Stars Of Week 1

QB:      Tom Brady, NE: 25-32, 288 yards, 4 TDs

RB:      Carlos Hyde, SF: 26 carries, 168 yards, 2 TDs                                                                       

WR:     Julio Jones, ATL: 9 catches, 141 yards, 2 TDs      

TE:      Rob Gronkowski, NE: 9 catches, 94 yards, 3 TDs

Let’s start with this – it’s great to have football back! Those managers who took the leap to draft Brady while he was staring at a four-game suspension were rewarded when, somewhat predictably, his punishment was thrown out. The Brady-Gronkowski connection looked as electric as ever, with Gronk hauling in 3 of Brady’s 4 TDs. These two are megastars, so their performance falls into the “just another day” category. The Carlos Hyde era got off to a spectacular start, as Hyde looked like AP against the Vikings. No doubt Hyde has the talent to be a top running back. What happens when teams design their game plans around stopping Hyde? That’s what we’ll need to see in order to lock down whether Hyde should be viewed as an RB1 or RB2. Julio Jones did a number on the Eagles and their new $10 million plus/year cornerback, Byron Maxwell. As Maxwell surely realized quickly – he can’t rely on his LOB brothers anymore. 

Week 1 Takeaways – A Closer Look

Each week we take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward. 

Alex Smith, QB – KC: 22-33, 243 yards, 3 TDs

The Chiefs made history last year by not throwing 1 TD to a WR for the entire 2014 season. So the Chiefs bring in WR Jeremy Maclin from free agency and Alex Smith opens the year by throwing 3 TD passes, which land in the hands of…his star tight end and running back. So the streak continues! Well, look for the WR scoreless streak to end soon, with Maclin as the leading candidate to break through. The early read on Alex Smith points to an uptick in performance for the 2015 season. Let’s not go overboard – Smith should not be a weekly starter. But, he profiles as a solid backup, with the occasional start when he has a good matchup or when you need a spot starter to fill in during bye weeks. 

Marcus Mariota, QB – TEN: 13-16, 209 yards, 4 TDs

Marcus Mariota won the #1 vs #2 draft pick battle in an early knockout against Jameis Winston on Sunday. Mariota looked like the second coming, while Winston looked like practice squad fodder. Those of you who took Mariota surely loved what you saw. Not to deflate your enthusiasm of the rookie Titans QB, but note that he was facing an atrocious defense. Also, teams will make adjustments to Mariota upon getting more NFL game tape of him. So what’s a realistic expectation for Mariota for this season? He’s an inconsistent QB2. Mariota will have ups and downs like any rookie, but he will have useful starts to give you as your backup. Do not fall into the trap of overvaluing one week. The signs certainly point up for Mariota, but for this season, that’s as a QB2 and not QB1.

Chris Ivory, RB - NYJ: 20 carries, 91 yards, 2 TDs

Ivory has been referred to as the “poor man’s Marshawn Lynch” on more than one occasion. And, that’s actually not a bad way of putting things. Ivory has been underrated over the last few years, partly because he’s had to share carries with inferior backs. He’s not out of the woods yet in terms of a timeshare, as Bilal Powell also carried the rock twelve times against the Browns. If Ivory can continue to get the bulk of the carries, then he can return RB2 value to owners. The skills have always been there, with just the workload as the main concern. Keep an eye on the distribution of carries over the next few weeks. As of now, Ivory straddles the RB2/flex line, so he belongs in lineups in most cases. But if he can get a stranglehold on a 2 to 1 or greater split of carries, then he’ll solidly land in RB2 territory.  

Dion Lewis, RB - NE: 15 carries, 69 yards, 0 TDs           

So with LaGarrette Blount serving a one game suspension and Jonas Gray having been released, a new name surfaced in the New England running game. While Lewis did lose a fumble, which is a gigantic no-no with Coach Hoodie, he did show promise and has forced his way into the discussion. How active of a role will Lewis play in the Pats’ running game going forward? Well, LaGarrette Blount will be playing (and presumably starting) in Week 2. If you want to speculate on an RB with potential for future return, Lewis is a good option. Lewis also brings receiving tools with him, so he has a good chance to carve out the role of the third down back. The proper move with Lewis in standard leagues is to stash him and see how the situation looks over the next few weeks. Those in PPR leagues can try him out in a flex role. Belichick remains impossible to read, so no one knows what to expect from week to week from the Pats’ running backs. But Lewis should be rostered, as he has potential to become an increasing factor as the season goes on.

James Jones, WR – GB: 4 catches, 51 yards, 2 TDs                          

Who says you can’t return home? On Sunday, James Jones looked like he never left Green Bay. Logic would say that Aaron Rodgers had a little something to do with that. For teams looking to add a WR, consider James Jones your top option. He will remain the number three option for Rodgers, but that still means 700 yards and 8 TDs. Jones won’t catch 2 TDs every game, but he’ll certainly be a factor going forward. He’s a flex/WR3 option. An additional note regarding the Packers WRs, specifically for those of you who own Davante Adams – note that Adams led the Packers with 8 targets against the Bears. He also led the team in yards with 58. So Adams will be a huge factor this year, rest assured. Touchdowns will come.

