe little will change now, but in a deeper league, I’ll add Dwyer while his stock seems lowest, before it rises with 15 or so touches Monday night. That’s the sneaky play, not adding yet another tight end.

Quarterback: Young runners Terrelle Pryor and EJ Manuel were mentioned in this spot last week, and while Pryor was obviously a hit -- he’s second in the NFL in rushing! -- Manuel was kind of impressive as well. There’s not much to add, because it’s a deep position and fantasy owners don’t really need many options, but for those leagues in which basicallyevery starting quarterback is worth a look, don’t be surprised when Chad Henne of theJacksonville Jaguars plays well this week in Oakland and keeps the job.

I’m also watching Tampa Bay Buccaneers underachiever Josh Freeman. A pending free agent who recently lost his captain position, it just seems as though things could go awry with that team and interesting coach Greg Schiano quickly. Third-round pickMike Glennon could get the call sooner than anyone realizes.

By the way, there’s no way Michael Vickplays all 16 games this season, not with his style and Chip Kelly’s offense. Not that Nick Foles can do what Vick does, but he’s an interesting handcuff.

Running back: I’m a bit surprisedDaniel Thomas of the Miami Dolphinswasn’t added in leagues this week. Instead, his ownership dropped. After all, Lamar Miller -- who is better, but really hasn’t shown it -- rushed 10 times for 3 yards in Week 1. Thomas was better. There is at least a timeshare going on. But Thomas, owned in 11 percent of leagues, has seen his stock drop in the past week while Jackie Battle, John Kuhn, Vonta Leach and unemployed veterans Willis McGahee and Michael Turner are among the 25 most-added running backs. Thomas is like Dwyer. Might not be any good, but might get the chance to show it.

Former and now current Giants bulldozer Brandon Jacobs is one of the top five running backs being added. OK, I suppose I could see the occasional touchdown. I still like David Wilson quite a bit, though. Frankly, I’d rather add Da'Rel Scott than Jacobs. ... There’s nothing sneaky about St. Louis Rams sophomore Isaiah Pead, now back from suspension. He’s at 95 percent owned. Rookie Zac Stacy is at 0.2 percent. There seems to be some disconnect there. ... Add Lance Dunbar of the Dallas Cowboys before he becomes a factor, which should happen this week. No offense, DeMarco Murray, but you’re not exactly durable.

Wide receiver: Last week, I mentioned Jermaine Kearse (Seahawks), Quinton Patton(49ers), Dexter McCluster (Chiefs) and Mohamed Sanu (Bengals), and all remain interesting to me. Kearse scored a touchdown. At wide receiver, I’m more interested in the fellows being unwisely dropped. Why draft Josh Gordon or Justin Blackmon if you’re not willing to be patient until their suspensions end? Add each if you can wait. Ryan Broyles still plays with the Detroit Lions. That’s enticing enough should he regain health. Buffalo Bills rookieRobert Woods scored a touchdown and is getting dropped. Same with Vincent Brown in San Diego. Don’t cut Chris Givens! ... As for other situations, there’s no need to handcuff wide receivers to studs, but if Roddy White needs to miss weeks, Harry Douglas is worth an addition whether you own White or not. ... Speaking of hurt receivers, watch for Dwayne Harris of the Cowboys. Dez Bryant is saying all the right things about playing Sunday, but how much? Perhaps Harris is the Harry Douglas of this week.

Best of luck to all in Week 2 and beyond and have a great weekend!

HacheMan · Sep 16, 2013

[h=1]Four Downs: Big week for QBs, not RBs

[/h][h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
Quarterbacks are off to an astounding start to the 2013 season, with six 400-yard passing performances in the first two weeks. How rare is this? Well, it ties the record for most in any two-week stretch in the Super Bowl era, and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. In Week 1, [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Peyton Manning[/FONT], [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Colin Kaepernick[/FONT] and [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Eli Manning[/FONT] turned the trick. On Sunday, [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Aaron Rodgers[/FONT], [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Michael Vick[/FONT] and [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Philip Rivers[/FONT] topped the mark.

Meanwhile, using that number six again as a benchmark, but in a negative way, a total ofsix 20-point standard-league running back performances have been turned in so far, and they have come from Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, LeSean McCoy, Joique Bell, Knowshon Moreno and James Starks. Not exactly the same depth of big names, eh, and not exactly a great start for the running backs. After all, the 100-yard rushing outings in Week 1 were achieved by McCoy, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the currently injured Shane Vereen. At least there were more 100-yard rushers Sunday, with -- again -- six of them, and from four preseason top-10 options.

Newcomers to the fantasy game look at this info and wonder why analysts continue to recommend how important it is to draft, trade for and own top running backs, and, yes, there is a point to be made. Running back play has been disappointing, but at the same time, so many quarterbacks are thriving that it's a wise time to find the few gents or ladies in your league desperate to join the fun and leverage the assets. Peyton Manning is awesome, but this past week was the perfect time to trade a guy coming off a seven-touchdown performance. There's nowhere to go but down. Same for the awesome Rodgers; nobody could legitimately be concerned about him, but perhaps you consider moving him if you've got another safe option and are relying on Maurice Jones-Drew as your best running back.

Still, this isn't about selling high on potential top-5 quarterbacks. It's more about Vick and Rivers, for example. Vick was outstanding in Sunday's Philadelphia Eagles loss to Rivers' San Diego Chargers. And Vick should continue to produce excellent statistics as long as he's capable of staying upright. Of course, that's the big risk; in Week 1, Vick was seen limping around in the second half because of a groin injury -- and most of his numbers came in the first half anyway -- and while that injury wasn't apparent Sunday, he did get knocked around several times in the second half and briefly left the game. People, let's be honest here. He's not making it through 16 games. My reason for trading Vick isn't statistical in nature; it's how brittle he has been in the past. After all, he has played every game in a season just once, back in 2006. My concern is that one of these hits he takes, and subsequent injury, will occur in the first quarter of a future game and really cost fantasy owners. There is ample quarterback depth this season, so why take the risk if someone else is willing to part with another more stable fantasy asset?

With Rivers, you trade him because he's just not this good, and, unfortunately for him, he doesn't get to face the brutal Eagles defense again. This is not a late-career resurrection for the passer. Rivers threw 20 interceptions in 2011 and continued his decline last season. In the Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans, in which the Chargers jumped out to a 21-point lead (and then blew it), Rivers tossed four touchdown passes but accrued only 195 yards, and he also threw an interception. Nobody complains about 22 standard fantasy points, but folks, this guy was 21st in quarterback fantasy points a season ago, behind currentTennessee Titans backup Ryan Fitzpatrick and just ahead of Minnesota Vikingsunderachiever Christian Ponder. Rivers amassed 29 fantasy points Sunday in a game the Chargers had 593 total yards, their most since 1985, but it's not a trend. It was the opponent! Rivers doesn't have great weapons to hand off to or throw to -- we'll get toEddie Royal in a minute -- and the Philly secondary has been awful for six quarters. Fantasy owners want to target opposing passing games against the Eagles -- Alex Smith, Dwayne Bowe and the Kansas City Chiefs are next up Thursday, and then it's Peyton Manning & Co.! -- but also be realistic about players off to oddly terrific starts, such as Rivers.

Second down: San Diego's Royal caught three more touchdown passes Sunday, giving him five in two weeks. He managed to score just five touchdowns the previous four seasonscombined. Royal is owned in barely 10 percent of ESPN standard formats, and that's sure to change this week when owners think he's the next Jerry Rice. But remember this: You don't get the numbers he already has accrued. Remember what Dallas Cowboys wide receiverKevin Ogletree did a season ago? He went nuts in Week 1, and then it was over. Give Royal credit for what he has done, but it's rarely a good idea to chase previous statistics. The Chargers lost starting wide receiver Malcom Floyd to a scary head shot Sunday, and his return is unknown. Perhaps Royal will continue to thrive from the slot, but he's either best avoided or added more for a potential trade. Oh, and running back Ryan Mathews is just so ordinary. He's not a top-20 running back.

Third down: Several key running back injuries occurred on Sunday, further diluting what is already a scarce commodity. Detroit Lions star Reggie Bush hurt a knee and has an MRI scheduled, Jones-Drew disappointed again and then sprained an ankle, Ray Rice strained a hip flexor, Steven Jackson injured a thigh and Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion. Check back in the coming days for Week 3 availability, but these are more reasons to load up on running backs -- even backups -- and hope that one really pays off. A Bush correlation to Vick can easily be made. While Bush missed just one game in his two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, he has been hurt in each Lions game so far, and his checkered past in the health department precedes him. Bell is the most-added running back in fantasy over the past week -- and the only one at his position among the top 19 in the most-added side -- and would stand to benefit most by a Bush injury. Also, the seemingly forgotten Mikel Leshoure, who reportedly asked for a trade this weekend, could either get one, which warrants watching in fantasy, or actually be allowed to dress and contribute for the Lions. For Rice, Bernard Pierce is the established and popularly owned gainer, while in Atlanta the disappointing Jacquizz Rodgers is next. And Starks will likely be the top running back free-agent option this week, but I've seen enough of this guy to know he cannot be relied upon, even if Lacy misses games. Starks entered Sunday with two career touchdowns.

Fourth down: And finally, Week 2 has been a strong one for some of the good-but-forgotten wide receivers who struggled in the opening week. Oh, you know who I'm talking about. Everyone wanted to give up on Dolphins newcomer Mike Wallace, right? He did nothing in the preseason, whined after catching just one pass in the opener and then I saw Twitter questions this week about sitting Wallace for the likes of Leonard Hankersonand Harry Douglas. Green Bay Packers No. 3 wide receiver James Jones, who didn't catch any passes last week but scored 14 touchdowns a season ago, isn't even 100 percent owned anymore. He put up 178 receiving yards Sunday. Bowe was quiet in Week 1, and so was Eric Decker of the Broncos. Well, none of these fellows struggled Sunday. Wallace and Jones combined for 20 catches and 293 yards and split 34 fantasy points evenly, Bowe scored and Decker caught nine passes on 13 targets. The moral of this story is that established players, even No. 3 wide receivers in elite offenses, in the cases of Jones and Decker, are worth relying on if an owner can just be patient.

HacheMan · Sep 16, 2013

[h=1]Instant Impressions from Week 2[/h][h=3]Many big names injured; plenty of quarterbacks turn in huge performances[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Christopher Harris[/FONT] | ESPN.com

Carnage.
We got a reminder Sunday of why NFL players get paid millions of dollars. It's not because of their intrinsic value to society. It's because they put their bodies in the path of a ridiculous amount of harm. If anyone deserves to be paid that much (and sure, that's debatable), it's these guys.

Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion on a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit on his first carry Sunday and didn't return. Steven Jackson took a hit on an eight-yard TD catch and suffered a thigh injury that caused him to miss the rest of the game. Ray Rice suffered a non-contact injury on an early fourth-quarter carry and went to the locker room; the Baltimore Sun reports it's a hip flexor strain and Rice won't need an MRI, but still. Maurice Jones-Drew suffered a sprained left ankle in the first half and never returned. Reggie Bush took a helmet to his knee in the first half and writhed around on the turf, then hurt it again in the second half and couldn't return. Andre Johnson took a big hit from Bernard Pollard and left the game with what might've been a concussion, and he didn't return (preliminary reports indicate he'll play Week 3). Vernon Davis came out of Sunday night's game with a bad hamstring, though the score was out of control when he sat. For the second straight week, Roddy White was a passing-game decoy. And Larry Fitzgerald was on the sideline with his bad hamstring during a crucial fourth-quarter drive.
We'll get word about these players' availability as the week progresses. (Follow me on Twitter @CHarrisESPN.) For now, let's look at Sunday's other top storylines:
• Michael Vick also looked like he'd join the injury parade after taking a huge hit late in the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles' loss, and in fact Nick Foles came in for one play, missing on a pass attempt. But Vick returned after the two-minute warning, finishing off the best passing day of his career: 428 passing yards, two passing TDs and no turnovers, backed up with six carries, 23 rushing yards and one rushing TD. Unfortunately for Philly, the supposed defensive resurgence from Week 1 may have turned out to be mostly related to an awful Washington Redskins team; the Iggles helped Philip Rivers turn back the clock (to the tune of 419 yards, three TDs and no picks). I'm looking forward to digging into the tape to take apart what happened to Chip Kelly's game plan, but through two contests, we're getting every bit the amount of fantasy magic optimists hoped this summer.
• The San Diego Chargers probably shouldn't have been in a close game Sunday, as they thoroughly dominated the first half yet gave away two probable TDs. First, Antonio Gatesfumbled at the goal line, succumbing to a bad habit of lax ball security. Then Ryan Mathews(surprise!) fumbled in the red zone. The men who really rescued the Chargers from a second straight pratfall were Rivers and Eddie Royal, who hooked up for three TDs. Ridiculously, Royal now has five scores in two games. Given a serious-looking injury toMalcom Floyd and the relative lack of production by Vincent Brown and Keenan Allen, it's fair to say Royal now needs to be added in all leagues. But it should go without saying that we've almost certainly missed the best of his production for '13.
• There's always a temptation to overreact based on the most recent thing you've seen, but those who stayed patient with the Miami Dolphins' Mike Wallace and Lamar Miller were rewarded Sunday. Wallace is a feast-or-famine player who feasted on the Indianapolis Colts: Nine catches for 115 yards and a TD on a wide receiver screen. Miller didn't exactly dazzle and was bottled up most of the day by the Colts, but he showed he's got wheels enough to take advantage of a defense that leans the wrong way, as he did on his 10-yard TD. (However, Daniel Thomas continues to be a factor.) The most surprising contributor wasCharles Clay, who's technically a tight end but plays enough fullback to have gotten an out-of-the-blue goal-line carry that led to a TD. (Thomas was in the game at halfback on the play.) Through two weeks, Clay now has 10 grabs for 163 yards and that vulture TD. He deserves a top-20 TE ranking at the moment.

• Statistically, the best of the understudies forced into action Sunday were James Starks and DeAndre Hopkins. Starks became the first Green Bay Packers RB to run for 100 yards in 45 games. But it was 24-0 at halftime, and at that point, Starks was stuck on 47 yards. That means he racked up 75 yards in utter, complete garbage time, and that means we shouldn't overreact. Let's find out what the word is on Lacy; if it's OK, I still think he's got a pretty safe workload. (It's worth noting that rookie Johnathan Franklindidn't get a single touch. He definitely doesn't need to be owned in any but deep dynasty leagues.) Meanwhile, Hopkins took over as Matt Schaub's primary threat after Johnson's injury and wound up with seven grabs, 117 yards and the game-winning catch in overtime. Hopkins is available in about 40 percent of ESPN leagues and can be added by a WR-needy team in any league. Starks is essentially unowned, but right now I think you'd have to be a Lacy owner to add him.
• What became of the freak young tight ends who lit things up in Week 1? It was a mixed bag. Jared Cook caught one pass for 10 yards, which is merely 131 yards fewer than last week. Jordan Cameron fared better, catching five balls for 95 yards, though he failed to find the end zone. Julius Thomas fell down on what would've been a wide-open long TD and only accounted for 47 yards, but was able to score on a fourth-quarter red-zone play. But the big winner was Martellus Bennett, who scored his second and third TDs of the season, including the game-winner. Bennett was everywhere in Sunday's win over the Minnesota Vikings and is obviously one of Jay Cutler's preferred red zone targets (though we'll have to check in on his injured shoulder during the week). But this overall decrease in "freak" production represents a word of warning against assuming the upper echelon of TEs has several new members. These kids are still likely to be frustratingly up-and-down.
• Aaron Rodgers passed for a career-high 480 yards on that awful-looking Redskins defense, and you had the sense that if he'd wanted to get to 1,000, he could've done it. This week, A-Rod got all four of his primary weapons involved, as Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley all scored TDs, while James Jones -- who was shut out completely in Week 1 -- had a nutty stat line: 11 grabs on 12 targets for 178 yards (and a lost fumble). The bottom line on this corps is that there are going to be weeks where one or more of the weapons will frustrate you. But you have to start them (with the possible exception of Finley, depending on what else you have at TE).

• It isn't an immense shock that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is good now that Darrelle Revis is in the fold. But this good? The Bucs lost their second straight unforgivable heartbreaker after a lightning storm in Tampa, but don't blame the D: They held Drew Brees to 10 measly fantasy points in standard ESPN leagues while scoring a TD on an interception return, causing three turnovers and generating four sacks. However, let's not lose sight of how unexpectedly good Rob Ryan's New Orleans Saints defense has been. I dogged this unit like crazy over the summer, and I still have to admit I'm skeptical, given their linebackers. But through two weeks, they've been legit, allowing 31 combined points while generating four turnovers and four sacks. They're worth deeper-league streaming consideration at home against the Arizona Cardinals next week.
• It has simply not been a good start for the rookie rushers. Montee Ball added to the crud by accepting a first-quarter goal-line carry for the Denver Broncos and promptly fumbling it away into the end zone. Meanwhile, Knowshon Moreno ran for twin TDs around the right side and seems to have a stranglehold on the starting job. You can take solace that Ball wasn't exiled a la David Wilson or Stevan Ridley; he even got another red zone carry early in the fourth quarter, but wound up with 16 yards on 12 carries. He seems to be ahead ofRonnie Hillman, but overall, the kid is squandering his early-season chances.

• EJ Manuel led an improbable comeback to get theBuffalo Bills their first win, and in so doing, tossed for 296 yards, the most by a Bills rookie QB since 1970. But don't be fooled into thinking he looked great. He really didn't, not until the final drive. The thing that drove Florida State fans crazy about Manuel is still a problem: He overshoots open targets too frequently. Most problematic for fantasy owners, he also hasn't been unleashed as a runner for two straight games. For the early part of the season, anyway, if you're looking to roster a potential high-upside running threat at QB, Terrelle Pryor is your man. It's true that he's taken advantage of two subpar defenses, and he's absolutely not an NFL-caliber thrower, but Pryor has 162 rushing yards. He's given the Oakland Raiderssome life.
• This Week In Vulturing. I already mentioned Charles Clay. Michael Bush came in for Matt Forte on the goal line (but neither actually got a goal-line carry). Fred Jackson stole a red zone TD from C.J. Spiller. And then there was this New York Giants nonsense: Brandon Jacobs seems firmly entrenched as the Jints' goal-line back, as he got three cracks on a third-quarter possession before punching one in from the 1. Worse yet for David Wilson owners, when Jacobs came out close to the end zone, Da'Rel Scottcame in. For now, Tom Coughlin just doesn't trust Wilson, who wound up with 17 yards rushing. Lovely.
• Did I mention that Chad Henne wasn't going to be a magic tonic for the Jacksonville Jaguars? Henne looked every bit as ugly as Blaine Gabbert, and the Jags didn't score their first TD of the season until garbage time Sunday. (And it went to Clay Harbor.) If MJD misses time, his direct backup appears to be Jordan Todman and not Justin Forsett, but I have a hard time caring.

HacheMan · Sep 17, 2013

[h=1]Free-agent finds for Week 3[/h]By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Christopher Harris[/FONT] | ESPN.com

Waiver-wire news changes fast and furious throughout the week, as injuries and depth chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter, @CHarrisESPN, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants. Let's get to Week 3's best fantasy roster additions:
[h=3][/h][h=3]Standard ESPN League Finds[/h]James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers (owned in 6.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues). Do I feel good about Starks being the week's No. 1 waiver add? I don't, particularly. He did just submit the Pack's first 100-yard rushing game since the Truman administration (OK, not quite), but most of his damage came with Sunday's game completely out of reach. Yet rookie Eddie Lacy is concussed, and, as of this writing, there was no word on his availability for the Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It would be thoroughly unsurprising if Lacy missed multiple contests. And that puts Starks squarely in Green Bay's starting lineup. I've seen this movie too many times to be a pie-eyed optimist, but, as I've noted in my full-throated endorsements of Lacy, there just really is nobody else. If ever Johnathan Franklinwere going to get a look, you'd have expected it last week late in a blowout. Didn't happen. So Starks will carry the mail for now.
Eddie Royal, WR, San Diego Chargers (18.4 percent). Royal is now on pace for 40 TDs this season. I believe he'll fall short of this mark. However, with Danario Alexander already out for the season and Malcom Floyd likely gone for multiple games because of a scary neck injury, Royal is the obvious favorite for catches in San Diego. And he already has grabbed 10 of 14 targets. As I say, it's highly unlikely that half his receptions will continue to go for TDs, not least because he's primarily a slot player. But folks can add Royal with the idea that, to this point, he's been a more reliable player than Vincent Brown or Keenan Allen.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers (34.0 percent). Do I believe Rivers can keep making magic with his receiving corps growing ever thinner? No. Am I willing to bet the mortgage on that sentiment? I'm not. In Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt's new offense, Rivers has scored 22 and 29 fantasy points while taking the fewest deep shots (I'll define "deep" as 30 or more air yards on a throw; he has two of those so far in two games) of his career. This might change as Brown and Allen are forced into more prominent roles, but, at the moment, Antonio Gates is Rivers' best downfield threat, and he looks slow. These are warning signs, for sure. But outside a couple of terrible late Week 1 tosses, Rivers has thus far avoided the kind of obviously horrible, too-late, poor-arm-strength throws that have plagued him the past two seasons. If you want to take a chance on him as a new bench QB, I can dig it.

Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans (50.8 percent). The Titans promised they'd get Wright more involved in Week 2, and they did: He went from four targets against thePittsburgh Steelers to 11 against the Houston Texans. As Kenny Britt falls further out of favor and Nate Washington serves as a situational deep threat, Wright looked like Jake Locker's clear favorite target, and he made a nice end zone grab from well inside the red zone. I'd have a difficult time starting Wright in a standard-sized fantasy league at this point, simply because I don't particularly trust Locker. But Wright has upside (especially PPR upside) if the Titans get more consistent on offense. He can be a dangerous player in the open field.

Aaron Dobson, WR, New England Patriots (6.7 percent). Yeah, I know. Adding Dobson after his monstrosity of a performance Thursday is akin to feasting on 3-week-old egg salad. And I agree, you shouldn't consider starting Dobson in any league just now. But the fact remains that Tom Brady needs receivers. Julian Edelman will be his top target, maybe Rob Gronkowski will return soon, but one of the rookies is going to stay involved as an outside target. Kenbrell Thompkins saw seven targets against the New York Jets (he's owned in 39.4 percent of leagues) and Dobson saw 10. Dobson dropped three passes and made other mental mistakes, but he has an awful lot of raw ability.
Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts (1.3 percent). I know. I know. I'm sorry for even suggesting it. But how long do you expect Ahmad Bradshaw's delicate feet and ankles to survive getting 18 touches per game, with Vick Ballard on the shelf? For his part, Brown got seven carries Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and showed good power in that limited action. If I'm sitting on Bradshaw in a standard-sized league, I'm probably considering adding Brown as an insurance policy, in the unlikely event the guy ever figures it out.
Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Bilal Powell, RB, Jets (38.0 percent); Justin Blackmon, WR, Jaguars (15.6 percent); Andre Roberts, Cardinals (36.0 percent); Marlon Brown, WR, Ravens (4.9 percent); Heath Miller, TE, Steelers (6.9 percent).
[h=3][/h][h=3]Deeper League Finds[/h]Brandon Jacobs, RB, New York Giants (6.1 percent). Ick. Gosh, it's been fun sorting through the RB retreads in this column the past couple of weeks. Jacobs is officially the Giants' short-yardage runner, injecting chaos into what was supposed to be a three-down job for David Wilson. Unfortunately, Jacobs got stuffed twice on the 1-yard line last week before scoring on his third try -- and did nothing else.

Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals (0.3 percent). Ellington was on my Super-Deep Sleeper list to begin the season, and has already injected himself into Bruce Arians' game plan. Sunday, Ellington got six touches and scored on a wide-open wheel route out of the backfield. He might be slightly small to be a pure feature back, but he's really the only game-breaker the Cards have available in their backfield. Deep-leaguers could consider him someone to hold on to.

Jason Snelling, RB, Atlanta Falcons (0.4 percent). Oy. Here's another guy a good fantasy team probably shouldn't own. But Steven Jackson's Week 3 status is unknown, and Jacquizz Rodgers is already owned in most ESPN leagues. Snelling had six touches for 60 yards in Jackson's stead Sunday to go with a rumbling TD run, and Quizz had 15 touches for 45 yards. Rodgers is probably a better fantasy bet if Jackson's leg injury lingers, but Snelling likely would be the goal-line back.
Stephen Hill, WR, New York Jets (1.9 percent). Hill muscled up impressively Thursday against the Patriots, assuming the title of Geno Smith's No. 1 WR. Of course, Smith probably isn't ready to sustain any fantasy-relevant targets, but Hill has all kinds of raw physical ability.
Robert Woods, WR, Buffalo Bills (4.7 percent). Despite catching a short TD, Woods wasn't heavily involved in Week 1, but that story changed against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. EJ Manuel sought him out six times and gave him a handoff. I have doubts that Manuel will keep Steve Johnson in fantasy pay dirt all year, let alone Woods. Still, deep-league PPR players looking for an answer can give the rookie a try.
Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (17.5 percent). Smith is a longtime nemesis of mine; I just don't consider his milquetoast, play-not-to-lose act particularly enticing. But I can't pretend he hasn't scored 16 and 21 fantasy points in his first two games in K.C. He shapes up as a non-terrible bye-week option in deep leagues.
Kerwynn Williams, RB, Colts (0.1 percent). Remember how I wrote about Donald Brown up there near the top of this article? Yeah, that was great. The thing is: I don't believe in Donald Brown at all. Sure, he's capable of looking good here and there, but it seems he'll always commit a mental mistake that gets him in hot water. That's why Williams, a rookie seventh-rounder out of Utah State, gets a mention here. Williams is a small speedster who ran third-fastest of any RB at this winter's combine. I strongly believe that if Bradshaw gets hurt, Williams will find himself involved.
Coby Fleener, TE, Colts (7.9 percent). As long as Dwayne Allen sits, Fleener becomes a fantasy option. He scored a short TD Sunday and would've had another except for a Reggie Wayne illegal shift. Allen is battling a multiweek hip injury, so Fleener has some short-term appeal.
Charles Clay, TE, Dolphins (0.8 percent). Clay has 10 grabs for 163 yards, plus he ran in a vulture score from the 1 on Sunday. Certainly, he's no Dustin Keller, but he's playing that role for Ryan Tannehill and creating mismatches in the middle of the field. It would be tough to justify starting him just now, but he probably deserves to be ranked among the top 20 TEs.

Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, players about whom I've written in previous weeks:Terrelle Pryor, QB, Raiders (22.4 percent); EJ Manuel, QB, Bills (12.2 percent); Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins (11.3 percent); Kendall Hunter, RB, 49ers (9.3 percent); Danny Woodhead, RB, Chargers (11.7 percent); Da'Rel Scott, RB, Giants (2.3 percent); Harry Douglas, WR, Falcons (3.7 percent); Jerome Simpson, WR, Vikings (8.2 percent); Nate Burleson, WR, Lions (5.0 percent); Kenny Stills, WR, Saints (4.3 percent); Kellen Winslow, TE, Jets (6.2 percent).

HacheMan · Sep 17, 2013

[h=1]Underperforming QB1 candidates[/h][h=3]Fantasy Foresight: Whom should you trade, bench or keep in lineups?[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]KC Joyner[/FONT] | ESPN Insider

One of the most frustrating situations for a fantasy football owner is having a star player on the roster who isn't living up to expectations.
This is exactly what the owners of many star quarterbacks are going through right now. This position looked to be quite deep in fantasy drafts because of the high volume of big-point producers, but four of the top six fantasy quarterbacks through two weeks (Michael Vick, Philip Rivers, Sam Bradford and Matt Schaub) were considered either QB2 or QB3 candidates on draft day. This means there are more than a few QB1s who haven't been carrying their weight and thus are causing their owners to consider trading or benching them.
This week's Fantasy Foresight article aims to help some of those fantasy owners by reviewing four underperforming QB1 candidates and declaring whether they should be traded, benched or kept in the starting lineup.

Wilson

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[h=3]Russell Wilson (24 fantasy points, tied for 25th)[/h]The major impediment to Wilson's fantasy production is Seattle's offensive philosophy. The Seahawks threw less often and ran more often than any team in the NFL in 2012, and that trend is close to continuing this year with a No. 31 ranking in pass attempts (52) and a No. 2 ranking in rush attempts (73). Wilson is close to last year's numbers in terms of planned rushes per game (1.8 in 2012, 1.5 in 2013) and scramble rushes (3.1 in 2012, 2.5 in 2013), and he is doing better in the vertical yards per attempt (VYPA) metric (12.5 in 2012, 13.9 in 2013). But as long as the Seahawks have that caliber of run-first offensive lean, Wilson is always going to be a borderline hit/miss start candidate.
Start/trade/bench verdict:<offer> Wilson's average draft position placed him 10th among quarterbacks, so he's still apt to give fantasy owners the type of value they expected out of him on draft day. He'll bounce back with some huge point totals down the road and thus should stay in the starting lineup.</offer>

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[h=3]Tom Brady (26 fantasy points, tied for 23rd)[/h]There was a strong case to be made before the season that Brady was likely to decline, and, after two games, the decline looks even worse than initially expected. The Patriots' incredibly raw receiving corps has led to Brady posting a ridiculously low 6.9 VYPA. Brady's numbers look even worse when noting he had the benefit of two blown coverages and an awful coverage performance by Jets cornerback Dee Milliner last week yet still managed to tally only 11 fantasy points. He is likely to get Rob Gronkowski back soon and could get Danny Amendolaback in the near future, but the schedule is quite difficult from a coverage perspective and thus presents another impediment.
Start/trade/bench verdict: Once the receiving corps gets back to full strength, Brady will return to starting-caliber status. However, the overwhelming volume of negatives does mean his owners should consider trading Brady now if they can find an owner willing to pay high-end-QB1-caliber value for him.

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[h=3]Cam Newton (28 fantasy points, tied for 21st)[/h]Newton might be the riskiest fantasy player in this group, as every part of his transition into the new Mike Shula offense is leaning toward a decline in fantasy value. Newton has seen a significant decrease in vertical target rate (VTR), as throws of this depth (11 or more yards downfield) accounted for 35.7 percent of his overall attempt volume in 2012 but account for only 28.1 percent so far this season.
Shula has called for only four planned rushing plays for Newton and has curbed the number of scramble rushes (four for 28 yards this year). Newton is taking more chances through the air, and that has caused his bad decision rate (BDR, a metric that gauges how often a quarterback makes a mental error that leads to a turnover opportunity for the opposing team) to jump from 3.1 percent in 2012 to 4.7 percent this season. Newton also has seen a huge decline in VYPA (11.5 in 2012, 8.0 in 2013).
Start/trade/bench verdict: The Panthers are already 0-2 and have three road games and a bye over the next six weeks. If they stumble, it is quite possible there could be a coaching staff change in midseason, a move that likely would negatively impact an already-struggling offense. Fantasy owners should look to trade Newton if the price is right, but they also should be entertaining the benching option if they have a strong backup or if they can acquire Rivers (available in 61.2 percent of leagues) on waivers.

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[h=3]Tony Romo (29 fantasy points, tied for 19th)[/h]What in the world is the Cowboys' offensive play-calling brain trust thinking? Dallas has a strong-armed quarterback to go along with two of the best downfield wide receivers in the NFL (Dez Bryant and Miles Austin), yet the Cowboys are operating a dink-and-dunk-oriented offense. This was somewhat the case in 2012 when Romo had a 28.7 percent VTR that ranked 27th in the league, but his 15.9 percent VTR this season shows this offense is even more vertically hamstrung. Dallas has long had problems with matching its play calling to its personnel, so this is simply the latest in a long line of issues of this nature.
Start/trade/bench verdict: Romo ranked 12th in ADP, so he is a QB2 on most teams. Those clubs should stick with the plan and keep him around to take advantage of some highly favorable matchups down the stretch (two games apiece against Washington and against Philadelphia, plus a game against New Orleans). Any team running with Romo as its QB1 should be considering short-term benching options in some of the Cowboys' tougher coverage matchups.

HacheMan · Sep 17, 2013

[h=1]Consistency Ratings: Week 3[/h]
By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

It's not often that a 20-carry dropoff from one week to the next can be characterized apositive.
It's the truth with LeSean McCoy, who toted the rock 31 times in Week 1 but only 11 in Week 2, and also saw his total number of touches drop, from 32 to 16. Despite that, McCoy's fantasy total remained within range -- he scored 24 in Week 1 and 16 in Week 2 -- so this week his owners will be far less panicked, worried that a hefty workload might result in a physical breakdown.
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Through two weeks, McCoy is the lone player to be a perfect 2-for-2 in "Stud" performances (per the definitions set forth in this space). It continued a trend he had exhibited before suffering a concussion in Week 11 of last season, an injury that cost him four weeks; he has been a fantasy "Start" in 80.0 percent of Philadelphia Eaglesgames since becoming their full-time starter to begin 2010, and a fantasy "Stud" 14 times, third-most among running backs.
Yes, Chip Kelly's offense is paying immediate dividends, particularly for McCoy, though any chatter exiting Week 1 that it'd wear on the running back seems to have rightfully cooled since. McCoy has played 67 of 83 offensive snaps (Week 1) and 49 of 59 (Week 2) in two weeks, per ESPN Stats & Information, he's the clear primary back with Bryce Brown (16 of 83 and 11 of 59) around to provide him a breather rather than to serve in a committee, and he's an even more attractive fantasy asset in this quick-paced, dynamic offense thanks to his combination of running and receiving skills ...
... and it's nothing that followers of our weekly Consistency Ratings didn't know.
If we forgive McCoy his six absences since the beginning of 2010 -- reasonable considering he's 25 years old and, again, four of those were due to the concussion -- he's actually the most reliable (read: consistently productive) back in the game, the least worrisome back in the health department (Arian Foster's back issues push him behind) and arguably the second-most valuable to Adrian Peterson, who actually has a lower Consistency Rating since 2010. Let's break down McCoy's history to illustrate.
These are McCoy's fantasy/Consistency Ratings statistics since the beginning of 2010 -- his first as a full-time starter -- broken down by his opponents' fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. These are separated by groups of eight; that divides the league into percentiles of 25 each.
Worst 8 D's: 7 G, 6 "Start" (86 percent), 3 "Stud" (43), avg. 17.4 FPTS.
Next 8 (9-16): 15 G, 15 "Start" (100 percent), 5 "Stud" (33), avg. 14.7 FPTS.
Next 8 (17-24): 12 G, 10 "Start" (83 percent), 3 "Stud" (25), avg. 14.1 FPTS.
Best 8 D's: 10 G, 9 "Start" (90 percent), 3 "Stud" (38), avg. 13.9 FPTS.
Now remember, Consistency Ratings dock a player for missed time, so McCoy's six absences ("Sat," in the chart below) aren't accounted above. Had he played in those six games, he'd have faced one top-8, two 9-16 and three 17-24 defenses. To be fair, McCoy sat out Week 17 twice (in 2010 and 2011), weeks that don't count in the standings for a large number of fantasy leagues.
[h=4]CONSISTENCY RATINGS BENCHMARKS[/h]Using 2012 statistics, and fantasy points determined by ESPN's standard scoring, the charts contained in this column rate players based upon how consistently reliable they are. To familiarize you with some of the terminology:
Start: The number of times that the player's point total in a given week was worthy of having had him active in an ESPN standard league.
Stud: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the top at his position.
Stiff: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the worst at his position, making almost any waiver-wire option a smarter choice.
These are the benchmarks for what constitutes a "Start," "Stud" or "Stiff" performance, numbers identifying the player's rank at his position:

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"></center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Start</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Stud</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Stiff</center>
QB	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
RB	Top 25	Top 5	51st+
WR	Top 25	Top 5	51st+
TE	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
K	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
D/ST	Top 10	Top 2	21st+

Sat: The number of times the player missed a game. Players are not charged "Stiff" points for sitting out, but it hurts their overall Consistency Rating.
%: The player's overall Consistency Rating, calculated as number of "Start" performances divided by scheduled team games.

From a pure analysis standpoint, McCoy is the greatest benefactor in Kelly's offense for another important reason: His team's awful defense. The Eagles shouldn't enjoy many blowouts, meaning 31-carry instances such as his Week 1 won't be a regular thing; he's also that good a pass-catcher that even when his team trails, his importance to the offense won't be affected.
That said, it seems that fantasy owners are most excited about the Eagles' quarterback,Michael Vick, after the first two weeks. It's understandable, after he managed back-to-back 25-point fantasy weeks, as well as set a new personal best with 428 passing yards.
Vick's history isn't as encouraging as McCoy's, especially if you consider that in Kelly's offense, which has utilized substantially more zone reads than Andy Reid's 2012 squad, he's more susceptible to taking hits. Since the beginning of 2010, Vick has been a fantasy "Start" in only 25 of 50 Eagles games (50.0 percent Consistency Rating), a "Stud" in 7 and a "Stiff" in 6. He has also missed 13 games due to injury during that time span.
Breaking down Vick's performance based upon strength of matchup also reveals a history of beating up on the weak. Again, these are separated into groups of eight, dividing the league into percentiles of 25.
Worst 8 D's: 8 G, 7 "Start" (88 percent), 4 "Stud" (50), avg. 25.9 FPTS.
Next 8 (9-16): 15 G, 10 "Start" (67 percent), 3 "Stud" (20), avg. 19.2 FPTS.
Next 8 (17-24): 7 G, 3 "Start" (43 percent), 0 "Stud" (0), avg. 13.3 FPTS.
Best 8 D's: 7 G, 5 "Start" (71 percent), 0 "Stud" (0), avg. 18.9 FPTS.
As this column has shown over the years, Vick's strength in fantasy is hardly consistency; he's actually one of the most volatile scorers in the game. On a team whose defense might constantly put him in a hole and force him to throw, Vick certainly possesses the potential to win your week, as he did in Week 2 ...
... but, again, followers of the weekly Consistency Ratings knew that.
Ah, but if the upshot of all this is that Vick warrants shopping in fantasy leagues right now due to his injury history, while McCoy is worth targeting in trade, owners might have a pertinent follow-up question: What happens to McCoy in the event Vick is sidelined for future games?
Good question, and here's your answer, again using Consistency Ratings data (since the beginning of 2010) to illustrate the impact:
Vick played: 36 G, 32 "Start" (89 percent), 12 "Stud" (33 percent), avg. 15.3 FPTS.
Vick sat: 8 G, 8 "Start" (100 percent), 2 "Stud" (25 percent), avg. 12.8 FPTS.
In other words, should Nick Foles or Matt Barkley be pressed into service, McCoy's production might decline slightly, to the point where he's no longer as likely to register a week's top fantasy running back score. That said, it wouldn't greatly diminish his value, considering he might take on an expanded role, not to mention there wouldn't be wholesale offensive scheme changes.

