Now that week two is done and over with… did your team avoid the string of major injuries? Did you chase points from week one boom players? I’ll admit… I did. I fell for the T.J. Hockenson trap, and it cost me big time. Anyway, let’s go through our lessons learned from week 2.
This may not be a new lesson, but more of a continuation from last season; the tight end position has become as unpredictable as the weather in Colorado during the month of April. In week two, of the top 5 TEs from week one, only one player (Mark Andrews) went on to repeat their top 5 performance. We did, however, see Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz get back to their weekly expectations. So unless you have one of the current top 4 TEs (Kelce, Kittle, Ertz, Andrew) it is going to continue to be a weekly gamble. Look at the match ups (as those are proving to be one of the more telling pieces of information), and take note of TE performances against teams, such as Cardinals. I know its hard to trust Carolina right now, but Greg Olsen is coming off of a good game against the Bucs and should be able to build off of that positive matchup in week three against Arizona.
Speaking of Carolina, Cam Newton… *sigh*… There was something terribly off about him. I wrote about him last week, and was giving him the benefit of the doubt. This week I had started him, and I made it a point to watch the game and overall… I just did not like what I saw. The play calling was flat, Cam was off again (completing 48% of his passes), and he not have a single rushing yard. Now, if you’re like me, you’re facing the keep or cut decision. We all know the fantasy monster Cam can be. But if he’s not playing, is he worth holding a bench spot right now? Before the recent news of him re aggravating his foot injury, I would have gave him the benefit one extra week on my bench, but recent reports have not only put this week in jeopardy, but his foreseeable future in jeopardy. So unfortunately, I will cutting Cam this week.
Dalvin Cook is an absolute star when healthy. What’s even better? The Vikings know it. You would think that when the Vikings were down by 21 points in the 2nd quarter, the Vikings would unleash Cousins, Thielen, and Diggs, but instead, they gave the ball to their star and watched him take it to the house on a 75-yard run. He finished the day with 23 touches, 191 scrimmage yards, and 2 scores. If you were lucky enough to draft him in the second round, you may have a league winner on your roster, as Cook is #2 in total points scored by an RB. He is already a must start and may even prove to be match up proof.
The Bengals’ air raid offense is out and abusing secondaries for the past two weeks, and their next potential victims; The Buffalo Bills. Ha, just kidding, they don’t stand a chance. However, if you were to tell me a month ago that the Cincinnati Bengals would be the #2 passing offense behind KC, WITHOUT AJ Green, I would have thought you were absolutely insane… but it’s TRUE! Andy Dalton, has 729 passing yards and 4 TDs. Tyler Boyd, 21 targets, 18 catches for 182 yards. John Ross, 20 targets, 11 catches for 270 yards, and 3 TDs. Put it all together and damn, that’s good! Now, don’t get me wrong… I know it’s not pretty. But its fantasy points, and if you were feeling dangerous enough this week to gamble on John Ross and Andy Dalton, a 66 yard garbage time TD was your reward. Though they may not be every week starts, both of their receivers over the have proved that they are both great boom candidates, especially in favorable match ups. Hell, with these guys by his side, plus the return of A.J. Green, if Andy Dalton stays on pace he could, finish near, if not in, the top 10 for the first time since 2013.
Another strong offense emerging this season is Detroit. It seems they have all the pieces to move the ball on offense. Their biggest issue so far though, is getting each of their potential stars a share of the workload. Week one we saw good games from the rookie TE TJ Hockenson and Kenny Golladay, but the Lions failed to get stud RB Kerryon Johnson any relevant work. This week it was Kerryon and Golladay who received all the work, and Hock… well, he was only there for 1 catch. I believe the talent is definitely there, but it is worth noting that the only common factor in both weeks was Kenny Golladay. But I’m not worried. At some point it will all come together. Now that CJ Anderson has been released, Kerryon is the clear cut RB1. Hock still has some competition from Jessie James, but he is the more talented TE, and could blow up again at any moment. They should be fun to watch all season.
We also saw another fantasy irrelevant game for DeVonta Freeman. If you were like me, you took him somewhere around the 4th round, and have been waiting for the return of 2015-2016 Freeman. But here we are… still waiting… and he hasn’t shown up. Now, I will make note that his first two weeks of the season have been against some tough defenses, but he currently is averaging 2.16 ypc, and only has 6 receptions for 54 yards. There is, however, a small light on the horizon for Freeman; Ito Smith has not done much to convince anyone he deserves more touches, nor is he a legitimate threat to Freeman for his starting role. Also, lucky for Freeman, he has a confidence building match up against Colts, who let Austin Ekeler and Derrick Henry have great games in weeks one and two. This game could help Freeman gain some momentum as he gets ready play against teams with stout defensive lines (Titans, Rams, Saints, and Carolina). It also helps that Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley have both started strong this season. Hopefully this translates to more open space for Freeman over the next few weeks.
Last lesson learned this week? Chris Carson is the lead back in Seattle, BUT he has a massive case of the fumbles. He’s lost 3 fumbles in only two weeks, and Rashaad Penny who has been chomping at the bit, made every touch he received on Sunday count. If you have Carson… now might be a good time to also grab Penny. I’m hoping Carson gets it all figured out, because I do believe he is the better back in Seattle. However, we know that nothing irritates a head coach like turnovers. Carson is a great three-down back, and it would be an absolute shame to lose the confidence he started with all due to ball security issues. The next few games for him will be crucial to maintain his lead role, and keep Rashaad Penny at bay.
That’s it for this weeks lessons learned! Appreciate the read, and will have week three lessons out next week. Good luck this weekend!
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