Week one was certainly an underwhelming one for many fantasy managers. Duds were common, as defense and low quality play was the name of the game for many who elected to not participate in the preseason. Thinking we'll be getting back to some normalcy during this second go round here now that some of the jitters are out.
Overall, my picks last Sunday fared decently. Geno Smith and AJ Dillon as starts were big misses, as was my bold swing on benching Stefon Diggs (should've benched the whole rest of the team though...). But some good picks in there though, so we're not discouraged! Week two:
Starts
Tua Tagovailoa @ New England: After annihilating a previously hyped Chargers secondary to kick the year off, Tua's next act will be in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Patriots defense, while more disciplined, isn't nearly as talented as LA's, and the Dolphins historically own New England. Big day ahead for the Hawaiian
Justin Herbert @ Tennessee: No Austin Ekeler does take away a little bit of the teeth to this Chargers offense, but Justin Herbert will be able to pick up the slack against this awful group of defensive backs. As long as he can stay away from Kevin Byard, Herbert's going to have a big day passing
Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Miami: The Dolphins allowed that same Ekeler to destroy them on the ground. Granted, Ek's a top five back, but he's known for his contributions in the receiving game as much as his rushing prowess. Rhamondre's a bruiser, in a game where ball control will be premium for New England's chances at an upset. Stevenson's going to eat
Dameon Pierce vs. Indianapolis: Indy's just not a great run defense. With CJ Stroud possibly less then 100%, expect a big bounce back game here for Houston's RB1. Clearing the century mark feels like the expectation
Keenan Allen @ Tennessee: Tennessee's cornerbacks suck. As mentioned above, Ekeler's out, and Mike Williams is back to draw away some of the safety help. Keenan's going to be a target vacuum in the intermediate pass game out in Nashville
Mike Evans/Chris Godwin vs. Chicago: Both guys proved last week that they could be viable starters simultaneously with Baker Mayfield under center. They get an easier assignment this week against a Bears secondary that allowed some splash plays to the likes of Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed. I like Evans and Godwin's chances to find space
Darren Waller @ Arizona: Waller managed one of the more palatable games from Daniel Jones' pass catchers during their debacle against Dallas. Should be a much different story down in Glendale, with nice weather and a weak opponent allowing the Giants' new tight end to feast
Travis Kelce @ Jacksonville: Yeah, sure, this is a layup. But we've got to throw Kelce on here to further emphasize how much the Chiefs' offense missed his presence week one. Look for him to be engulfed with targets in Duval
Sits
Deshaun Watson @ Pittsburgh: Watson didn't have a fantastic start to 2023 and now draws a tough defense that's keen on righting the ship in primetime. Throw in the fact that Amari Cooper now could be set to sit out...just not a pretty forecast for the Cleveland QB
Dak Prescott vs. New York Jets: The Jets D completely delivered on the hype they built up last season, forcing Josh Allen into four turnovers week one. Dak Prescott loves struggling against elite defenses and this is the cream of the crop. Better options out there
James Conner vs. New York Giants: James Conner had a pretty nice day in Washington, but the Cardinals offense sputtered as the game went along. Even at home, I don't look for them to have a good day against a Giants group that needs to save face after last Sunday night, which'll limit their RB1
Dalvin Cook @ Dallas: Dalvin out carried Breece Hall in week one, but massively underperformed by comparison. I expect a similar split in work this Sunday, with Cook continuing to struggle against a solid Dallas D
Drake London vs. Green Bay: Jaycee Horn held London to one target and no receptions. Jaire Alexander's even better. Could he go 0'fer through weeks one and two??
Adam Thielen vs. New Orleans: Marshon Lattimore's going to lock Thielen down... Could be another skunk here for a WR1
Juwan Johnson @ Carolina: Johnson was pedestrian against a Tennessee defense that's pretty decent against tight ends. Carolina has some good, young linebackers that'll limit Johnson over the middle
Gerald Everett @ Tennessee: As literally just mentioned, the Titans play the tight end position pretty well. Throw in the fact that Justin Herbert's going to have substantially easier matchups to exploit on the perimeter, steer clear of Everett in this one
Sleepers
CJ Stroud vs. Indianapolis: Stroud relatively diced the shoddy Ravens secondary in his NFL debut and now goes up against an Indianapolis group that isn't any better. Let's see him go get his first two career touchdowns today!
Justice Hill @ Cincinnati: Gus Edwards seems likeliest to slide into the RB1 role in the wake of JK Dobbins' Achilles' tear, but Hill was very involved after the Ohio State product went down week one. As the superior pass catching back too, don't be surprised if he notches some modest touches
Elijah Moore @ Pittsburgh: Moore had a solid showing in his first go round in a Browns jersey, catching three balls for 43 yards. With Amari Cooper's status up in the air now, there could be a high number of targets going Moore's way Monday night
Sam LaPorta vs. Seattle: This is likely the final week he'll be allowed in the sleeper category. It's definitely possible that he's the second option in this potent offense moving forward. The Seahawks give up yards to tight ends, so you can fire up LaPorta with confidence
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@Choppinglines
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