Wednesday 23 September 2015

2015 Season - Week 3

Here are my picks for week 3 of NFL UK’s Fantasy Football...


Quarterback's

Tom Brady
, New England Patriots, $4m.
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

After all the shenanigans in the off-season following Deflategate, Brady is a motivated man. With a favourable match up against the Jaguars, I fully expect another big score from Brady in week 3.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: New Orleans Saints

I’m not particularly sold on the strength of the Panther offense this year, however, the Saints have been dreadful. This is a pure matchup play where I expect Newton to score point through the air and on the ground.

Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Palmer is an elite talent at a bargain price. He’s up there with some of the best in the league, and this week he faces a 49ers side blown away by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. He may not quite match Big Ben’s 30 point haul but I see 20+ points from this one.

Outside Bet

Brandon Weeden, Dallas Cowboys, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons

Now, I’m not a big Brandon Weeden fan but with Tony Romo out injured for a number of weeks, Weeden should be the man to fill in. This is a decent match up, and despite missing Dez Bryant he will be behind one of the best offensive lines in professional football and still has adequate weapons at his disposal. Could score some decent points this week.

Avoid

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Carolina Panthers

Brees is starting to look like a bit of a spent force in a Saints team that isn’t offering him a lot of help. Struggled to score point against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team torn apart by rookie Marcus Mariota, and now playing against one of the better defences in the league. Could be another tough day for Brees.


Running Back's

Le’Veon Bell
, Pittsburgh Steelers, $4m
Week 3 Opponent: @ St. Louis Rams

One of last year’s top fantasy points scorers, Bell returns following his 2 game suspension. DeAndre Williams has scored plenty of points whilst deputising and Bell is a far superior player. Should score big points regardless of the opposition, my only concern is lack of game time.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs, $4m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers

The Packers kept Marshawn Lynch to a low score last week but generally they struggle to defend the run. Charles is one of the league’s best runners and should score points. A good top end option if you don’t fancy jumping straight back on Le’Veon Bell.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Seattle Seahawks

I was going to avoid Forte this week, but with Jay Cutler out the Bears may lean on the run even more than normal. The Seahawks can give up points to the run despite their strong defence and Forte can score points whoever the opponent.

Chris Ivory, New York Jets, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

My Ivory pick last week didn’t come to much but he still represents good value at $2m. This weeks match-up with the Eagles should be favourable, so if you went with him last week don’t lose faith just yet.

Dion Lewis, New England Patriots, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

Dion Lewis looks the real deal. Even with LaGarrette Blount returning last week he saw the majority of the ball and ended the 3rd highest scoring RB of the week against one of the toughest defences in the league. Good form should continue this week even if Blount gets more touches.

Outside Bet

Arian Foster, Houston Texans, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Foster could return from injury this week and, if he does, it’s a favourable match up against the Buccaneers. One of the best Running Back’s in the league, he’s only in this section because of the questions over if he will return and, if so, in what condition. Keep an eye on his status right up to just before the game. Could be worth a spot.

Avoid

DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ St. Louis Rams

Don’t be seduced by his big numbers last week and the fact he appears at the top of the list when you’re selecting your Running Back’s. With Le’Veon Bell back from suspension, expect to see Williams’ touches severely reduced. Avoid for this week so you can judge how much value he retains going forward.


Wide Receiver's

Antonio Brown
, Pittsburgh Steelers, $4m
Week 3 Opponent: @ St. Louis Rams

Brown is right up there with Julio Jones as one of the best receivers in the business, and this shows in the amount of fantasy points he accrues. Last week I thought Jones was the slightly better option (I was wrong!), this week I’m going for Brown who has a slightly easier match up.

Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

Randall Cobb looked like he was getting back somewhere close to full fitness against the Seahawks and amassed 116 yards off 8 receptions. If he can match that and maybe add a touchdown against the Chiefs he could have a big week. At full fitness he will be Aaron Rodgers go to guy this season with Jordy Nelson missing.

