NFL Fantasy Pulse: Week One
Chicago Bears 41, Indianapolis Colts 21
Colts- QB Andrew Luck didn't have a great debut (the raw numbers weren't that bad though, 309 yards and a TD), but the Colts are going to be bad all season, which means he's going to be throwing a lot. This is good news for his fantasy numbers. It looks like two guys will benefit greatly from this; WR Reggie Wayne and TE Colby Fleener. Wayne was targeted 18 times, caught nine balls and had 135 yards. He might struggle in the TD department, but he'll remain a top tier WR in PPR leagues. Fleener was targeted 10 times and should serve as Luck's safety valve. Donald Brown is the unquestioned starter at RB, but with the Colts likely struggling all year, his fantasy value will suffer.
Bears- You'd think with a big 41-21 win on opening day that Bears players would be happy. RB Matt Forte must have not gotten the memo. Forte isn't happy with the amount carries he received (even though his fantasy owners are pretty happy with his results; 80 yds rushing, 3 receptions for 40 yards and a TD). With RB Michael Bush getting 12 carries (to Forte's 16), this situation could get messy. As of now, Forte is a must start and Bush is a quality fill-in/ flex play. WR Brandon Marshall must be thrilled to reunite with QB Jay Cutler. In his Bears' debut, Marshall had 9 catches for 119 yards with a TD. Marshall could easily be a Top 5 wideout this year. READ MORE, CLICK CONTINUE READING{C}
Philadelphia Eagles 17, Cleveland Browns 16
Eagles- It was ugly, but the Eagles pulled out a win. There aren't too many fantasy surprises when it comes to the Eagles, as their stars (QB Michael Vick, RB LeSean McCoy, WR Jeremy Maclin and WR DeSean Jackson) continue to do the heavy lifting. As long as they remain healthy, they are all must starts.
Browns- Looks like it's going to be a long season in Cleveland. RB Trent Richardson failed to impress in his pro debut (19 carries, 38 yards and one reception for five yards). I'm sure Richardson will have his good weeks, but with the injury risk (two knee surgeries in the last year) and being on a crummy team, I'd be looking for other options at RB. Besides Richardson, the Browns have little to offer fantasy owners.
Detroit Lions 27, St. Louis Rams 23
Rams- WR Danny Amendola is a very underrated PPR player. QB Sam Bradford targeted Amendola nine times (with him catching 5 balls for 70 yards) and will likely rely on him the rest of the season. RB Steven Jackson didn't have his best game, but will continue to be their workhorse and a solid RB1 option.
Lions- The Lions are full of quality fantasy options. QB Matthew Stafford had a rare three interception game, but still didn't let his owners down (355 yards and a TD. RB Kevin Smith made the most of his featured role (13 carries, 62 yards, 4 receptions for 29 yards and 2 TDs) and should be considered a quality RB2 option on a weekly basis. Don't' give up on WR Titus Young yet. He certainly had an underwhelming opening game, but look for him to grow into the second WR spot for the Lions.
New England Patriots 34, Tennessee Titans 13
Patriots- The Pats have plenty of high quality fantasy options, but when they get into a game like yesterday's, some of those options will get lost. Yesterday's victim was WR Wes Welker (3 receptions for 14 yards). Don't worry though, Welker will get his fair share of opportunities. New Pats WR Brandon Lloyd had impressive debut (8 targets, 5 receptions for 69 yards). The usual suspects (QB Tom Brady, TE Aaron Hernandez, TE Rob Gronkowski) all had solid totals. The real development from this game was the emergence of RB Stevan Ridley. Ridley had 21 carries for 125 yards, 2 receptions for 27 yards and a score. If Ridley keeps getting the majority of carries, he could easily be a Top 10 RB.
Titans- RB Chris Johnson continues to disappoint fantasy owners (4 yards on 11 carries). Of course it's way too early to give up on him, but owners who own Johnson should entertain trade offers while he still has high value. The Titans could be in for a long season and if Johnson continues to get no support from the rest of the offense, he's going to struggle to replicate his gaudy numbers from a couple years ago. It'll be interesting to see how the Titans offense performs when they get WR Kenny Britt back.
Atlanta Falcons 40, Kansas City Chiefs 24
Falcons- Is this the year that QB Matt Ryan makes the leap? Week 1 would indicate yes. With WRs Roddy White and Julio Jones as his top receiving options, Ryan is poised to become an elite fantasy option. The only disappointment on the Falcons side was RB Michael Turner. However, I wouldn't worry too much about Turner, he'll get his share of touches and TDs. Fellow RB Jacquizz Rodgers will continue to steal carries from Turner, but he remains a solid RB1.
