Yay or Nay Week 2

Yay or Nay Week 2:

Last week was a new experience; I’ve never written a column like this so I wasn’t too hard on myself for some of my picks that I got wrong but they certainly weren’t as many as I expected. 16 out of my 23 picks were right (to my standards) which in truth is a D+ 69% but it could have been a lot worse. On to improving that percentage here is this week’s Yay or Nay for Week 2.

Again, this is article is not reinforced by normal stats, mostly by the eye test and good/bad feelings. Use at your own discretion.

QB’s I say Yay to Week 2:

Eli Manning, New York Giants: He’s a great quarterback with a great wide receiver going up against a poor defense. Not only that Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz have proved that they can get into the end zone. Manning has lots of weapons in New York, I believe that will be a very high scoring game.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: 423 yards, four touchdowns. It’s hard not to put him on the Yay list after a line like that. He did that against the Raiders, who aren’t the cream of the crop when it comes to defense but they aren’t terrible. This is going to be the boldest pick I make today because I say that he tops that performance.

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars: In Spanish we have a term called, “Cruzazuleando” it’s based on a Mexican soccer team named Cruz Azul who always seems to blow big leads. The San Diego Chargers have a big case of “Cruzazulitis”. Last week the San Diego Chargers had a 21-point lead going into the second half and blew it. I have to give credit to the Chiefs but the Chiefs are a team whose offense is not very explosive. Now imagine what will happen when the Chargers play an offense with as many weapons as Blake Bortles does. Expect Bortles to sling the ball around very well this week.

QB’s I say Nay to Week 2:

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: Let me just start off by saying that Wilson has never beaten the Los Angeles Rams (heh, get it?). In all seriousness the Rams have played the Seahawks four times in the last 2 years and the Seahawks have only beaten the Rams once. Russell Wilson has been a slow starter, last time he played the Rams he managed to only get 16 points on standard scoring. If he were 100% healthy I would still feel very comfortable starting him but the fact that he got his ankle stepped on worries me so much more. Wilson is an elite QB but he’s a different elite quarterback when he is able to scramble out of the pocket and make plays with his legs. He might not be able to do that this week against Los Angeles which brings him back to earth for me this week.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This one is going to be short because I don’t really have any compelling evidence to back me up. The only piece of evidence I have is that the Cardinals have a good defense. This is more of a gut call, so unless you want to put your faith in me this is just here for the record that something tells me that Winston is going to have an off game this week.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: I think Matt Ryan is a good real life quarterback. I don’t think he’s a good fantasy quarterback. Primarily because he only has one consistent weapon in Julio Jones. Aside from Julio I want no part in this offense. Especially considering that the Raiders defense isn’t bad (even though it looked really bad last week).

RB I say Yay to Week 2:

CJ Anderson, Denver Broncos: CJ Anderson was not a fluke. Gary Kubiak wants to run the ball in Denver and it definitely showed against one of the best defenses in the Carolina Panthers. He was one of three running backs to get twenty or more rushing attempts. He has the Latavius Murray effect (a running back who has lots of volume will be relevant because of his workload not his talent) except that CJ Anderson does have talent that Latavius Murray did not show last year. The fact that CJ Anderson is going up against a soft Colts defensive line sets him up for a big game.

Lamar Miller, Houston Texans: 28 rushes and 4 receptions, that’s not a fluke. They want to use him in Houston. His fantasy owners just got unlucky that he didn’t get into the end zone but expect this kind of a workload every week. The only question with Miller is if he can handle a weekly 30 touch game for the whole season. They hardly used him in Miami so we have never seen him be used to this extent, I don’t know if he can handle it all season but for this week he is definitely a Yay.

Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon got all the hype with his two touchdowns in San Diego, but I think people are focusing on the wrong Chargers’ running back. Danny Woodhead is the guy you want in San Diego. Why? Because he is one of the only guys that Rivers actually trusts in the San Diego offense. In the red zone Rivers looks for two people, Antonio Gates and Danny Woodhead. Even though Melvin Gordon got the two touchdowns, Woodhead out touched him 21 to 14. He even got more rushing attempts than Gordon did. Woodhead is Mr. Reliable in San Diego and I think he’s the guy to own there.

RB I say Nay to Week 2:

Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons: I called it. I knew it I knew it I knew it. I’m not talking about last week. I’m talking about last year. Let me take you back, I’m looking through the waiver wire and I’m thinking, “Oh this guy had a big week, it was probably a fluke it won’t happen again.” It happened again. I got a trade where he was offered to me and I just had to repeat to myself “It was a fluke, won’t happen again.” But it happened again. And again. And again. Four spectacular weeks, and then he started to come back to Earth. He was good but not spectacular. He slowly started coming back down to Earth and little by little I was getting happier. And now ladies and gentlemen Devonta Freeman has his feet firmly planted on the ground. Twenty yards on eleven carries is not good, Tevin Coleman was better. This is a bold call but I don’t think that Freeman finishes as the started this year. All I know is that Freeman is not going to be very good this year, and that I called it.