Julian Edelman, New England Patriots, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

An important cog in the Patriots machine, Edelman has been in impressive form so far this year. He has 97 yards in each of his games so far plus 2 touchdowns, so he should be reliable. As with Brady earlier, a good match up makes Edelman a strong contender for a spot on your team particularly for $2m.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Last week I went with John Brown, this week I’m going with Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald looked on the decline last year but with Palmer back at the helm he seems to have a new lease of life. He will share the limelight with Brown some weeks and either are worth a selection. Fitzgerald is maybe the slightly safer bet at the current time.

Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ New England Patriots

I’ve a feeling the Jaguars could be chasing the game for large parts against the Patriots so Blake Bortles should turn to his favourite target plenty. Robinson has the skill to make plays against any opponent, and whilst the Patriots are stacked on the offensive side of the ball they are not always the most solid defensively.

James Jones, Green Bay Packers, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

I’ve gone with Jones again for the pure value he represents as a red zone target for Aaron Rodgers. With the Packers at home again, there should be plenty of scores to share round.

Outside Bet

Travis Benjamin, Cleveland Browns, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Oakland Raiders

Benjamin seems to have struck up a nice relationship with Johnny Manziel the last couple of weeks. He is a little reliant on big plays, so could be boom or bust, but with the Oakland Raiders up next he could score some further big points.

Avoid

Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Carolina Panthers

One of my picks for last week has gone full circle. As mentioned earlier, the Saints do not look good and are up against one of the league’s best defences. I’ll be laying off Cooks despite his talent until the Saints start showing something a little better.

Tight End's

Rob Gronkowski
, New England Patriots, $4m
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

Yes, he’s here again. What more needs to be said about Gronkowski? Get him in your team so you can enjoy him spiking the ball in the end zone against the Jaguars.

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: New Orleans Saints

Olsen doesn’t have a touchdown to his name yet in 2015, but I’ve a feeling this could be his week. He doesn’t have a great record against the Saints in the past, with just 2 TD’s in 10 career games against them, but this isn’t the Saints of previous years. One of those touchdowns did come last year along with 72 yards, wouldn’t be surprised to see similar figures.

Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Baltimore Ravens

Eifert and the Bengals still look good, so definitely worth considering again this week. Looks like he could be a consistent pick this year.

Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ New York Giants

Good match up for Reed who should see plenty of targets in DeSean Jackson’s continued absence. For me he is the most dangerous weapon for the Redskins currently and the Giants are a little all over the place defensively.

Outside Bet

Scott Chandler, New England Patriots, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

Another Patriots player. This one is a bit of a gamble as Gronkowski & Edelman will be the main red zone targets, but Chandler scored in week 1 and could do so again this week. At some point this year I’m sure he’ll get multiple touchdowns in a game – maybe this could be the one?

Avoid

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints, $4m
Week 3 Opponent: Chicago Bears

Not necessarily a bad match up for Graham but he hasn’t really got it going yet with his new team. Scored 1 point last weekend. Not worth the outlay.

Defence / Special Teams

New York Jets
, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

The Jets were great against the Colts on Monday night. Yes, they were helped by some poor quarterback play from Andrew Luck but sometimes you create your own luck. Sam Bradford isn’t quite in the groove yet and could give the Jets plenty of opportunities.

Miami Dolphins, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: Buffalo Bills

Tyrod Taylor’s biggest issue so far is throwing interceptions. He needs to learn when not just to launch the ball. The Dolphins could benefit this week.

Carolina Panthers, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: New Orleans Saints

This should be a fairly comfortable afternoon for the Panthers on recent form. Can’t see the Saints troubling them too much. Famous last words.

Outside Bet

Oakland Raiders, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns

He didn’t do it last week, but I still expect Johnny Manziel to throw interceptions. The Raiders aren’t the greatest defence but could hopefully benefit from the odd stray ball.

Avoid

Kansas City Chiefs, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers

As with the Seahawks last week, Lambeau Field is a tough place to visit. Stay well away from the Chiefs this week.


Kickers

Brandon McManus
, Denver Broncos, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Detroit Lions

McManus has hit 3 field goals over 50 yards in the first 2 games. The Broncos may not move the ball quite so easily against the Lions so hopefully McManus will get plenty more opportunities.

