Team Rankings Post Week Two

Follow@cimini

1. Seattle Seahawks- I was one that gave the 49ers a probable chance to upset the Seahawks. Boy was I wrong. I still think there flaws on offense might come to bite them more than people would expect this season.
2. Denver Broncos- Manning is off to his typical red hot regular season start with a defense that hasn’t had to worry about tight games yet.
3. San Francisco- A regular season loss can be exaggerated at times, especially early in the season. San Francisco will be where they’ve been the last few years once the playoffs begin.
4. Green Bay Packers- As Stephen A Smith says, Aaron Rodgers is a baaaaaad man. His throws and how he is spreading the football around are incredible. They’ll get a tough test this week at Cincinnati.
5. Atlanta Falcons- Injuries are hitting this team early but they have enough talent to sustain through the injury bug. People worried about the Falcons without Steven Jackson just need to refer back to the Michael Turner days. Atlanta got it done with a back that should have been out of the league last year.
6. Houston Texans- Their carousel ways of coming back to win are not what people expected as heavy favorites in both games. This week is a true test for both Baltimore and Houston to see where their teams are at.
7. Chicago Bears- Though the Bears have also came back in their first two games of the season, it has been done in a different way. They’ve fought through turnovers and still managed to grab two wins over quality teams.
8. New England- Those thinking the Patriots are going to resort back to easily blowing out teams are mistaken. They’re downgraded at running back and receiver and it’s going to take patience to win every week.
9. New Orleans- The Saints have won two close games to start the year. They’ve done so by not looking as proficient offensively as we are accustomed to seeing. Will the defense give or will the offense get back to its old ways?
10. Cincinnati- With the Ravens still figuring out things, the Bengals could be ready to leap past the entire division. They’ll need a second receiver to step up to divert attention away from AJ Green if they’re going to do so.
11. Baltimore
12. Philadelphia
13. Miami
14. Dallas
15. Kansas City Chiefs
16. Indianapolis
17. NY Giants
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Arizona Cardinals
20. San Diego Chargers
21. Detroit Lions
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
24. Tennessee Titans
25. Washington Redskins
26. Carolina Panthers
27. NY Jets
28. Buffalo Bills
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Oakland Raiders
31. Cleveland Browns
32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Upgrades/Downgrades For Roster Flex, Bench Depth, and Borderline Starters

Follow @cimini

Upgrades

Ryan Tannehill Reggie Bush left and so did tackle Jake Long. Concerns that Tannehill would regress without a strong back and his blindside protection are murmurs that have been stomped. Tannehill can hold his own and even though he is getting sacked, he is making the right throws. He may not be a top ten fantasy quarterback yet, but his accuracy is in the top ten. His confidence seems to be blossoming and the team as a whole may be ready to rise with him. Philip Rivers In week one Jon Gruden showcased on Monday Night Football how Rivers is sliding better in the pocket and holding the football with two hands when under pressure. Ken Whisenhunt worked on the little things with Rivers for limiting his turnovers. A vast difference is the speed in which Rivers is getting the football out. Designed plays are called and Rivers is hitting his reads with acceleration. People forget that Rivers was the head of this division for years before Manning arrived. Jay Cutler The errors are still there by Cutler but you have to love the way he finds a way to shake them off. He had a critical fumble for a touchdown and another interception in the endzone off of a tipped pass Sunday. Besides those drives the Bears moved with tremendous ease. It’s happening because Cutler isn’t getting drilled and knocked down every pass play like he was the last four years. Cutler is back into the role of a viable backup instead of a questionable one. DeAngelo Williams If there was one sign of hope for the Panthers it was that Williams had a solid game on the ground against the Bills. He didn’t fumble and ran the ball over twenty times. Carolina gets to face off against the Giants in a rematch of last years Thursday blowout. All Carolina has to do is figure out how to finish games. After Knowshown Moreno ran wild on the Giants it may be Williams turn this week. Knowshown Moreno Moreno was drafted high a few years ago but the injury bag tagged him for a few years. Denver is a team that loves to run the football but with their crowded backfield it’ll be unlikely that Moreno gets a full time load like he did Sunday. Moreno is perfect trade bait for an owner wanting to sell him high. Especially if he follows up with another decent week. Michael Floyd Floyd is showing enough in the Cardinals passing attack to be considered an every week fantasy WR3. The Cardinals are going to have a bottom tier running game again this year, so that means more opportunities for the Cardinals receivers. Working with Larry Fitzgerald seems to have improved Floyd’s attitude and on the field performance. Chris Givens A majority of Givens success Sunday came in the second half when the Rams had to abandon the ground attack and attempt a comeback via the air. That’s when they found success with Givens who continues to flourish with his amazing yards per catch average. Last year’s sixteen yards a catch was not a fluke. The Rams just need to figure out how to proportion the offense to Givens with newcomers Jared Cook and Tavon Austin in the fold. James Jones It’s not a question of which of the three Green Bay receivers is going to excel on a given week. It’s a question on who is going to have an out of the world week over a solid week. This set of Green Bay receivers has been on the roster for quite some time in Green Bay. It’s crazy to say but this group is better than an old Donald Driver and Greg Jennings on it. All the receivers know they are going to get the football and seem to be thriving knowing that. A role that neither Jordy Nelson, Jones, or Randall Cobb were in on a weekly basis two years ago.