Chiefs- In an overall poor showing, RB Jamaal Charles showed encouraging signs. Coming off a major injury, there were plenty of questions about Charles. It's safe to say he is a solid play every week. It was interesting to see how the Chiefs used new RB Peyton Hillis. Hillis had 10 touches (7 carries for 16 yards, 3 receptions for 8 yards) and I would expect the Chiefs to continue to use HIllis about 40 percent of the time. Hillis should be considered a borderline RB2/flex play. It'll be interesting to see how the Chiefs handle goal line carries.
Minnesota Vikings 26, Jacksonville Jaguars 23
Jaguars- Lots of Running Back questions were answered in this game. RB Maurice Jones-Drew showed that there were no setbacks from missing training camp. WR Justin Blackmon failed to impress, but rookies tend to be hit or miss, so expect an inconsistent year from him. I'd leave him on your bench until QB Blaine Gabbert starts developing rapport with him. Gabbert favored WR Laurent Robinson (9 targets, 5 receptions). There's a very good chance that Robinson can continue his success from last year and be the Jags No. 1 WR. Keep an eye on WR Cecil Shorts. Gabbert targeted Shorts seven times and hit him on a 39 yard score. It may be a flash in the pan, but owners should definitely put him on their watch lists.
Vikings- There should be no worries about RB Adrian Peterson's health. Keep an eye on QB Christian Ponder. Since he took over the starting gig last year, Ponder has continued to improve. The TD passes aren't there yet, but expect them to come as he continues to develop. I wouldn't be starting him every week, but he should certainly be considered a solid bye week filler. Ponder's favorite target WR Percy Harvin had 11 touches (5 carries for 20 yards, 6 receptions for 84 yards) and should be considered a high end WR1.
Washington Redskins 40, New Orleans Saints 32
Redskins- Let's not throw him into the top fantasy producer category just yet, but QB Robert Griffin III had a highly impressive debut. He's certainly going to have his off weeks, but Griffin displayed excellent poise and game management and should be considered a borderline starting fantasy QB with high end potential. RB Alfred Morris also had an impressive debut (28 carries for 96 yard and a score). Morris is a must-add. WR Pierre Garcon had a big game (4 receptions for 109 yards and a TD) and an injury scare. Luckily, it seems like Garcon won't miss anytime, so feel free to use him as your WR2.
Saints- It was a weird game for the Saints as they trailed the entire game and their rushing attack greatly suffered because of this. RB Darren Sproles bailed his owners out with a late TD reception, but they should be scared. Keep in mind that the Saints only had 10 rushing attempts, but Sproles had zero carries. That's right, zero.
New York Jets 48, Buffalo Bills 28
Bills- RB Fred Jackson showed why owners need to handcuff their top RBs. Jackson had 6 carries before he left the game with injury (it looks like he'll miss about three weeks). Enter C.J. Spiller. Spiller has always had high potential, but has been injured and under utilized throughout his first two years. With Jackson out, Spiller showed that potential (14 carries for 169 yards, 2 catches for 25 yards and a TD). As long as Jackson is out, owners should feel confident using Spiller as their RB2. WR David Nelson tore an ACL and is out for the season. Fellow WR Stevie Johnson had a decent opening game (4 receptions for 55 yards and a score), but a groin injury could bother him most of the year. Expect him to be on the injury report most weeks.
Jets- The Jets are not an offensive team, so lets take this game with a grain of salt. RB Shonn Greene was used as a workhorse (27 carries for 94 yards and a TD) and could become a top fantasy RB this year. WR Stephen Hill had a very impressive game catching two Mark Sanchez TD passes. WR Santonio Holmes is the undisputed top WR, but the No.2 spot is wide open. Hill certainly made a strong case for that spot and deserves to be scooped up off the waiver wire.
Houston Texans 30, Miami Dolphins 10
Dolphins- If you're starting any Dolphins (other than RB Reggie Bush), you're going to be in for a long season.
Texans- On the other hand, the Texans have many quality fantasy options. I wouldn't say there were any surprises (you don't need me to tell you to start RB Arian Foster ,WR Andre Johnson or QB Matt Schaub), so let's take a look at RB Ben Tate. Tate was a solid producer last year and many believed he'd continue to be productive. However, as long as Foster is healthy, Tate has no value and should never crack your lineup.
