WEEK 2 - FANTASYSCORE GPP OFFERINGS
FantasyScore is a USA Today Sports Media Group fantasy sports game that is powered by RealTime Fantasy Sports. It is a DFS site that can give you the excitement of playing fantasy football each week during the NFL season. FantasyScore offers Draft Leagues (Draft & Go) and Salary Cap leagues weekly during the NFL season.
In this feature we are going to look at the GPP contests and offer the top stacks, fades, and ownership projections for each upcoming week.
For Week 1 of the NFL season, FantasyScore is offering three big GPPs for buy-ins of $1, $5, and $10. The $1 GPP is limited to 1,000 total entries and pays the top 200 places, with $135 going to first place. The $5 and $10 GPPs are limited to 500 total entries, with both paying out the top 100 places. The top prize in the $5 contest is $450, while the top prize in the $10 contest is $1,700.
FantasyScore will also be hosting a $25,000 Football Championship for Week 16 for which you can qualify during Weeks 1-15 via satellite tournaments. There will be a total of 105 "golden tickets" available to be won via satellite contests from Weeks 1 to 15 and the Championship pays the top 20 winners, with $10,000 going to first place. In Week 1, FantasyScore will run a $20 satellite with 50 total entries, where 4 golden tickets will be awarded, and a $5 satellite with 170 entries, where the top 3 finishers will receive a golden ticket.
TOP STACKS
New Orleans Saints -- QB Drew Brees ($8,000) and WR Brandin Cooks ($6,600)
The Saints get to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week after the fell flat on their face in Week 1. Brees and Cooks should be in line for a big production day in the passing game in this home matchup and the combo is my top QB/WR stack on the weekend. Cooks was targeted 8 times last week against a much tougher Cardinals defense and he ended the game with 4 catches for 49 yards. Look for him and Brees to double those numbers and perhaps find the end zone against the Buccaneers defense.
Philadelphia Eagles -- QB Sam Bradford ($7,500) and WR Jordan Matthews ($6,400)
This combo is one of the less expensive high end ones coming in at a total of $13,900. Bradford and Matthews showed some great chemistry against the Falcons in Week 1 and that should carry over in a home matchup against the Cowboys this week. In a game that is predicted to score 55.5 points you are going to want some exposure to the passing game of the home team. Matthews barely missed a touchdown against the Falcons and finished the game with 10 receptions for 102 yards on 13 targets. I think it is safe to say that Bradford has eyes for Matthews and is going to continue to feed him the ball at every opportunity.
Atlanta Falcons -- QB Matt Ryan ($7,800) and WR Julio Jones ($8,100)
Julio Jones was on fire against the Eagles secondary on Monday Night. He finished the game with 9 receptions, 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 11 targets and looked near impossible to slow down. Against the Giants this week Matt Ryan will continue to look for his number one playmaker in Jones and another double digit game of targets is almost a gaurentee. Nearly a third of Matt Ryan's passes went in the direction of Julio Jones (11 out of 34) and with a game total of 51 points the duo could be looking at similar numbers this week against the Giants.
VALUE STACKS
Miami Dolphins -- Ryan Tannehill ($6,800) and Jarvis Landry ($5,700)
Everyone expected a little bit more out of the Dolphins offense in Week 1 but Washington played them tough right until the end. Tannehill and Landry did have some good chemistry together in the game as Tannehill looked Landry's way 12 times for 8 receptions and 53 yards. Although not the big plays down the field, the duo still managed to build a connection and try to gain yards over the middle of the field. Landry has big play potential and can break a short catch for a long touchdown at any moment as he showed that in his punt return for a touchdown. Both are priced really nicely right now on FantasyScore as you can get the combo for a total of $12,500 and they have a decent matchup against the Jaguars on Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals -- Andy Dalton ($6,300) and Tyler Eifert ($6,200)
Andy Dalton had a quietly good game against the Raiders on Sunday as he threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another. Both of his touchdown passes went to Tyler Eifert as the two combined for 12 targets and 9 receptions, 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. With A.J. Green drawing a lot of attention on the outside it will allow for Eifert to be a big target for Dalton all over the field. Although we can't expect those kind of numbers every week we have to think that what Dalton and Eifert did in Week 1 was not entirely a fluke and the two do have a nice connection together. With the role in the offense that the Bengals gave Eifert in Week 1 you have to think that the targets will only continue to be there and he is a borderline top 5 tight end moving forward.