Downgrades

RG3 If people want to say he is giving them enough fantasy points with his arm so be it. The truth of the matter is that RG3 is a lost soul on the field right now. His mechanics are off and you can tell he does not want to be the pocket passer the Redskins are making him be. Unless the Redskins let him test out his legs it’s going to be a long year in which Griffin does not last on the field. Josh Freeman I had high hopes for Freeman being a fantasy relevant backup. After two games of watching the Buccaneers I’m ready to say I was wrong in that department. Freeman needs new life elsewhere and fast. It seems each time he steps on the field now his skills and the Buccaneers offense are deteriorating away like the decay just to the north of them in Jacksonville. Daniel Thomas Thomas’s trend from how he contributed as a rookie to last year and now is why rookie contracts exist. Thomas will play out the remainder of this year but has set himself up to make life for his agent difficult in the offseason. Most backs that are in a number two role for three years have an impact a handful of games a year. For Thomas that is not the case, as he is right up there with Mike Bush as a back that’s just there for relief to rest the starter for a few plays. Owners of Miller that handcuffed him with Thomas should rid themselves of a roster spot now and improve in another position. Mike Williams It looks like the boomerang success and failure of Williams may land hit it’s spin on a down year. It’s not going to be all his fault but anyone can see that the Buccaneers likely will be replacing Freeman as starter soon. That would input a quarterback in Glennon who is not ready in my mind to grab the role. High amounts of yards were never Williams asset in fantasy football. It’s his touchdown value. With the Buccaneers scoring just one touchdown in week one and two offensively, there is going to be limited opportunities for Williams. Aaron Dobson and Kembrell Thompkins New England has had an unusual knack of being able to plug players into their system. Enough so that everyone figured that Dobson and Thompkins would automatically have instant success in it. That has not been the case and both have to be downgraded to bench depth status or waiver wire drops if you have solid bench depth. Tom Brady will not put up with the drops and issues at hand. New England likely will be trying to pry for a new receiver if Danny Amendola stays off the field for a significant amount of time.