Robbie Gould, Chicago Bears, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Seattle Seahawks

Joint top scoring kicker with McManus. The Bears travel to Seattle without Jay Cutler so will lean more on the running game. This could lead to opportunities for Gould if the Bears can’t quite get the ball over the line.

Outside Bet

Kyle Brindza, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Houston Texans

Brindza kicked 4 of 5 field goals last week, with a longest of 55 yards for the improving Buccaneers. Texans tough defence could present further opportunities for Brindza.

Avoid

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts, $3m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Tennessee Titans

Just not going well for Vinatieri at the moment with 1 point from 2 games. Spend your money on other areas of the team.

Watch List

These are the players I have been impressed with recently but I want to see a little more of before I commit them to my team.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Indianapolis Colts

Big first week, average second week. Going to be inconsistent but will continue keeping an eye on his progress

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Denver Broncos

Once the Lions recognise his is the best Running Back on the team his points tally should improve. Until then, he stays on watch

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Houston Texans

Decent second week for Martin but needs to have a big game this week for him to stay on this list.

Matt Jones, RB, Washington Redskins, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: @ New York Giants

Very nearly on my picks list this week but thought I’d take a week to see if he is the real deal or just a one game wonder. Everything I see tells me he could be a good player for the Redskins this year.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys

Agholor has talent but doesn’t seem to be trusted yet. Sam Bradford isn’t exactly setting the world alight at the moment but I’m sure that will change as he gets his match sharpness back. Hopefully Agholor will profit from that later in the year.

Phillip Dorsett, WR, Indianapolis Colts, $2m
Week 3 Opponent: @ Tennessee Titans

Not really done much yet but believe Dorsett can become a star. Once Andrew Luck & co decide to start playing this season it will be interesting to see what he can do.

Darren Fells, Arizona Cardinals, $1m
Week 3 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers


Had Fells on my picks list last week put didn’t do anything. Dropped down to my watch list as still think he could become a useful player. Need to figure out how consistent he will be.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

2015 Season - Week 2 Review

Wow! Week 2 was a tough week for me. Some of the players who looked like stars in week 1 turned in horrible performances. My Running Back’s in particular had a nightmare. There were also a number of performances that came out of nowhere, who would have thought Matt Jones of the Washington Redskins would post 24 points?

I’ve decided to split this week’s blog into two parts as it was running a little long. This first part will take a look at the performances of my picks from last week. My picks for week 3 will be posted separately later.

Quarterback's

Andrew Luck
, Indianapolis Colts, $4m.
Week 2 Opponent: New York Jets
Week 2 Points: 8

Andrew Luck threw for 250 yards and a touchdown, and also added 24 rushing yards. This would give a solid if very unspectacular 16 point, however, Luck also threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble to reduce that total down to 8 points. The Colts need to figure out what is going on and fast.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2 Points: 6

Romo left the game injured in the 3rd quarter with a broken collar bone and looks set to miss a number of games (8 weeks per latest reports). It wasn’t exactly a vintage performance before that in a low scoring game with a disappointing 6 points.

Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears
Week 2 Points: 21

Another solid week from Carson Palmer, posting 21 points with 3 touchdowns. Palmer looks back on good form, if he can stay healthy could be a big player this year.

Outside Bet

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: New England Patriots
Week 2 Points: 25

Another strong fantasy performance from Taylor despite a defeat for the Bills. The only concern for me is that he turned the ball over 3 times, costing 6 points.

Avoid

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 2 Points: 20

This is a better fantasy performance than I expected from Manning this week. That said, I still don’t believe he is value for money at $4m.

