Week 1 has come and gone, with surprises aplenty and action all over Draft Kings. Week 2 will show us more on who is the real deal and which Week 1 standouts may just be a flash in the pan.
After a Week 1 that saw outstanding performances from rookies, it will be interesting to see if this is the year of the rookie running back or just a blip on the radar. Traditionally Week 2 is where teams find more of their true identity, specifically for fantasy players.
A recap of last week’s best values (runner-ups in parenthesis):
QB: Carson Palmer (Marcus Mariota)
RB: Isaiah Crowell (Johnathan Stewart)
WR: Michael Crabtree (Pierre Garcon)
TE: Delanie Walker (Zach Miller)
DEF: Rams (Falcons)
The Palmer call was by far the worst of the day. He lost his best weapon in running back David Johnson but even before that injury Palmer looked old and bad. The Lions defense made easy work of the Cardinals quarterback, who’s erratic throws led to three interceptions. So much for the comeback year from Palmer. Mariota looked good but will need more time to get used to the new weapons at his disposal. The rushing touchdown saved an otherwise pedestrian day.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the offensive line showed promise and better days are ahead for Crowell. Stewart may have been the best call of the day. He scored a touchdown and slowed the McCaffrey hype in Carolina. There will be a role for both backs for the Panthers.
Crabtree did not find the end zone but finished with seven targets, hauling in six for 83 yards. Not an outstanding fantasy day but the scoring in the game was much lower than expected. Garcon led his team in targets, receptions and yards. San Francisco trailed most of the game and Garcon is the team’s primary option in the passing game. This will be a common occurrence in 2017 with the 49ers again looking like a bad team.
Walker tied for second on the team in targets with 9 and finished the day with seven catches for 76 yards. He will continue to be a high variance player but solid tight end starter. The Titans liked him last year in the red zone and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues. Zach Miller also finished second on his team in targets but trailed only a running back in that regard. He will again be the team’s top pass catcher and remain a great value.
The Rams defense completely dominated the Colts abysmal offense. They were the number one fantasy defense against their great match-up. The Colts will make any defense look spectacular but the Rams unit, especially if Aaron Donald returns to his normal self, will be great once again. Unfortunately the Falcons struggled against the feisty Bears and Tarik Cohen. They will remain a match-up dependent fantasy defense.