Player	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">%</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Pos</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">G</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Start</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Stud</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Stiff</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Sat</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">PPR%</center>
Peyton Manning	Den	100.0%	QB	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Aaron Rodgers	GB	100.0%	QB	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Michael Vick	Phi	100.0%	QB	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Philip Rivers	SD	100.0%	QB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Matt Schaub	Hou	100.0%	QB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
DeSean Jackson	Phi	100.0%	WR	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Eddie Royal	SD	100.0%	WR	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Andrew Luck	Ind	100.0%	QB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
LeSean McCoy	Phi	100.0%	RB	2	2	2	0	0	100.0%
Victor Cruz	NYG	100.0%	WR	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Matthew Stafford	Det	100.0%	QB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Jordy Nelson	GB	100.0%	WR	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Julio Jones	Atl	100.0%	WR	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Randall Cobb	GB	100.0%	WR	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Julius Thomas	Den	100.0%	TE	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Brandon Marshall	Chi	100.0%	WR	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Seahawks D/ST	Sea	100.0%	D/ST	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Jamaal Charles	KC	100.0%	RB	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Matt Forte	Chi	100.0%	RB	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Dan Bailey	Dal	100.0%	K	2	2	1	0	0	100.0%
Jordan Cameron	Cle	100.0%	TE	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Doug Martin	TB	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Arian Foster	Hou	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Garrett Hartley	NO	100.0%	K	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Darren McFadden	Oak	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Jermichael Finley	GB	100.0%	TE	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Fred Jackson	Buf	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Lions D/ST	Det	100.0%	D/ST	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Alfred Morris	Wsh	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	100.0%
Adrian Peterson	Min	100.0%	RB	2	2	1	0	0	50.0%
Marlon Brown	Bal	100.0%	WR	2	2	0	0	0	50.0%
Da'Rel Scott	NYG	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	50.0%
DeAngelo Williams	Car	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	50.0%
Chris Johnson	Ten	100.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	0	0.0%
Joique Bell	Det	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	0	0	100.0%
Julian Edelman	NE	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Andre Johnson	Hou	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Brandon Myers	NYG	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Bilal Powell	NYJ	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Daryl Richardson	StL	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Trent Richardson	Cle	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	100.0%
Sam Bradford	StL	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Matt Ryan	Atl	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Robert Griffin III	Wsh	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Eli Manning	NYG	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Alex Smith	KC	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Colin Kaepernick	SF	50.0%	QB	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Marshawn Lynch	Sea	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Demaryius Thomas	Den	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Jimmy Graham	NO	50.0%	TE	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Jay Cutler	Chi	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
A.J. Green	Cin	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Drew Brees	NO	50.0%	QB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Reggie Bush	Det	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Chiefs D/ST	KC	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Martellus Bennett	Chi	50.0%	TE	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Cowboys D/ST	Dal	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Knowshon Moreno	Den	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Anquan Boldin	SF	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Calvin Johnson	Det	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Pierre Garcon	Wsh	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Steve Johnson	Buf	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Owen Daniels	Hou	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Jared Cook	StL	50.0%	TE	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Wes Welker	Den	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Leonard Hankerson	Wsh	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Vernon Davis	SF	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Brian Hartline	Mia	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Broncos D/ST	Den	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Buccaneers D/ST	TB	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Dez Bryant	Dal	50.0%	WR	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Nick Novak	SD	50.0%	K	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
James Starks	GB	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Vincent Jackson	TB	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Caleb Sturgis	Mia	50.0%	K	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Charles Clay	Mia	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Titans D/ST	Ten	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Patriots D/ST	NE	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Greg Zuerlein	StL	50.0%	K	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Jay Feely	Ari	50.0%	K	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Jason Witten	Dal	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Blair Walsh	Min	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Matt Prater	Den	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Tavon Austin	StL	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Alex Henery	Phi	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Reggie Wayne	Ind	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Hakeem Nicks	NYG	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Josh Brown	NYG	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Greg Olsen	Car	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Dolphins D/ST	Mia	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Bills D/ST	Buf	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Texans D/ST	Hou	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Giovani Bernard	Cin	50.0%	RB	2	1	1	0	0	50.0%
Jerome Simpson	Min	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Stephen Gostkowski	NE	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Marques Colston	NO	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Mike Wallace	Mia	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Jets D/ST	NYJ	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Bears D/ST	Chi	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Rob Bironas	Ten	50.0%	K	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Steven Jackson	Atl	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
DeMarco Murray	Dal	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Nick Folk	NYJ	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Steve Smith	Car	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Ryan Mathews	SD	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Raiders D/ST	Oak	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Shane Vereen	NE	50.0%	RB	1	1	1	0	1	50.0%
Vikings D/ST	Min	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	1	1	0	50.0%
Darren Sproles	NO	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
C.J. Spiller	Buf	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Dan Carpenter	Buf	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Ahmad Bradshaw	Ind	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
James Jones	GB	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Kellen Winslow	NYJ	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Frank Gore	SF	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Dwayne Bowe	KC	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
T.Y. Hilton	Ind	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Austin Pettis	StL	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Ben Tate	Hou	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Antonio Gates	SD	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Malcom Floyd	SD	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Ray Rice	Bal	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Bernard Pierce	Bal	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	50.0%
Ted Ginn	Car	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Andre Ellington	Ari	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
49ers D/ST	SF	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Bengals D/ST	Cin	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
David Akers	Det	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Eddie Lacy	GB	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Phil Dawson	SF	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Kyle Rudolph	Min	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Chris Givens	StL	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Graham Gano	Car	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Jason Snelling	Atl	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Kendall Wright	Ten	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Lamar Miller	Mia	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Coby Fleener	Ind	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Danny Amendola	NE	50.0%	WR	1	1	0	0	1	50.0%
Justin Tucker	Bal	50.0%	K	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Eagles D/ST	Phi	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Vonta Leach	Bal	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Ravens D/ST	Bal	50.0%	D/ST	2	1	0	1	0	50.0%
Garrett Graham	Hou	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	0	0	0.0%
Santana Moss	Wsh	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	0	0	0.0%
Mike Williams	TB	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Rueben Randle	NYG	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Daniel Thomas	Mia	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	0	0	0.0%
Brent Celek	Phi	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Denarius Moore	Oak	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Jermaine Kearse	Sea	50.0%	WR	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Jackie Battle	Ten	50.0%	RB	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Clay Harbor	Jac	50.0%	TE	2	1	0	1	0	0.0%
Torrey Smith	Bal	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	0	0	50.0%
Doug Baldwin	Sea	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	0	0	50.0%
Cecil Shorts	Jac	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%
Andre Roberts	Ari	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%
Eric Decker	Den	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%
Miles Austin	Dal	0.0%	WR	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%
Dallas Clark	Bal	0.0%	TE	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%
Pierre Thomas	NO	0.0%	RB	2	0	0	0	0	50.0%
Danny Woodhead	SD	0.0%	RB	2	0	0	1	0	50.0%

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]2013 ranks update: QBs even deeper

[/h][h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
Even after one fantasy football week, many owners were already looking to make changes, mainly trading off their underachieving players. In some cases, they simply cut them for surprise Week 1 performers. But now we enter Week 3, and things get even more complicated. Some of those Week 1 underperformers bounced back in Week 2. Some did not, or they got hurt.

That's where the end-of-season rankings come in. We combine all the factors to help in player and trade evaluation from this point forward. In other words, what Eddie Royal has already accomplished is just one factor, and probably a bit too much of one, really.

We go position by position in this space each Tuesday, and then cap it with an updated top 100 overall. One potential purpose for these rankings is to place value on all players as if we could re-draft today, so you'll see where quarterbacks are valued in relation to other positions, and so on. As always, enjoy, debate, comment and see the fun in this; it's fantasy football! And the Week 3 staff and individual rankings will be released, as always, on Wednesday.

<offer>Quick click by position, for easy reference:
Top 40 Quarterbacks | Top 60 Running Backs | Top 60 Wide Receivers
Top 30 Tight Ends | Top 32 Defense/Special Teams | Top 100 Overall

[h=3]Top 40 Quarterbacks[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1 Aaron Rodgers GB 1
2 Drew Brees NO 2
3 Peyton Manning Den 3
4 Matt Ryan Atl 7
5 Tom Brady NE 4
6 Cam Newton Car 5
7 Colin Kaepernick SF 6
8 Michael Vick Phi 13
9 Matthew Stafford Det 9
10 Andrew Luck Ind 10
11 Russell Wilson Sea 11
12 Robert Griffin III Wsh 8
13 Tony Romo Dal 12
14 Sam Bradford StL 15
15 Eli Manning NYG 14
16 Jay Cutler Chi 18
17 Joe Flacco Bal 19
18 Philip Rivers SD 25
19 Terrelle Pryor Oak 16
20 Matt Schaub Hou 24
21 Andy Dalton Cin 20
22 Carson Palmer Ari 21
23 Ben Roethlisberger Pit 17
24 Geno Smith NYJ 22
25 EJ Manuel Buf 23
26 Ryan Tannehill Mia 27
27 Alex Smith KC 28
28 Josh Freeman TB 26
29 Jake Locker Ten 30
30 Christian Ponder Min 31
31 Brandon Weeden Cle 29
32 Kirk Cousins Wsh 36
33 Chad Henne Jac 35
34 Nick Foles Phi 32
35 Kyle Orton Dal 33
36 Blaine Gabbert Jac 34
37 Matt Flynn Oak 37
38 Mike Glennon TB --
39 Shaun Hill Det 38
40 Ryan Fitzpatrick Ten 39

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Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III certainly doesn't look like the 2012 version of himself, but if you ask whether you should buy or sell, I'm still buying, at least to a degree. Griffin is basically playing his preseason at this point, and will improve. His misleading 41 fantasy points have been accomplished mainly in garbage time in losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, and the Redskins offense still has yet to score before halftime! The Redskins have indeed adjusted the playbook, and Griffin isn't running. Even when he's throwing, he looks awkward, not so much favoring his rebuilt knee, but showing poor mechanics. And when it comes to running, he has 99 fewer rushing yards after two weeks than he did at this point last year. Griffin leaves the top 10 quarterbacks for now, as he works to improve. I still think it's coming. I'm buying, but the rest of September might not be so pleasant.

Risers this week include Eagles leader Michael Vick, St. Louis Rams talent Sam Bradford, overrated San Diego Chargers veteran Philip Rivers and Houston Texans surprise Matt Schaub. I've written extensively about Vick, and spoken of my concerns about him on "SportsCenter" and in video. Durability is the reason, not performance. Of course he's playing at a spectacular level and can't be denied in this forum, but make sure you have a strong backup. I'm also selling on Rivers; the AFC West teams will defend the pass better than Vick's Eagles, I'm certain. I'm selling on Schaub, too. We don't know if wide receiver Andre Johnson will miss games, but at some point, the Texans will cease playing shootout-type matches and rely on the top two-pronged running attack in the game. Schaub has six touchdown passes and is averaging 322 passing yards per game. Last year he had one game with more than 315 passing yards and two games with three touchdowns. Meanwhile, you may cautiously buy on the younger Bradford, but beware four of his remaining 14 games are against the defensively strong Seattle Seahawks andSan Francisco 49ers.

One might wonder how two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning of the New York Giantsdoesn't drop more than a spot, considering he already has thrown seven interceptions; unlike in Week 1, he didn't manage to produce big numbers despite the mistakes in Week 2 against big brother Peyton and the Denver Broncos. The reality is that nobody other than Bradford and Rivers is playing at a level -- and should continue to -- worthy of moving ahead of Eli Manning. I'll still take Eli over Rivers, though.

Also, Terrelle Pryor did not have a good game at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. …Jay Cutler hasn't exactly been Eli-like in terms of turning the ball over, but he's still risky.Andy Dalton threw a ton Monday night, but his performance looked underwhelming, for the most part. Ultimately, my list of starting quarterbacks I'd trust as a starter in a 10-team league is now up to 14 players, with Bradford in there and Eli Manning still the top backup. Don't panic on the Giants yet.

[h=3]Top 60 Running Backs[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1 Adrian Peterson Min 1
2 LeSean McCoy Phi 2
3 Doug Martin TB 3
4 Marshawn Lynch Sea 4
5 Jamaal Charles KC 6
6 Arian Foster Hou 7
7 C.J. Spiller Buf 8
8 Matt Forte Chi 11
9 Ray Rice Bal 5
10 Trent Richardson Cle 9
11 Alfred Morris Wsh 10
12 Chris Johnson Ten 14
13 Steven Jackson Atl 12
14 Stevan Ridley NE 13
15 Reggie Bush Det 15
16 Darren McFadden Oak 18
17 Frank Gore SF 16
18 Darren Sproles NO 20
19 DeMarco Murray Dal 19
20 Maurice Jones-Drew Jac 17
21 Lamar Miller Mia 25
22 DeAngelo Williams Car 26
23 Ahmad Bradshaw Ind 28
24 David Wilson NYG 21
25 Eddie Lacy GB 22
26 Ryan Mathews SD 23
27 Rashard Mendenhall Ari 31
28 Giovani Bernard Cin 30
29 BenJarvus Green-Ellis Cin 27
30 Joique Bell Det 29
31 Daryl Richardson StL 32
32 Bernard Pierce Bal 43
33 Ben Tate Hou 40
34 Knowshon Moreno Den 45
35 Montee Ball Den 24
36 Fred Jackson Buf 36
37 Chris Ivory NYJ 33
38 Bilal Powell NYJ 41
39 James Starks GB --
40 Daniel Thomas Mia 38
41 Mark Ingram NO 35
42 Bryce Brown Phi 37
43 Isaiah Pead StL 39
44 Le'Veon Bell Pit 42
45 Isaac Redman Pit 44
46 Jacquizz Rodgers Atl 47
47 Da'Rel Scott NYG 58
48 Donald Brown Ind --
49 LeGarrette Blount NE 53
50 Ronnie Hillman Den 49
51 Andre Ellington Ari --
52 Shane Vereen NE 52
53 Danny Woodhead SD 59
54 Kendall Hunter SF 54
55 Michael Bush Chi 55
56 Jordan Todman Jac --
57 Zac Stacy StL 56
58 Christine Michael Sea 50
59 Jason Snelling Atl --
60 Brandon Jacobs NYG --

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After a subpar Week 1 for the running backs, a sense of normalcy returned this past weekend. Adrian Peterson reached 100 rushing yards, as did fellow first-roundersDoug Martin, C.J. Spiller and Alfred Morris.Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles looked healthy, ran well and scored touchdowns. And LeSean McCoy was again awesome. It was a nice change from the opening week, when running backs (McCoy and Shane Vereen) produced only one more 100-yard performance than quarterbacks (Pryor). The updated top 10 at this position reflects the better play, with few changes. Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice drops a few spots. As of this writing, his hip injury does not appear serious, but the threat of missed games andBernard Pierce getting more playing time is enough to move others playing well ahead of him.

It's a wonderful time to buy low on Cleveland Browns sophomore Trent Richardson. While his two-game statistics certainly aren't great, they sure could be worse than seven points per outing. And he has received 31 rushing attempts and enough receiving targets to be a point-per-reception-format threat. Don't give up on Richardson. He remains a bit ahead of Morris and Chris Johnson, each of whom has been running better. All three are safe, but the line of safe starters likely ends right there at No. 12. That's when we have to deal with other injured players such asSteven Jackson, Reggie Bush and Maurice Jones-Drew, along with strugglers Stevan Ridley, Frank Gore and DeMarco Murray. I'm not giving up on any of these guys, and the reason why there's little movement in this region is because there's a lack of RB2 replacements.

Starting the RB3 choices is the Miami Dolphins' Lamar Miller, which is good to see because so many fantasy owners were pessimistic about his chances. Miller moves up to at least the periphery of the top-20 choices, along with the Carolina Panthers'DeAngelo Williams and the Indianapolis Colts'Ahmad Bradshaw. All three players would seem to have some higher level of job security than they had a few weeks ago, contrary to public perception. Daniel Thomasis not taking Miller's job; perhaps Miller doesn't earn all the carries based on performance, but Miami no doubt wants him to seize the role. Miller totaled 75 yards and scored his first touchdown Sunday. Williams continues to run well, with 86 and 85 rushing yards, respectively, in his first two contests. Just don't expect touchdowns, not with quarterback Cam Newton around. Williams doesn't need to worry about losing carries to injured Jonathan Stewart anytime soon, if at all. And the Colts had planned on taking their time with Bradshaw from offseason foot surgery, but the season-ending knee injury toVick Ballard accelerated things. Bradshaw totaled 84 yards and scored Sunday. Donald Brown enters the rankings, but merely as deep-league insurance for Bradshaw.

While Marshawn Lynch was easily tops among running backs in Week 2 with 30 points, there was a second-place tie between Knowshon Moreno and James Starks at 22 points. Neither brings great upside, but one can do worse for a flex option. While rookieMontee Ball struggled to gain 16 yards on 12 carries and lost a fumble, Moreno tallied impressive touchdown runs of 20 and 25 yards. At this point, it's reasonable to own Moreno over Ball, but it'd be ideal if you can own both. … In Green Bay, rookie Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion and Starks filled in with the franchise's first 100-yard rushing game since the Reagan administration (well, since 2010, anyway). We've seen Starks' act before. This was a blowout win over the awful Redskins, with much stat-padding going on in the second half. Don't buy it. Even if Lacy misses games, Starks is no savior.

Finally, at the back end of the rankings some new names do appear other than Indy's Brown, just in case they become relevant. While Arizona Cardinals newcomer Rashard Mendenhall had a nice game Sunday, quick rookie Andre Ellington was given six touches, and he did damage with them. He averaged five yards in his four rushes, and caught two passes -- that's something Mendenhall rarely does -- for 42 yards. You won't see Alfonso Smith or Ryan Williams ranked here anymore. Ellington is becoming interesting. … With the status of Jones-Drew up in the air, Jordan Todman impressed in August preseason games and could see an uptick in touches over Justin Forsett. Hey, any potential starting running back is interesting, even in Jacksonville. … And while I managed to avoid discussing Giants sophomore David Wilson and his continuing struggles -- don't cut him! -- Brandon Jacobsdoes enter the rankings for those in touchdown-heavy formats. I'd still take Da'Rel Scottover him, though.

[h=3]Top 60 Wide Receivers[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1 Calvin Johnson Det 1
2 A.J. Green Cin 2
3 Brandon Marshall Chi 3
4 Dez Bryant Dal 6
5 Julio Jones Atl 7
6 Demaryius Thomas Den 4
7 Larry Fitzgerald Ari 5
8 Randall Cobb GB 11
9 Vincent Jackson TB 8
10 Victor Cruz NYG 9
11 Wes Welker Den 12
12 Andre Johnson Hou 10
13 Reggie Wayne Ind 13
14 Jordy Nelson GB 16
15 DeSean Jackson Phi 21
16 Marques Colston NO 14
17 Hakeem Nicks NYG 18
18 Roddy White Atl 17
19 Pierre Garcon Wsh 26
20 Steve Smith Car 19
21 Eric Decker Den 22
22 Anquan Boldin SF 20
23 Dwayne Bowe KC 23
24 Mike Wallace Mia 24
25 James Jones GB 27
26 Danny Amendola NE 15
27 Julian Edelman NE 32
28 Tavon Austin StL 31
29 Torrey Smith Bal 28
30 Antonio Brown Pit 25
31 Steve Johnson Buf 33
32 T.Y. Hilton Ind 35
33 Cecil Shorts Jac 29
34 Mike Williams TB 30
35 Miles Austin Dal 34
36 DeAndre Hopkins Hou 51
37 Greg Jennings Min 37
38 Eddie Royal SD --
39 Lance Moore NO 38
40 Brian Hartline Mia 39
41 Chris Givens StL 44
42 Sidney Rice Sea 36
43 Josh Gordon Cle 47
44 Denarius Moore Oak 42
45 Kenny Britt Ten 40
46 Emmanuel Sanders Pit 41
47 Golden Tate Sea 43
48 Marlon Brown Bal 57
49 Vincent Brown SD 45
50 Rueben Randle NYG 46
51 Alshon Jeffery Chi 48
52 Kenbrell Thompkins NE 52
53 Aaron Dobson NE --
54 Kendall Wright Ten 55
55 Andre Roberts Ari 54
56 Justin Blackmon Jac 56
57 Jerome Simpson Min 59
58 Michael Floyd Ari 49
59 Malcom Floyd SD 50
60 Cordarrelle Patterson Min --

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Well, so much for the Dallas Cowboys' Dez Bryant and Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones being game-day risks because of injuries. The duo combined for 20 receptions on 27 targets, with a touchdown apiece and more than 300 receiving yards. It's simplistic to state "play your studs" no matter what, because Jones' teammate Roddy White hasn't been much fun to watch these first two weeks. But the fact is the younger Bryant and Jones are special players and shouldn't be benched by fantasy owners, ever. White, however, had another quiet game. At least his owners were better prepared to sit him down this time. Hopefully his ankle ailment doesn't fester all season.

Pretty much as predicted, the seemingly irrelevant No. 3 wide receivers on the Broncos and Packers rebounded with abandon. Eric Decker had three times as many receptions as Wes Welker, which might seem impossible, but it happened. Peyton Manning wants to keep all his weapons happy. Decker isn't quite a top-20 wide receiver, but he's close. So is James Jones, who had a career-best 11 receptions for 178 yards. Even last season, when he was scoring 14 touchdowns, Jones didn't catch more than seven passes in a game, and the lone time he reached 100 receiving yards, it was for precisely 100 yards. Still think Jones is irrelevant alongsideJordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, who each scored 18 standard fantasy points?

