A
Axe Elf
QBs
Sleepers
Alex Smith
The Eagles have allowed the second-most passing yards in the league through two weeks--and that was to RG How’s My Knee and Phillip Rivers. Alex Smith has had 2 TDs and 0 INTs in each game so far, although his yardage has been pedestrian. Coach Andy Reid should allow him to open things up a bit to show up his old team on the national stage Thursday night, so pencil in Smith for 275/3/0.
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill just keeps improving--13 pts in Week 1, 17 pts in Week 2--and he now faces the worst pass defense so far, the 29th ranked Falcons. What’s more, this is Miami’s home opener after wins at Cleveland and Indianapolis. Think the home crowd will be psyched? Look for some undefeated 1972 references early in the game--before Miami falls hopelessly behind--but the extra garbage time stats should push Tannehill over 20 fantasy points this week.
Phillip Rivers
This may be the last week I can call Phillip Rivers a Sleeper. His 4 TDs in Week 1 and his 419 yards in Week 2 have kind of triggered the alarm clock already. I don’t think he’ll hit the snooze against Tennessee, who allowed a 300/3 day to Matt Schaub last week. I’ll give Rivers the same.
Matt Schaub
Last week may have been the last week I could call Matt Schaub a Sleeper, but since he wasn’t drafted among the top dozen QBs, I’m doing it anyway. Sue me. Baltimore just can’t seem to stop the pass--Manning lit them up and even Brandon Weeden got over 225 yards without an opposable thumb before he left the game. Schaub has too many targets not to post his third straight 300/3 effort.
Stinkers
Michael Vick
Andy Reid knows what makes Vick tick, and he has the tools in the Chiefs’ secondary to stop him. The Eagles’ offense cruised against Washington and the Chargers’ last-place pass defense, but it’s time for a reality check served up by the league’s #3 overall defenders. 200 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs and an open jar of Vick’s Vapo-Rub will be all that he sees tonight.
Eli Manning
Here’s another guy that has been cruising along with an average in excess of 400 yards per game. His reality check will come in a Panther uniform, as the lack of any credible rushing attack will allow the phenomenal Carolina defensive line to tee off on Manning--who has already thrown 7 INTs in the first two games. Seattle defense against Jacksonville? Sure--but Carolina’s D at home is going to feast too. 250 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs for lil Manning.
Andrew Luck
Luck has just 500 yards and 3 TDs on the year so far--against Miami and the Raiders (!). San Francisco, at home, still stinging from their performance in Seattle last week, will not be amenable to a Luck resurgence. 215 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
Tom Brady
I can make pretty much the same argument I made last week--no Gronk, no Amendola, Thompkins and Dobson can’t catch. Stop Edelman and you stop the Patriots-- Revis Island awaits. Plus with the Tampa Bay offense in disarray, NE may just run the ball 35 times this game. 225/1/1 for Brady.
RBs
Sleepers
Knowshon Moreno
Peyton and the Broncos’ receivers should have this game well in hand by halftime, making it the Knowshon Showdown in the second stanza. If they don’t pull him to give Ball the second half, Moreno should see another outing north of 100 yards, with 2 more TDs.
Joique Bell
The chances of Bush are about 50/50, which I’m sure is better than your last date. The chances of Bell are more like 100%--and he gets to feast on the Washington defense that has made stars out of LeSean McCoy and James Starks while Reggie is resting. Bell should see 60 yards on the ground, another 60 yards on 6 catches, and at least one 6 point celebration as the Lions Joique off on the ‘Skins.
Rashard Mendenhall
The Saints have allowed 266 combined yards to the RBs they have faced in the first two weeks, giving them the 27th overall rush defense in the NFL. Arizona isn’t a real run-heavy team, but with Fitzgerald likely limited for the second week in a row, Mendenhall could score a TD for the second week in a row. Give him a third of the yards that Doug Martin and Steven Jackson posted (85), and Mendenhall comes away with a fine outing.
Bernard Pierce
This one kind of depends on Rice’s playing status, of course, but even with Rice playing (and I think he will), Pierce should still see the lion’s share of the carries. After facing Ryan Mathews and CJ2tds, the Texans are only middle-of-the-pack against the run (18th), so Pierce’s 15+ touches ought to be good for something like 75 yards and a TD.
Stinkers
James Starks
This should probly go without saying, but Starks isn’t facing the Redskins this week. Everyone who picked him up off the waiver wire to replace Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew in their lineup this week will be delighted to know that they should have picked up Jason Snelling instead. 55 yards, no TD is the stark reality here.
LeSean McCoy
McCoy is the #1 RB in the NFL with 356 combined yards. The Chiefs have the #2 rushing defense in the NFL, allowing only 54 rush yards per game (2.8 yards per carry). Somethings’ gotta give, and I believe it will be the one at the hands of the many. Despite his gaudy yardage, McCoy has scored only once this season, so I like the Chiefs to keep him scoreless and under 100 combined yards.
Alfred Morris
I was just talking about how the Lions limited Adrian Peterson to 15 yards on 17 carries (it was that 16th carry for a 78 yard TD that sucked). Morris isn’t as explosive as Peterson, and I would expect him to be kept largely in check by the Detroit defensive line. It may be hard to keep him from getting a dunk TD, but that would be the only thing that could put Morris in double digit fantasy points this week.
Adrian Peterson
The Cleveland Browns haven’t been much worse than the Chiefs against the run, allowing just 119 combined rush yards to the two teams they have faced. Adrian Peterson has had a hard time getting into a groove so far this season, and his attempts have largely been of the boom or bust variety. 114 of his 193 rush yards have come on two big carries this year, leaving just 79 yards on the other 42 carries (1.88 ypc). If the Browns can keep him from having another explosive handoff, I could see them limiting him to 60 total yards and a TD.
