If Week 1 is the Sunday of anxious optimism mixed with cautious uncertainty, Week 2 is the Sunday prone to panicked overreactions.
Drafters spent weeks, maybe even months locked into beliefs of how the season would unfold. Eli Manning would offer sneaky value at quarterback. Allen Robinson would break out as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top wide receiver. And, of course, Devante Adams would rule the planet as Aaron Rodgers‘ No. 2 target.
One week into the season, Manning is the same maddening mess, Robinson is another Jaguars bust and James Jones is Rodgers’ new best friend. If Week 1 didn’t go your way, take a page from the Green Bay Packers quarterback’s book and relax.
Just think, how many gamers spent Friday and Saturday kicking themselves for not drafting Rob Gronkowski, only to later watch Travis Kelce, Tyler Eifert, Jason Witten and Austin Seferian-Jenkins bring home a handful of points? While everyone should study the first batch of games for meaningful takeaways, let’s not go overboard and bench C.J. Anderson.
Let’s take a deep breath and get an early start on Week 2’s flex rankings for standard and point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Justin Forsett presents the perfect storm for panic. Even before Sunday’s 56-yard snoozer against the Denver Broncos, the 29-year-old faced some healthy skepticism following an unexpected breakout.
After leading all running backs with 5.4 yards per carry last year, the Baltimore Ravens rusher mustered only 43 rushing yards on 14 handoffs. His owners also couldn’t be too pleased to see Javorius Allen scoop up nine carries, albeit for an equally inefficient 30 yards.
Maybe Forsett is a flash in the plan, and everyone overpaid for a career year. Or maybe Denver’s defense is really good. Last season, it ranked No. 2 with 79.8 rushing yards allowed per game and 3.7 yards per rush.
Wash away Week 1’s sadness with a much friendlier matchup against the Oakland Raiders. A year after surrendering the most fantasy points to running backs in ESPN.com leagues, they allowed 151 combined yards and two touchdowns to Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard:
In a game Baltimore should lead, Forsett will get more opportunities to pound the rock. Oakland’s vulnerability to pass-catching backs especially makes him a PPR stud this Sunday.
For all the hype tossed Adams’ way, his four catches and 59 yards feels underwhelming, especially when adding the insult of two James Jones touchdowns. The veteran didn’t miss a beat in his Green Bay reunion.
“It’s like an ex-girlfriend; you broke up for a couple of months and now you’re back,” Jones told Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. “You really don’t lose too much.”
Does Rodgers need to spell out “relax” again? Adams still led the team with eight targets. Anyone expecting a top-15 wide receiver got a little overzealous, but he’s still a viable option going forward.
Usually a brutal matchup, the Seattle Seahawks looked awfully mortal without star safety Kam Chancellor. Without Brian Quick, Nick Foles amassed 297 passing yards on 27 attempts, leading Pro Football Focus to give Seattle the week’s third-worst grade in pass coverage before Monday night’s games.
Adams remains the Green Bay receiver to play beyond Randall Cobb. Jones warrants a waiver add in most leagues, but don’t expect any more multi-touchdown outings.
Andre Johnson‘s owners walk into a confusing Week 2 dilemma. During an uninspiring Indianapolis Colts debut, he only reeled in four of Andrew Luck‘s 10 targeted throws for 24 yards. The Indianapolis Star‘s Stephen Holder was one of many observers to fret the 34-year-old’s lackadaisical outing:
Before tossing in the towel, he’s about to become an even bigger focal point of a high-volume offense due to T.Y. Hilton’s injured knee. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Colts’ top wideout could miss Monday night’s bout with the New York Jets:
Even an old geezer can stumble into production as Andrew Luck’s No. 1 wide receiver. Still, the timing couldn’t be worse for Johnson, who likely gets upgraded to Revis Island. If the veteran constantly finds Darrelle Revis covering him, Donte Moncrief will instead seize the spotlight.
Even so, the Buffalo Bills limited opponents to 6.4 passing yards per attempt last year. The Jets surrendered 7.5 in 2014 before allowing 7.6 to Johnny Manziel on Sunday. Don’t give up on Johnson and the Colts just yet, but he’s best served for PPR formats.
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