TJ Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars: The only thing he has going for him right now is that he has the Latavius Murray effect, at least right now that Chris Ivory is not healthy. He wasn’t good against the Packers, 39 yards on 21 carries, he got bailed out by a touchdown. I don’t believe that he will be bailed out by a touchdown every week. In fact, I don’t think he scores a touchdown this week. I don’t like him this week and I especially don’t like him when Chris Ivory gets back. The only good thing about him right now is that he is guaranteed at least 15 touches this week.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings: I don’t want to be the guy that says this. Believe me I like Adrian Peterson, but he’s on the wrong side of thirty. Let me set something straight, I don’t think this is Peterson’s fault. I think this is the fact that the Vikings don’t have even a semi respectable passing game. Teams aren’t the slightest bit worried about eh Vikings pass game which is why they can afford to stack the box against Peterson. Let me use Carlos Hyde as an example; he’s a great running back, but imagine if the 49ers didn’t have a competent quarterback. Teams would be stacking the box without any type of fear of leaving a guy open down field. Because there is a competency in the 49ers pass game they have to show at least a little respect to the pass game which leaves space for Carlos Hyde. That is something that Adrian Peterson and the Vikings do not have. If Teddy Bridgewater were the quarterback, then I believe that Peterson would be the normal Adrian Peterson.

WR I say Yay to Week 2:

Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: Going against a week Chargers defense, he got the most targets out of any receiver in the NFL. They want to throw the ball to Robinson! He’s going to be a stud this year especially if he continues to get targeted like he did against the Packers. Expect him to make more than 6 catches during the year and also expect him to get a lot more red zone looks during the year. He is going to have a big game against a weak Chargers secondary.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys: Last year didn’t count. Let’s just get that straight, he was banged up, his quarterback was banged up. Last year didn’t count. Let’s go back to 2014, the year that did count. First week Dez only gets 6 targets, he came back and got 14 targets the next week. I believe that the Cowboys are going to try to overcorrect and target Dez a lot week 2. Dez’s lack of yards did not worry me week 1, what worried me were the lack of targets. Dez is going to get a great competitor in Josh Norman, and if the Redskins decide not to have Norman shadow Dez, Breeland has always given Dez a hard time but I believe that this will just push Dez to have a great game agains the Redskins on Sunday.

Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints: I believe that Drew Brees is a better quarterback than Dak Prescott. I believe that Willie Snead is a better wide receiver than Cole Beasley. Do the math. If Cole Beasley could do what he did against the New York Giants, then imagine what a good receiver in Willie Snead do with a great quarterback in Drew Brees.

WR I say Nay to Week 2:

Mike Wallace, Baltimore Ravens: Mike Wallace has bounced around to four different teams. Let me say something, Mike Wallace is not a good football player. Don’t get me wrong, he’s freakishly fast, but he’s not the football player that consistently gets you 7 catches for 75 yards and the occasional touchdown consistently every week. He’s the guy that one week gets you 3 for 91 and gets a 66-yard touchdown, then the next week goes 1 for 7. He’s a guy you want to play if you’re projected to lose by a lot and need a lottery ticket. I’d rather not play the lottery this week.

Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs: I think Maclin is a good receiver. I just don’t think he’s going to be good against the Texans. We’re talking about a guy who scored 11 points on one drive. Maybe it’s just me but I’m not confident with a guy who got 11 points on one drive, that’s just me though.

Chris Hogan, New England Patriots: It seems that every week there is a new number 2 wide receiver in New England. Everyone knows who the number one is, but the question is always, who is the number 2 guy that is going to go off for the Patriots this week. Let me use an example, two years ago Jonas Gray has a four touchdown game, and I think, “I should pick him up and start him this guy is a stud!” He got zero points the next week (probably explains why I doubt Devonta Freeman). Last year the New England Patriots signed Leanord Hankerson during the second half of the year and the question I had was, what week is this guy going to go off? Chris Hogan didn’t “go off” but he did have a good game. I doubt he repeats that.

TE’s I say Yay to Week 2:

Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns: I mean it can’t get any worse for this guy right? No but seriously, when Josh McCown was the quarterback last year he averaged 12 points per game according to ESPN Standard scoring. McCown trusts Barnidge so I believe that when he is in a tight spot he will look to Barnidge because there is a trust that they built last year.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott likes Jason Witten. All that was missing from his performance last week was a touchdown. I think that Witten will continue to get looks and he will continue to make the catches that he can. He won’t be spectacular but I do believe he will be consistent enough that you won’t have to play guess who will score a touchdown this week (congrats to whoever picked Jack Doyle last week). I think that he and Dak will form a good connection.

TE I say Nay to Week 2:

Martellus Bennett, New England Patriots: He didn’t play well when Gronk was there. That’s a problem because what happens when Gronk comes back? Bennett only got 5 targets against the Cardinals. I just don’t believe he’ll be fantasy relevant against the Dolphins.

Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints: He looked bad against the Raiders, a team who gives up a lot of points to tight ends. He was targeted four times and only made one catch. It would have been one thing if Brees kept looking to Fleener but he didn’t. I don’t think Fleener gets too many looks this Sunday.

As I said I think you guys can do defense, good luck this week!