Sleepers
Alex Smith
The Eagles have allowed the second-most passing yards in the league through two weeks--and that was to RG How’s My Knee and Phillip Rivers. Alex Smith has had 2 TDs and 0 INTs in each game so far, although his yardage has been pedestrian. Coach Andy Reid should allow him to open things up a bit to show up his old team on the national stage Thursday night, so pencil in Smith for 275/3/0.
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill just keeps improving--13 pts in Week 1, 17 pts in Week 2--and he now faces the worst pass defense so far, the 29th ranked Falcons. What’s more, this is Miami’s home opener after wins at Cleveland and Indianapolis. Think the home crowd will be psyched? Look for some undefeated 1972 references early in the game--before Miami falls hopelessly behind--but the extra garbage time stats should push Tannehill over 20 fantasy points this week.
Phillip Rivers
This may be the last week I can call Phillip Rivers a Sleeper. His 4 TDs in Week 1 and his 419 yards in Week 2 have kind of triggered the alarm clock already. I don’t think he’ll hit the snooze against Tennessee, who allowed a 300/3 day to Matt Schaub last week. I’ll give Rivers the same.
Matt Schaub
Last week may have been the last week I could call Matt Schaub a Sleeper, but since he wasn’t drafted among the top dozen QBs, I’m doing it anyway. Sue me. Baltimore just can’t seem to stop the pass--Manning lit them up and even Brandon Weeden got over 225 yards without an opposable thumb before he left the game. Schaub has too many targets not to post his third straight 300/3 effort.
Stinkers
Michael Vick
Andy Reid knows what makes Vick tick, and he has the tools in the Chiefs’ secondary to stop him. The Eagles’ offense cruised against Washington and the Chargers’ last-place pass defense, but it’s time for a reality check served up by the league’s #3 overall defenders. 200 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs and an open jar of Vick’s Vapo-Rub will be all that he sees tonight.
Eli Manning
Here’s another guy that has been cruising along with an average in excess of 400 yards per game. His reality check will come in a Panther uniform, as the lack of any credible rushing attack will allow the phenomenal Carolina defensive line to tee off on Manning--who has already thrown 7 INTs in the first two games. Seattle defense against Jacksonville? Sure--but Carolina’s D at home is going to feast too. 250 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs for lil Manning.
Andrew Luck
Luck has just 500 yards and 3 TDs on the year so far--against Miami and the Raiders (!). San Francisco, at home, still stinging from their performance in Seattle last week, will not be amenable to a Luck resurgence. 215 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
Tom Brady
I can make pretty much the same argument I made last week--no Gronk, no Amendola, Thompkins and Dobson can’t catch. Stop Edelman and you stop the Patriots-- Revis Island awaits. Plus with the Tampa Bay offense in disarray, NE may just run the ball 35 times this game. 225/1/1 for Brady.
RBs
Sleepers
Knowshon Moreno
Peyton and the Broncos’ receivers should have this game well in hand by halftime, making it the Knowshon Showdown in the second stanza. If they don’t pull him to give Ball the second half, Moreno should see another outing north of 100 yards, with 2 more TDs.
Joique Bell
The chances of Bush are about 50/50, which I’m sure is better than your last date. The chances of Bell are more like 100%--and he gets to feast on the Washington defense that has made stars out of LeSean McCoy and James Starks while Reggie is resting. Bell should see 60 yards on the ground, another 60 yards on 6 catches, and at least one 6 point celebration as the Lions Joique off on the ‘Skins.
Rashard Mendenhall
The Saints have allowed 266 combined yards to the RBs they have faced in the first two weeks, giving them the 27th overall rush defense in the NFL. Arizona isn’t a real run-heavy team, but with Fitzgerald likely limited for the second week in a row, Mendenhall could score a TD for the second week in a row. Give him a third of the yards that Doug Martin and Steven Jackson posted (85), and Mendenhall comes away with a fine outing.
Bernard Pierce
This one kind of depends on Rice’s playing status, of course, but even with Rice playing (and I think he will), Pierce should still see the lion’s share of the carries. After facing Ryan Mathews and CJ2tds, the Texans are only middle-of-the-pack against the run (18th), so Pierce’s 15+ touches ought to be good for something like 75 yards and a TD.
Stinkers
James Starks
This should probly go without saying, but Starks isn’t facing the Redskins this week. Everyone who picked him up off the waiver wire to replace Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew in their lineup this week will be delighted to know that they should have picked up Jason Snelling instead. 55 yards, no TD is the stark reality here.
LeSean McCoy
McCoy is the #1 RB in the NFL with 356 combined yards. The Chiefs have the #2 rushing defense in the NFL, allowing only 54 rush yards per game (2.8 yards per carry). Somethings’ gotta give, and I believe it will be the one at the hands of the many. Despite his gaudy yardage, McCoy has scored only once this season, so I like the Chiefs to keep him scoreless and under 100 combined yards.
Alfred Morris
I was just talking about how the Lions limited Adrian Peterson to 15 yards on 17 carries (it was that 16th carry for a 78 yard TD that sucked). Morris isn’t as explosive as Peterson, and I would expect him to be kept largely in check by the Detroit defensive line. It may be hard to keep him from getting a dunk TD, but that would be the only thing that could put Morris in double digit fantasy points this week.
Adrian Peterson
The Cleveland Browns haven’t been much worse than the Chiefs against the run, allowing just 119 combined rush yards to the two teams they have faced. Adrian Peterson has had a hard time getting into a groove so far this season, and his attempts have largely been of the boom or bust variety. 114 of his 193 rush yards have come on two big carries this year, leaving just 79 yards on the other 42 carries (1.88 ypc). If the Browns can keep him from having another explosive handoff, I could see them limiting him to 60 total yards and a TD.