Fantasy Focus for Thursday: Chiefs vs Eagles

Follow@cimini Each week I like to profile Thursday’s games to give fantasy owners some clarity in setting their lineups early. Thursday’s game profiles the Eagles potent offense squared against its former coach in Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Reid has been known for his unbalance in the ground attack vs the air attack. Will he have the Chiefs ready to play Chip Kelly ball or can he force the tempo to his side and slow things down with Alex Smith’s playbook? Quarterbacks Philadelphia’s defense has reverted quickly back to its old lay down and get thrashed ways. In their last six quarters they have given up yards and points galore. San Diego attacked the defense exactly like a college team does against potent offenses. Short quick throws and mixed in runs that eat the clock. Philadelphia could not get up on any of the routes and it allotted Philip Rivers to have one of his best mistake free games in quite a while. Kansas City has the same type of offense that might be even more simplistic with the dink and dump attack. Smith also has scrambling ability that should bolster his fantasy stats for the week. Smith though will not be rated any higher than a mid range teen ranking this week. Vick, on the other hand, is a no-brainer to insert in your lineups. Kelly will find a way as he always does to develop the run or pass with his high velocity play calls. For those worried about the Chiefs currently having a top five defense don’t be. They faced the Jaguars week one and were getting torched by the Dez Bryant in the first half this past Sunday. Dallas than reverted to poor play calling that deflected away from Bryant’s involvement in the passing game. Running Backs Thursday’s game usually does not present itself as a stat filler for running backs. This week should change that with Jamaal Charles and Shady McCoy matching up. Kansas City sort of held back Charles this past Sunday against the Cowboys. Maybe it was because of the short week ahead, and they realize his value is high on the barometer against a poor Eagles team. Against Dallas he only had sixteen carries and his involvement was not it’s typical use. Shady McCoy may have a tough time against a Chiefs defense that is stout against the run. Where they struggle is in the passing game, so the Eagles will likely find McCoy out of the backfield and with quick screens to loosen the Chiefs front seven. Wide Receivers The question with the Chiefs receivers is who is next to step up. In an odd week where the Chiefs will have to pass the ball, there will be other receivers and weapons that dot the fantasy radar. Dexter McCluster is poised to breakout this week. He has been split out as wide receiver in several packaged plays. His role in the backfield has diminished but don’t be surprised if the Chiefs involve him in a few decoy plays back there. Donnie Avery is another to consider as he had a touchdown a week ago and has been getting a solid share of Alex Smith’s mediocre passing yards thus far. Owners of Dwayne Bowe are anticipating one of those monster games he used to put up two to three years ago. He should be able to get into the end zone at least once. From Philadelphia’s standpoint it’s a full go from the regulars in DeSean Jackson, Riley Cooper, and Jason Avant. X-Factor: Tempo Being a short week questions will linger if Chip Kelly may slow things down or Andy Reid may extend drives. Kansas City may do so on a drive or two, but I don’t believe Andy Reid has faith in that style of football. He’ll play to win and score. For those worried about the Eagles not being rested on a short week should pay attention to how rested they should actually be. Against the Chargers they were not even on the field for twenty minutes of game action. The Chargers had the football for over forty minutes while the Eagles held it for right under twenty. The Eagles will be right back to their all out arsenal attack offensively.

Best Target to Catch Ratios from Week Two

Follow@cimini Paying attention to stats and not your fantasy points is how you can dive into your roster and decide to make necessary improvement. Each week I give a breakdown of a key category in best targets to catch results ratios from NFL players. Here is a look at who put up stellar numbers and others that did not. Julio Jones Jones ripped apart a St. Louis secondary considered strong. His biggest play came when he was lined up in the slot and the Rams failed to give the nickel back corner any help. That resulted in an eighty one yard play. Jones completed the game with eleven catches on fourteen targets. Stevie Johnson Stevie Johnson is used to playing with a different quarterback constantly. EJ Manuel may end up ending that trend for Johnson. That will allow Johnson to garner extra respect in fantasy leagues. He finished Sunday with eight catches on ten targets, including a game winning touchdown with two seconds left. Greg Jennings Jennings was in my personal dog house, but crept out momentarily after Sunday’s game. The Bears secondary is not the best at halting catches, their strong area is creating turnovers. Jennings was brought in to give Christian Ponder some confidence and comfort ability in finding a receiver to throw to. Sunday Jennings had five catches on six targets, and made the tough grabs over the middle you’d expect from the veteran. James Jones and Randall Cobb If Aaron Rodgers keeps slinging the football the way he is you might as well hand him the MVP. It’s only two games in but Rodgers nearly pulled off the upset at San Francisco, and torched the Redskins week two. James Jones enjoyed a monster game with eleven catches on twelve targets, and Randall Cobb finished the day with nine catches on ten targets. Mike Wallace Miami satisfied their well paid receiver with nine catches on eleven targets Sunday. They intermixed designed quick hot routes with also finding him on normal pass patterns. It seems that Wallace feeds off just getting the ball in any fashion possible to propel him. That’s a good sign for a Miami team starting to show strong signs. Others that did well: Greg Olsen 7 catches/8 targets, Dez Bryant 9 catches/13 targets, Eddie Royal 7 catches/8 targets, DesSean Jackson 9 catches/15 targets, Antonio Gates 8 catches/10 targets, Nate Burelson 7 catches/8 targets, Jimmy Graham 10 catches/16 targets, Cecil Shorts 8 catches/14 targets, Eric Decker 9 catches/13 targets, Julian Edelman 13 catches/18 targets

