Week Two Wonders

Follow@cimini Think before pulling that waiver wire trigger or assuming you're going to get solid stats from a player on your roster. Here are names of some players you need to hold caution on before considering a waiver wire move or prominent position in your fantasy football lineups.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford Once the Falcons had a three touchdown lead it looked as if the Falcons defense relaxed to the lead and played lacksadaisical. Bradford took advantage and mounted a solid comeback effort that was too little to late. The talent the Rams have is going to cause issues for opposing defenses. Bradford needs to be more consistent from the onset of games to be a higher fantasy backup value. RG3 RG3 still looks like he is in preseason mode while the rest of the league is at full speed. If calculations were factored into RG3's Sunday performance, he likely led all fantasy players with the amount of garbage fantasy points he accumulated. Philip Rivers The Chargers have been pass happy the first two games of the year. In week one it failed in the fourth quarter when Rivers threw a pick six. Week two the Chargers slowed things down and carved up the Eagles defense. The Eagles were unable to get pressure on Rivers which is what he struggles against. Credit the Chargers for running a quicker rhythm offense to alleviate some of the pressure off of Rivers. I'm still not sold he can maintain it as the Eagles will be ranked towards the bottom of total defense all season long.

Running Backs

Knowshown Moreno Moreno has stepped up surprisingly after being written off with the drafting of Hillman a few years ago, and then Montee Ball this offseason. Moreno kept working and it looks like the work ethic of Denver's former back in Willis McGahee has paid dividends. The yards per carry he averaged against the Giants is definitely a sign of a one week wonder. Charles Clay Clay had his best game as a pro Sunday with a one yard touchdown run and heavy damage out of the backfield with over one hundred yards receiving. He looks to be overtaking Daniel Thomas as the Dolphins second option at running back. That role may be bounced back and forth as Miami truly wants Thomas to have the job, but he doesn't seem to be fit to handle it. James Starks We will all have to see the extent of Eddie Lacy's injury. The rookie has been brittle while at Alabama and during the offseason with the Packers. Even if he makes a quick recovery Starks has cemented a higher share of carries by being the first Packer running back to eclipse 100 yards in over forty games. Still the Packers are a strong pass first team and have a very bland running attack. Starks's yards came with a very large lead and the Redskins defense giving a lackluster effort. Ben Tate Tate has outproduced his fellow partner Arian Foster to start the year. With the Texans protecting their star back in Foster it may be until midseason for the Texans to give Foster the load that we are accustomed to seeing from Foster. Tate's average may stay high as the Texans try to wear defenses down with their dominating backfield. He just won't have very many games of over ninety yards rushing.

Wide Receivers

DeSean Jackson Jackson has not had this type of fantasy impact in quite awhile. His stats have been padded greatly by two horrific performances by the Redskins and Chargers secondary. Jackson's big plays came all on go routes in which he roasted the Chargers defensive backs with his speed advantage. The way the Eagles offense is tiring out teams Jackson will likely have a career year. Just not games of near 200 yards receiving again. Eddie Royal Credit new offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt, for utilizing the Chargers receivers much better than the Chargers have in years past. Eddie Royal was practically non-existent a year ago, and now is being utilized in a proper role offensively. The quick routes have been there for Royal, but it'll be shut down in the upcoming weeks now that it has been so successful. DeAndre Hopkins It's good to see the rookie shine in a major way week two. But rookie wide receivers tend to fade more than they shine throughout a sixteen game schedule. Hopkins should never crack your lineup unless injuries have taken a major toll to your team.

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Week Two Fantasy Quarterback Rankings

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1. Drew Brees- Geno Smith torched the Bucs with simple throws. Expect Brees to have a typical huge day
2. Aaron Rodgers- Lasers were thrown with precision against the 49ers. The Redskins may want to practice mimicking falling down to delay snaps.
3. Peyton Manning- Of course Manning wants to carve up his younger brother. It won’t be to the tune of seven touchdowns, but he’ll continue his hot start.
4. Matt Ryan- For wins and fantasy points almost no quarterback in the league is better at home.
5. Terrelle Pryor- I love his matchup against the Jaguars this week. The Jaguars defense mustered an all around effort last week only to succumb to zero points offensively. Pryor will roam the field with his legs and avoid ill throws.
6. Eli Manning- The Giants will be sound in all phases to prevent a disaster two weeks in a row. Eli will lead the way
7. Joe Flacco- This team has had a full ten days off, and can’t wait to get back on the football field. The Ravens will have the blowout game of the week.
8. Colin Kaepernick- I don’t care which defense is out on the field, this week it is Seattle. All defenses are in trouble this year if Kaepernick’s accuracy remains the way it was last week.
9. Mike Vick- The Eagles reload but will Vick stay healthy a full season in this fast pace offense?
10. Cam Newton- Fantasy owner want to breathe a sigh of relief with Newton. He’ll put up top ten fantasy quarterback numbers this week.
11. Andy Dalton
12. Andrew Luck
13. RG3
14. Tom Brady
15. Matthew Stafford
16. Jay Cutler
17. Russ Wilson
18. Tony Romo
19. Matt Schaub
20. Carson Palmer
21. Alex Smith
22. Philip Rivers
23. Ben Roethlisberger
24. Ryan Tannehill
25. Sam Bradford
26. EJ Manuel
27. Chad Henne
28. Brandon Weeden
29. Christian Ponder
30. Geno Smith