San Francisco 49ers 30, Green Bay Packers 22
49ers- With the weapons the 49ers have, QB Alex Smith should now be considered a solid fantasy option. WR Randy Moss had an impressive debut. He definitely won't play every snap, but Moss will get his looks and he'll get many redzone looks. He should be used a WR3/flex play option.
Packers- The Packers were held in check most of the day by a stifling 49ers defense. WR Greg Jennings may have an injured groin, so continue to monitor his status heading into Thursday's game. It was quite interesting to see how the Packers running back situation shaped up. RB Cedric Benson received all 9 Packers' carries, but failed to be productive. Still, if Benson is given the majority of carries, he'll be useful as a RB2.
Arizona Cardinals 20, Seattle Seahawks 16
Seahawks- Has WR Braylon Edwards become fantasy relevant again? QB Russell Wilson targeted Edwards nine times (he caught 5 of those balls for 43 yards). If you're in need of a WR, you should definitely consider taking a flyer on him. Any concern about RB Marshawn Lynch should be put to rest.
Cardinals- RBs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams pretty much had an equal split of carries. Neither was overly productive (15 total carries for a combined 23 yards) and neither deserves a lot of starting consideration until one of them emerges as the lead back (which might not happen this season). The Cardinals have lots of issues on offense with this RB situation and their QB situation, so fantasy-wise, it's safer to avoid using any of their players (except for WR Larry Fitzgerald).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16, Carolina Panthers 10
Panthers- Keep an eye on WR Brandon LaFell. WIth QB Cam Newton throwing the ball, LaFell could be this year's breakthrough third-year receiver. If he's available in your league, pick him up. Carolina's once vaunted rushing attack managed a measly 13 carries for 10 yards. RB Jonathan Stewart missed the game, which gave the opportunity for either RB DeAngelo Williams or Mike Tolbert to earn some extra carries in the future. Unfortunately, they both failed to impress. When Stewart eventually comes back (maybe as soon as Week 2), he should receive the majority of the work.
Buccaneers- Rookie RB Doug Martin had an impressive debut (24 carries for 95 yards, 4 receptions for 24 yards) and should be considered a solid RB2. QB Josh Freeman targeted new WR Vincent Jackson 10 times (he caught 4 balls for 47 yards). Freeman is looking to replicate his 2010 success and with Jackson and Martin, he should be able to. Freeman should be considered a strong backup QB. Jackson remains a high-end No. 2 WR.
Denver Broncos 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 19
Steelers- The Steelers' rushing attacked looked lost without RB Rashard Mendenhall. RBs Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman had a near 50/50 split of carries. Neither was impressive, but if Mendenhall continues to miss time, Dwyer seems like the safer play.
Broncos- We can safely say QB Peyton Manning is back. With Manning healthy, the values of WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Eric Decker and TE Jacob Tamme all greatly increase. If you're hurting at TE, Tamme is an excellent pick up. This offense is only going to continue to get better, so it may be a good idea to start targeting Thomas or Decker in a trade, before their values go off the charts.
Baltimore Ravens 44, Cincinnati Bengals 13
Bengals- It was an ugly night for the Bengals' offense, but I'd chalk that up to a tough matchup. Cincy has a fairly good offense, they just couldn't get anything going against an inspired Ravens defense. One bright spot was the play of RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis. Green Ellis was the Bengals key offseason acquisition and he did not disappoint (18 carries for 91 yards and a score). Green-Ellis should be cracking your lineup as a RB2.
Ravens- It's way too early to say that QB Joe Flacco took the next step, but the way he was throwing the ball last night, it certainly looks like it. I wouldn't be confident with Flacco as my starting QB just yet, but he's getting very close. Flacco distributed passes to an impressive eight receivers last night. TE Dennis Pitta was targeted a team high 9 times and took full advantage of those looks (5 receptions for 73 yards and a score). Pitta should definitely be considered if you're in need of TE help.
San Diego Chargers 22, Oakland Raiders 14
Chargers- It's going to be tough to get an accurate gauge of the San Diego offense until RB Ryan Mathews is back (could be Week 2). In Mathews' absence, RB Curtis Brinkley was given the majority of carries, but could never get going. New WR weapons Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal weren't put to much use (a combined 4 targets). Those numbers will only go up.
Raiders- It's clear that the Raiders' offense is going to be going through RB Darren McFadden. McFadden was targeted a league high 18 times and caught 13 of those passes. Keep in mind McFadden's career high in receptions is 47, so it may be too early to start categorizing him as a PPR monster just yet.
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