Week two fantasy football tips
September 14, 2016
Players to start this week:
QB Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks)
While Russell Wilson is not always the best fantasy quarterback, this is a week to start him. He only accumulated 11 fantasy points in week one, but he will score much more in week two. The Seahawks play against the Rams on Sunday. The Rams allowed 28 points to a 49ers team with Blaine Gabbert as its starting quarterback. Yes, the Blaine Gabbert who was picked 10th overall in 2011 and hasn’t done anything since.
RB C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos)
C.J. Anderson had a big game for Denver in its 21-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Expect him to have another solid game on the ground in week two. The Broncos face the Indianapolis Colts, who have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Also, the Broncos are without an experienced quarterback, so Anderson will find plenty of carries. He will end up with at least 80 yards and a touchdown.
RB Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys)
Rookie Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut, and I expect him to have an even better game in week two. The Cowboys play the Redskins, who had trouble stopping Pittsburgh running back DeAngelo Williams on Monday night. Elliott will get a good amount of carries because of the lack of experience at quarterback and the Redskins’ run defense.
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants)
Don’t be fooled by OBJ’s week one performance in which he only accumulated seven fantasy points. He will be back to superstar level this week. The Giants face the Saints, who have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. If Beckham burns the Saints’ secondary like I expect him to, he will accumulate more than 100 yards and at least one touchdown.
Patriots’ Defense
The Dolphins had trouble getting any offensive production in their week one loss against the Seahawks, and I don’t expect this to change when they travel to Foxborough on Sunday. The Patriots’ defense kept a strong Arizona offense struggling last week, leading them to victory. The Dolphins, whose offense struggled in week one, will have limited success from Ryan Tannehill and Arian Foster.
Players to sit this week:
QB Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)
Andy Dalton had a good game in the week one victory over the Jets, but his fate will change is week two. The Bengals face the Steelers, who did a good job stopping Kirk Cousins and the Redskins’ passing game from reaching the endzone. Dalton will likely throw at least one interception and will be held to at most one touchdown.
RB Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Doug Martin had a slow start to the 2016 season last week, and that will not change this Sunday. The Bucs travel to Arizona this week, setting up for a bad matchup for the running back. The Cardinals already have one of the top run defenses in the NFL, and last week’s loss likely lit a fire that will lead to a stout, unforgiving defense.
RB Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams)
Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley had an underwhelming performance in week one, and that will not change in week two when the Rams play the Seahawks. The Seahawks already have one of the league’s best defenses, if not the best, which will make it hard for Gurley to produce.
TE Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)
Travis Kelce had a breakout season in 2015, but week two will be a struggle for the Kansas City tight end. This weekend, the Chiefs play the Houston Texans, who typically succeed at stopping tight ends. Since the start of last season, the Texans have allowed the third-lowest completion percentage when facing tight ends. The trend will continue when Kelce struggles to accumulate more than seven fantasy points.
Vikings’ Defense
While the Vikings have a solid, experienced defense, this is not a week to play them in fantasy. On Sunday, they host the Packers, who have one of the most explosive passing games in the NFL. Rodgers made some insane throws last week, and I expect there to be more of those in week two.