Week Two Team Rankings

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1. San Francisco- The 49ers fought off a strong effort from Green Bay in week one. More impressive was quarterback Colin Kaepernick who made several spectacular pocket passes.
2. Denver-They’ve had a long layover from their week one performance but had the best half of any team in week one.
3. Seattle- It took them nearly the entire game but they earned a hard fought road victory over Carolina
4. Houston- Credit the Texans for coming back on the stage of a Monday Night road game. They’ve always been a talented regular season team. They’ll need to show more come playoff time.
5. Atlanta- The Falcons are in a tough division and are going to need to try and win the other five games left against their NFC South opponents.
6. New England
7. Chicago
8. Cincinnatti
9. Dallas
10. Green Bay
11. Baltimore
12. New Orleans
13. Indianapolis
14. NY Giants
15. St. Louis Rams
16. Philadelphia Eagles
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Kansas City Chiefs
19. Washington Redskins
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Detroit Lions
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Arizona Cardinals
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Buffalo Bills
28. San Diego
29. NY Jets
30. Cleveland Browns
31. Oakland Raiders
32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Two Starts

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Did you make a crucial mistake in week one by starting a player you shouldn’t have? It happens to all of us. Predicting and looking at matchups is never easy. I’ve named some players to sit this week for week two, and now here is a look at positional players too start for week two.

Quarterbacks

EJ Manuel
The Bills did a great job in making things simple for Manuel in his matchup against the Patriots. At home again this week, I look for Manuel to have an even better game against a suspect Panthers defense. Manuel’s accuracy has been solid and his decision making sound from what he has shown in limited preseason action and last week.

Josh Freeman
I was down on Freeman week one but on the season overall I wrote a preseason column that he shouldn’t be overlooked as your fantasy backup quarterback. Here is a great week for Freeman to showcase his fantasy assets. Greg Schiano and the Buccaneers are limiting Freeman when they can. Against the Jets the offense was too simplistic with basic runs and quick slants. This week the Bucs will have no choice but to run and gun against the Saints if they want to keep up in the game. Look for Freeman to shine and be a top ten fantasy quarterback this week.

Terrelle Pryor
Motivation in a sport is the root of everything. Jacksonville as a team may be at rock bottom already. Pryor on the other hand appears ready to flourish. He was always a winner at Ohio State, and it appears he used the last few years on the Raiders to fully commit himself. His passing skills are not the best but the Raiders have an intemix of packages to keep defenses honest. Pryor should have himself another heck of a game.

Others: Jay Cutler, Alex Smith, and Brandon Weeden

Running Backs

Ryan Matthews
Just a few years ago Matthews was considered not only a top fantasy back sleeper but was drafted as a top tier back. He wasn’t able to fill LT’s shoes but still remains the Chargers sole viable running back. Ronnie Brown is cemented as a complimentary back at his age and will not over take Matthews. That lives prime games of favorable matchups in Matthews favor. This week is one of those games against an Eagles team that should be vulnerable against the run all season long.

Vick Ballard
Ballard’s role with the Colts is still undefined as the use of Ahmad Bradshaw remains unclear. Ballard though is the best back the Colts have, and I expect the Colts to use him more and more like they did to end last season. Miami’s a balanced defense but they have to pick their poison with the Colts. Their focus will be on shutting down Andrew Luck and the Colts passing attack. That’ll leave running lanes for Ballard to have a big day and get into the endzone.

Steven Jackson
There is no doubt that Jackson has had his calendar circled for quite some time. The Rams did not want to utilize Jackson as a one man back anymore, and left the door open for Jackson to go elsewhere. He did and had an unspectacular week one performance as a Falcon. The Falcons were not balanced offensively that game and will surely put together a more effective game plan at home.

Others: Eddie Lacy and Monte Ball

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Kyle Williams
Anquan Boldin can’t do it himself every week. Williams seems the best suited to step up on a consistent basis out of all the 49ers role player receivers. He has the speed and chemistry with Kaepernick to be a solid fantasy sleeper. This week will be the first of many that Williams steps up unexpectedly.