FADES
Based on price and matchups alone you are going to have some players that are highly owned in Week 2.
Quarterback -- Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys ($7,500)
Tony Romo showed off some more late game heroics against the Giants last week as he led the Cowboys to a comeback victory. It was a good game for Romo as far as statistics go as he completed 36 of 45 passing for 356 yards and 3 touchdowns but he also had 2 interceptions. Losing Dez Bryant is a big lose for Romo's value going forward and heading into the big divisional matchup against the Eagles we will see how Romo handles that lose. Romo relied on Jason Witten in that Giants game finding him 8 times for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. Well the Eagles brought in LB Kiko Alonso to help cover the tight end position and he looked the part in the Eagles first game of the season. For Romo to be successful he is going to have to find a way to spread the ball to all his receivers and not just rely on another big game from Jason Witten.
Running Back -- LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills ($7,000)
McCoy had an ok first game as a Buffalo Bill rushing for 41 yards and adding 3 reception for 46 more yards. The problem for McCoy was that he just missed out on the end zone a couple of times and Karlos Williams actually vultured one of his touchdowns. McCoy will look to punch one into the end zone this week against the Bills divisional foes the Patriots. McCoy's price is just too high right now at $7,000 and with a committee share and a tough matchup against the Patriots it might be smart to look elsewhere for a high end running back this weekend.
Wide Receiver -- James Jones, Green Bay Packers ($6,000)
James Jones made a statement last game that he belongs on the Packers as he has the trust of super star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jones hauled in all 4 of his targets for 51 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jones price went sky high on FantasyScore after that performance and is priced at $6,000. With Cobb and Adams also in the group it is likely that one of those two finds the production in Week 2 as the Packers often like to spread the ball around to all of their playmakers.
Tight End -- Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys ($6,100)
Witten put the Cowboys team on his back to help steal a win against the Giants on Sunday Night. Witten finished the game with 8 receptions for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns but also saw his price go way up at $6,100. The Eagles brought in Kiko Alonso to help cover the tight end position and this week he will try to slow down Witten and keep him out of the endzone. At $6,100 there are too many other nice options at the TE position to pass up on rather than trying to chase last weeks production.
Defense and Special Teams -- New Orleans Saints ($2,300)
The Saints look to be a sneaky defense play against a bad Tampa Bay offense in Week 2 but even though the matchup is a good one, it is still the Saints defense and they have struggled over the past few years to make plays on the defensive side of the ball. It might be safer to pick a stronger defense in a bad matchup then to hope for a big game out of nowhere for the Saints defense. The Saints allowed 427 yards and 2 touchdowns last week on the road against Arizona and should be able to out perform those numbers but even with a soft matchup, Tampa Bay is still a divisional rival that always tends to play them close.
OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE
It is hard to predict exactly who will be over-owned and who will be under-owned, but we can take our best guesses based on price, matchups, and current buzz and ADP heading into Week 2. I will try to predict the three highest- and lowest-owned players each week and check back in the next week to evaluate how I did with my predictions. We will use just the $10 Touchdown GPP as our contest of choice each week.
HIGHEST OWNERSHIP
Quarterback
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints ($8,000)Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts ($8,500)Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles ($7,500)
Running Back
Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers ($5,700)Matt Forte, Chicago Bears ($8,000)DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles ($6,800)
Wide Receiver
Donte Moncrief, Indianapolis Colts ($3,800)Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles ($6,400)Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons ($8,100)
Tight End
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys ($6,100)Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals ($6,200)Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots ($7,700)
Defense and Special Teams
St Louis Rams ($3,200)Miami Dolphins ($2,700)Carolina Panthers ($2,500)
LOW/VALUE OWNERSHIP
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins ($6,800)Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans ($6,600)Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals ($7,600)
Running Back
Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins ($6,400)Ryan Mathews, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000)T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,000)
Wide Receiver
A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals ($7,000)Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears ($6,600)Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars ($3,900)
Tight End
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings ($3,600)Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins ($4,700)Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers ($6,200)
Defense and Special Teams
San Francisco 49ers ($1,700)Houston Texans ($3,300)New England Patriots ($2,400)