There's little clarity on when the New England Patriots will get the services of Danny Amendola back, so he drops in the rankings to more of a season flex option than sure starter. With Amendola, whose career has been littered with injuries, even if the team announces he's back in September, the threat of another series of missed games is there. Julian Edelman was a PPR machine in the Thursday night squeaker win over theNew York Jets, but it's tough to catch 13 passes without reaching 100 yards, as he did. Tom Brady's downfield threats remain the rookies. Aaron Dobson saw more targets than Kenbrell Thompkins, but each is a mess when it comes to drops and odd routes. Still, Dobson enters the rankings a spot after Thompkins, meaning if I had to choose, I'd take Thompkins.

Of course, not all rookies are struggling. The three wide receivers chosen in the first round of the 2013 draft all scored touchdowns Sunday. The Texans' DeAndre Hopkins would seem to be a more attractive fantasy option if veteran Andre Johnson (concussion) misses games, but the opportunity would be tempered a bit by the potential double coverage he'd see. Still, he plays like a veteran, not like one of the Patriots' raw rookies, and he jumps to WR4 territory pending more information on Johnson. Rams speedster Tavon Austin scored on a pair of short touchdowns and certainly looked more comfortable than in Week 1. He's on the verge of WR3 status. And the Minnesota Vikings' Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a score, but caught only two passes. We'll give him a No. 60 slot in case the Vikings start to give him more plays from scrimmage so he can further show his immense potential.

Other risers include the underrated Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills, surprising Charger Eddie Royal (but don't go overboard, trade him quick!), Josh Gordon of the Browns and the Ravens' Marlon Brown. While Bills rookie EJ Manuel will surely make some "rookie mistakes" as the season goes on, Johnson, who has three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, is thriving. Johnson has scored touchdowns in each game so far. Royal scored five touchdowns in the previous four seasons. Now he has five in two weeks. If only he could play the Eagles again! Gordon's suspension is over, meaning you should check to see if he's owned, and don't be surprised when he plays well and helps running back Richardson a bit. And Brown's first start produced his second touchdown, and he was likely a bit underrated in this space a week ago.

[h=3]Top 25 Tight Ends[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1 Jimmy Graham NO 1
2 Rob Gronkowski NE 2
3 Tony Gonzalez Atl 3
4 Jason Witten Dal 4
5 Vernon Davis SF 5
6 Julius Thomas Den 7
7 Greg Olsen Car 8
8 Jared Cook StL 6
9 Jordan Cameron Cle 10
10 Brandon Myers NYG 9
11 Antonio Gates SD 12
12 Owen Daniels Hou 11
13 Kyle Rudolph Min 13
14 Jermichael Finley GB 14
15 Martellus Bennett Chi 15
16 Coby Fleener Ind 20
17 Charles Clay Mia --
18 Tyler Eifert Cin 23
19 Jermaine Gresham Cin 21
20 Brent Celek Phi 17
21 Brandon Pettigrew Det 16
22 Clay Harbor Jac --
23 Fred Davis Wsh 19
24 Dwayne Allen Ind 18
25 Kellen Winslow NYJ 24

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While mainstays Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten were quiet in Week 2, quite a few of the tight ends ranked as borderline starters came up with touchdowns and double-digit fantasy efforts. The Chicago Bears' Martellus Bennett hauled in a pair of scores from Jay Cutler, but most of the players ranked ahead of him scored as well, including Antonio Gates, Kyle Rudolph, Greg Olsen, Jermichael Finley and Owen Daniels. As a result, Bennett remains at No. 15, but it's a better No. 15 than a week ago. Track Bennett's shoulder injury, though. Denver's Julius Thomasremained popular as well, seeing nine targets from Peyton Manning, converting one into a touchdown. It was another good week for the tight end position, and fantasy owners shouldn't overreact when it comes to Gonzalez and Witten. They remain weekly plays.

While Gonzalez and Witten have built up years of consistent performance to earn the trust of fantasy owners, Vernon Davis of the 49ers is coming off a frustrating season. He was excellent in Week 1, but he left the Sunday night game prematurely because of a hamstring injury after catching three passes for 20 yards. Don't give up on Davis; as of this writing, he hasn't been ruled out for Week 3, and the way the Seahawks shut down Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers offense, decisions shouldn't be made from that. The 49ers have far more appealing matchups ahead.

An interesting option for deep leaguers is Charles Clay, a fullback/tight end hybrid for the Dolphins. Clay, the fill-in for injured Dustin Keller, has five receptions in each of the first two games. On Sunday, he caught a 67-yarder among his seven targets, and scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard blast in the final minutes. Check your league rules on his eligibility, but a tight end who can score rushing touchdowns is a potentially valuable asset.

[h=3]Top 32 Defense/Special Teams[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> </center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rank</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1 Seattle Seahawks 1 17 Kansas City Chiefs 18
2 San Francisco 49ers 2 18 Cleveland Browns 17
3 Chicago Bears 3 19 Minnesota Vikings 19
4 Houston Texans 4 20 Detroit Lions 20
5 Cincinnati Bengals 5 21 Tennessee Titans 23
6 Denver Broncos 7 22 New York Jets 24
7 New England Patriots 6 23 Carolina Panthers 22
8 Pittsburgh Steelers 10 24 San Diego Chargers 21
9 Miami Dolphins 8 25 Buffalo Bills 25
10 Arizona Cardinals 12 26 New York Giants 26
11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 27 Indianapolis Colts 29
12 Green Bay Packers 13 28 New Orleans Saints 30
13 St. Louis Rams 9 29 Oakland Raiders 31
14 Dallas Cowboys 11 30 Jacksonville Jaguars 32
15 Baltimore Ravens 15 31 Philadelphia Eagles 28
16 Atlanta Falcons 16 32 Washington Redskins 27

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[h=3]Top 100 Overall[/h]

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Ovr.
Rank</center> Player <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Pos.
Rank</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Next 3
Weeks</center> <center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.
Rank</center>
1 Adrian Peterson Min RB1 Cle, Pit, BYE 1
2 LeSean McCoy Phi RB2 KC, @Den, @NYG 2
3 Doug Martin TB RB3 @NE, Ari, BYE 3
4 Marshawn Lynch Sea RB4 Jac, @Hou, @Ind 4
5 Jamaal Charles KC RB5 @Phi, NYG, @Ten 6
6 Arian Foster Hou RB6 @Bal, Sea, @SF 7
7 C.J. Spiller Buf RB7 @NYJ, Bal, @Cle 8
8 Matt Forte Chi RB8 @Pit, @Det, NO 11
9 Ray Rice Bal RB9 Hou, @Buf, @Mia 5
10 Trent Richardson Cle RB10 @Min, Cin, Buf 9
11 Alfred Morris Wsh RB11 Det, @Oak, BYE 10
12 Chris Johnson Ten RB12 SD, NYJ, KC 15
13 Steven Jackson Atl RB13 @Mia, NE, NYJ 12
14 Calvin Johnson Det WR1 @Wsh, Chi, @GB 14
15 Stevan Ridley NE RB14 TB, @Atl, @Cin 13
16 Reggie Bush Det RB15 @Wsh, Chi, @GB 16
17 Darren McFadden Oak RB16 @Den, Wsh, SD 35
18 Frank Gore SF RB17 Ind, @StL, Hou 17
19 A.J. Green Cin WR2 GB, @Cle, NE 19
20 Brandon Marshall Chi WR3 @Pit, @Det, NO 20
21 Aaron Rodgers GB QB1 @Cin, BYE, Det 21
22 Drew Brees NO QB2 Ari, Mia, @Chi 22
23 Peyton Manning Den QB3 Oak, Phi, @Dal 23
24 Dez Bryant Dal WR4 StL, @SD, Den 26
25 Julio Jones Atl WR5 @Mia, NE, NYJ 27
26 Demaryius Thomas Den WR6 Oak, Phi, @Dal 24
27 Larry Fitzgerald Ari WR7 @NO, @TB, Car 25
28 Randall Cobb GB WR8 @Cin, BYE, Det 36
29 Jimmy Graham NO TE1 Ari, Mia, @Chi 29
30 Matt Ryan Atl QB4 @Mia, NE, NYJ 45
31 Vincent Jackson TB WR9 @NE, Ari, BYE 31
32 Tom Brady NE QB5 TB, @Atl, @Cin 30
33 Victor Cruz NYG WR10 @Car, @KC, Phi 28
34 Cam Newton Car QB6 NYG, BYE, @Ari 32
35 Darren Sproles NO RB18 Ari, Mia, @Chi 40
36 Wes Welker Den WR11 Oak, Phi, @Dal 37
37 Andre Johnson Hou WR12 @Bal, Sea, @SF 33
38 Colin Kaepernick SF QB7 Ind, @StL, Hou 34
39 DeMarco Murray Dal RB19 StL, @SD, Den 38
40 Michael Vick Phi QB8 KC, @Den, @NYG 93
41 Reggie Wayne Ind WR13 @SF, @Jac, Sea 39
42 Maurice Jones-Drew Jac RB20 @Sea, Ind, @StL 18
43 Lamar Miller Mia RB21 Atl, @NO, Bal 58
44 Jordy Nelson GB WR14 @Cin, BYE, Det 44
45 DeSean Jackson Phi WR15 KC, @Den, @NYG 53
46 Marques Colston NO WR16 Ari, Mia, @Chi 42
47 Hakeem Nicks NYG WR17 @Car, @KC, Phi 47
48 DeAngelo Williams Car RB22 NYG, BYE, @Ari 60
49 Roddy White Atl WR18 @Mia, NE, NYJ 46
50 Pierre Garcon Wsh WR19 Det, @Oak, BYE 68
51 Ahmad Bradshaw Ind RB23 @SF, @Jac, Sea 67
52 Steve Smith Car WR20 NYG, BYE, @Ari 49
53 Eric Decker Den WR21 Oak, Phi, @Dal 56
54 Rob Gronkowski NE TE2 TB, @Atl, @Cin 54
55 David Wilson NYG RB24 @Car, @KC, Phi 41
56 Anquan Boldin SF WR22 Ind, @StL, Hou 52
57 Tony Gonzalez Atl TE3 @Mia, NE, NYJ 57
58 Eddie Lacy GB RB25 @Cin, BYE, Det 50
59 Dwayne Bowe KC WR23 @Phi, NYG, @Ten 59
60 Ryan Mathews SD RB26 @Ten, Dal, @Oak 51
61 Jason Witten Dal TE4 StL, @SD, Den 61
62 Rashard Mendenhall Ari RB27 @NO, @TB, Car 79
63 Mike Wallace Mia WR24 Atl, @NO, Bal 64
64 James Jones GB WR25 @Cin, BYE, Det 69
65 Matthew Stafford Det QB9 @Wsh, Chi, @GB 66
66 Giovani Bernard Cin RB28 GB, @Cle, NE 77
67 BenJarvus Green-Ellis Cin RB29 GB, @Cle, NE 63
68 Danny Amendola NE WR26 TB, @Atl, @Cin 43
69 Julian Edelman NE WR27 TB, @Atl, @Cin 78
70 Andrew Luck Ind QB10 @SF, @Jac, Sea 70
71 Vernon Davis SF TE5 Ind, @StL, Hou 62
72 Tavon Austin StL WR28 @Dal, SF, Jac 75
73 Torrey Smith Bal WR29 Hou, @Buf, @Mia 71
74 Antonio Brown Pit WR30 Chi, @Min, BYE 65
75 Steve Johnson Buf WR31 @NYJ, Bal, @Cle 81
76 Russell Wilson Sea QB11 Jac, @Hou, @Ind 76
77 Joique Bell Det RB30 @Wsh, Chi, @GB 73
78 T.Y. Hilton Ind WR32 @SF, @Jac, Sea 87
79 Daryl Richardson StL RB31 @Dal, SF, Jac 80
80 Bernard Pierce Bal RB32 Hou, @Buf, @Mia NR
81 Cecil Shorts Jac WR33 @Sea, Ind, @StL 72
82 Robert Griffin III Wsh QB12 Det, @Oak, BYE 48
83 Julius Thomas Den TE6 Oak, Phi, @Dal 84
84 Greg Olsen Car TE7 NYG, BYE, @Ari NR
85 Ben Tate Hou RB33 @Bal, Sea, @SF 99
86 Mike Williams TB WR34 @NE, Ari, BYE 74
87 Miles Austin Dal WR35 StL, @SD, Den 86
88 Knowshon Moreno Den RB34 Oak, Phi, @Dal NR
89 DeAndre Hopkins Hou WR36 @Bal, Sea, @SF NR
90 Montee Ball Den RB35 Oak, Phi, @Dal 55
91 Greg Jennings Min WR37 Cle, Pit, BYE 91
92 Fred Jackson Buf RB36 @NYJ, Bal, @Cle 92
93 Tony Romo Dal QB13 StL, @SD, Den 82
94 Chris Ivory NYJ RB37 Buf, @Ten, @Atl 85
95 Eddie Royal SD WR38 @Ten, Dal, @Oak NR
96 Bilal Powell NYJ RB38 Buf, @Ten, @Atl 100
97 Lance Moore NO WR39 Ari, Mia, @Chi 95
98 James Starks GB RB39 @Cin, BYE, Det NR
99 Daniel Thomas Mia RB40 Atl, @NO, Bal 96
100 Mark Ingram NO RB41 Ari, Mia, @Chi 90

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</offer>

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]Ranks reaction: Where to rank fill-in RBs?[/h]
[h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
Fantasy football value, at times, is all about a player's opportunity, and other times it's about a player's talent. In the case of [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Atlanta Falcons[/FONT] running back [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Jacquizz Rodgers[/FONT], he's really nothing special. While acknowledging the absence of starting running back [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Steven Jackson[/FONT] to a thigh injury affects many fantasy teams, the fact is his replacement isn't anywhere near the same player, thus he shouldn't be counted on for similar numbers. And this fact shows in our [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Week 3 rankings[/FONT]; my colleagues and I don't view Rodgers as a fantasy starter. Perhaps he's not even a flex option on many teams.

As you make lineup adjustments to account for injured running backs -- Jackson, the[FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Baltimore Ravens[/FONT]' [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ray Rice[/FONT] and the [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Detroit Lions[/FONT]' [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Reggie Bush[/FONT], to name a few -- try to avoid overrating situations like the one in Atlanta. We've seen enough of the diminutive and mostly disappointing Rodgers to know that opportunity doesn't trump talent here. Rodgers does damage in open space, like on screen passes and kick returns, but he hasn't been effective as a pure rusher, and we shouldn't expect that to change now.

My lack of statistical excitement isn't confined to the healthy Falcons running backs. [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Green Bay Packers[/FONT]rookie [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Eddie Lacy[/FONT] (concussion) has already been ruled out for Week 3, and everyone and their mailman is adding [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif]James Starks[/FONT]. I'm actually OK with that. Add the guys who are getting opportunity. But I'm hardly looking to activate Starks unless my other options are equally underwhelming. Starks had a big second half against the defensively awful Washington Redskins in a blowout win Sunday, but he's not a reborn player. In Starks' first 23 regular-season games, he scored two touchdowns and never topped 85 rushing yards. He hasn't duplicated his playoff magic, which was really just one wild-card game anyway. In other words, he doesn't possess the skills or upside of Lacy, so don't assume he effectively replaces him. Frankly, I expect the Falcons and Packers to throw the ball a ton this week with their backup running backs supplying little offense. It's why Rodgers and Starks aren't among my top 30 running backs this week.

There's a difference in Baltimore and Detroit in that those backups are more proven commodities. Bernard Pierce averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a rookie last year, hitting holes with authority and speed and looking like a future top-10 running back should opportunity arise. We don't know yet if Rice is out for Week 3 because of a strained hip flexor. Perhaps Rice and Pierce will split duties like Arian Foster and Ben Tate with theHouston Texans, deflating value all around. I'm not sure I've ever ranked Rice as barely a top-20 running back, but hey, he's not 100 percent healthy and can't be expected to carry a full workload. It's like Roddy White in Atlanta, who missed my top 30 wide receivers. Name value can get overrated, but be realistic with statistical expectations. In Detroit, Joique Bellis really good, a Rodgers-type catching the ball but also large enough to score rushing touchdowns. If we knew Rice and/or Bush would not play this weekend, it's reasonable to exalt their backups to starting status. Even now with the playing time ambiguity, I rank Pierce/Bell better than Rodgers and Starks, and if they're starting, they're top-20 for me.

Quarterback: I wouldn't panic if you own the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton, the New England Patriots' Tom Brady, the Redskins' Robert Griffin III or the Seahawks' Russell Wilson. These guys ended up in my 8-11 rankings spots, starters for me. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs' Alex Smith and Arizona Cardinals' Carson Palmer have the shiny matchups -- against the woeful defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and actually somewhat sturdy New Orleans Saints, respectively -- but I'm sticking with what I drafted. Newton isn't suddenlybad now. He finished fourth in overall scoring a year ago. He's running less, like Griffin, but for different reasons. He should remain a fantasy starter. Brady might or might not get tight end Rob Gronkowski back this week -- I ranked Gronk second at TE, just in case -- but I still rely on him. Garbage-time statistics count just the same as first-quarter ones, for all you Griffin complainers. And Wilson doesn't have to face the San Francisco 49ers again for a while. This week it's the Jacksonville Jaguars. Come on.

Running back: I can't say I thought I'd be ranking Denver Broncos veteranKnowshon Moreno in my top 15 at any point this season, but there he is for a satisfying home matchup with theOakland Raiders. It doesn't mean rookie Montee Ball won't ever take over the Broncos' lead-back duties, but Moreno is the man today. … It's hard to trust the Jaguars' Maurice Jones-Drewwith a sprained ankle and a tough matchup. The Seahawks have allowed 10 points this season. The Jaguars have scored 11. Stay away. … If you own Stevan Ridley, you're perfectly within your rights to never play him again. But he made my top 20 this week. … I feel less confident in New York Giants afterthought David Wilson, though I ranked him better than Rodgers and Starks. Know why? He is better. The Giants are 0-2. Just give the kid 25 touches already. … I like Cincinnati Bengals rookie Giovani Bernard a tad better than BenJarvus Green-Ellis for fantasy purposes, but I think we know the team is treating this as a timeshare. Neither is more than a flex choice. … As for Atlanta's Jackson, he's 30 years old. It's the reason I avoided him in all drafts. It generally takes older players longer to recover from injury.

Wide receiver: No surprises in my top 10, though DeSean Jackson has forced his way in. At this point, we should rely on Michael Vick and Jackson while they're a lethal combination. … Of course, no running back or wide receiver has more standard fantasy points than Jackson, who is tied with Eddie Royal at 41 points. Royal is my No. 30 wide receiver. As with Starks, add him, but aim to trade him. Starks will be the better flex play based on expected touches, though. … Everyone loves Julian Edelman again this week, but why would his Week 3 numbers be significantly different than Week 2? Sure, in PPR formats, he's top-10. In standard leagues, he's not top-20 for me. … I might never like the Chiefs' Dwayne Bowemore than I do against Philly's sorry secondary. … Same with Washington's Pierre Garconagainst Detroit. So what if most of his numbers come after halftime? … Some might want the likes of rookies Tavon Austin and DeAndre Hopkins ranked considerably better. There's so much wide receiver depth that it's tough to move them ahead of still-viable veterans such as Mike Wallace and Anquan Boldin. And yes, many of you should be using wide receivers at the flex spot by now.

