Postseason Shootout | RealTime Fantasy Sports

Lineup Prep: Week 2

Wed Sep 11 9:31am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Mayfield can continue his hot start

I feel like I say this every season, but it is worth repeating. Don’t overreact to Week 1 of the fantasy football season. It is a long season and one week doesn’t make a season. Things can change in a hurry. You can’t just ignore what happened but dropping or trading players that played poorly is a good way to ruin a season. Be smart. Be calculated. A lot can change from one week to the next.

With that said, here are my random thoughts for the week. . . . .

You have to wonder about all the teams sitting their starters nearly the entire preseason contributing to many of these slow starts around the league. Many offenses looked off and rusty. It made for a week that was mostly dominated by defenses. Offenses were sluggish and off, especially if you compare that to last season when offensive numbers were off the charts much of the season. We’ll see if the defensive trend continues, but I wouldn’t count on that. I really think the lack of game reps came back to bite a lot of teams.

The Lions sure seem to be running their backfield the same as last season. This means Jahmyr Gibbs is going to get his work but might not have that monster season many thought he would have. David Montgomery is still going to be a big part of this offense. Gibbs played 51 percent of the snaps to 49 percent for Montgomery.

Well, I really thought Bryce Young could improve on his dismal rookie season. The team beefed up the offensive line and added some much needed firepower at receiver. Unfortunately, Young still looked lost at quarterback and the entire offense struggled once again. At this point, Young is going to need to turn it around in a hurry if he hopes to continue to be the franchise quarterback in Carolina.

The rookie quarterbacks did not look great in Week 1. This isn’t a surprise as many teams didn’t throw much at them in the preseason. The biggest winner was Jayden Daniels because of his ability to make plays with his legs. He is the best running quarterback of the rookies, which gives him a big edge over the other rookies. Daniels threw for just 184 yards and didn’t throw a touchdown pass but still managed to score 30 fantasy points. He ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Daniels is going to have weekly fantasy value because of his ability to produce big on the ground. The rest of the rookies could be more shaky until they get their footing in the NFL.

I wouldn’t count on J.K. Dobbins topping 100-rushing yards every week but it was encouraging to see him healthy and running well. Plus, the Chargers offensive line looked really good. And this offense is going to be run heavy with Jim Harbaugh running the show. Gus Edwards is going to get his chances as well. Just look for the Chargers to go with the hot hand on a weekly basis, which could make this a tricky backfield for fantasy owners.

Jordan Mason showed last week that handcuffing your star running back can be a winning strategy. If you owned Christian McCaffrey and didn’t have Mason on your roster, you likely lost your game. McCaffrey was a surprise inactive, leaving many fantasy owners stunned. Mason looked great, though, and showed he can be a top fantasy back in this offense. He is a must start as long as McCaffrey is out.

I’m ready for that Jameson Williams breakout season. He looked tremendous in Week 1, showing his game-changing speed. He looks like a different player from his first two seasons in the NFL. I really think he is going to have a monster season. Remember, he was considered the best receiver in college before suffering a torn ACL late in his senior year. This guy is super talented.

Don’t get too down over the tight end position in Week 1. These guys will rebound. It was just an awful week. There were just five players with double-digit fantasy points last week. Guys like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta will get it going. Don’t do anything too rash and drop guys that were terrible in Week 1. I still have faith in these talented tight ends to get things right.

News and Notes: The Commanders signed kicker Austin Seibert to their active roster on Tuesday. He replaces Cade York, who was released after struggling in Week 1. . . . .Detroit signed kicker Greg Joseph on Tuesday. Jake Bates remains the starting kicker for the Lions, but Joseph gives him some competition and provides insurance for Bates. . . . .The Browns signed receiver Kadarius Toney to their practice squad on Monday. Toney will look to get his career going again with the Browns.

HOT PLAYS

Malik Nabers, WR, Giants. Daniel Jones remains terrible, which is going to impact Nabers, but that doesn’t mean Nabers still can’t have some big games. He was targeted seven times last week and had five receptions for 66 yards. Nabers made plays and produced decent fantasy numbers. He is still going to have some big games even if Jones continues to struggle. We like Nabers to produce big this week against the Cardinals. Arizona allowed the eighth most fantasy points to receivers in Week 1.

James Conner, RB, Cardinals. Conner was a huge focal point of the Cardinals offense in Week 1. He had 19 total touches and played 67 percent of the snaps. Rookie running back Trey Benson did not put a dent in his workload. Conner should be leaned on once again this week against the Rams. Los Angeles didn’t have the same run defense without Aaron Donald anchoring the middle of the line. The Rams allowed the third most fantasy points to running backs last week and 163-rushing yards.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Bucs. Mayfield had the second most fantasy points for quarterbacks in Week 1, having a huge first week. He had four touchdown passes and threw for 289 yards. It was an impressive showing for Mayfield, who had a breakout season last year. It seems many fantasy owners might have undervalued Mayfield come draft day. He should keep it going this week against a Lions defense that continues to struggle to stop the pass. Detroit allowed 304-passing yards in Week 1.