Not so Good

Tavon Austin 6 catches/12 targets, TY Hilton 6 catches/12 targets, Dwayne Bowe 4 catches/8 targets, Torrey Smith 7 catches/13 targets, DeAndre Hopkins 7 catches/13 targets, Vincent Jackson 5 catches/11 targets, Wes Welker 3 catches/8 targets, Brandon Myers 6 catches/10 targets, Anquan Boldin 1 catch/4 targets, Aaron Dobson 3 catches/10 targets, Kembrell Thompkins 2 catches/7 targets

Post Week Two: Stretching the Field Follow@cimini Getting big plays results in the theatrical crowd woos and celebrations. In fantasy sports bonus it’s a high indicator that perpetual success can be found on a weekly basis. Here are some quarterbacks and wide receivers that had big days yards per completion or for their receiving averages.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers and Company If Green Bay can get themselves in playoff contention, Rodgers may be on his way to MVP. Two weeks in a row now he has put up incredible numbers that have reflected in his teammates results. James Jones(16 ypc), Jordy Nelson(22ypc), Randall Cobb (14ypc), and Jermichael Finley all had great fantasy days. That happens when Aaron Rodgers only throws eight incompletions on forty two attempts with an eleven yard per completion average. Ryan Tannehill Tannehill had the best throw of Sunday in my mind with his third down absolute beaut to Brian Hartline. Tannehill had an amazing day even though he was sacked quite a bit. Sacks can derail some quarterbacks, and for others it’s smart to not make a mistake that is not there by forcing the ball. Tannehill recouped every time he went down, and finished the day with nearly ten yards a completion. Mike Vick If Vick can stay healthy he may have his best season to date. Sunday he made things look too easy, and that was with several dropped balls by DeSean Jackson. His near twelve yards a completion average are gaudy numbers that should propel owners seeking an upgrade at quarterback to try and trade for Vick.

Wide Receivers

Dez Bryant Bryant looked like he may easily have himself a 200 yard receiving game Sunday. Then a third and goal play that Bryant did not get a look by Romo, and went incomplete seemed to phase the rest of Bryant’s day. Before that play was enough to give Bryant another monster game in which he averaged over fifteen yards a catch. Pierre Garcon Garcon is starting to enter the category of best garbage time fantasy wide receiver producer in football. With the Redskins down 31-0 and every Redskins fantasy owner peeved, the team was able to move the football against a Packers defense that relented with a huge lead. Garcon finished the day with nearly 18 yards a catch with over 170 yards receiving. Chris Givens Givens continues to excel in the department of yards per catch as he did last year. Sunday he averaged over 21 yards a catch. Sam Bradford is still getting use to his new talent around him. When it all comes together, Givens may be a top twenty fantasy wideout. Tedd Ginn Jr Ginn has not lost a step and has got himself off to a solid start as a Carolina Panther. Sunday he had three catches for sixty yards, including a nice forty yard touchdown catch. We will all just have to see if Ginn remains a constant in the offense or fads down the depth chart as the season goes on. Brandon Marshall Marshall may find himself on this list each and every week. The connection that Marshall and Cutler have is second to none, and dates back to their days in Denver. Sunday Marshall averaged nearly 17 yards a catch, including catching a Dilfer Dime for a touchdown. Megatron After a big 72 yard touchdown the Cardinals sort of held Johnson and the Lions offense in check from halftime and beyond. The offense scored just two touchdowns as their other score came off of a pick six. All it takes is one big play and Johnson got it, and finished the day with over twenty yards a catch thanks to his big touchdown. Jimmy Graham For the second consecutive week teams have had great success at attacking the Buccaneers with their tight end. Graham made up for his low output of week one with an off the meter type of performance. It could have been even better if a second quarter touchdown was not called back. Others: Greg Jennings: over 16 YPC, DeSean Jackson 21 YPC, Antonio Gates 15 YPC, DeAndre Hopkins 17 YPC, Victor Cruz 15 YPC, Hakeem Nicks 20 YPC,