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]Fantasy hints from target data[/h][h=3]Why Sanders, Hopkins and Bess are worth your consideration[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Ken Daube[/FONT] | Special to ESPN.com

There are 43 players in the NFL with more targets, and another 13 players with the same number of targets, as Eddie Royal this season (14). Of those 56 players, only 20 have multiple touchdowns, while Royal sits atop the NFL with five receiving scores.
Going into this season, Royal's career featured one touchdown for almost every 30 targets. This season, he's scoring once every 2.8 targets. To say that Royal's performance has been an statistical anomaly is an understatement. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have real fantasy value, just that we need to be clear on just what his future expectation should be.
Wide receivers who averaged between 6.5 and 7.5 targets per game last season -- important because Royal is at seven per game this year -- averaged just less than eight fantasy points per game. That projects to about 128 fantasy points for a full season, which would rank just outside of the top 30 options at the wide receiver position.
Because you don't get fantasy points for past production, look beyond Royal's current ranking as the No. 1 overall wide receiver, and instead evaluate him on what his production for all intents and purposes should be -- a borderline No. 3 receiver on a fantasy squad.
[h=3]On target[/h]Receiving yardage is the most variable form of yardage, which makes sense because so much of it is dependent on where the quarterback elects to throw the ball. Because of this, variations in the number of times a player is targeted by his quarterback can greatly change a player's value. So while your receiver may have scored 10 fantasy points this weekend, you need to know if it's reasonable to expect that he can repeat that type of performance on a routine basis.
If he had one target that he turned into a 40-yard touchdown, you need to realize that he was one quarterback decision away from posting a goose egg. Conversely, if your wideout had 12 targets and finished with 108 yards receiving, his prospects for consistent fantasy production are significantly greater.
Below, you'll see all the players who are averaging eight or more targets through Week 2 and how many of those targets were on plays that began in the red zone during Week 2.
Note: Targets are not an official NFL statistic. Based on the methodology that stat services use, the number of targets listed may be different than target values listed elsewhere. ESPN Stats & Information's philosophy is to count a target when the analyst thinks the pass was actually intended for the player. Therefore, if a quarterback is obviously throwing a ball away, the analyst will not record a target for that pass. This gives a truer representation of what a target is, a pass thrown to a particular player with the intent for that player to catch the ball, and therefore should be more helpful to the fantasy community.
[h=3]Fantasy insights based on data through Week 2[/h][h=4]Week 2 Targets Report[/h]

Player	Targets*	RZ
Andre Johnson	14	0
Julian Edelman	13.5	3
A.J. Green	13.5	2
Vincent Jackson	12	0
DeSean Jackson	12	1
Cecil Shorts	12	0
Jimmy Graham	11.5	0
Julio Jones	11	0
E. Sanders	11	0
Brian Hartline	11	0
Torrey Smith	10.5	0
Pierre Garcon	10.5	2
K. Thompkins	10.5	0
Eric Decker	10.5	2
Anquan Boldin	10.5	0
Steve Smith	10	2
Dez Bryant	10	2
Brandon Marshall	10	1
Wes Welker	9.5	1
Victor Cruz	9.5	2
Tavon Austin	9.5	5
Randall Cobb	9.5	3
Larry Fitzgerald	9.5	0
Greg Little	9.5	0
DeAndre Hopkins	9.5	2
Brandon Myers	9.5	1
Davone Bess	9	1
Andre Roberts	9	0
T.Y. Hilton	8.5	0
Miles Austin	8.5	0
Matt Forte	8.5	1
Jordan Cameron	8.5	0
Jason Witten	8.5	0
Steve Johnson	8	3
Reggie Wayne	8	1
Mike Wallace	8	1
Jerricho Cotchery	8	0
Jamaal Charles	8	2
Hakeem Nicks	8	0
D. Thomas	8	1
Calvin Johnson	8	1
Ace Sanders	8	0
*Target data presented here is average number of targets through first two weeks.

• For as long as the New England Patriots are without Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman is a clear No. 1 receiver. That being said, expect theTampa Bay Buccaneers to blanket Edelman withDarrelle Revis this week, which makes Edelman non-start worthy, even if Gronkowski sits out again.
• For those in deep leagues, Ace Sanders should be on your long-range radar. Much was made of the Jacksonville Jaguars' drafting Denard Robinson and listing his position as "offensive weapon." Sanders has the skills to be utilized in such a multidimensional role, and it shouldn't surprise you if his opportunities rise over the next couple of weeks, regardless of which quarterback is behind center.
• After many seasons of hearing that theHouston Texans didn't have a viable receiving option not named Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins is finally fitting the bill. Hopkins needs to be owned in all formats and has the talent and opportunity to finish the year as the No. 1 rookie wide receiver in fantasy.
• A week after dominating the Green Bay Packers, Anquan Boldin was shut out by Seattle Seahawks lockdown corner Richard Sherman. While the first two weeks of the season featured a display of the extremes of which Boldin is capable, the reality is that his expected production is somewhere in between those two performances. Look for Boldin to produce on pace to be a top-15 wide receiver for the season.
• For those in point-per-reception leagues,Davone Bess has long been an under-the-radar performer. With a move to Cleveland, it wasn't clear if he would still fit that billing. With 18 targets over the first two weeks, it's safe to say that Bess will remain fantasy relevant in those formats.
• If you are debating who the third-best tight end in fantasy will be for the rest of the season, you definitely should be considering Jordan Cameron for that honor. He has caught 14 of his 20 targets for 203 yards and a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has very successfully utilized tight ends within his offensive schemes in the past, and it appears that Cameron may very well follow in those footsteps.
[h=3]Big plays and up close[/h]There were 11 NFL players who totaled three or more rushes that gained at least 10 yards. They were: James Starks (5), Doug Martin (5), Knowshon Moreno (4), Darren McFadden (4),Colin Kaepernick (4), Arian Foster (4), Matt Forte (3), Marshawn Lynch (3), Chris Johnson(3), C.J. Spiller (3) and Ben Tate (3).
Meanwhile, there were only four players with at least two carries that originated from their opponent's 5-yard line or closer. They were Brandon Jacobs (3), Foster (3), Mark Ingram (2) and Ahmad Bradshaw (2).
The demise of Foster has apparently been greatly exaggerated. He finished Week 2 as the only player with at least two runs of over 10 yards and at least two carries from his opponent's 5-yard line or closer. Houston's coaches may make mention of splitting carries closer to 50-50 between Foster and Tate, but when push comes to shove, Foster is their go-to guy.
Many fantasy players are going to utilize high waiver priority on Starks this week. Don't be one of those guys, unless you are desperate for a running back. The Packers are still committed to Eddie Lacy and the best-case scenario for Starks is a timeshare that doesn't involve goal-line action.
"Swings and misses a bit too often" and "doesn't anchor well" were phrases used to describe Montee Ball's blocking skills before the NFL draft. If you want to know why theDenver Broncos are riding Moreno right now, that's all you need to know. While some might expect Ball to get more opportunities if he improves his blocking capabilities, Moreno is taking the choice away from the Broncos coaches with his rejuvenated play.
Johnson and McFadden were usually drafted by unenthusiastic owners this year and while conventional wisdom was that Johnson would have the better season, McFadden is quietly putting up great numbers. McFadden's 79 yards after contact this season trail only Tate (103) and Martin (85). It seems that the Oakland Raiders have found an offensive scheme that works, and McFadden is the beneficiary of that.
[h=3]Red zone play calling chart[/h]Below is a listing of the percentage of run and pass plays each team has executed so far in the red zone this season. I recommend using it to identify running backs whose values are skewed due to lack of touchdowns -- guys such as Trent Richardson, Daryl Richardson andAlfred Morris fit the bill.
[h=4]Red Zone Play Calling Chart[/h]

Team	Rush Percentage	Pass Percentage
Arizona Cardinals	33%	67%
Atlanta Falcons	29%	71%
Baltimore Ravens	45%	55%
Buffalo Bills	40%	60%
Carolina Panthers	53%	47%
Chicago Bears	35%	65%
Cincinnati Bengals	58%	42%
Cleveland Browns	18%	82%
Dallas Cowboys	31%	69%
Denver Broncos	33%	67%
Detroit Lions	45%	55%
Green Bay Packers	42%	58%
Houston Texans	32%	68%
Indianapolis Colts	41%	59%
Jacksonville Jaguars	25%	75%
Kansas City Chiefs	45%	55%
Miami Dolphins	67%	33%
Minnesota Vikings	53%	47%
New England Patriots	43%	57%
New Orleans Saints	38%	63%
New York Giants	29%	71%
New York Jets	50%	50%
Oakland Raiders	55%	45%
Philadelphia Eagles	61%	39%
Pittsburgh Steelers	20%	80%
San Diego Chargers	16%	84%
Seattle Seahawks	67%	33%
San Francisco 49ers	55%	45%
St. Louis Rams	19%	81%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	50%	50%
Tennessee Titans	76%	24%
Washington Redskins	29%	71%
League Average	42%	58%

In closing, some shameless self-promotion.

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]Fantasy hints from target data[/h][h=3]Why Sanders, Hopkins and Bess are worth your consideration[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Ken Daube[/FONT] | Special to ESPN.com

There are 43 players in the NFL with more targets, and another 13 players with the same number of targets, as Eddie Royal this season (14). Of those 56 players, only 20 have multiple touchdowns, while Royal sits atop the NFL with five receiving scores.
Going into this season, Royal's career featured one touchdown for almost every 30 targets. This season, he's scoring once every 2.8 targets. To say that Royal's performance has been an statistical anomaly is an understatement. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have real fantasy value, just that we need to be clear on just what his future expectation should be.
Wide receivers who averaged between 6.5 and 7.5 targets per game last season -- important because Royal is at seven per game this year -- averaged just less than eight fantasy points per game. That projects to about 128 fantasy points for a full season, which would rank just outside of the top 30 options at the wide receiver position.
Because you don't get fantasy points for past production, look beyond Royal's current ranking as the No. 1 overall wide receiver, and instead evaluate him on what his production for all intents and purposes should be -- a borderline No. 3 receiver on a fantasy squad.
[h=3]On target[/h]Receiving yardage is the most variable form of yardage, which makes sense because so much of it is dependent on where the quarterback elects to throw the ball. Because of this, variations in the number of times a player is targeted by his quarterback can greatly change a player's value. So while your receiver may have scored 10 fantasy points this weekend, you need to know if it's reasonable to expect that he can repeat that type of performance on a routine basis.
If he had one target that he turned into a 40-yard touchdown, you need to realize that he was one quarterback decision away from posting a goose egg. Conversely, if your wideout had 12 targets and finished with 108 yards receiving, his prospects for consistent fantasy production are significantly greater.
Below, you'll see all the players who are averaging eight or more targets through Week 2 and how many of those targets were on plays that began in the red zone during Week 2.
Note: Targets are not an official NFL statistic. Based on the methodology that stat services use, the number of targets listed may be different than target values listed elsewhere. ESPN Stats & Information's philosophy is to count a target when the analyst thinks the pass was actually intended for the player. Therefore, if a quarterback is obviously throwing a ball away, the analyst will not record a target for that pass. This gives a truer representation of what a target is, a pass thrown to a particular player with the intent for that player to catch the ball, and therefore should be more helpful to the fantasy community.
[h=3]Fantasy insights based on data through Week 2[/h][h=4]Week 2 Targets Report[/h]

Player	Targets*	RZ
Andre Johnson	14	0
Julian Edelman	13.5	3
A.J. Green	13.5	2
Vincent Jackson	12	0
DeSean Jackson	12	1
Cecil Shorts	12	0
Jimmy Graham	11.5	0
Julio Jones	11	0
E. Sanders	11	0
Brian Hartline	11	0
Torrey Smith	10.5	0
Pierre Garcon	10.5	2
K. Thompkins	10.5	0
Eric Decker	10.5	2
Anquan Boldin	10.5	0
Steve Smith	10	2
Dez Bryant	10	2
Brandon Marshall	10	1
Wes Welker	9.5	1
Victor Cruz	9.5	2
Tavon Austin	9.5	5
Randall Cobb	9.5	3
Larry Fitzgerald	9.5	0
Greg Little	9.5	0
DeAndre Hopkins	9.5	2
Brandon Myers	9.5	1
Davone Bess	9	1
Andre Roberts	9	0
T.Y. Hilton	8.5	0
Miles Austin	8.5	0
Matt Forte	8.5	1
Jordan Cameron	8.5	0
Jason Witten	8.5	0
Steve Johnson	8	3
Reggie Wayne	8	1
Mike Wallace	8	1
Jerricho Cotchery	8	0
Jamaal Charles	8	2
Hakeem Nicks	8	0
D. Thomas	8	1
Calvin Johnson	8	1
Ace Sanders	8	0
*Target data presented here is average number of targets through first two weeks.

• For as long as the New England Patriots are without Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman is a clear No. 1 receiver. That being said, expect theTampa Bay Buccaneers to blanket Edelman withDarrelle Revis this week, which makes Edelman non-start worthy, even if Gronkowski sits out again.
• For those in deep leagues, Ace Sanders should be on your long-range radar. Much was made of the Jacksonville Jaguars' drafting Denard Robinson and listing his position as "offensive weapon." Sanders has the skills to be utilized in such a multidimensional role, and it shouldn't surprise you if his opportunities rise over the next couple of weeks, regardless of which quarterback is behind center.
• After many seasons of hearing that theHouston Texans didn't have a viable receiving option not named Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins is finally fitting the bill. Hopkins needs to be owned in all formats and has the talent and opportunity to finish the year as the No. 1 rookie wide receiver in fantasy.
• A week after dominating the Green Bay Packers, Anquan Boldin was shut out by Seattle Seahawks lockdown corner Richard Sherman. While the first two weeks of the season featured a display of the extremes of which Boldin is capable, the reality is that his expected production is somewhere in between those two performances. Look for Boldin to produce on pace to be a top-15 wide receiver for the season.
• For those in point-per-reception leagues,Davone Bess has long been an under-the-radar performer. With a move to Cleveland, it wasn't clear if he would still fit that billing. With 18 targets over the first two weeks, it's safe to say that Bess will remain fantasy relevant in those formats.
• If you are debating who the third-best tight end in fantasy will be for the rest of the season, you definitely should be considering Jordan Cameron for that honor. He has caught 14 of his 20 targets for 203 yards and a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has very successfully utilized tight ends within his offensive schemes in the past, and it appears that Cameron may very well follow in those footsteps.
[h=3]Big plays and up close[/h]There were 11 NFL players who totaled three or more rushes that gained at least 10 yards. They were: James Starks (5), Doug Martin (5), Knowshon Moreno (4), Darren McFadden (4),Colin Kaepernick (4), Arian Foster (4), Matt Forte (3), Marshawn Lynch (3), Chris Johnson(3), C.J. Spiller (3) and Ben Tate (3).
Meanwhile, there were only four players with at least two carries that originated from their opponent's 5-yard line or closer. They were Brandon Jacobs (3), Foster (3), Mark Ingram (2) and Ahmad Bradshaw (2).
The demise of Foster has apparently been greatly exaggerated. He finished Week 2 as the only player with at least two runs of over 10 yards and at least two carries from his opponent's 5-yard line or closer. Houston's coaches may make mention of splitting carries closer to 50-50 between Foster and Tate, but when push comes to shove, Foster is their go-to guy.
Many fantasy players are going to utilize high waiver priority on Starks this week. Don't be one of those guys, unless you are desperate for a running back. The Packers are still committed to Eddie Lacy and the best-case scenario for Starks is a timeshare that doesn't involve goal-line action.
"Swings and misses a bit too often" and "doesn't anchor well" were phrases used to describe Montee Ball's blocking skills before the NFL draft. If you want to know why theDenver Broncos are riding Moreno right now, that's all you need to know. While some might expect Ball to get more opportunities if he improves his blocking capabilities, Moreno is taking the choice away from the Broncos coaches with his rejuvenated play.
Johnson and McFadden were usually drafted by unenthusiastic owners this year and while conventional wisdom was that Johnson would have the better season, McFadden is quietly putting up great numbers. McFadden's 79 yards after contact this season trail only Tate (103) and Martin (85). It seems that the Oakland Raiders have found an offensive scheme that works, and McFadden is the beneficiary of that.
[h=3]Red zone play calling chart[/h]Below is a listing of the percentage of run and pass plays each team has executed so far in the red zone this season. I recommend using it to identify running backs whose values are skewed due to lack of touchdowns -- guys such as Trent Richardson, Daryl Richardson andAlfred Morris fit the bill.
[h=4]Red Zone Play Calling Chart[/h]

Team	Rush Percentage	Pass Percentage
Arizona Cardinals	33%	67%
Atlanta Falcons	29%	71%
Baltimore Ravens	45%	55%
Buffalo Bills	40%	60%
Carolina Panthers	53%	47%
Chicago Bears	35%	65%
Cincinnati Bengals	58%	42%
Cleveland Browns	18%	82%
Dallas Cowboys	31%	69%
Denver Broncos	33%	67%
Detroit Lions	45%	55%
Green Bay Packers	42%	58%
Houston Texans	32%	68%
Indianapolis Colts	41%	59%
Jacksonville Jaguars	25%	75%
Kansas City Chiefs	45%	55%
Miami Dolphins	67%	33%
Minnesota Vikings	53%	47%
New England Patriots	43%	57%
New Orleans Saints	38%	63%
New York Giants	29%	71%
New York Jets	50%	50%
Oakland Raiders	55%	45%
Philadelphia Eagles	61%	39%
Pittsburgh Steelers	20%	80%
San Diego Chargers	16%	84%
Seattle Seahawks	67%	33%
San Francisco 49ers	55%	45%
St. Louis Rams	19%	81%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	50%	50%
Tennessee Titans	76%	24%
Washington Redskins	29%	71%
League Average	42%	58%

In closing, some shameless self-promotion.

