Week 2 Fantasy Recap

By Jeff Lucero
Follow Jeff on Twitter: prosb4hos

CHRIS JOHNSON…
If there was a theme for Week 2, it was long scoring plays and Chris Johnson, our RB “Start of the Week”, was the poster child. Scoring on plays of 57, 69 and 91 yards he racked up a monster 284 total yards and 3 tds! Despite being deemed the “Sit of the Week” vs. Pittsburgh last week and being held to 57 yards rushing, he was our RB Start of the Week for Week 2 and certainly didn’t disappoint!

OWENS! OWENS! OWENS!
There may not have been a more sought after WR the last ten years in fantasy football than Terrell Owens, but there are many reasons he has lost top billing fantasy circle. After an injury plagued preseason as well as a disappointing Monday Night showing, many were wondering how well he would really fare in the Bills new offense… Well he came through for owners in Week 2 vs. Tampa Bay. With 65 total yards and a TD, he was worthy of our WR “Start of the Week” status.

YEAH, BUT HOW’D THE OTHER GUYS DO?
QB Manning -
Our “Start of the Week” QB Peyton Manning didnt disappoint on Monday night vs. Miami. He threw for 303 yards and 2 tds proving that he’s still going to be a fantasy force, even without Anthony Gonzalez. He still has Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and now Pierre Garcon might be a name to monitor in coming weeks.

TE Daniels -
Owen Daniels also got into some of the action in Week 2’s Houston/Tennessee game. Our TE “Start of the Week” came through with 72 yards and a TD, fulfilling expectations this week. The Vikings “Start of the Week” Defense did a solid job on the Lions as expected. Creating 3 turnovers, they held them to 265 yards, 13 points and pair of sacks.

WHAT SLEEPER??
“Sleeper of the Week” Michael Clayton failed to deliver, gaining only 27 yards receiving. Despite having Antonio Bryant scratched from the lineup and opposing CB Terrence McGee hobbled by an ankle, the stars did not align for this WR who went undrafted in over 90% of fantasy leagues.

DID YOU SIT HIM?
Julius Jones was our “Sit of the Week” and although he did end up salvaging his day with a TD, his 9 total yards still left much to be desired, especially in game when his RB counterpart, Frank Gore, rushed for over 200 yards. He now has only 66 yards rushing outside of the 62 yard td run in week 1.

Week 3 Pickups

QB
Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers – Was on our waiver pickup list last week He’s averaging 45 passing attempts a game and threw 3 tds vs. Buffalo. The Bucs will be playing from behind their fair share of game this season so if Leftwich can stay healthy and remain the starter over Josh Freeman, he should be considered an upper QB2 with his stock rising.

Kerry Collins, Titans – Also on our list last week, he had 216 yards passing with 2 TD’s vs. Houston. The Titans defense isn’t shutting down teams like they were last season and that will force them to open up the offense a little bit more. You could do worse than to have Collins as your backup on a bye week.

RB
Michael Bush, Raiders – He also made our list last week, but again Justin Fargas was inactive and Bush saw a ton of playing time. Darren McFadden looks to be the starter in Oakland but they aren’t afraid to give Bush more touches at any given time. They both share time on 3rd downs with Bush getting more of the all important short yardage stuff.

Correll Buckhalter, Broncos – Somewhat a forgotten man, he made an impression with a strong showing in week 2 vs Cleveland. Although the Broncos will feature Knowshon Moreno and he’s going to end up with the most touches, Buckhalter can be at least used as a decent bye week replacement. Expect the Broncos to split carries 50/30/10/10 between Knowshon/Buck/Hillis/Jordan when everyone is healthy, making Buck a mid-low RB3.

Justin Forsett, Seahawks – He actually outshined Julius Jones in Week 2 gaining 92 total yards on fewer touches. Some fans are actually calling for Forsett to be the featured back in Seattle. For now, he is a RB4 with decent upside to be considered down the road, if Seattle decides to expand his role.

WR
Mario Manningham, Giants – He gained a little bit of buzz in some circles heading into the season but really didn’t get the consideration because of the cloudy WR situation in New York. With Hakeem Nicks and Dominik Hixon going down with injuries, it really opened the door for Manningham and he siezed the moment on Sunday night vs. Dallas. He will be the top waiver pickup in nearly every league after that performance and can be used right away as a WR3.

Johnny Knox, Bears – A “throw-in” 5th round pick in the Cutler to Bears deal has suddenly emerged as a deep threat and reliable target on a team searching for one. With 8 catches for 152 yards and a TD in 2 games, he’s someone to target off the waiver wire.

Julian Edelman, Patriots – Mentioned last week and this week on Twitter with all the talk Wes Welker could miss time, Edelman did start for him in Week 2 and came away with 92 yards. While “handcuffs” for WRs are rare, he’s someone to target if you have a Patriots WR, especially if it’s Welker. He’s next in line in what is still a dangerous passing offense.

Laurent Robinson, Rams – If you’re desperate at WR in games coming up, Robinson is the leading receiving on one of the worst offenses in the league. It’s a buyer beware type of pickup, but with 2 decent weeks to start the season, you could do worse.

TE
Todd Heap, Ravens – Although Heap had only 1 catch in Week 2, it went for a TD. With 2 good games to start the year, he looks like he has put his injury-marred past behind him.

Dustin Keller, Jets – Another mention from last week, again, this is a guy who can lead the Jets in receiving when its all said and done.

Kicker
John Carney, Saints – Carney’s long term value is in question as Saints regular kicker Garrett Hartley is out on suspension for 4 games. But on the top offense in the NFL, whoever is kicking for the Saints is worth a start.

Defense
Denver Broncos – Seems a bit strange to mention them as a recommended defense after the last few years, but after allowing only 13 points so far this season and with Oakland on the schedule next, they are a decent start in Week 3.