2019 Fantasy Football: 10 Things to Know about Week 2
1. Don’t chase Week 1 performances
Every year there are players who have huge Week 1 and are never heard from again. For every Phillip Lindsay in 2018 (RB12 overall Week 1, RB13 for the season) you have plenty of Randall Cobb‘s (WR4 overall Week 1 2018, WR81 for the season), Isaiah Crowell‘s (RB9 overall Week 1 2018, RB33 for season), and Phillip Dorsett‘s (WR14 Week 1, WR 93 for the season). There are some breakout performances that you should pay attention to (ex: Devin Singletary, Darren Waller). But don’t just look at the highest point totals, look at the players that have the best combination of Week 1 production and opportunity. Don’t bench a stud in Week 2 for a flash-in-the-pan performance from Week 1. Fantasy football is a weekly game. This may surprise you, but points scored last week don’t count for this week. What a concept!
2. Don’t Panic
On the other side of the same coin, don’t read too much into a slow start from proven commodities. With most teams using Week 1 as a glorified fifth preseason game, teams and players are still extremely rusty. Players are still learning new systems, rookies are trying to catch up to the speed of the NFL, and some simply had tough match-ups. Don’t cut or sell players for pennies on the dollar, knee-jerk reactions after Week 1 often lead to regret. Slow starters like Aaron Jones (39 rushing yards), David Montgomery (18 rushing yards, 1 catch for 27 yards), or Mike Evans (2 catches for 28 yards) will be just fine when the dust settles at the end of the year. Travis Kelce only caught one pass Week 1 last year. Take advantage of someone in panic mode. Send out offers for these types of players, and scout the waiver wire for players who were dropped. Often players hastily dropped in the first few weeks turn out to be season-long gold.
3. Adrian Peterson is the starter once again
Derrius Guice is out for “weeks”, which bumps Adrian Peterson at the top of the RB depth chart for the Washington Redskins. Although Peterson is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, some red flags should keep your expectations in check. First of all, Peterson was deactivated Week 1, with Coach Jay Gruden “If we have a game where we think we can run the ball 55 times in a game in I-Formation then sure I’ll get him up”. A comment like that doesn’t instill confidence in Gruden’s plans for Peterson. But his hands are tied with Guice out and Peterson being the only back on the roster who can carry the load of a first and second down RB. Peterson has proven he can still be productive if he gets the touches, but be wary next week if Peterson gets 20+ carries. Since 2017 Peterson has gotten 20+ carries in eight games, scoring double-digit points in each of those games. However, Peterson failed to score double digits in seven of the eight games following a 20 carry workload. Peterson can be useful in the right situations, but the days of Peterson going “All Day” are long gone. I would avoid this week in a situation where they are likely to be behind, so Chris Thompson should be the better play this week.
4. “Hollywood” Brown a risky play
Could Marquise Brown go out Week 2 and have another amazing game? Absolutely. The Ravens are going against a Cardinals defense that just gave up 385 yards and 3 TDs through the air to Matthew Stafford, so expect the Ravens to have success. A stat line of 4 receptions 147 yards and 2 TDs is awful enticing, but there are a few reasons why it could be hard for Brown to replicate his Week 1 success. Brown only played 14 snaps and was only targeted 5 times, he just made the most of them. He’s still coming back from an injury that limited him all off-season, and the idea that he could be even better is scary. But that level of production is unsustainable on a weekly basis, and plugging Brown into your lineup is sure to be a roller coaster ride. I’m not saying don’t play him, but be aware that he could easily put up a low score if the big plays aren’t there this week.
5. Sunday-night Shootout in Atlanta
This may be a hot take, but Matt Ryan is better than Case Keenum. With that being the case, fire up your Falcons on Sunday, because the Eagles are in town. Philadelphia allowed Keenum to throw for 380 yards and 3 TDs in Week 1 and gave up the most completions (417) and third-most passing yards (4,308) last season. Julio Jones should have a monster game, and any Atlanta pass-catcher is a worthy start this week. Atlanta wasn’t much better last year against the pass, giving up the third-most completions (398) and 6th most yards (4,153), so Carson Wentz, DeSean Jackson, and the Iggles are just as good of a start. This should be a high-scoring game that offers plenty of offensive production on both sides of the ball.