Jared Cook
The Rams used Cook heavily in the preseason and rolled it over into week one. If it weren’t for a Tyrann Mathiue chase, Cook would have scored three touchdowns in week one. Defensive coordinators have game planned for Cook as if he were the same under utilized tight end from Tennessee. The Rams have other plans for Cook and are using him like a top five tight end.

Davone Bess
No one could have been pleased watching how poorly the Ravens secondary was lit up in the second half by the Denver Broncos. In all areas from both corner spots to safety coverage and even drop back coverage by the linebackers, the Ravens could not do anything right. This should be a high scoring affair where the Ravens try to win the game with their offense. With Cleveland without Gordon, Davone Bess will have some more balls thrown his way by Brandon Weeden.

Others: Michael Floyd, Rod Streater, and Brian Hartline

Week Two Sit Em’s

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You’re prepared for your waiver wire moves that will go through tonight in your leagues. Knocking on the door are your official lineups for week two. Obviously teams that are considering Patriots or Jets players in their lineups need to submit just over twenty four hours.

Here is a breakdown of player’s to sit for week three. Starters will be unveiled before the end of the week.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford-
The Rams did a great job battling back at home down double digits in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately they’re facing a Falcons team that is as potent as they come at home. If Atlanta jumps out to a big home lead like they’re capable of, it could spell trouble for Bradford. He shouldn’t be a starter in your fantasy league anyways, but those that have two middle tier quarterbacks will have to opt for their other option this week.

RG3-
Based on his week one performance it looked like Griffin will need at least two more games to get settled in. The Redskins kept him in the pocket to prevent any hits or unnecessary scrambles against the Eagles. Green Bay’s defense gave up 34 points to San Francisco, but played much better than the end result. They’re an aggressive bunch that should capitalize on inaccurate throws from RG3.

Ryan Tannehill
Miami does not want to get into a weekly spot where Tannehill is having to throw the football near 40 times a game. They need to get the running game going or it’s going to put too much pressure on Tannehill on the road for back to back weeks. Look for Tannehill’s numbers to come down sharply from his week one output.

Running Backs

Benjarvus Green-Ellis
Cincinnati suffered from a large lead against Chicago that they relinquished because of a lack of fire power in the backfield. Green-Ellis’s days may be numbered just like Cedric Benson’s were as a Bengal. For all the slack the Steelers caught for their week one performance, their defense was strong. The Bengals may find themselves like the Giants searching for a free agent running back to boost an ineffective ground game.

MJD-
There are a plethora of issues in Jacksonville, and this year I don’t think even MJD can bypass them. He was stifled week one by a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense. Things may not get any better against a young and underrated Raiders defense. Teams are not afraid of the Jaguars passing attack and will load the box until Justin Blackmon returns.

DeMarco Murray
Murray at this point is turning into a Felix Jones 2.0. He burst onto the scene with a monster 200 yard game his rookie season that pushed out Jones, and catapulted Murray to a heralded position last season. That caved quickly with poor performances and injuries. It looks like the Cowboys are honing back Murray’s burden to keep him healthy. He is a borderline number two fantasy back and likely won’t crack the top ten for weekly fantasy backs much this year.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

James Jones-
I was not impressed with Jones’s week one efforts against the 49ers. Call the 49ers one of the best defenses all you want. Jones has one of if not the best quarterback in the league that had to stop looking his way because of an early drop that resulted in an interception. Rodgers is a winner and looked to Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb the rest of the game. This may linger for a few weeks and will impact Jones numbers until he makes a big play.

Steve Smith Panthers-
Week one results are infamous for overreactions. But one team that I believe is in a dire state is Carolina. If the Panthers are in the middle of the second quarter and struggling offensively, you can forget about a strong second half. Smith is a veteran now but it wasn’t too long ago that he was known as a hot headed receiver. I don’t see Newton and the Panthers having a bounce back week on the road against a strong Bills defense.

Greg Jennings- Minnesota Vikings
The Bears defense knows Jennings all too well from his days with the Packers. Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman may have been roasted by AJ Green week one, but they’ll get back to their proper shut down ways week two against Jennings. Minnesota has had a tendency to over pay for receivers and that’s what they’ve done with Jennings.

Brandon Pettigrew
Arizona is going to have their hands full with the Lions potent offense that has Reggie Bush to its arsenal now. A year ago when the Lions traveled to Arizona, the Cardinals scored several defensive touchdowns as Matt Stafford continued to force balls. Stafford was a bit dinged up as the season wound down, and looked as if he was care free with the Lions dismal record. I don’t see the Lions offense being held back but I do see Pettigrew continuing to struggle.