Alright, a little self-promotion before we get started. I don’t mean to brag, but I put up 206 points in the Razzball Writer’s League for week 1; outscoring the next closest team by more than 25 fantasy points. Did I mention I did that without Peyton Manning? Will this happen every week? Absolutely not, but if you’re looking for some quick fantasy advice, I have now created a Twitter account (@JRLoudon) for all of your questions. Razzball is still the best place for all your fantasy advice, but a lot can happen between each article’s publication and Sunday’s games so follow @JRLoudon for some additional thoughts and last minute advice.
Week 1 is in the books! That means we finally have an idea of how good or bad each team’s defense will perform which in turn gives us fantasy owners a better idea of our matchups for week 2.
Although the Oakland Raiders weren’t exactly terrible, allowing just 305 total yards of offense, they’re still going to get picked apart most weeks and that’s great news for the 0-1 Jacksonville Jaguars. Well…at least Maurice Jones-Drew. You see, with the Chiefs up 14-2 after the first quarter and 21-2 before the half, the Jaguars had no choice but to throw the ball. That put the game in the hands of Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne. Yeah, how do you think that one turned out? Although the matchup is a great one, Cecil Shorts is no better than a flex play until we start to see something more from the QB position in Jacksonville, but MJD should bounce back nicely and hopefully get fantasy owners at least double the points from week 1.
Did you watch the ugly, ugly game between the Giants and Cowboys? Both of those teams did absolutely everything they could to give the game away. At least it can’t get any worse for the Giants, right? Let’s see, who do they play next week? Oh, the Broncos! Yep, that’s right, the same Broncos who scored seven touchdowns against a better defense. Get ready for another week of Eli Manning faces! Not that anyone’s counting the days until they can start David Wilson again, but this isn’t the week to give him another chance. Instead, start every Bronco you have. Will they all get a TD, probably not, but they almost all did last week. Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, “Orange” Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, maybe even a running back if you feel like flipping a coin or two to make that decision; start them all.
Eddie Lacy may have only managed 41 yards on the ground against the 49ers, but he should have an easier time against the Redskins this week. You know, the team that let LeSean McCoy run for 184 yards. Lacy’s running style is quite a bit different, but he should still find plenty of success in what will likely be a pretty close game, at least for a while.
Also, speaking of the 49ers, although they did give up a TD to Lacy, they are still one of the best run defenses in the league which will give Marshawn Lynch some trouble on Sunday night. Lynch only managed 43 rushing yards against the Panthers so if you’re hoping for a rebound, you’re going to be waiting just a little bit longer. In fact, look to trade for Lynch after this week if you can because he faces the Jaguars in week 3.
Remember Reggie Bush’s nice performance against the Vikings last weekend? Well Matt Forte owners have that to look forward to this week. In fact, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett, and Alshon Jeffery have plenty to be excited about as well this week. The Bears had a close game against Cincinnati this past weekend, but Minnesota should prove less formidable and give everyone on the Bears an opportunity to shine.
Finally, one of the best run defenses in week 1 was the Miami Dolphins who held Trent Richardson to just 47 yards without a touchdown. While Richardson may have a better game against the Ravens this week, Miami should give The Colts plenty of trouble. Those anxiously waiting to see how the whole Vick Ballard and Ahmad Bradshaw thing plays out might want to consider benching them both if other options are available. Miami did a pretty decent job of covering the pass as well, but with Brandon Weeden under center, that’s like doing a decent job hitting in tee ball.
