Author: Bobby McMann, Staff Writer
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gate strong as well. David Johnson, Allen Robinson, Kevin White and Danny Woodhead are all expected to miss significant time. Ugh. We saw a number of young players emerge with strong debuts and make it to the top of waiver wire mountain, including Kenny Golladay, Tarik Cohen and Chris Carson. All of that drama in one week’s time; it is a wonder the NFL is not a scripted drama like WWE. What will Week 2 have up its sleeve?
Mask Off (Remix) – Future featuring Kendrick Lamar
After a slow start against Green Bay, Russell Wilson will bounce back in the Seahawks home opener versus the Niners. Photo by K.C. Alfred/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire
In what was expected to be a shootout last week,Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense couldn’t get much going against the Packers. On the plus side, Wilson looked healthy on his numerous scrambles Sunday afternoon. Clearly, the offensive line of the Seahawks is still terrible, which is a definite concern. Wilson is going to need his legs this year and that may actually help his Fantasy stats. The immediate future is bright for Wilson, with a Week 2 matchup at home against the Niners. WithPaul Richardson looking solid and Tyler Lockett working his way back, there are no shortage of weapons for Wilson to choose from. If he can’t get things going this week, it might be time to start panicking a bit.
Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
Carson Palmer looked cooked for the better part of last year and Week 1 was no different. Imagine this offense withoutDavid Johnson for two to three months? No thanks. Palmer might have some decent games in him, like this weekend against the Colts ($11,300 on FantasyDraft), but there is no way I can trust him as my starter or even as a backup. He’ll be a streaming option at best this season. The Johnson injury and Palmer’s play should also downgrade the receivers. Palmer has been in a free fall since his massive 2015 season and you’d be lucky to get anything for him in dynasty formats right now. Larry Fitzgeraldowners need to hope that volume can keep him afloat like it has done over the past two seasons. A healthy John Brown is a WR3 threat, but outside of that, there is not much to like here for Fantasy purposes.
Just A Friend by Biz Markie
Paul Perkins got the Giants starting RB job almost by default. He was decent as a rookie, but certainly nothing special and more like an average player. Don’t be fooled by the promise of a huge workload because he may not last that long. New York failed to really address the position in the offseason, drafting Clemson product Wayne Gallman in the fourth round. Still, he was the lead back in what was expected to be a high-powered offense and a player with RB2 upside. Confidence is waning already, as Perkins is on the Fantasy hot seat. He’s barely a Top 30 RB play this week and another poor performance could cause him to start swimming in the free agent pool. Shane Vereen is the pass-catching back here and he saw a ton of snaps last week as the Giants trailed in the second half, but he’s nothing more than a PPR dart. Orleans Darkwa might get a crack at more touches if Perkins can’t get anything going this week against the Lions. I would have Gallman on my watch list, though. The rookie might be the best between the tackles option on the roster.
Big Brother by Kanye West
Jordan Howardwas a polarizing player this summer as he crept his way very close to the first round in drafts. He was an exceptional Fantasy player after he took over the Bears starting RB job, producing Top 5 numbers from October on. The Bears offense is a below average unit from QB on down, so there is a concern that defenses will key on Howard. Another concern emerged on Sunday, with rookieTarik Cohen making plays all over the field. He has the talent to force a full-blown timeshare with Howard and should certainly take on most of the passing down work. Consider Howard the lead dog here with plenty of workhorse appeal and TD upside, but keep an eye on Cohen breathing down his neck in the coming weeks. Howard is an RB1 this week against the Bucs.
Nashville Bum by Waylon Jennings
The Titans WR situation is upgraded significantly from last year, but choosing which one to use on a weekly basis might be a headache. Rishard Matthews emerged in a big way last season, so the rapport with Marcus Mariota is established. Corey Davis enters as the hot shot first round rookie with a WR1 look and the upside to match. Eric Decker signed with the Titans so his wife could live in Nashville, which is nice. He brings his TD prowess to the Titans and could end up being their top performer at the end of the season. The weekly headache makes all of them WR3/4 options, but I am still leaning towards Decker as the favorite play here.
Many Clouds Of Smoke by Total Devastation
Martavis Bryantis back, but you probably didn’t realize it from his lackluster Week 1 stat line. The Vikings’ defense (Xavier Rhodes) should focus on Antonio Brown, giving Bryant an opportunity to make a few plays downfield. He’s merely a boom-or-bust WR3 this week, but remain positive on his outlook for the season. In a large DFS contest, he’s worth a play because of upside ($10,300 on FantasyDraft). The stats will come his way, and Bryant has always been a touchdown producer throughout his career. From a dynasty perspective, however, I am looking to deal him after he strings together a few strong starts. He is simply too volatile to rely on over the long-term thanks to the marijuana infatuation.
Meet The Hoopers – State Farm commercial featuring baller/rapper Damian Lillard
Austin Hooper’s long TD last week helped fuel his early season breakout fire. He has the talent and the situation is ideal for Hooper to step into a healthy number of weekly targets. Expect some inconsistencies thanks to a plethora of Falcons weapons, but Hooper is a TE I want at least on my bench. He could legitimately develop into Matt Ryan’s third most reliable receiving threat behind Julio Jonesand Devonta Freeman. There are a limited number of reliable TEs right now, making Hooper a speculative add. He’s an ideal prospect to groom in dynasty behind an aging TE like Greg Olsen or Jimmy Graham.
Shooter (Movie Trailer) – Marky Mark Wahlberg
I like Jack Doyle. He has a cool name that should be the title of a book about a former Navy Seal turned grocery store manager who has to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of a Mexican drug cartel. Beyond that, he was an impressive safety valve on offense for Andrew Luck last season. Therein lies the problem and it is not just affecting Doyle. Luck’s mysterious status is torpedoing the value of the entire Colts offense. Doyle is nothing more than a backup TE until Luck returns. If you have the roster space, hang in there and wait it out. The payoff could be Top 12 PPR numbers starting in October.
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