Percy Harvin, WR – BUF: 5 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD

Percy Harvin has now joined his fourth team in four years, with expectations for him at an all-time low. One game into his Bills’ tenure, Harvin teased us again with this talent. Harvin took advantage of a poor Colts’ D to the tune of 79 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. Does this mean that the Harvin of the Minnesota days is back? Hardly. The fact that he’s in a low pressure situation will certainly help, but I advise you to temper expectations. The reasons for treading carefully include his fragility, non-ideal QB situation and other mouths which require feeding (Watkins, Woods, McCoy, etc.). While Harvin will have some useful games, expect week to week volatility. For me, Harvin amounts to a WR4 until we see consistent stretches of production.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE – TB: 5 catches, 110 yards, 2 TDs

Seferian-Jenkins was one of my touted sleepers for this season, and the toolsy TE showed exactly why on Sunday against the Titans. ASJ was perhaps the lone bright spot for a sputtering Bucs team. Sefarian-Jenkins was targeted seven times by Winston. Note that Mike Evans did not play in the game, so ASJ will likely be the third option behind Evan and Vincent Jackson, but the sky is the limit for Seferian-Jenkins, and he can give you lower end TE1 numbers, with an even higher ceiling for future years (for those of you in keeper leagues).

Rapid Fire Pickups

Each week we’ll throw out potential free agent pickups from each position for deeper leagues, in each case 1) someone who has NOT been referenced above, and 2) a player available in most leagues. 

QB: Nick Foles, STL

RB: David Johnson, ARZ

RB: DeAngelo Williams, PIT (last start before Le’veon Bell’s return)           

WR: Tyler Lockett, SEA

WR: Tavon Austin, STL

TE: Ladarius Green, SD

Week 2 Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Drew Brees
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Russell Wilson
4. Andrew Luck
5. Tony Romo
6. Matt Ryan
7. Ben Roethlisberger
8. Carson Palmer
9. Tom Brady
10. Eli Manning
11. Ryan Tannehill
12. Sam Bradford
13. Peyton Manning
14. Cam Newton
15. Philip Rivers
16. Matthew Stafford
17. Teddy Bridgewater
18. Colin Kaepernick
19. Marcus Mariota
20. Joe Flacco

Running Backs
1. Marshawn Lynch
2. Jeremy Hill
3. Jamaal Charles
4. Matt Forte
5. Eddie Lacy
6. Adrian Peterson
7. DeMarco Murray
8. Carlos Hyde
9. Mark Ingram
10. LeSean McCoy
11. Justin Forsett
12. Lamar Miller
13. Alfred Morris
14. Chris Ivory
15. DeAngelo Williams
16. C.J. Anderson
17. Frank Gore
18. Jonathan Stewart
19. Ameer Abdullah
20. Joseph Randle
21. Latavius Murray
22. Rashad Jennings
23. Tevin Coleman
24. Melvin Gordon
25. Doug Martin
26. Bishop Sankey
27. Chris Johnson
28. T.J. Yeldon
29. LeGarrette Blount
30. Danny Woodhead
31. Isaiah Crowell
32. Giovani Bernard
33. Alfred Blue
34. Tre Mason
35. Dion Lewis

Wide Receivers
1. Antonio Brown
2. Julio Jones
3. A.J. Green
4. Odell Beckham Jr.
5. Demaryius Thomas
6. Randall Cobb
7. Alshon Jeffery
8. Calvin Johnson
9. DeAndre Hopkins
10. Keenan Allen
11. Emmanuel Sanders
12. Mike Evans
13. Brandin Cooks
14. Jordan Matthews
15. Jeremy Maclin
16. Jarvis Landry
17. Brandon Marshall
18. Golden Tate
19. Julian Edelman
20. Terrance Williams
21. Amari Cooper
22. Sammy Watkins
23. John Brown
24. Andre Johnson
25. Vincent Jackson
26. Allen Robinson
27. Davante Adams
28. Mike Wallace
29. Steve Smith Sr.
30. James Jones
31. Charles Johnson
32. Donte Moncrief
33. Roddy White
34. Nelson Agholor
35. Pierre Garcon

Tight Ends
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jimmy Graham
3. Travis Kelce
4. Greg Olsen
5. Martellus Bennett
6. Tyler Eifert
7. Jason Witten
8. Jordan Cameron
9. Zach Ertz
10. Jordan Reed
11. Delanie Walker
12. Austin Seferian-Jenkins
13. Larry Donnell
14. Heath Miller
15. Eric Ebron