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]Players with best scoring chances[/h][h=3]Fantasy players with most TD opportunities through first two weeks[/h]
By Mike Clay | Pro Football Focus

Week 2 of the NFL season is in the books, which means it's time to take a look at our alternative to red zone data -- opportunity-adjusted touchdowns -- through 32 regular-season games.
If you're new to the stat, be sure to check out our introduction to rushing and receivingoTD. The metric oTD weighs every carry/target and converts the data into one number that indicates a player's scoring opportunity -- a more refined way to discern how likely a player is to find the end zone.
What can oTD tell us after two weeks? For starters, things look good for fantasy owners who have Arian Foster and A.J. Green.
Rushing
[h=4]Rushing oTD leaders after Week 2[/h]

Rk	Rusher	Att	TD	2013 oTD	Wk 2 oTD
1	Arian Foster	37	1	1.9	1.7
2	Matt Forte	38	1	1.4	0.6
3	Brandon Jacobs	7	1	1.3	1.3
4	Mark Ingram	17	0	1.3	1.1
5	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	36	1	1.2	0.3
6	Frank Gore	30	1	1.2	0.3
7	Adrian Peterson	43	2	1.1	0.6
8	Darren McFadden	35	1	1.0	0.2
9	Reggie Bush	31	0	1.0	0.0
10	Joique Bell	14	2	1.0	0.0
11	Marshawn Lynch	45	2	0.9	0.8
12	Rashad Jennings	6	0	0.9	0.0
13	Ahmad Bradshaw	22	1	0.9	0.8
14	Chris Johnson	50	0	0.8	0.3
15	Ray Rice	25	1	0.8	0.1
16	Rashard Mendenhall	31	1	0.8	0.7
17	LeSean McCoy	42	1	0.8	0.0
18	David Wilson	14	0	0.7	0.1
19	DeMarco Murray	32	0	0.7	0.6
20	Jamaal Charles	32	1	0.7	0.1
21	Shane Vereen	14	0	0.7	0.0
22	Daniel Thomas	16	1	0.6	0.0
23	Bernard Pierce	28	1	0.6	0.5
24	Eddie Lacy	15	1	0.6	0.0
25	Maurice Jones-Drew	25	0	0.5	0.5
26	Montee Ball	20	0	0.5	0.3
27	Charles Clay	1	1	0.5	0.5
28	Trent Richardson	31	0	0.5	0.4
29	Bryce Brown	12	0	0.5	0.3
30	Pierre Thomas	14	0	0.4	0.4
31	Doug Martin	53	1	0.4	0.2
32	Steven Jackson	14	0	0.4	0.0
33	Jackie Battle	14	1	0.4	0.0
34	Daryl Richardson	30	0	0.4	0.0
35	Bilal Powell	21	1	0.4	0.4
36	DeAngelo Williams	36	0	0.4	0.3
37	Da'Rel Scott	10	0	0.4	0.4
38	Fred Jackson	25	1	0.4	0.3
39	C.J. Spiller	33	0	0.3	0.3
40	James Starks	20	1	0.3	0.3

Foster (1.9) is sharing backfield duties with Ben Tate (0.2) but is certainly not without scoring opportunities. Through two weeks of play, no player has enjoyed a clearer path to the league lead in rushing touchdowns. Last season's rushing oTD leader, Foster racked up a whopping four carries from inside Tennessee's 3-yard line on Sunday afternoon. He came up short on a pair of attempts from the 2-yard line, but was able to convert on one of two tries from 1 yard out. Only one of Foster's other 20 carries came within 30 yards of pay dirt, but that was more than enough to boost him into a commanding lead in the category.
The Giants re-signed Brandon Jacobs (1.3) last week and immediately threw him into the mix as the squad's primary goal-line back. Jacobs handled three carries inside the opponent's 5-yard line on Sunday, and the big man scored once on two tries from 1 yard out. Only Foster added more to his oTD total in Week 2.
Say what you want about the underwhelming production of Mark Ingram (1.3), but don't claim he's without scoring opportunities. New Orleans' "lead" back has seen only 17 carries through two games, but two were tries from the opponent's 1-yard line. Both came against Tampa Bay in Week 2 and neither was converted into a touchdown.
Ahmad Bradshaw (0.9) is a name to watch since Vick Ballard is out for the season. In Bradshaw's first game as the Colts' clear-cut lead back, he handled carries from 1 and 5 yards out, scoring on the former. Donald Brown (0.1) was no closer than 19 yards from the end zone on any of his seven carries. He won't be a threat to steal goal-line carries.
No player has done more with less in the rushing oTD department than Knowshon Moreno(0.2) this season. Denver's lead back has yet to see a carry inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Still, he's found pay dirt twice, scoring from 20 and 25 yards out. He's a borderline top-25 fantasy back, at best.
Darren Sproles' rushing oTD (0.1) is the lowest in the league among backs with at least 15 carries this season. Of his 15 attempts, 11 have come on the wrong side of the 50-yard line.
Receiving
Note: Remember that receiving oTD is based on the player's distance from the end zone when he is targeted -- not the line of scrimmage. This allows us to properly weight throws into the end zone.
[h=4]Receiving oTD leaders after Week 2[/h]

Rk	Receiver	Targ	TD	2013 oTD	Wk 2 oTD
1	A.J. Green	26	2	2.0	0.9
2	Martellus Bennett	14	3	1.9	1.5
3	Eddie Royal	14	5	1.8	0.8
4	Victor Cruz	18	3	1.7	0.9
5	Wes Welker	19	3	1.7	0.5
6	Julian Edelman	27	2	1.7	0.6
7	Kenbrell Thompkins	20	0	1.6	0.4
8	Vernon Davis	14	2	1.6	0.4
9	Larry Fitzgerald	19	2	1.6	0.0
10	Michael Floyd	13	0	1.6	1.1
11	Brandon Myers	18	1	1.6	0.4
12	DeAndre Hopkins	19	1	1.5	1.0
13	Brandon Marshall	20	2	1.4	1.0
14	Calvin Johnson	17	2	1.4	0.4
15	Steve Johnson	16	2	1.3	0.9
16	Jordy Nelson	15	3	1.3	0.7
17	Tony Gonzalez	13	1	1.2	0.5
18	Marlon Brown	12	2	1.2	0.8
19	Jason Witten	17	2	1.2	0.1
20	Reggie Wayne	16	1	1.2	0.8
21	Garrett Graham	9	2	1.1	0.7
22	Tavon Austin	18	2	1.1	0.9
23	Owen Daniels	11	3	1.1	0.4
24	Anquan Boldin	20	1	1.0	0.0
25	Pierre Garcon	22	1	1.0	0.5
26	Randall Cobb	17	2	1.0	0.7
27	T.Y. Hilton	16	0	1.0	0.5
28	DeSean Jackson	23	2	1.0	0.5
29	Jared Cook	14	2	1.0	0.0
30	Alshon Jeffery	12	0	0.9	0.8
31	Dez Bryant	20	1	0.9	0.9
32	Coby Fleener	8	1	0.9	0.9
33	Leonard Hankerson	9	2	0.9	0.2
34	Julius Thomas	16	3	0.9	0.5
35	Rueben Randle	15	0	0.9	0.8
36	Clyde Gates	11	0	0.9	0.5
37	Jermichael Finley	15	2	0.9	0.4
38	Denarius Moore	8	1	0.9	0.0
39	Harry Douglas	11	0	0.8	0.0
40	Kyle Rudolph	9	1	0.8	0.8

Through two weeks of play, Green (2.0) paces the league in receiving oTD. Andy Dalton's favorite target has already seen four targets inside the end zone and has another look from 4 yards out. Green has converted only one of the five into a score. Green's only other touchdown this season came on a catch-and-run from the opponent's 15-yard line.
Here is a fine example of the value of oTD: Of the top 26 players in receiving oTD this season, only two have yet to find pay dirt. In addition, 18 of the 26 have already scored at least twice and six have found the end zone on three or more occasions.
So who are the two exceptions?
The first is Michael Floyd (1.6). One week after his teammate, Larry Fitzgerald (1.6), paced the entire league in receiving oTD, Floyd led all wide receivers in Week 2. The Cardinals' sophomore wideout racked up two end zone targets and saw two additional looks inside the opponent's 8-yard line. Add that to targets at the 2- and 8-yard line in Week 1 and you have a guy who should've scored once or twice already this season. Floyd is an obvious buy-low target this week.
The other exception is Kenbrell Thompkins (1.6). The undrafted rookie quickly elevated himself to second on the Patriots' wide receiver depth chart with an excellent preseason, but he has struggled through two regular-season games. Still, the opportunity for a breakout remains. Thompkins has seen three red zone targets in two games, the most notable of which was a diving attempt that had to be overturned via replay last Thursday. With his stock currently trending downward, Thompkins isn't a bad trade target -- just don't sell the house.
Eddie Royal (1.8) is on everyone's radar this week after scoring not once, not twice, but three times against the Eagles on Sunday. That brings his touchdown total to five this year, which equals his total from the past four seasons and matches his career high in 2008. Despite averaging an absurd 2.5 touchdowns-per-game through two weeks of play, Royal is amazingly only third in receiving oTD. San Diego's slot man has seen three end zone targets this season but has scored on only one. His other four scores have come after catches at the opponent's 3-, 6-, 9- and 18-yard line. There's obviously no chance Royal will keep up this scoring pace, but he did have one heck of a week.
Despite setting the all-time NFL record for fewest receiving yards on 13 or more receptions last week, Julian Edelman remains outside the top five in receiving oTD (1.7). Only one of Edelman's 18 targets on Thursday came while he was inside the confines of the end zone, and his next closest to pay dirt was from 13 yards out. Edelman will maintain WR1 value in PPR formats as long as Danny Amendola is out of action.
Julius Thomas (0.9) is a regression candidate when you consider that he's yet to actually be targeted in the end zone, despite scoring three times already this season. Thomas' scores have come from distances of 1, 3 and 5 yards out.
No wide receiver with at least 10 targets this season has a lower oTD than Stephen Hill(0.1). None of Hill's 14 targets has come inside the opponent's 25-yard line. Considering his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, that doesn't make a ton of sense. Expect Hill's usage to change going forward, as he remains an under-the-radar breakout candidate.

HacheMan · Sep 18, 2013

[h=1]Best/worst Week 3 matchups[/h][h=3]Why Matthew Stafford, Marques Colston and others are strong starts[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Scott Kacsmar[/FONT] | Football Outsiders

In a perfect fantasy world, players would never get injured -- but that is the unfortunate reality of the game. Last week I recommended Eddie Lacy as a good start against Washington's porous defense. He ran for 10 yards on his first carry, but a big hit to the head by safety Brandon Meriweather knocked him out of the game with a concussion. Lacy's day was done after one touch.
Backup James Starks stepped in with 20 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown. That broke a streak of 44 regular-season games without a 100-yard rusher in Green Bay, which says a lot about how bad Washington's defense is playing. Given what Starks did, it's likely Lacy would have had a big day, too.
That's just the type of tough break (or bad luck) that comes with football, real or fantasy. No matter how much logic we use to set our lineups, there are elements out of our control.
One strategy that worked well this week was to trust good players on good teams following bad weeks. While some overreact to a bad game or two, you should trust players in these situations to get back on track (regress to the mean).
Denver wide receiver Eric Decker had an ugly opener against Baltimore with multiple drops and just two catches for 32 yards. In Week 2, Peyton Manning got him involved early and often as Decker finished with nine catches for 87 yards on 13 targets.
Mike Wallace complained about a lack of production (15 yards) in Week 1 in his Miami debut. He had nine catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in Indianapolis.
Even better, Green Bay's James Jones had no catches in San Francisco and only two targets. He exploded against Washington with 11 catches for 178 yards.
Some players are studs you just trust on a weekly basis to put up the numbers, but elite talents such as Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson are rare. For some of these lower-tier players who run hot and cold, you have to try to catch them (or flex them in most cases) after a cold game, but do not trust them every week. As good as Decker and Jones played in Week 2, that may just be a sign that Demaryius Thomas and Jordy Nelson will be the players to go off in Week 3.
Here are the best and worst fantasy matchups for Week 3.

[h=3]Quarterbacks[/h]Matthew Stafford (plus-4 points)
Stafford is usually a good fantasy start anyway because of his high volume of passes, and of course the benefit of having Johnson, who had two touchdowns last week. In Week 3, he may have one of his best matchups ever. <offer>Have you seen the Washington Redskins play defense this season? Keep in mind Jim Haslett's group played terribly to start last season, too, surrendering more than 300 yards and three touchdown passes to their first three opponents. Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers have combined for 683 yards, six touchdown passes and no interceptions. Stafford may struggle to beat good teams, but the league's worst defense is a juicy situation for him in terms of fantasy football.</offer>
[h=4]Players with Favorable Matchups[/h]Based on defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). For the methodology, click here.

Pos	Team	Name	+/- Fan. Pts
QB	IND	Andrew Luck	+4
QB	DET	Matthew Stafford	+4
QB	CIN	Andy Dalton	+4
QB	MIA	Ryan Tannehill	+3
QB	KC	Alex Smith	+3
RB	DET	Reggie Bush	+2
RB	CLE	Trent Richardson	+2
RB	TEN	Chris Johnson	+2
RB	SF	Frank Gore	+2
QB	CAR	Cam Newton	+1
RB	CHI	Matt Forte	+1
QB	DAL	Tony Romo	+1
WR	IND	Reggie Wayne	+1
WR	MIA	Mike Wallace	+1
WR	KC	Dwayne Bowe	+1
WR	IND	T.Y. Hilton	+1
TE	IND	Coby Fleener	+1
TE	CIN	Jermaine Gresham	+1
WR	NO	Marques Colston	+1
TE	CIN	Tyler Eifert	+1

Andy Dalton (plus-4 points)
This one may come as a surprise, but Dalton has a solid matchup against a Green Bay defense that has done little to stop the pass this season. Obviously there's a lot of great receiving talent for him in Cincinnati, but if the Packers find a way to open up a big lead, that's good for garbage time as Robert Griffin III showed last week by finishing with 320 yards and three touchdowns. Dalton had just 48 drop-backs against the Steelers (no turnovers), so it does appear the Bengals are willing to lean on him more this season.
Tom Brady (minus-5 points)
While it's hard to imagine Brady could have a third straight game below replacement level, this offense does not look good right now. Danny Amendola is out and Rob Gronkowski is only 50-50 to play. Until those guys are back, Brady is not the safe start he used to be. Tampa Bay's defense played well against Drew Brees -- that side of the ball is not the big problem for the Buccaneers right now.
[h=3]Running backs[/h]Frank Gore (plus-2 points)
He may be 30 years old, but let's not bury Gore just yet. With the idea of "good players on good teams after bad weeks" in mind, Gore has a nice matchup this week. Of course, Gore has had two bad weeks already, as the 49ers' running game has produced just 81 yards and one touchdown on 38 handoffs. After that 29-3 embarrassment in Seattle, expect this offense to get back to the ground game. It will help that the Colts are 30th against the run and the 49ers will be at home instead of in Seattle. Expect to see San Francisco dominate the trenches, which should produce a good day for Gore.
Adrian Peterson (minus-4 points)
Obviously, Peterson owners are not going to bench him any time soon, but you can use our plus/minus system to help set up the rest of your lineup. If we project Peterson will not have a good day, then maybe you need to shore up your WR and TE slots. Peterson's bad matchup is based on Cleveland having the No. 3 run defense. It's a good defense, but the Browns are 0-2 due to a lousy offense. In Week 1 the Browns held Miami to 17 yards on 18 carries, and Ray Rice had just 13 carries for 36 yards against them last weekend. After taking his first carry of the season 78 yards for a touchdown, Peterson has 43 carries for 115 yards (2.67 yards per carry). So this is a new season, and things feel a little different for AD.
[h=3]Wide Receivers[/h][h=4]Players with Unfavorable Matchups[/h]Based on defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). For the methodology, click here.

Pos	Team	Name	+/- Fan. Pts
QB	NE	Tom Brady	-5
QB	ATL	Matt Ryan	-5
QB	PHI	Michael Vick	-5
RB	MIN	Adrian Peterson	-4
QB	ARI	Carson Palmer	-3
RB	DAL	DeMarco Murray	-2
RB	NO	Darren Sproles	-2
QB	WAS	Robert Griffin III	-2
QB	SEA	Russell Wilson	-1
RB	HOU	Arian Foster	-1
QB	SD	Philip Rivers	-1
RB	NO	Mark Ingram	-1
QB	OAK	Terrelle Pryor	-1
RB	MIA	Lamar Miller	-1
RB	NE	Stevan Ridley	-1
RB	SD	Ryan Mathews	-1
RB	GB	Eddie Lacy	-1
RB	HOU	Ben Tate	-1
RB	MIA	Daniel Thomas	-1
WR	PHI	DeSean Jackson	-1

Marques Colston (plus-1 point)
Colston is one of the most underrated receivers in football. He's on pace for his seventh season with at least 70 catches and 1,000 yards, yet has never made the Pro Bowl. Colston plays the Cardinals this week. Yes, Patrick Peterson is good, but the Cardinals have not been so hot against the pass this year (ranked 26th), allowing huge games to Jared Cook and Calvin Johnson. Colston also loves to work the seams and can get open against anyone. With the Saints scoring only 39 points in two games, expect things to open up this week in the Superdome. Colston is usually a big part when that happens.
DeSean Jackson (minus-1 point)
Many people will sell high on Jackson now because he leads the league with 297 receiving yards. He's had more than 100 yards in back-to-back games. When he's done that in the four occasions in his career, this is how he did in the third game in receiving yards: 40, 1, 33 and 19. The other unfavorable factors in this matchup: Andy Reid knows Jackson's strengths and weaknesses well, Brandon Flowers is a good cornerback, the Chiefs have played solid defense and the game is on Thursday. If you have not noticed, the quality of Thursday night games on a short week has been pretty suspect (read: sloppy).
[h=3]Tight Ends[/h]Tyler Eifert (plus-1 point)
Rookie tight ends rarely make an impact, but Eifert has looked good for the Bengals. He caught all five of his targets in Week 1 for 47 yards and he was wide open for a 61-yard catch-and-run against the Steelers. With aforementioned expectations of a lot of passes in this game against Green Bay, Eifert may find the end zone for the first time in his career. The Packers have allowed the second-most points to tight ends this season.

[h=3]Elite players[/h]These are the elite fantasy players for Week 3 not listed in the above tables. You will want to start these players regardless of matchup on a weekly basis.
[h=4]Week 3 Projections for Elite Players[/h]

Pos	Team	Name	Proj	Pos	Team	Name	Proj
QB	NO	Drew Brees	+1	RB	PHI	LeSean McCoy	-2
QB	DEN	Peyton Manning	0	TE	NO	Jimmy Graham	+1
QB	GB	Aaron Rodgers	0	WR	CIN	A.J. Green	+1
RB	SEA	Marshawn Lynch	+4	WR	DET	Calvin Johnson	+1
RB	WAS	Alfred Morris	+1	WR	DAL	Dez Bryant	+1
RB	KC	Jamaal Charles	0	WR	NYG	Victor Cruz	+1
RB	TB	Doug Martin	0	WR	DEN	Demaryius Thomas	0
RB	BUF	C.J. Spiller	-2	WR	CHI	Brandon Marshall	0
RB	OAK	Darren McFadden	-2	WR	ATL	Julio Jones	-1

HacheMan · Sep 19, 2013

[h=1]A TRUM for Trent Richardson[/h]By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Matthew Berry[/FONT] | ESPN.com

Back in the day, way back when they still used phrases like back in the day, I wrote a blog. It was an every-night occurrence, the last thing I wrote before I went to bed, and often very late at night. I wrote it for my old TalentedMrRoto.com website and it was called "the TRUM." TRUM stood for "Thoughts, Ramblings, Useless Information and Musings" and its loose nature was basically an excuse for me to do a late-night brain dump, a smattering of random ideas that were not in any order beyond what came into my mind. I wrote it in one sitting, first draft as is, the lack of formality and structure excused by both the premise of the piece and the fact that I wrote it late at night.
It was only my favorite thing to write ever.
For a variety of reasons, I stopped doing it when I came to ESPN, but I have occasionally brought it back, almost always when I write baseball. I wasn't planning on doing one today, either, but then Trent Richardson went and screwed everything up. Well, that's not true. It would appear Jim Irsay screwed everything up. Or the Colts. Or the Browns. I don't know. Someone is to blame for this mess and for once it's not me. The point, and I'm almost positive there is one, is that I just got off the "Olbermann" show, it is now very late at night as I sit down to write this open, and I have to tape a baseball podcast in a handful of hours, so you know what? Call me the Justin Timberlake of fantasy, I'm bringing TRUM back. You heard me. Clearly, even though we killed off the TRUM, some staples, such as bad jokes and awkward transitions, still remain.

"WHAT WHAT WHAT?!?"
Like Sheila Broflovski on South Park, that was my reaction when I first saw the tweet from Adam Schefter. I quickly clicked on Adam's profile to make sure it was, in fact, him who tweeted it and not some parody account, because that's what I was sure it was. No way the Browns were trading Richardson, their 2012 first-round draft pick, two weeks into the season ... were they? Yep. Adam's profile had the tweet, the blue check mark, it was from him all right. "WHAT WHAT WHAT??!!?"
But now I've had time to gather my thoughts. And for Richardson, this helps. The Colts want to go power run game, and thanks toAndrew Luck and the passing offense, T-Rich will have more room to run, he'll have more scoring opportunities, the Colts will have more sustained drives. Indy is tied for 17th in rush attempts so far this year, the Browns are tied for 30th. If Richardson was a top-10 back before, he's now top six or seven. Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles,Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin and Arian Foster; those are the only running backs I would want ahead of Richardson now, and Foster is a borderline call.
Luck, Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Coby Fleener; this helps them all a little bit as well. More balanced offense, defenses having to respect the run, it's an upgrade for Indy. Luck was already docked a bit in preseason (by me at least) for a more conservative offense, which is happening, but he's making up for it with his rushing, oddly: In two games, he has totaled 76 yards and a touchdown on the ground, despite a lack of designed runs. By virtue of an improved offense (and Dwayne Allen being out for the year), Fleener is now a low-end TE1/high-end TE2. And he's available in a ton of leagues. For now.
So all Colts are up except, of course, Ahmad Bradshaw. Pity the poor owner who had Bradshaw. Or worse, just dealt for him after the Vick Ballard news. You know those guys are out there. Bradshaw is usable this weekend as a flex if you need a running back, but then, he's a backup and handcuff to Richardson. That's it. No issue dropping him in a 10-team standard league.
Speaking of this weekend, I ranked Trent Richardson at 40 this week. The other three rankers have him as a top-20 play. One of us is going to look really stupid. Maybe it'll be me. Won't be the first time. But my editor called me when he saw the ranks, asking if it was a mistake. Here's what I wrote back: "Nope. How much do you think he plays on 3 days with no knowledge of blocking, plays, etc? On road at SF?" That's the same question you need to answer if you own Richardson and have other good options. How much risk can you take? One thing's for sure, I'm not using him in Gridiron Challenge or Player Eliminator this week.
On the Browns, it's fantasy zombie time. Willis McGahee, yes, Willis McGahee is coming back. If he passes a physical, they're going to sign him. My guess is Chris Ogbonnaya gets the majority of carries this weekend, but he's a fullback and nothing exciting. As soon as the news broke, I tweeted out "Just picked up Willis McGahee and Bobby Rainey in my 16-team league." I also made the same move in a 14-team league I'm in. I ignored them both in 10-team leagues.
McGahee is the veteran and, interesting tidbit, played for Browns coach Rob Chudzinski when Chud was the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami. So there's some familiarity there, and maybe it's among the reasons they'll sign him. Once he gets up to speed and in football shape, he'll probably be the guy you want. Rainey is interesting to me. On the Ravens in the preseason, he showed a little something (OK, mostly the fourth game, but still) scoring two touchdowns and having 47 total yards. The Ravens ended up cutting him and Cleveland scooped him up. He has been part of the kickoff return game, and my feeling is the Browns are going nowhere this year so at some point they'll see what they have in Rainey. They already know what Ogbonnaya is, and the answer is not much. I expect McGahee to be flex worthy or a low-end RB2 in some leagues, but I wouldn't go nuts trying to get one of them off waivers unless you're in a deep league where any running back with a pulse is rostered. Speaking of running backs with a pulse and not much else going for them, time to release Donald Brown, if you grabbed him and were hoping.
Figure you'll see a lot of throwing in Cleveland as they trail in every game, so while I'm not trying to trade for Jordan Cameron or Josh Gordon, I'm not freaking out if I have them. Finally, see below, but the Vikings make a good plug-and-play defense this week against Brian Hoyer and whatever running game the Browns scrounge up.

