Week 1 has come and gone, and already we’re seeing some drastic injuries, amazing plays
and some lackluster performances. There is a lot of game tape to watch, and a lot of stats to
pour over, and that’s why I’m here. I do the work so you don’t have to. I’m like the fantasy football
version of the scrubbing bubbles. So sit back and relax while I discuss this weeks highs and
lows.
The Highs:
Matt Ryan scores 32 fantasy points and throws for 3 touchdowns. With the dual threat of both
Roddy White and Julio Jones, expect these numbers to continue for Ryan. Interesting new
addition to the flock? Levine Toilolo. Obviously the Atlanta Falcons are an organization that
knows how to get the best out of their tight ends, (we all remember Tony Gonzalez), so keep an
eye on the talented Toilolo. He’s definitely worth a speculative waiver wire add.
Calvin Johnson scored 28 fantasy points, including two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford looked
extremely athletic in the pocket and the addition of Golden Tate seems to be working out well
for the Detroit Lions. Johnson’s athleticism won’t be leaving him anytime soon, and as long as
Stafford continues to perform well, he’ll continue to dominate the fantasy football leader boards.
Julius Thomas scored 28 points, including three touchdowns. Will Thomas score three
touchdowns every week? Unlikely. Will Thomas continue to be an end zone target? Absolutely.
While he won’t score you 25 plus points every week, he will remain a fantasy football heavy hitter.
Le’Veon Bell scored 25 fantasy points, with 27 touches, 197 yards and one touchdown. The
Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense came out strong against the Cleveland Browns, and Bell did not disappoint.
There is some speculation that LeGarrette Blount will turn into the dreaded touchdown vulture, but
with the strength of Bell’s running game along with his passing targets, don’t let this sway you.
Stick with Bell.
Allen Hurns came out of nowhere, and scoring 23 points with 110 yards and two touchdowns, #whosallanhurns?? Well, if
you were watching in the preseason he did pull in 14 catches for 232 yards and a touchdown.
However, don’t jump on the Hurns’ bandwagon just yet. A lot of Hurns looks were due to the
absence of Cecil Shorts III. As soon as Shorts returns, expect Hurns to lose targets.
Knowshon Moreno scored 19 points, with 134 yards and one touchdown. There was a very
noticeable difference in touches between Knowshon and Lamar Miller, with Moreno ending up
with 24 and Miller ending with 11. Expect this trend to continue as I predict Moreno will finish the
fantasy season as a top-10 back.
The Houston Texans‘ Defense scored 20 points against the Washington Redskins. J.J. Watt looked
like he was trying to earn that $100 million that he recently signed for in one game. The Redskins
looked shaky, but expect the Texans to continue to do well this season.
The Lows:
Tony Romo throws for three interceptions and only 281 yards. Don’t expect Romo to throw for
three interceptions every game, however, this does put a dampener on those expecting a
breakout season for the Dallas Cowboys‘ quarterback. Still, he does have excellent targets in Dez
Bryant, and Terrance Williams and Demarco Murray provided an excellent performance, (22
attempts, 118 yards, and a touchdown). Don’t bail yet, and stick with Romo, as I expect his stock to
rise in the coming weeks.
Eli Manning has an uninspired performance with 163 yards, one touchdown and two
interceptions. If you ask Victor Cruz what the New York Giants need to turn around their
offensive woes it’s simple. Throw the ball to Victor Cruz. Valid point, but expect the Giants’ run
game to increase. They have to do something to take the pressure off of Manning. Rashad
Jennings is a must start and Peyton Hillis is someone to stash on your bench if you have the
space.
Jamaal Charles scores three fantasy points. Don’t panic! Do you really think that Charles will be
limited to less than five points a game? The Denver Broncos are the next match up. Charles
has averaged 126 yards in the last seven meetings. Don’t be that guy or girl, don’t bench Charles and don’t
trade him for Allen Hurns.
The Notable injuries:
Tyler Eifert is placed on the Cincinnati Bengals IR with a shoulder injury. While this sets the
stage for Jermaine Gresham, I expect it will help the receiving corps more.
Ben Tate‘s knee injury is expected to have him on the sidelines for two-four weeks. Expect Terrance
West to pick up the slack.
Eddie Lacy suffers a concussion in the season opener. Lacy seems to be moving through the
concussion protocol pretty easily, however it is worth noting that James Starks and DuJuan
Harris performed admirably in his absence. Starks is worth a wavier wire add if you have the
space.
Jordan Cameron suffers a shoulder injury and is considered day to day. With Cameron on the
sidelines, expect Andrew Hawkins to get a boost in targets and points. Hawkins is currently
owned in only 11% of leagues according to ESPN. Grab him.
Toby Gerhart and Doug Martin are listed as questionable for their respective teams. At this
point, they are expected to play on Sunday, but watch the situation closely. Jordan Todman has the backup role for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Bobby Rainey performed well in Martin’s
absence. Rainey is the better pick up.
Cam Newton is expected to play this week after dealing with a rib injury in week one.
Cecil Shorts III is still questionable for week two with a hamstring problem.
The Buzzworthy:
The Cincinnati Bengals announced that all proceed of sales of Devon Stills jerseys will go to
pediatric cancer research. Stills’ daughter is battling stage 4 cancer. The Bengals also signed
Stills to their practice squad after failing to make the 53 man roster cuts, to help pay for cancer
treatments. You stay classy Cincinnati.
Ray Rice is indefinitely banned from the NFL, and cut from the Baltimore Ravens after video
footage of domestic abuse is released by TMZ. When NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell was
asked if Rice has a future in the NFL, he replied that he “didn’t rule that out”.
Antonio Brown ninja kicks a guy in the face. It wasn’t intentional as Brown was trying to hurdle
kicker Spencer Lanning. Both responded well by laughing off the situation, and many variations
of the video are surfacing. Check out the video here:
The (new?) NFL drug policy will theoretically be voted on tonight. Players subjected to fines,
and suspensions under the current policy in 2014 could see a change in penalties. This includes
Denver Broncos’ wide receiver Wes Welker, who is currently facing a four-game suspension
due to failing a drug test for PED’s. Josh Gordon, has a more complicated case as he was
penalized in 2013. However, under the proposed, revised drug policy, Gordon would not have
failed the original test. We all wait to see the verdict as it affects two stellar players. Gordon
finished as the top rated wide receiver for the 2013 season, and Welker finished with 778 yards
and 10 touchdowns.
There you have it! Your week in review. Make sure to follow me on Twitter to see all my articles and thoughts on breaking fantasy football news.
Good luck in your match ups this week!
Categories: Fantasy Football
Your Fantasy Football Coach 
Leave a Reply