Drake London, WR, Falcons. Don’t sour on London after just a week. He is going to get a ton of targets in this offense. It was just a bad game. Look for the Falcons to get their No. 1 receiver going in Week 2. He plays the Eagles, a team that allowed the third most fantasy points to receivers last week. Atlanta also could be playing from behind in this matchup, leading to more pass attempts. This all bodes well for London, who is going to rebound in a big way this week.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts. Taylor did not have a great Week 1, rushing for just 48 yards. The good news is he ran 16 times and played a whooping 96 percent of the snaps. He dominated the work at running back. Look for him to get it going this week against the Packers. Green Bay allowed the most rushing yards in Week 1, giving up 213-rushing yards.

COLD PLAYS

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys. Elliott scored a touchdown in his first game back with the Cowboys last week. He ran for just 40 yards, though, and pretty much split the work with Rico Dowdle at running back. Elliott is going to be a touchdown-dependent play for fantasy teams. If he doesn’t score, he will be little help. And we aren’t sure he scores this week against the Saints, a team that looked dominant defensively last week. The Saints also allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs.

Tank Dell, WR, Texans. Dell played the least amount of snaps out of the big three receivers for the Texans. Dell played 63 percent of the snaps. The positive is Dell got five touches and seven targets while on the field. He still gets plenty of looks. Dell did fail to reach double-digit fantasy points, though, and showed he might up and down for fantasy owners. He might have one of those down games this week against the Bears, a team with one of the best defenses in football. Chicago allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points to receivers

D’Andre Swift, RB, Bears. Swift had a forgettable Week 1. He had 10 carries for 30 yards and didn’t catch a pass. The only positive was he got nearly all the work at running back for the Bears, playing 70 percent of the snaps. We just aren’t sure a rebound game happens this week against the Texans, who shutdown Jonathan Taylor last week. Like Swift, Taylor didn’t catch a pass in Week 1 against this Texans defense. We might just leave Swift on the bench for now until he gets it going on the field.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Jets. It was good to see Rodgers back on the field and looking healthy. He wasn’t much of a help to fantasy teams, though, throwing for just 167 yards and a touchdown with an interception. The Jets were very run heavy in last week’s game, which might be a trend. Rodgers attempted just 21 passes. It could be tough sledding for Rodgers again this week against the Titans, a team that allowed the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks last week and just 104-passing yards.

Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos. Sutton had some positives last week, getting 12 targets in the game. He also played 91 percent of the snaps, barely leaving the field. The bad news is he managed just four receptions on all those looks and playing time. Bo Nix had his struggles at quarterback, impacting Sutton. This might be the case most weeks until Nix starts playing more consistently on the field. Sutton could have his struggles again against a good Steelers secondary, a team that allowed the third fewest fantasy points to receivers.

SLEEPERS

Tyler Johnson, WR, Rams. Johnson was the receiver that took over for Puka Nacua last week and looked good with his chances. He made plays after the catch and finished with five receptions for 79 yards on seven targets. He is going to have a high weekly ceiling while Nacua is out, especially this week against the Cardinals. Arizona allowed the eighth most fantasy points to receivers last week and 222-passing yards.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Panthers. Sanders did not do much in the opener, but played 73 percent of the snaps. This is a good sign for Sanders, being on the field so much. He is going to produce some if he continues to play so much. He will be a risk to play after catching just a pass last week, but the potential for a big game is there. Sanders is playing a lot and gets a Chargers defense that couldn’t stop the tight end last week, allowing the third most fantasy points to tight ends.

Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Broncos. We all thought Javonte Williams was finally taking over as the No. 1 back for the Broncos, getting most of the work at running back. Well, after a week of football, we might be rethinking that once again. McLaughlin had two more carries and four more receptions than Williams in Week 1. McLaughlin might be the back to use right now in the Broncos offense until Williams starts showing anything with his touches. McLaughlin just brings more to the table because of his pass-catching ability in this offense. This makes him worth consideration as a flex play in Week 2 against the Steelers.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Browns. It was an encouraging first game for Jeudy with the Browns. He played 82 percent of the snaps and had three receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He got a lot of looks and topped double-digit fantasy points against a good Cowboys defense. Jeudy gets a much better matchup to produce this week against the Jaguars. Jacksonville allowed the fifth most fantasy points to receivers in Week 1. Jeudy is worth a streaming play for fantasy teams in this matchup.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Commanders. Ekeler reached double-digit fantasy points despite having just six touches his first game with the Commanders. He had 62 total yards on six touches. Ekeler was a big part of the passing game and played 53 percent of the snaps, pretty much splitting the work with starter Brian Robinson. Ekeler is going to have weekly fantasy value in his current role, mainly because of his reception potential. He gets a Giants team this week that allowed seven receptions to running backs last week.

High/Low Scoring Games

Each week we will take a look at some of the high and low scoring games for the coming week. In high scoring affairs, get your marginal players on those teams in your lineup to take advantage of the possible points barrage. And in the low scoring games, keep those marginal players on the bench and make sure to have your defenses involved in those contests.

High Scoring Games: Bills/Dolphins, 49ers/Vikings, Bucs/Lions, Bengals/Chiefs. Falcons/Eagles.

Low Scoring Games: Browns/Jaguars, Chargers/Panthers, Jets/Titans, Steelers/Broncos.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Lineup Prep: Week 2

The Paur Report