Post Week Two Waiver Wire Pickups

Follow@cimini It was a rather quiet week for breakout performances from unknown players. That’ll happen in the first few weeks of the season. Injuries are soon to come in the upcoming weeks and that’s where you’ll see breakout performances come from. Find out who you should be looking at for waiver wire pickups this week. Quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill Two straight road wins by the Dolphins to start the season. It has largely been due to Tannehill’s amazing pocket presence and accuracy. Sunday he threw some incredible accurate throws that were huge for Miami’s close win over the Colts. He has elevated himself into the range of an on the cusp starter and sure fire fantasy backup quarterback. EJ Manuel After the preseason and first two games of the season Bills fans have to be extremely pleased with the drafting of Manuel. A pick that was downgraded by scouts, analysts, and the media. They have their true quarterback of the future finally in Buffalo. He just makes plays and will only get better. Dynasty leagues should consider trading for him or pursuing him via trade. In deeper leagues snare Manuel in case of injury or a need to start over a poor performing quarterback. Kirk Cousins This is an anticipatory move. RG3 is no where near ready to step onto the field. Sooner rather than later Mike Shanahan has to make the move to Cousins to protect the Redskins season from going down the drain. It’s clear that RG3 needs more time to acclimate his body, timing, and overall health. Cousins has shown he can step in and deliver, and would fit right back into an offense that is fantasy friendly. Running Backs Bernard Pierce John Harbaugh shook off the injury to Ray Rice postgame by stating Rice will be fine. We will all see about that. Extreme caution has to be paid here, and that means that you need to pickup Pierce if you own Rice. If you have a higher waiver wire priority try and steal Pierce over a Ray Rice owner. Dexter McCluster Kansas City has kept their offense very basic. It’s been extremely similar to how San Francisco based theirs around Alex Smith. When they’re forced to make a play offensively they have went more and more to the direction of McCluster. His value is great in PPR leagues and will rise as Kansas City is forced to attempt to score more points. Charles Clay Clay had a breakout game against the Colts. Miami is doing an excellent job of finding complimentary players to produce without a tight end to step up. Clay and Brian Hartline are getting extra looks and attention in the offense because of it. Giovanni Bernard Bernard provides that spark factor that forces a coach's hand to get him onto the field. His pass blocking skills still are not where they need to be, so Bernard's fantasy impact will have to come in a decreased amount of plays on the field. As the season wears on if Bernard can show an increased knowledge on picking up blitzes he may become a fantasy viable threat. For now he can be used in PPR leagues but standard leagues should be leery on using him. Danny Woodhead A crowded backfield in San Diego was pieced together on purpose. Woodhead is who he is, and though he didn’t have major damage yardage wise Sunday, he filled up PPR leagues with nine catches. That can’t be overlooked, and neither can the constant shuffling of backs San Diego has been doing. Andre Ellington Arizona has found there third down back and it comes in the sixth round pick in Ellington. With Arizona struggling to produce more than a field goal, Ellington was able to take a wide open pass into the end zone. Palmer has always been fantasy friendly to his running backs, and that won’t come with Mendenhall. In Bruce Arians passing attack a back like Ellington is a quality waiver wire pickup. James Starks Down went Green, and now so has Eddie Lacy. Green Bay has constantly had running back injury woes over the last three to four years, and this time they protected themselves. Keeping James Starks on the roster was a smart move, when most thought they may cut him after the drafting of Lacy and Jonathan Franklin. Starks performance has to be calibrated appropriately, as he gained a lot of yardage when the Packers had a huge lead. The key takeaway though is he will be a complimentary focus back to Aaron Rodgers guerilla passing attack. Wide Receivers DeAndre Hopkins I’m not a big fan of rookie wide receivers as they have a hard time retaining value week to week. But Hopkins was drafted to detract attention from aging wide receiver Andre Johnson. The weeks Hopkins rises to the occasion will be the large question. Towards the end of the year he may have higher value. Foreseeing that is a great reason to stash Hopkins as your fifth or sixth fantasy wideout on your bench. Eddie Royal One can’t help but still classify Royal as a weekly wonder. It’s two weeks in a row now, and Royal has totaled five touchdowns. San Diego’s mix of pass plays has been stellar to start the season. Royal’s five touchdowns has equaled what he had from 09-12. His role seems to fit perfectly with what the Chargers new passing attack brings to the table. Ted Ginn Jr There is no possible way that Cam Newton will continue to be relegated to how he has performed the first two weeks of the season. Ginn Jr. wanted a new chance at wide receiver after being pushed back for years on other teams. He has his chance in Carolina and has done a solid job in the first two weeks of the season. As soon as Cam opens the passing game back up, Ginn may have a breakout game. Mohammed Sanu Cincinnati desperately needs either Sanu or Jones to emerge and solidify themselves as a threat opposite AJ Green. Sanu was drafted for the role a year ago, and should be able to handle the role. He is available in the majority of leagues and would be worth taking a flier on for a developmental roster spot on your team.