More football thoughts, now that we're off and running. ...The Ryan Cladyinjury is obviously not great for the Denver offensive line, but ultimately what it tells me is that Knowshon Moreno becomes more entrenched as the starter there. They are taking nochances with pass protection now. Top-20 running back with top-12 or so upside the rest of the way. ... I am sticking by or buying low on Eddie Lacy,Stevan Ridley, Trent Richardson (you saw where I ranked him among running backs the rest of the season) and David Wilson and anything less than first-round value is a steal forAlfred Morris and Arian Foster if their owners are underwhelmed so far. And while I'm not a huge Frank Gore fan, he's better than he has shown. ... I'm still a believer in Maurice Jones-Drew, but it's getting harder and harder to hang tough. ... Randy Bullock is a kicker who is owned in 92 percent of leagues. This needs to change. He missed three field goals last game and is on a super-short leash. And by super-short leash, I mean I already dropped him in the leagues where I had him. … One of these days, either Kenbrell Thompkins or Aaron Dobson is going to learn how to catch, and then, watch out. I'm hanging on wherever I have the bench to do so.
Some unintended fallout from the Richardson trade? I'm annoyed at Howie Schwab. Howie, of course, is my former colleague here at ESPN and was the star of "Stump the Schwab." He was also a co-analyst on a show that I also was on in 2007 called "Fantasy Insider." I've known him ever since I came to ESPN and he is as kind a man as you'll ever meet, and I follow him on Twitter. So ... Wednesday night is the finale of "Big Brother," a show that is a huge guilty pleasure for my wife and me to watch together. We love it (and love to hate some of the people on it. Most … despicable … cast … ever!). I actually wanted to go home and watch it and then come back to work for my 11:45 p.m. segment on the Olbermann show, but then the Richardson news broke and then I'm updating ranks and doing "SportsCenter" and digital video and whatever, the evening is shot. So I'm on Twitter scanning for news and Howie suddenly tweets, at 11 p.m. ET, "Congrats to xxx on winning Big Brother!"
I'm not putting the name there because I am sure there are people who have DVR'd it or whatever and don't know who won yet. And Howie blows the answer on Twitter! Forget me; this is before anyone on the West Coast has even gotten a chance to see it! I tweeted at him asking why he would do that, he apologized and said he didn't even think about the West Coast. So now I'm super annoyed. I know who won (my wife and I were going to watch the finale this weekend) and I can't even be properly annoyed at Howie because it's not as if it's some jerk who did it, it's Howie, who, as I said, is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. You can't be mad at Howie. I want to be mad at someone. Maybe it's at Jim Irsay. Or Trent Richardson. Or the Colts. Or the Browns. I don't know. I'm here way too late and it's their fault. It's someone's fault.
Rambling on, this past weekend, "Sunday NFL Countdown" did a segment where they talked to the guys in the "Tattoo League" that is featured in my book "Fantasy Life." It's terrific - you must watch it. Then you'll know that no matter how hard-core you think your league is, these guys are more hard-core.
I really want "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." to be good.
Got sent this stat by the former SWAN, Zach Jones:
15-Point Fantasy Games
Through 2 Weeks

	2012	\|	2013
WRs	16		29
RBs	22		14
TEs	3		8

>> ESPN.com standard scoring
Until we see more stability from running backs (or you are loaded at the position), more often than not, your flex is coming from a wide receiver these days. Food for thought as you settle into the running back panic and scarcity that I keep seeing everywhere. Depth is nice (and will be an issue soon with bye weeks coming in Week 4), but the key is two good running backs, not three. ... I've gotten a lot of panic-stricken emails from fantasy owners who are 0-2 and worried about what to do with failing stars. Keep in mind, through the first two weeks of the 2012 season, Eli Manning was the fourth-highest scoring QB in fantasy (he finished 15th), Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady had the same number of points, Kevin Ogletree had more points than Roddy White, Calvin Johnson had the same number of points as Jeremy Kerley, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a two-point advantage over Doug Martin. It's a long season. Calm down. ... It's not like you have a to get a tattoo if you lose. Or someone ruined the "Big Brother" finale for you.
Your usual caveats. This is not a start/sit column, it's a "guy I like to exceed or fall short of normal expectations" column. Use my player rankings if you'd like my opinion on whom I would start or bench. Big bear hug to Zach Rodgers of ESPN Stats & Information for his help, and away we go.
[h=3]Quarterbacks I love in Week 3[/h]
Matthew Stafford, Lions: I would say that it has been a struggle for my Washington Professional Football Franchise, except it would mean that they are a professional-caliber franchise. Their defense hasn't looked like it the first two weeks and there aren't two players in D.C. who can guard Calvin Johnson. HavingJoique Bell means that even if Reggie Bush can't go, Stafford still has his outlet man. The guy with the best wideout in football, whose game plan usually involves throwing it 40 times a game, is facing the defense that has given up the highest completion percentage and the most yards per attempt in the league so far? Just because it's obvious doesn't make it wrong. Top-four play this week.
Robert Griffin III, Washington: So, I've been doing the "Love/Hate" column for 13 years now. They run anywhere between 3,500 words and 5,000 words. And usually about an eight-to-10K piece in the preseason. And this next sentence is the most depressing one I have ever written: I like RG III this week in a "Carson Palmer junk time" kind of way. That's what he has become. Zero offensive points in the first two halves of their games, yet RG III is currently in a five-way tie for the seventh-most points in fantasy (41). Against the Lions, I see more of the same. It won't be pretty, but by the end of the game, the points will be there.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks: It's Jacksonville. If not now, when? If not him, whom? If not last week, why not do this joke a second time?
Eli Manning, Giants: Well, they can't run the ball, so Eli is throwing. When he throws, he throws deep. Only Slingin' Joe Flacco has more pass attempts 15 yards downfield than Eli. The Panthers secondary is really banged up and they weren't all that to begin with, allowing opposing QBs to complete 72 percent of passes (hint -- that's a lot, especially because one of those QBs is a rookie). Eli gets out of the "Eli face zone" and is a low-end QB1 this week.
If you're desperate: Did you know that I know that only one QB has attempted more passes than Sam Bradford, and that he actually has thrown the most red zone pass attempts this season? Only one team has given up more red zone scores than Dallas so far. ... Andy Dalton missed everything in sight last Monday night, but in a shootout with Green Bay, there will points to be had. … If you can't have the "new Carson Palmer" in RG III, why not settle for the original model? Assuming Larry Fitzgerald plays, and despite the fact that I like what Rob Ryan has done with the Saints defense, Palmer should still put up solid double-digit points on the turf in New Orleans as the Cardinals play from behind.
[h=3]Quarterbacks I hate in Week 3[/h]Andrew Luck, Colts: Yes, he has a new running back. But that's not helping this week as T-Rich needs to learn the playbook, his blocking assignments, and what to do when an angry 49ers linebacker or defensive end is coming right at you. Which is what the Colts face this week, on the road. Not a top-10 play this week.
Josh Freeman, Buccaneers: In case you were thinking this might be a shootout with the Patriots. Freeman has missed on an NFL-high 54.7 percent of his throws this season. The New England defense has put opposing quarterbacks under duress on 30.6 percent of pass attempts, fourth highest in the league. I didn't even rank Freeman this week. Wouldn't start him in a two-QB league if I didn't have to.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: On last week's "Fantasy Football Now" (Sundays at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN), Tim Hasselbeck said he was starting Terrelle Pryor over Big Ben. I agreed with the call. Should tell you everything you need to know, and it doesn't get easier for the Steelers against Chicago.
For the second week in a row, not many great names to put in "hate." I'll say it again, quarterback is deep this year!
[h=3]Running backs I love in Week 3[/h]Frank Gore, 49ers: I'm not a huge fan of Gore these days, but he's better than this. And against the Colts this week, he proves it. Since 2012, Gore has scored single-digit fantasy points in six weeks. The following week, Gore has averaged 15.2 fantasy points. The Colts are tied for the most rushing touchdowns allowed and fourth-most rushing yards. In their defense, they've faced noted offensive powerhouses Oakland and Miami, so, you know. …
Knowshon Moreno, Broncos: As rambled about above, the Ryan Clady injury means Moreno is even more entrenched in his starting RB role thanks to the pass protection he provides. Off a two-touchdown game, he keeps the good times rolling against Oakland, which should become their new slogan. Instead of "Commitment to Excellence" or "Just Win, Baby," I'm pitching "Keeps the good times rolling!"
Chris Johnson, Titans: So it looks like the Titans aren't ... terrible. Johnson has 11 red zone rushes this season, four more than anyone else in the league. Meanwhile, when fantasy zombies Philip Rivers and Eddie Royal aren't hooking up, the Chargers defense has allowed 333 yards to opposing running backs and are giving up 4.7 yards per rush in the red zone, third highest in the NFL.
Rashard Mendenhall, Cardinals: They might run a little more with Fitz banged up and trying to slow down the Saints, and you know what? He has been very not-terrible this year, averaging more than 4 yards per carry, and he got both of Arizona's goal-line carries last week. The Saints, meanwhile have allowed 5.3 yards per carry so far this season, third most in the NFL.
If you're desperate: Reggie Bush is either not going to play, or be limited this week, which means Joique Bell becomes fairly useful in a high-scoring game. … Of the Jets' 47 run plays this season, 46 have been between the tackles, and Buffalo has allowed the third-most rushing yards between the tackles, so Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell have flex appeal this week. ... Total gut call, but I bet Montee Ball gets a touchdown this week as Denver gets up big on Oakland and gets him some reps. ... The same junk-time logic applies to Robert Turbin, who will get some run against the Jags, who give up 5.7 yards per carry, most in the NFL.
[h=3]Running backs I hate in Week 3[/h]Trent Richardson, Colts: As mused about above.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: I still believe, I do... but it's wavering, and I'm not starting any Jaguar at Seattle. Not in a 16-teamer, not while riding in an ocean steamer, not while eating green eggs and ham. I do not like MJD this week, Sam I Am.
Darren McFadden, Raiders: Fine, he has been better than expected, and by that, I mean he's still upright and not terrible. But the Broncos have allowed only 81 rushing yards through two games, fewest in the league. If they can stop Ray Rice and David Wilson, er ... fine, if they can stop Ray Rice, they can stop the likes of DMC.
DeMarco Murray, Cowboys: Pick a number, any number. Like Murray's 3.5 yards per carry, 27th in the league. Which is worse than his 4.8 yards per carry of the past two seasons. Or how about 2.9, as in, the Rams have allowed only 2.9 yards per carry this season, seventh fewest in the league. Or 12, as in, last game, he got only 12 carries. Or zero, as in, he has yet to score a touchdown this year. My guess is you don't have better options this week, so you're probably starting him, but I don't see him as the top-15 running back that two of my fellow rankers do, nor would I use him in Gridiron Challenge.
James Starks, Packers: Running out the clock with a big lead against the Washington Professional Football Team is one thing, doing it against the Bengals (allowing just 63 rushing yards a game) is another. He's not a top-20 running back this week.
[h=3]Wide receivers I love in Week 3[/h]Victor Cruz, Giants: See Manning, Eli.
Anquan Boldin, 49ers: You either believe he is closer to Week 1 Boldin, a guy they are going to force feed the ball to and line up all over the place, or you believe in last week, where he was completely shut out. Indy ain't Seattle. I'm a Week 1 guy.
Steve Johnson, Bills: Why so serious? He caught this game winner. The Jets do have a good run defense, so even though C.J. Spiller will get his, Buffalo will need to throw to move the ball. Johnson already has two red zone touchdowns through two weeks, as many as he had in all of 2012. So off to a hot start and the matchup is right. Three scores in six games against the Jets in his career while averaging over 70 yards a game, he's a solid third wide receiver or flex this week.
T.Y Hilton, Colts: They use all of Hilton, Wayne and Fleener in the slot and I've written a lot in the past about San Francisco's struggle with the slot receiver. I expect Hilton to play even more snaps this week and for San Fran to concentrate on stopping Wayne, so I have Hilton as a medium risk/reward WR3 this week.
Stephen Hill, Jets: They've got to throw it to someone in New York, and the guy they're choosing these days is Hill. Most targets and yards on the Jets, he's raw but has chemistry with Geno Smith and is getting the ball thrown his direction a lot. Sometimes, that's all you need. Against the Bills, it will be, in a flex sort of way.
If you're desperate: I assume Andre Johnson plays, but if he doesn't, I'm all about theDeAndre Hopkins. He's a full-grown man, son. Full grown. ... I also like the guy on the other side of the field, Marlon Brown. ... If Kendall Wright ends up playing this weekend, it's worth noting that since 2012, when Jake Locker is under center, Wright leads the Titans in targets, yards after the catch and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns. ... You already know the I think Washington-Detroit is a high-scoring game, so it's worth noting that Nate Burleson has seen almost as many targets as Calvin Johnson (14 to Johnson's 16) and that no receiver with at least 10 targets has a higher catch rate than Burleson. ...You saw the note about Eli (and Cruz) and the deep balls and the banged-up Panthers secondary, so it's worth mentioning that Rueben Randle actually has been targeted downfield this year more than Hakeem Nicks. … Finally, it would have to be a deep league to start him this week, but I strongly suggest finding a way to add Cordarrelle Patterson, who will make a difference this year and sooner rather than later.
[h=3]Wide receivers I hate in Week 3[/h]Reggie Wayne, Colts: Believe it or not, he's actually second on the Colts in targets (to T.Y. Hilton) and I believe we'll see more of Hilton in the slot than Wayne. Meanwhile, back at Wayne Manor, nine of his 13 receptions have been on throws 10 yards or fewer downfield. The 49ers have allowed the fewest number of receptions 10 yards or fewer this season. Not a top-20 play for me this week.
Greg Jennings, Vikings: Insert wideout facing Joe Haden here.
Cecil Shorts, Jaguars: He is truth, justice, the American Way, and benched against Seattle.
Josh Gordon, Browns: No run game, Brian Hoyer at quarterback and, since 2012, the Vikings are tied for ninth-fewest receptions allowed thrown at least 25 yards downfield, and seventh-fewest yards allowed on such throws. Love Gordon this year but this probably isn't his game.

[h=3]Tight ends I love in Week 3[/h]
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: I think he plays. And if he plays for the Patriots, he plays for you.
Antonio Gates, Chargers: Since 2012, no team has allowed more touchdowns to opposing tight ends than theTennessee Titans. Philip Rivers is going to pass in this game and Gates will be heavily involved.
Jordan Cameron, Browns: It's not as though they're going to run it anymore. I expect Cleveland to have to throw a lot and, given the volume and the matchup, I'm not worried about Cameron. The Vikings have already allowed three touchdowns to tight ends, tied for the most in the league.
Owen Daniels, Texans: Another nice matchup for a tight end who is getting used a lot.Matt Schaub has targeted his tight ends seven times in the red zone this season, leading to five touchdowns, both of which lead the league. Meanwhile, quoth the research department, the Ravens have allowed 205 yards (third most in the league) and two touchdowns to opposing tight ends in the first two games. With the potential of Andre Johnson missing this game, expect Schaub to look for Daniels when he decides to pass.
Martellus Bennett, Bears: No tight end has been targeted more in the red zone this year than Bennett. Pittsburgh has struggled so far against the tight end (seventh-most tight end yards allowed this year), so expect a top-10 performance here.
If you're desperate: Coby Fleener is the only game in town on a team that will struggle to run against the Niners. ... Chargers have given up three touchdowns to opposing tight ends in two games and frankly, it would be four if James Casey had caught the ball cleanly at the goal line. They've allowed the fourth-most points so far and Delanie Walker did score last week. … I had Charles Clay in this section last week and that seemed to work out, so I'm back again. Tannehill continues to look for him underneath as Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline stretch the field.
[h=3]Tight ends I hate in Week 3:[/h]Kyle Rudolph, Vikings: Well, he scored last week. I was wrong there. But just three receptions. I can't trust a guy who is so touchdown dependent as a regular top-10 play.
Brandon Myers, Giants: Banged up a bit himself, and only three teams in the NFL allow fewer fantasy points per game than the Carolina Panthers. Of course, they've faced Zach Miller and Scott Chandler, so not exactly tough to do, but still, I expect the Giants to try to get their run game going and take shots deep, making Myers a not-top-10 play this week.
Brent Celek, Eagles: Two receptions (on four targets) in two games; he's just not a consistent part of the offense. Don't want to brag, but I figured that one out all by myself.
Fred Davis, Washington: Not that you were really starting Davis anyway, but I put him in here just to mention that I really like Jordan Reed, their rookie tight end, and so do they. Athletic, nice pass-catcher, it will be a while before he contributes with any consistency, but good name for deeper dynasty leagues.

[h=3]Defenses I love in Week 3[/h]Denver Broncos D/ST: It's Oakland. Come on. This ain't rocket science.
Minnesota Vikings D/ST: Hello, Brian Hoyer. And no Trent Richardson. And an offensive line that is tied for the league lead in sacks allowed.
If you're desperate: The Buffalo Bills defense is averaging almost 10 points a game and now gets to face Geno Smith and the Jets. ... TheNew Orleans Saints have put together solid games back-to-back and will be at home against the less-than-mobile Carson Palmer, who might be short Larry Fitzgerald. ...The Tennessee Titans kind of have a sneakily solid defense, with 10 scores and 22 interceptions in the past 18 games, and when you're playing against Philip Rivers and Ryan Mathews, turnovers are always in play.
[h=3]Defenses I hate in Week 3[/h]Cleveland Browns D/ST: Normally I like this defense a lot, especially against Christian Ponder, but I'm worried they will be worn out after a lot of three and outs from what passes for the offense they are rolling out there.

Arizona Cardinals D/ST: Has yet to score double-digit points and, on the road, on the turf, against Drew Brees, there's pretty good odds it's gonna stay that way.

HacheMan · Sep 19, 2013

[h=1]Week 3 flex ranks: RBs dominate top 10

[/h][h=5]Eric Karabell[/h]
One of the interesting things about Week 3 in fantasy is that it's the final week before byes begin. In other words, enjoy the depth, because after this, it will be lessened! You'll see many names in this flex rankings blog entry, and quite a few of them will not be there a week from now when the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers begin Week 4. Hey, it's good to have decisions to make. And hopefully we help in this space as we combine the best of the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends into one tidy list!

For more advice, check out the Week 3 staff rankings in the usual spots, or perhaps your question was answered in one of our chats this week or by me Wednesday.