Top 5 Performers

1. Ben Roethlisberger     30 points
2. Tom Brady                 28 points
3. Cam Newton              26 points
=. Colin Kaepernick        26 points
=. Derek Carr                26 points

Running Back's

Marshawn Lynch
, Seattle Seahawks, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers
Week 2 Points: 6

Disappointing from Lynch who seemed to struggle to get yards against the Packers defence that was run through at will by Matt Forte last week. I’m sure Lynch will still be a big player this year but the Seahawks are not looking quite the power they were the last couple of years at the moment.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals
Week 2 Points: 10

Slightly disappointing week from Forte, but he still managed 100 combined yards. Just missing that touchdown to top the score up.

Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: San Diego Chargers
Week 2 Points: -1

Yes, you read that right. Minus 1 point. 39 rushing yards with 2 lost fumbles was what Hill had to show for a dreadful week where teammate Giovani Bernard stepped up to the plate with the majority of carries.

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 2 Points: 5

Back down to Earth for Carlos Hyde who looked a shadow of the player from the week before in what was a bad week for the 49ers. Never great for running backs when their team goes multiple scores behind.

Chris Ivory, New York Jets, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Indianapolis Colts
Week 2 Points: 5

Continuing the theme of weak performance from Running Back’s on Monday night, Ivory ran for just 57 yards on 14 carries as the Jets did their damage to the Colts through the air.

Bishop Sankey, Tennessee Titans, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Points: 4

Another in the long line of my RB picks that didn’t perform. Sankey was always a gamble but looked good in week 1. Still worth keeping an eye on and playing the match up’s. Again, not helped by his team being down and abandoning the running game.

Outside Bet

David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears
Week 2 Points: 10

A decent performance again from David Johnson who had 42 yards and a touchdown. Johnson also had a 108 yard return for a touchdown, which unfortunately doesn’t count towards fantasy. Looks a real talent

Avoid

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: Detroit Lions
Week 2 Points: 16

A good week from Peterson who was, by my reckoning, the 4th highest scoring running back this week. Could be getting back towards his best, although the Lions looked poor.

Top 5 Performers

1. DeAngelo Williams     26 points
2. Matt Jones                 24 points
3. Dion Lewis                 17 points
4. Adrian Peterson          16 points
5. Jamaal Charles          14 points
=. Latavius Murray          14 points

Wide Receiver's

Julio Jones
, Atlanta Falcons, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ New York Giants
Week 2 Points: 13

13 feels a little disappointing from Jones, but for a short while that number stood at 19 before a touchdown was reversed which would have put him in the top 10 receivers this week.

Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
Week 2 Points: 20

A strong week as expected from Beckham. If he gets sufficient targets he will make big plays and score points. Hopefully Eli Manning and the Giants will remember this going forward.

DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Carolina Panthers
Week 2 Points: 5

Just the 53 yards for Hopkins this week. Will have better weeks this year and is not being helped by the QB situation in Houston.

Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2 Points: 6

Another disappointing week for Cooks in what looks like a blunt Saints Offense. The Saints don’t look a great team this year and Cooks, who is clearly talented, could suffer for it.

John Brown, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears
Week 2 Points: 4

Not Brown’s week this week. Teammate Larry Fitzgerald stole the show with 3 touchdowns and 29 fantasy points.

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 2 Points: 11

Difficult to know how to judge this one. A decent performance by Landry with 110 receiving yards. To be a must play fantasy player he needs to be adding touchdowns.

James Jones, Green Bay Packers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks
Week 2 Points: 8

But for his butt hitting the ground a millisecond prior to a catch, Jones would have added another touchdown and the extra yard that would have pushed him up to 15 points. Frustratingly close to another very good week. Still great value for $1m but relies heavily on touchdowns.

Outside Bet

Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2 Points: 14

A solid week for Williams who managed to score reasonable points despite a low scoring game and Tony Romo’s injury.

Avoid

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 2 Points: 14

Reasonable week for Johnson although, as with Julio Jones, you’d like more for $4m. For me, needs to do more (and do it consistently) to justify that price tag.

Top 5 Performers

1. Larry Fitzgerald         29 points
2. Antonio Brown           27 points
=. Allen Robinson           27 points
4. Travis Benjamin         23 points
5. Julian Edelman          22 points

Tight End's

Rob Gronkowski
, New England Patriots, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Buffalo Bills
Week 2 Points: 17

Not this week’s top scoring Tight End, that honour goes to Crockett Gilmore, but still a very good week for Gronkowski. Makes it look so easy.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: Denver Broncos
Week 2 Points: 5

Not the greatest week for Kelce. As with most TE’s, relies heavily on touchdowns.

Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: San Diego Chargers
Week 2 Points: 10

Solid week for Eifert. Looks like he could be a consistent performer in a good looking team.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2 Points: 5

Another not helped by a low scoring game and Romo’s injury in Dallas.

Outside Bet

Darren Fells, Arizona Cardinals, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears
Week 2 Points: 0

Tight End’s at this end of the market will always be inconsistent. So it proved, as Fells came out with a duck after a big week 1.

Avoid

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers
Week 2 Points: 1

Graham continues to struggle to adjust to life with the Seahawks with just 11 yards.

Top 5 Performers

1. Crockett Gilmore        20 points
2. Rob Gronkowski         17 points
3. Anthony Fasano          14 points
4. Tyler Eifert                10 points
=. Eric Ebron                  10 points
=. Richard Rodgers         10 points

Defence / Special Teams

St. Louis Rams
, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Washington Redskins
Week 2 Points: 4

A couple of sacks and a fumble recovery at least kept some fantasy points on the board in a disappointing loss to the Redskins.

Miami Dolphins, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 2 Points: 0

Miami didn’t get a lot going either on defence or special teams, where I expected they may do something. Disappointing in a favourable match up.

Carolina Panthers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Houston Texans
Week 2 Points: 4

A sack and an interception provide 4 points for the Panthers. I expected a little more against a Ryan Mallett led offense.

Outside Bet

Tennessee Titans, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Points: 1

I’d put the Titans in here expecting Johnny Manziel to turn the ball over at will, but that didn’t happen. 2 sacks rescue a single fantasy point for the Titans.

Avoid

Seattle Seahawks, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers
Week 2 Points: 4

As expected, the Packers didn’t give away too much against the Seahawks. A pair of sacks and a fumble recovery keep it respectable for the Seahawks.

Top 5 Performers

1. Denver Broncos          21 points
2. Cleveland Browns       20 points
3. Arizona Cardinals       18 points
4. Dallas Cowboys          17 points
5. New York Jets            14 points

Kickers

Brandon McManus
, Denver Broncos, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 2 Points: 9

Slight disappointment as I expected McManus may get more opportunities for field goals. Manning & co. got the offense going leaving McManus with 4 extra points and a solitary 54 yard field goal.

Zach Hocker, New Orleans Saints, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2 Points: 1

A tough week for the Saints not helped by Hocker missing both a field goal and an extra point. Of the 3 kicks he had at the posts he was 1 of 3 with just a single extra point going over.

Outside Bet

Josh Lambo, San Diego Chargers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cincinnati Bengals
Week 2 Points: 7

Lambo made 2 of 3 field goals and an extra point for a respectable 7 points.

Avoid

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: New York Jets
Week 2 Points: 1


A single extra point for your $3m. This performance included a missed field goal from close range which hit the upright.

Top 5 Performers

1. Stephen Gostkowski    18 points
2. Kyle Brindza              16 points
3. Mason Crosby             15 points
=. Justin Tucker             15 points
5. Robbie Gould             13 points
=. Sebastian Janikowski  13 points
=. Jason Myers               13 points

Watch List

These are the players I have been impressed with recently but I want to see a little more of before I commit them to my team.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Points: 15

Was never going to repeat his first week heroics and losing the ball twice on fumbles didn’t help his fantasy points. Still looks a talent but will have off weeks. Still a reasonable points haul all things considered.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 2 Points: 0

A lot of people will be disappointed with this performance as was tipped by a lot of media sources for a big week. Once the Lions recognise his is the best Running Back on the team his points tally should improve.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ New Orleans Saints
Week 2 Points: 7

78 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards is a reasonable showing, with a lost fumble reducing the points total slightly. Still think he could have a reasonable year but need to see a bit more before I put him back in one of my teams.

Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Points: 1

Back down to Earth for Kendall Wright with just 17 yards on 2 receptions as Tight Ends took the majority of the receiving yards for the Titans. May look at him later in the year if he becomes more consistent.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
Week 2 Points: 3

Agholor has talent but doesn’t seem to be trusted yet. Sam Bradford isn’t exactly setting the world alight at the moment but I’m sure that will change as he gets his match sharpness back. Hopefully Agholor will profit from that later in the year.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ New Orleans Saints
Week 2 Points: 2

Tight End’s are notoriously inconsistent, which is one of the reasons I wasn’t sold on Seferian-Jenkins after week 1. May have his better weeks when the Buccaneers are chasing games – and I’m sure that will happen regularly.


Week 1 Performance

This is an overview of how my teams performed in Week 1.

First Team




Not a great week, with only Carson Palmer really excelling. Solid, if unspectacular, weeks from Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, Tyler Eifert and Brandon McManus meant that some respectability was maintained with a score of 76. Normally I would class this as a bad week, however, it did move me up the leaderboard slightly to 2116th. Hoping for much, much better next week.

Second Team





This one hurt. There was only really Rob Gronkowski that gave me a performance. James Jones was unlucky not to score more, as noted above, and Josh Lambo was solid enough but all others were very disappointing and led to my worst ever fantasy score. Will chalk this week up to experience and move on. There are some lessons to take forward to the next few weeks (ie – the Saints look bad offensively) and there were a couple of picks I gambled on that were always going to be boom or bust – they just all seemed to bust at the same time. Anyway, will move on to next week and try again.


Team of the Week

This is the best possible line up from this week within the $18m budget...

QB        Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, $3m         30 points
RB        DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers, $2m          26 points
RB        Matt Jones, Washington Redskins, $1m                   24 points
WR       Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, $2m                29 points
WR       Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars, $2m              27 points
TE        Crockett Gillmore, Baltimore Ravens, $2m             20 points
DEF      Denver Broncos, $2m                                             21 points
K          Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots, $3m     18 points

Total Cost - $17m
Total Points - 195

Thursday 17 September 2015

2015 Season - Week 2

Hello Fantasy Football fans, and welcome to the NFL UK Fantasy Football blog.

This week I will be looking at the players you should be considering, and why, for week 2 of NFL UK's Fantasy Football. If you would like to know more about NFL UK's Fantasy Football, please click here. Although this information is geared around the NFL UK game, it should be relevant to most fantasy football games around the web.

I will provide you a number of options at each position, so there should hopefully be someone that suits every budget, as well as someone you should avoid and someone who has an outside chance of a big week.

I will be entering 2 teams this year on the NFL UK game, one being my first team containing my main selections and the other containing alternative selections at each position (ie - no common players between the teams). I won't publish my finalised teams until the following week as I tend to chop and change right up until shortly before kick off to allow for injuries and/or changes of heart.

Finally, before I get down to business, I would like to invite you to provide feedback on this blog in the comments section at the bottom. This is my first attempt at writing any kind of article so I'm sure there will be a lot I can improve on. I'm open to any comments or suggestions whether positive or negative.

Anyway, on with my picks for this week (I promise I won't ramble so much each week).......

Quarterback's

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts, $4m.
Week 2 Opponent: New York Jets

Andrew Luck had a bad week last week but his consistently great play, and big points, last year shows this is unlikely to be a pattern. I expect him to bounce back this week with a big week, despite being up against a solid New York Jets defence.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles

Tony Romo has a great match-up this week against the Philadelphia Eagles so I expect a big week from him despite the loss of Dez Bryant. There are still plenty of targets available for him (some of whom will be mentioned later) and he has one of the best offensive lines in football in front of him.

Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears

Carson Palmer, in my opinion, is one of the best quarterbacks in the league when healthy. At $2m he is a steal so if you have a more limited budget he should be your man, especially against a Bears team that don't fare well against the pass.

