Week two of the fantasy football season started to separate the contenders from the pretenders, the for-reals from the flukes. Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton passed for 400+ yards for the second straight week, declaring that he is a viable starting quarterback option assuming you have a strong running back tandem. While Newton has three scores on the season he also has four picks. Newton isn’t ready yet to carry a fantasy team like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, but he is certainly going to rack up points this year. Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick chucked it 46 times, scoring three touchdowns and 264 yards. Fitzpatrick has thrown for seven scores this season. Matt Stafford also looks legit and healthy, passing for an average of 299.5 through two games with seven scores on the year. Stafford’s favorite target near the endzone so far has been Calvin Johnson. Nate Burleson has caught more passes but Johnson has caught four touchdown passes in the two games thus far. Finally it is no surprise that Tom Brady is lighting it up but one of his favorite targets has been second-year tight end sensation Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez has hauled in 14 catches for 165 yards and two scores in a mismatch-nightmare for opposing defenses.
While those Week One darlings followed it up with a strong Week Two, several standouts dropped back to Earth with sub-par second weeks. Ben Tate did not find the endzone after scoring once in Week One. Arian Foster got ten carries so expect Tate’s touches to decrease over the next week or two. Mark Sanchez passed for 335 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener but fell back to earth with two picks and just 182 yards.
Minnesota was all about redemption in the season’s second week as running back Adrian Peterson turned in a two touchdown, 120 yard effort after a scoreless, 98 yard Week One. The Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb improved on his 39 yard performance from Week One to 228 yards passing in Week Two. LeGarrette Blount also bounced back from a five-carry, 15 yard game in Week One to rack up 71 yards and two scores in Week Two.
In a very disappointing match-up with highly-drafted fantasy running backs, Chris Johnson and Ray Rice let many an owner down. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson rushed for just 53 yards, no scores, on 24 carries while Ray Rice failed to set the world on fire, with just 43 yards rushing on 13 carries. Rice did provide his fantasy owners with 53 yards receiving and one touchdown.
One thing fantasy owners cringed over was Jamaal Charles leaving the game after just two carries with what could be an injury that could keep him out a few weeks. Thomas Jones is likely to see more carries but if you can grab Dexter McCluster, do it. He is listed in most leagues as a RB/WR and he should see his 10-12 touches a game (he returns punts and kicks too) increase to 17-20 with Charles out.
Lastly Matt Ryan found the endzone four times for the Atlanta Falcons, something he did not do once in Week One against Chicago. Roddy White scored his first touchdown of the young season going against the powerful Philadelphia defensive secondary. And Michael Turner followed up his 100-yard performance in Week One with 114 yards and a score in Week Two. The Atlanta defense also held DeSean Jackson to just 21 yards after Jackson hauled in six receptions for 102 yards and a score in Week One.
No comments:
Post a Comment