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Welcome to the Week 2 Review / Week 3 Preview. If you're new here, check out Week 1's introduction. But please, come right back because we had two more fun primetime games that gave us some good fantasy-related fake gambling fun.
primetime recap
This Week's Three Studs of Primetime:
- Jay Cutler
- Darren Sproles
- Brandon Marshall
Cutler only had 176 yards passing, but his four touchdowns keep him on the list. Marshall was the receipient of three of said touchdowns, including a ridiculous one-handed catch for the first one, which happened just before halftime and ignited the Chicago comeback. Sproles was incredible against Indianapolis, amassing 178 total yards (152 receiving, on seven catches) and a touchdown. The only thing keeping him from the top spot is that he likely wasn't started by many people, whereas just about everyone who owns Marshall started him. We're going for overall impact to the fantasy landscape here.
This Week's Three Duds of Primetime:
- Vernon Davis
- Reggie Wayne
- Matt Forte
Forte only managed 36 yards total and was held without a touchdown. That's not exactly what you're looking for from a consensus top-five fantasy pick. San Francisco's defense isn't as fearsome as it has been in previous years, but they shut down Forte on Sunday night. Davis and Wayne played small roles. Wayne's bigger impact was off the fantasy radar, as he recovered a Trent Richardson fumble and made a tackle after an Andrew Luck interception that saved a potential pick-six. But that does nothing for your fantasy squad, so it likely doesn't matter much to you.
last week at the "book"
I found this one fun because it shows the uncertainty of the tight end position. Ertz was widely considered a top-10 or top-12 player at the position, but his unpredictability was still somewhat predictable.
@RyanHester13 down 7. I got ertz left. .5 ppr. #ffbookie
— Justin Minne (@JustinMinne) September 15, 2014
@RyanHester13 finally got it. Lol
— Justin Minne (@JustinMinne) September 16, 2014
It took Ertz until the last few minutes of the third quarter to clinch this particular owner a win.
Another one illustrating the unknown nature of the NFL and its primetime games but ultimately ending with the bookie being right is below.
@cday4 Huge favorite! -800. Hope you’re resting easy before halftime! #FFBookie
— Ryan Hester (@RyanHester13) September 15, 2014
But before halftime, Foles threw an interception on a deep ball down the sideline, which cost Chris some points.
@RyanHester13 well not resting just yet. Still down 1.51 thanks to that pick.
— Chris Day (@cday4) September 16, 2014
@RyanHester13 ok I can finally relax.
— Chris Day (@cday4) September 16, 2014
As you can see, a -800 favorite was taken to the wire like an overconfident NCAA Tournament 1-seed playing a school whose name sounds like your accountant (Garnder Webb, Robert Morris, James Madison, etc.) Mr. Day didn't win this game until Nick Foles' touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin with 3:25 remaining in the game.
The Fantasy Rollercoaster Award goes to our old friend Russ, who went from bad news to good, then back to bad again. I'm trying to incorporate more folks into the column each week, but Russ' fantasy life has been quite eventful through two weeks.
@RyanHester13 was down 0.5 points with 5 min to go in game against Luck and Ertz. Luck throws pick. Go up by 1.5, Ertz get 20 yd catch lose
— Russ (@Russ3311) September 16, 2014
looking ahead
This week, we unfortunately have our first game of the primetime slate that doesn't feature two high-octane offenses as the New York Jets are hosting Monday Night Football. However, against Chicago's porous defense, there could be some surprise value. With Carolina involved in the Sunday night game, their lockdown defense could create a non-fantasy-friendly atmosphere as well. However, there are still early round fantasy picks involved in both contests, so the book will, of course, be open!
The Jordy Nelson Memorial "You Don't Want to Play Against This Guy" Section
While I don't see either of them going for a huge 20-point week, both Jets running backs should exceed expectations against a weak Chicago run defense. Frank Gore had 75 total yards and a touchdown on Sunday night, and he was a very questionable Anquan Boldin holding call from having 40 more rushing yards (but not another touchdown, as the Fantasy Gods still rewarded him with a score later that very drive). I would also watch out for Kelvin Benjamin. Pittsburgh's defense is far from the fear-inducing unit that it used to be. They don't really have a number one corner, as both Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen have their deficiencies.
The Tony Romo Memorial "Bright Lights, Dim Fantasy Production" Section
Carolina has performed very well defensively. While owners shouldn't bench LeVeon Bell, expectations should be tempered. Carolina is allowing just 86 rushing yards per game. Bell could be touchdown-dependent to have significant fantasy value this Sunday night. Carolina's defense should be suffocating once again, which could produce a game script that requires Pittsburgh to be pass-heavy in the second half. Bell is still involved in that portion of the game, but he's at his best when the team is balanced and he can be a threat in both phases of the offense.
Questions, comments, suggestions, and other feedback on this piece are always welcome via e-mail hester@footballguys.com