Outside Bet

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: New England Patriots

Taylor unexpectedly won the starting job in Buffalo in pre-season and showed why in week 1. Ok, he wasn't one of the top performers, but what do you expect for $1m? If you can't quite stretch to any of those mentioned above, or want to splash out on a different position, then Taylor may be a good gamble - particularly against a Patriots defence which is nowhere near as strong as last year.

Avoid

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Kansas City Chiefs

Peyton is not the force he once was. This, coupled with a Gary Kubiak offense that doesn't really suit him, means Peyton is one to avoid for the foreseeable future - particularly at the $4m price tag. There are much better options if you want to splash big bucks on a quarterback.



Running Back's

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers

I'm a Green Bay Packers fan and there is nothing that frustrates me more than our inability to stop the run. I see this being a high scoring game with Lynch grabbing at least a touchdown (maybe even 2) along with significant yardage.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals

Was a staple of my teams last year and rarely let me down. Although this is a relatively tough match up, Forte has the skill to score big fantasy points regardless. Dual threat running back who can often score respectable points from receiving alone. Great value most weeks at $3m.

Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: San Diego Chargers

Had a good week last week and should back that up with another solid week this week. Although San Diego only gave up 69 rushing yards and a single touchdown last week, that was over only 16 attempts, an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. Hill should put that defence under a lot more pressure.

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Hyde had a massive week in week 1 and was the top scoring running back. Although I wouldn't expect the same kind of numbers this week against a stronger run defence he should still have a strong showing. From what I've seen so far, this year and last, Hyde could become one of the top running backs in the league.

Chris Ivory, New York Jets, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Indianapolis Colts

Ivory is another who had a big week last week, and now he faces a Colts defence that gave up 147 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. That should equal some good numbers.

Bishop Sankey, Tennessee Titans, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns

Sankey looked a changed man in week one turning in an impressive performance against an admittedly weak Tampa Bay defence. Now he faces the Cleveland Browns who ranked plum last against the run last year and not much better last week. Although he may share touches with Terrence West (who may want to get one over on his old team-mates) Sankey should still be the feature back and is worth a spot at $2m.

Outside Bet

David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears

This one is a bit of a long shot as Johnson's namesake Chris Johnson has been declared the starter in Andre Ellington's absence. David Johnson had just the 1 touch in week 1, a pass reception that he took 55 yards for a touchdown. Expect him to see more of the ball this week.

Avoid

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: Detroit Lions

Not a great first week back for Peterson after his enforced absence last year. I'm not saying he is done but for a $4m cost I want guaranteed points. It could be a few weeks before Peterson is back at that level again. For now, I'm not buying.


Wide Receiver's

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ New York Giants

Last weeks top scoring wide receiver and, quite possibly, the best wide receiver in the National Football League. Couple this with his week 2 opponent's, the New York Giants, giving up 356 yards and 3 touchdowns in the passing game means Jones has the potential for a huge week.

Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons

Beckham had a quiet week last week but I expect him to bounce back in a big way against the Falcons, who were only slightly better than Beckham's own New York Giants in defending the passing game.

DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Carolina Panthers

Hopkins had a big week last week with 2 touchdowns and 98 yards. I don't expect quite the same numbers this week against a decent Panthers defence, however, Hopkins should remain the main target for newly crowned starting QB Ryan Mallett.

Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 1 wasn't the most productive week for Cooks with just 4 fantasy points. A week 2 match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were carved apart at will by rookie QB Marcus Mariota, should fix that. Expect good production from Cooks this week.

John Brown, Arizona Cardinals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears

Brown had a reasonable week 1, bagging 46 yards and a touchdown. Should continue to see plenty of the ball against an average Bears defence. I expect to see Brown emerge as the number 1 receiver in Arizona this year, so should have some big weeks. This could be one of them.

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Jacksonville Jaguars

I was torn on whether to include Brown or Landry in this list, so decided to go with both. Landry had a tough fantasy week last week but did look good in reality. I expect him to turn that performance into fantasy point this week at Jacksonville who have an average defence against the pass, at best.