Good luck to all, and remember these are your teams, so make your own decisions, though it never hurts to get another opinion!

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings: Just wait until he really gets going. That said, it's reasonable to expect only1,500 yards, not 2K.

2. LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles: Well, if anyone knows how to stop him, you'd think it'd be his former coach, Andy Reid. You can see by this rank that I'm not particularly concerned.

3. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks: Still worried? He torched the 49ers. The Jaguars don't play the same brand of defense.

4. Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers

5. Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins: Showed he can run for 100 yards even in a blowout loss.

6. Matt Forte, RB, Bears: Please stay healthy, Matt, because your numbers are terrific.

7. Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs: Will have no issues against the Philly D.

8. C.J. Spiller, RB, Bills: Don't get too worked up about Fred Jackson.

9. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions: Seems like the perfect matchup (against Washington), if the Skins' first two games are any indicator.

10. Arian Foster, RB, Texans: Got a feeling he'll be sharing carries all season.

11. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals

12. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys

13. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos

14. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: Played through injury in Week 2 and played well, which is nice because he could have gotten a bad rep had he missed the game or played poorly.

15. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles: Looks like a different player, really. In retrospect, he could have had an even bigger Week 2.

16. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers

17. Brandon Marshall, WR, Bears

18. Jimmy Graham, TE, Saints: Main difference-maker at his position might be joined by another (Gronk!) this week. Or not. No injury concerns with Graham, though.

19. Victor Cruz, WR, Giants

20. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: He's not being talked about much, which in his case is probably a good thing.

21. Reggie Bush, RB, Lions: Should play in Week 3, but you'll have to make sure on Sunday morning. In his Saints' seasons, he would have missed a month with this injury. Give the guy some credit. He played through pain as a Dolphin, too.

22. Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers: It'd be nice if his quarterback were playing better.

23. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers

24. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: If he has a bad game this week, then we'll really worry. Still, it's premature to get excited about Kendall Hunter.

25. DeMarco Murray, RB, Cowboys: He's still upright. (Smile.)

26. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: You'll have to make sure he plays … but he did play last week. He has a nice matchup this week, in theory, though the Saints haven't allowed 20 points in a game yet.

27. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans: Because of concussion woes, it's not a sure thing that he'll play.

28. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos: This is a very lofty rank for a player many thought was done, but a pair of 20-yard touchdown jaunts in Week 2 show he's clearly not.

29. Marques Colston, WR, Saints

30. Darren Sproles, RB, Saints: Kind of a slow start, but you know he'll get his catches.

31. Pierre Garcon, WR, Redskins: Garbage-time catches matter, too.

32. Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs: Tough to ask for a much better matchup than Philly's ravaged secondary.

33. Wes Welker, WR, Broncos

34. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots: Well, he should return at some point. Here's his rank in case it's this week. Yes, I'd start him right away.

35. Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots: Got the carries in Week 2, now he has to turn them into something. This rank suggests he will.

36. Steve Smith, WR, Panthers

37. Steve Johnson, WR, Bills

38. Ray Rice, RB, Ravens: Another fellow who isn't a lock to play. If he does, don't expect a full workload.

39. Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins: Hmm, that Dolphins backfield doesn't look like much of a timeshare now.

40. Trent Richardson, RB, Colts: Welcome to Indy! Your first game is against the 49ers. Good luck with that. The shocking trade helps him, but don't go overboard. He's still averaging only 3.5 yards per carry in his career.

41. Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts: This might be his worst rank all season. Blame the matchup.

42. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys

43. James Jones, WR, Packers

44. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers: Perhaps you haven't noticed, but he's fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. No, really, he is.

45. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Falcons

46. Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants

47. Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders

48. Mike Wallace, WR, Dolphins

49. Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots: We knew he'd get the receptions, but a few more yards would be nice.

50. Bernard Pierce, RB, Ravens: If Rice is deemed out, then move Pierce up 20 spots.

51. Daryl Richardson, RB, Rams

52. Joique Bell, RB, Lions: If Bush can't play, then move Bell up 20 spots, too.

53. Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers: Don't go thinking he isn't special because it was one big game, one nothing game. He just played the Seahawks. He's not playing them again this week.

54. Eric Decker, WR, Broncos: He'll be involved most weeks. His Week 2 performance showed why his owners shouldn't have panicked after Week 1.

55. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers: He complained about his targets this week, which usually means he'll get more of them this week. But don't teach your children that whining is good.

56. Ryan Mathews, RB, Chargers

57. Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens

58. Jordan Cameron, TE, Browns: Certainly a legit top-10 tight end, and the Richardson trade doesn't alter that.

59. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts

60. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars: I think he's going to play, though the Seahawks have to be looking forward to this game. They've allowed 10 points; the Jaguars have scored 11.

61. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Cardinals: Hobbling along at practice this week. Not a good long-term investment.

62. Eddie Royal, WR, Chargers: Well, now that you've claimed him on waivers, use him … unless you realize there are many better choices.

63. Tavon Austin, WR, Rams

64. David Wilson, RB, Giants: I'm getting tired of talking this guy up when it looks like the Giants are so disinterested. That has to change, though.

65. Mike Williams, WR, Buccaneers

66. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Colts: He had decent value until the Richardson trade. Now, not so much. Still, give Richardson a game or so to learn the playbook.

67. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals: Looked good Monday night, but didn't get many touches.

68. Ben Tate, RB, Texans: He's a backup and he's ninth in the NFL in rushing yards. Think about that in case his touches rise.

69. Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys

70. Roddy White, WR, Falcons: He's just not seeing enough targets as he battles injury.

71. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Bengals: Only eight players have more rushing attempts, so yeah, he still matters.

72. Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings

73. Lance Moore, WR, Saints: A lot of people want to give up on him. Big mistake. He's just streaky.

74. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans

75. Jared Cook, TE, Rams: We didn't say he'd have a great game every week.

76. James Starks, RB, Packers: As for this guy, we will say he won't have a great game most weeks. Enjoy his five fantasy points this week.

77. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Falcons: Not exactly a special player, either.

78. Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars: Big disappointment so far, but what can you do with him?

79. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Steelers

80. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: Not as if he and the next guy have distinguished themselves so far.

81. Chris Ivory, RB, Jets

82. Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers: Would like to see him have a big game against a better defense than the Eagles before pronouncing him awesome again.

83. Fred Jackson, RB, Bills

84. Denarius Moore, WR, Raiders

85. Chris Givens, WR, Rams

86. Montee Ball, RB, Broncos: It's wise to stash him on your bench for when he does become relevant. It'll happen.

87. Owen Daniels, TE, Texans

88. Golden Tate, WR, Seahawks

89. Josh Gordon, WR, Browns: Returns from suspension to see Brian Hoyer throw the football. Well, at least he's not suspended anymore!

90. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints

91. Kendall Wright, WR, Titans

92. Julius Thomas, TE, Broncos

93. Danny Woodhead, RB, Chargers

94. Leonard Hankerson, WR, Redskins

95. Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals

96. Kenbrell Thompkins, WR, Patriots

97. Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots

98. Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Browns

99. Isaac Redman, RB, Steelers

100. Vernon Davis, TE, 49ers

Others: Brian Hartline, WR, Dolphins; Marlon Brown, WR, Ravens; Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers;Jermichael Finley, TE, Packers; Bobby Rainey, RB, Browns; Jason Snelling, RB, Falcons; Bryce Brown, RB, Eagles; Da'Rel Scott, RB, Giants; Andre Roberts, WR, Cardinals; Stephen Hill, WR, Jets; Robert Turbin, RB, Seahawks; Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints; Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins; Sidney Rice, WR, Seahawks; Felix Jones, RB, Steelers; Kenny Britt, WR, Titans;Vincent Brown, WR, Chargers; Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos.

HacheMan · Sep 19, 2013

[h=1]Richardson now in fantasy elite?[/h][h=3]A trade to Indianapolis should improve his fantasy stock considerably[/h]By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]KC Joyner[/FONT] | ESPN Insider

The Indianapolis Colts traded for Trent Richardson in part because they hope he can help vault them from the ranks of the good teams into the upper echelon of top clubs in the NFL.
Richardson's fantasy football owners are hoping the move from Cleveland to Indianapolis can do the same thing for his fantasy scoring prospects.
Will that be the case? Can Richardson make the jump to become an upper-tier fantasy RB1?
The metric/game-tape analyses from 2011 to 2013 (including his senior season at Alabama) are pretty emphatic in their findings.
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For a starting point, let's note that in 2012 Richardson dealt with broken ribs while playing on a mediocre offense, and he still managed to end the season ranked 11th in fantasy scoring among running backs. So barring an injury that causes Richardson to miss games, this performance level is the likely floor for his fantasy productivity.
The combination of those negative factors -- his health and the Browns' mediocrity -- led to Richardson's posting a 6.4-yard mark in the good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA) metric. This gauges a running back's productivity on plays when he is given good blocking (very roughly defined as when the offense doesn't allow the defense to disrupt a rush attempt) and his total ranked him 32nd in the league (in a tie) in that metric last year.
That is a far cry from Richardson's production in his final season with the Alabama Crimson Tide (2011). In that campaign, Richardson racked up a 9.3 GBYPA total, which is a step above the 9-yard benchmark that serves as the general barometer for elite collegiate productivity in this metric.
As bad as the situation in Cleveland was last season, things looked much worse after two games in the 2013 season.
In those contests, the Browns' offensive line posted an abysmal 29.0 percent good blocking rate (GBR). This statistic measures how often a group of blockers gives the ball carriers good blocking. The worst team in the NFL in this metric last season was the Arizona Cardinals, and they managed to post a 36.5 percent GBR, so the Cleveland rushing attack was a big step down from the bottom of the barrel.
The lack of good-blocking rush opportunities are a major factor in Richardson's 5.9 GBYPA this year. He just isn't being given enough chances to offset the relatively short yardage gains he makes on some of the good blocking plays.

Now contrast these numbers to the superb 52.4 percent GBR the Colts' blockers have given their ball carriers this year. For perspective, Buffalo led the league last year by posting a 52.2 percent GBR.
Another way to look at this is that if the Colts continue to block as well as they have through two weeks, Richardson will get twice as many good blocking chances as he did in Cleveland.
It should be pointed out that this GBR may drop because the Colts recently lost starting left guardDonald Thomas to a torn quad tendon and will be replacing him with rookie Hugh Thornton. Even with a possible decline, the GBR here should be much higher than what Richardson saw in Cleveland in his first two games, and thus afford him many more quality rush attempts.
Richardson will also benefit from a huge upgrade in offensive personnel. To get an idea of just how much better, note that ESPN Stats & Information's tracking indicates the Colts score 2.16 points per drive, a total that ranks sixth in the league. The Browns so far have scored 0.67 points per drive, a total that ranks 31st in the league, and that was before they lost their starting quarterback to injury.
One more positive element for Richardson is that the Colts have enough rushing talent on the roster that they have the option of rotating backs into the game to keep him fresh. In Cleveland, the only healthy backups right now are Bobby Rainey (zero career carries) andChris Ogbonnaya (95 career carries), so it was pretty much Richardson or bust.
Add all of these upgrades together, and it equals what should be a significant increase in fantasy productivity for Richardson. He can finally make a run at true RB1 status and his fantasy owners should rejoice accordingly.

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Rk</center>	Player	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev.</center>
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	1
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	2
3	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	3
4	Jason Witten	Dal	4
5	Vernon Davis	SF	5
6	Julius Thomas	Den	7
7	Greg Olsen	Car	8
8	Jared Cook	StL	6
9	Jordan Cameron	Cle	10
10	Brandon Myers	NYG	9
11	Antonio Gates	SD	12
12	Owen Daniels	Hou	11
13	Kyle Rudolph	Min	13
14	Jermichael Finley	GB	14
15	Martellus Bennett	Chi	15
16	Coby Fleener	Ind	20
17	Charles Clay	Mia	--
18	Tyler Eifert	Cin	23
19	Jermaine Gresham	Cin	21
20	Brent Celek	Phi	17
21	Brandon Pettigrew	Det	16
22	Clay Harbor	Jac	--
23	Fred Davis	Wsh	19
24	Dwayne Allen	Ind	18
25	Kellen Winslow	NYJ	24

<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Ovr. Rank</center>	Player	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Team</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Pos. Rank</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Next 3 Weeks</center>	<center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;">Prev. Rank</center>
1	Adrian Peterson	Min	RB1	Cle, Pit, BYE	1
2	LeSean McCoy	Phi	RB2	KC, @Den, @NYG	2
3	Doug Martin	TB	RB3	@NE, Ari, BYE	3
4	Marshawn Lynch	Sea	RB4	Jac, @Hou, @Ind	4
5	Jamaal Charles	KC	RB5	@Phi, NYG, @Ten	6
6	Arian Foster	Hou	RB6	@Bal, Sea, @SF	7
7	C.J. Spiller	Buf	RB7	@NYJ, Bal, @Cle	8
8	Matt Forte	Chi	RB8	@Pit, @Det, NO	11
9	Ray Rice	Bal	RB9	Hou, @Buf, @Mia	5
10	Trent Richardson	Cle	RB10	@Min, Cin, Buf	9
11	Alfred Morris	Wsh	RB11	Det, @Oak, BYE	10
12	Chris Johnson	Ten	RB12	SD, NYJ, KC	15
13	Steven Jackson	Atl	RB13	@Mia, NE, NYJ	12
14	Calvin Johnson	Det	WR1	@Wsh, Chi, @GB	14
15	Stevan Ridley	NE	RB14	TB, @Atl, @Cin	13
16	Reggie Bush	Det	RB15	@Wsh, Chi, @GB	16
17	Darren McFadden	Oak	RB16	@Den, Wsh, SD	35
18	Frank Gore	SF	RB17	Ind, @StL, Hou	17
19	A.J. Green	Cin	WR2	GB, @Cle, NE	19
20	Brandon Marshall	Chi	WR3	@Pit, @Det, NO	20
21	Aaron Rodgers	GB	QB1	@Cin, BYE, Det	21
22	Drew Brees	NO	QB2	Ari, Mia, @Chi	22
23	Peyton Manning	Den	QB3	Oak, Phi, @Dal	23
24	Dez Bryant	Dal	WR4	StL, @SD, Den	26
25	Julio Jones	Atl	WR5	@Mia, NE, NYJ	27
26	Demaryius Thomas	Den	WR6	Oak, Phi, @Dal	24
27	Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	WR7	@NO, @TB, Car	25
28	Randall Cobb	GB	WR8	@Cin, BYE, Det	36
29	Jimmy Graham	NO	TE1	Ari, Mia, @Chi	29
30	Matt Ryan	Atl	QB4	@Mia, NE, NYJ	45
31	Vincent Jackson	TB	WR9	@NE, Ari, BYE	31
32	Tom Brady	NE	QB5	TB, @Atl, @Cin	30
33	Victor Cruz	NYG	WR10	@Car, @KC, Phi	28
34	Cam Newton	Car	QB6	NYG, BYE, @Ari	32
35	Darren Sproles	NO	RB18	Ari, Mia, @Chi	40
36	Wes Welker	Den	WR11	Oak, Phi, @Dal	37
37	Andre Johnson	Hou	WR12	@Bal, Sea, @SF	33
38	Colin Kaepernick	SF	QB7	Ind, @StL, Hou	34
39	DeMarco Murray	Dal	RB19	StL, @SD, Den	38
40	Michael Vick	Phi	QB8	KC, @Den, @NYG	93
41	Reggie Wayne	Ind	WR13	@SF, @Jac, Sea	39
42	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	RB20	@Sea, Ind, @StL	18
43	Lamar Miller	Mia	RB21	Atl, @NO, Bal	58
44	Jordy Nelson	GB	WR14	@Cin, BYE, Det	44
45	DeSean Jackson	Phi	WR15	KC, @Den, @NYG	53
46	Marques Colston	NO	WR16	Ari, Mia, @Chi	42
47	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	WR17	@Car, @KC, Phi	47
48	DeAngelo Williams	Car	RB22	NYG, BYE, @Ari	60
49	Roddy White	Atl	WR18	@Mia, NE, NYJ	46
50	Pierre Garcon	Wsh	WR19	Det, @Oak, BYE	68
51	Ahmad Bradshaw	Ind	RB23	@SF, @Jac, Sea	67
52	Steve Smith	Car	WR20	NYG, BYE, @Ari	49
53	Eric Decker	Den	WR21	Oak, Phi, @Dal	56
54	Rob Gronkowski	NE	TE2	TB, @Atl, @Cin	54
55	David Wilson	NYG	RB24	@Car, @KC, Phi	41
56	Anquan Boldin	SF	WR22	Ind, @StL, Hou	52
57	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	TE3	@Mia, NE, NYJ	57
58	Eddie Lacy	GB	RB25	@Cin, BYE, Det	50
59	Dwayne Bowe	KC	WR23	@Phi, NYG, @Ten	59
60	Ryan Mathews	SD	RB26	@Ten, Dal, @Oak	51
61	Jason Witten	Dal	TE4	StL, @SD, Den	61
62	Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	RB27	@NO, @TB, Car	79
63	Mike Wallace	Mia	WR24	Atl, @NO, Bal	64
64	James Jones	GB	WR25	@Cin, BYE, Det	69
65	Matthew Stafford	Det	QB9	@Wsh, Chi, @GB	66
66	Giovani Bernard	Cin	RB28	GB, @Cle, NE	77
67	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	RB29	GB, @Cle, NE	63
68	Danny Amendola	NE	WR26	TB, @Atl, @Cin	43
69	Julian Edelman	NE	WR27	TB, @Atl, @Cin	78
70	Andrew Luck	Ind	QB10	@SF, @Jac, Sea	70
71	Vernon Davis	SF	TE5	Ind, @StL, Hou	62
72	Tavon Austin	StL	WR28	@Dal, SF, Jac	75
73	Torrey Smith	Bal	WR29	Hou, @Buf, @Mia	71
74	Antonio Brown	Pit	WR30	Chi, @Min, BYE	65
75	Steve Johnson	Buf	WR31	@NYJ, Bal, @Cle	81
76	Russell Wilson	Sea	QB11	Jac, @Hou, @Ind	76
77	Joique Bell	Det	RB30	@Wsh, Chi, @GB	73
78	T.Y. Hilton	Ind	WR32	@SF, @Jac, Sea	87
79	Daryl Richardson	StL	RB31	@Dal, SF, Jac	80
80	Bernard Pierce	Bal	RB32	Hou, @Buf, @Mia	NR
81	Cecil Shorts	Jac	WR33	@Sea, Ind, @StL	72
82	Robert Griffin III	Wsh	QB12	Det, @Oak, BYE	48
83	Julius Thomas	Den	TE6	Oak, Phi, @Dal	84
84	Greg Olsen	Car	TE7	NYG, BYE, @Ari	NR
85	Ben Tate	Hou	RB33	@Bal, Sea, @SF	99
86	Mike Williams	TB	WR34	@NE, Ari, BYE	74
87	Miles Austin	Dal	WR35	StL, @SD, Den	86
88	Knowshon Moreno	Den	RB34	Oak, Phi, @Dal	NR
89	DeAndre Hopkins	Hou	WR36	@Bal, Sea, @SF	NR
90	Montee Ball	Den	RB35	Oak, Phi, @Dal	55
91	Greg Jennings	Min	WR37	Cle, Pit, BYE	91
92	Fred Jackson	Buf	RB36	@NYJ, Bal, @Cle	92
93	Tony Romo	Dal	QB13	StL, @SD, Den	82
94	Chris Ivory	NYJ	RB37	Buf, @Ten, @Atl	85
95	Eddie Royal	SD	WR38	@Ten, Dal, @Oak	NR
96	Bilal Powell	NYJ	RB38	Buf, @Ten, @Atl	100
97	Lance Moore	NO	WR39	Ari, Mia, @Chi	95
98	James Starks	GB	RB39	@Cin, BYE, Det	NR
99	Daniel Thomas	Mia	RB40	Atl, @NO, Bal	96
100	Mark Ingram	NO	RB41	Ari, Mia, @Chi	90

Fantasy Football News 2013/2014

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