6. Drew Brees: Road Woes or Road Warrior?
Vegas is expecting plenty of points in the NFC Championship rematch With an Over/Under in the 50s. Although I believe there will be a decent amount of scoring, I think Drew Brees will be disappointing. Traditionally Brees has struggled on the road, last year averaging 31 points per game home and 18 pts per game away (6 point passing TDs). The Rams were top 10 in passing TD’s allowed in 2018 (31) and held Cam Newton without a TD in Carolina Week 1. Even with an extra game in hand (Brees sat Week 17 home versus Carolina), every passing statistic was lower on the Road.
Brees 7 home games 2018: 2251 yards, 21 TDs, 1 Interception
Brees 8 away games 2018: 1741 yards, 11 TD, 4 Interceptions
Brees should put up solid yet unspectacular numbers in what still expects to be a high scoring affair. He’ll finish the week more along the lines of a back end QB1 versus the normal QB1 overall upside he normally offers.
7. Don’t worry about Kirk Cousins (yet)
The Vikings want to run the ball this season and that was evident this past Sunday, where Kirk Cousins only threw 10 passes. 10 passes! The game script had a lot to do with it, as the Vikings jumped to an early lead, which let them go run-heavy. Stefon Diggs is also banged up, so his WR corps wasn’t at full strength. Cousins demolished the Packers last season to the tune of 767 yards and 7 TD in 2 games, so hopefully, for Cousins owners better production is on the horizon. But if the defense continues to play lights out (held 2018 top-10 offense Falcons to 12 points in Week 1) and Dalvin Cook can grind out games, Cousins stats could take a significant hit this season.
Love our content? Check out the GoingFor2 Live Podcast Network!
8. The Devin Singletary takeover has begun
Devin Singletary is the future of the Buffalo Bills and had a great Week 1 despite limited opportunities. Singletary only had 4 carries but made the most of them to the tune of 70 yards (chipping in 5 catches for 28 yards). The stars began to align for Singletary when the Bills released LeSean McCoy, and even though 127-year-old Frank Gore is still atop the depth chart, Singletary was on the field for 48 of the teams 69 offensive snaps (Gore was on for 11). The production should continue in Week 2, as the Bills face a Giants defense that gave up almost 500 yards and 5 TD’s in Week 1 against the division-rival Cowboys. Acquire Singletary anywhere you still can, before he takes over as the clear #1 and Bills bell-cow back in the coming weeks. It may already be too late.
9. Wallers World
The TE position in fantasy has been top-heavy in recent years. Last year if you were starting anyone not named Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, or George Kittle, you were praying for a TD. That could change this year, with potential breakout TE Darren Waller having a productive Week 1. Although the nightmare that has been the Antonio Brown saga has caused the Raiders plenty of headaches, one positive that could come out of it is the emergence of Waller. He took full advantage on Monday Night Football, playing every Oakland offensive snap and leading the team in targets (eight) and catches(seven). He didn’t have a huge night production-wise (70 yards), but as barren as the landscape of TE’s has been in recent years, his usage is significant. Coach Jon Gruden recently said, “We’re going to get the ball to Waller”. They should be able to early in often against Kansas City, who allowed the 1-2 punch of Nick Foles and rookie Gardner Minshew throw for a combined 350 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 interception. Waller may very well be this year’s Kittle and is already worth a weekly start a TE as long as his usage continues.
10. Austin Ekeler, RB1?
Melvin Gordon could get Wally Pipped (google it youngsters) if Ekeler builds on an electric Week 1 (pun intended). Although he wasn’t that productive on the rushing (12 attempts for 58 yards), he did rush for a TD and also had 6 catches for 96 yards and 2 TDs. News broke Wednesday afternoon that Hunter Henry will miss a minimum for 4-6 weeks due to a tibial plateau fracture. Mike Williams also got hurt Week 1 and his availability for Week 2 is still in question. With Henry injured and Williams potentially out as well, even more targets are available for Ekeler to absorb. Playing a Lions defense that just gave up a total 137 yards a TD to David Johson, Ekeler’s needle is pointing up, and Gordon may be regretting the decision to hold out.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