James Jones, Green Bay Packers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks

It didn't take long for Jones to rekindle his relationship with Aaron Rodgers, and he looks like he will be a favourite red zone target for the leagues best QB. Expect to see him scoring again on his return home to Lambeau Field. At $1m he represents fantastic value.

Outside Bet

Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles

Williams has been heavily tipped elsewhere to take a lot of Dez Bryant's targets following the big receivers injury. I'm not as high on him as some others, as targets will be shared with his team-mates, however, I agree Williams will see more targets and he should improve on his 6 fantasy points from week 1.

Avoid

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Minnesota Vikings

For me, Johnson is no longer in the top tier of receivers. Despite their big loss to the 49ers, the Vikings didn't give up much in the passing game continuing a pattern from last year. Even if you are still in love with Johnson, I'm not sure this is the game to be playing him.




Tight End's

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Buffalo Bills

So this one is obvious, but it's unavoidable. If you want a Tight End who is going to almost guarantee fantasy points, there is only one man you can get - Rob Gronkowski. Hands down the best Tight End in professional football, Tom Brady's favourite target and (unlike many Tight End's) is capable of being a deep threat as well as being the biggest red zone threat in the league. Expect to see Gronkowski here most weeks.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: Denver Broncos

Kelce had a big week, scoring 2 touchdowns with 106 yards against the Houston Texans. This week sees the Chiefs up against the Broncos who gave up less passing yards per attempt than any other team last year. That said, they also gave up 29 passing touchdowns last year, tied 6th worst in the league, and this is where Kelce could do some damage.

Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: San Diego Chargers

Eifert is another that had a big week last week, scoring 22 fantasy points in the Bengals comfortable win against the Oakland Raiders. Eifert looks the real deal and should continue his good form into this week. The Bengals look serious contenders to me this year and Eifert will be a big part of that.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Philadelphia Eagles

Witten, as with Terrance Williams, will benefit from Dez Bryant missing a few weeks. Already a decent fantasy option, Witten is now someone you should seriously consider. Scored 18 points last week and it is not beyond the realms of possibility for him to repeat that kind of performance this week.

Outside Bet

Darren Fells, Arizona Cardinals, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Chicago Bears

Fells scored 14 points last week, which is solid for the position. He may not score so well every week, but he could be one of this years surprise packages. At 6' 7" he is an ideal red zone target and the match-up with the Chicago Bears could be just the type of game where he scores some big points. If you are short on budget he is worth a roll of the dice.

Avoid

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints, $4m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers

Graham didn't look the same player last year that he did previous years. He will have big weeks due to his red zone presence but needs time to develop his relationship with Russell Wilson. For now, at least, Rob Gronkowski is a much better bet at the $4m budget.



Defence / Special Teams

St. Louis Rams, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Washington Redskins

The Rams are often a solid bet, more so when they are facing a blunt Kirk Cousins led Redskins offense. I'm not really a big fan of spending over $1m on DEF but there could be points to be had here this week. Worth considering.

Miami Dolphins, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins scored 15 points last week and are a good bet again this week. Blake Bortles has been known to throw the odd interception, and the Dolphins also have a dangerous return man in Jarvis Landry.

Carolina Panthers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Houston Texans

The Panthers were the top scoring defence last week with 21 points, and with the Texans unstable QB situation they may do well again this week. Ryan Mallett has been named the starter for the Texans against the Panthers after Brian Hoyer "won" the starting job in pre-season. Although Mallett will have been taking first team snaps this week he hasn't had the time to develop the relationship with his receivers and this could lead to interceptions.

Outside Bet

Tennessee Titans, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns

This is less an outside bet and more a team I wouldn't routinely consider, however, the Titans face the Cleveland Browns who will likely be led by the interception happy Johnny Manziel. If the Titans play like they did last week then they could be a big scorer this week.

Avoid

Seattle Seahawks, $2m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Green Bay Packers

The Seahawks are one of the most reliable defences in the league and can score big fantasy points. This week they travel to Green Bay where the Packers were undefeated last year and have the leagues best QB in Aaron Rodgers, who hasn't thrown an interception at Lambeau Field since December 2nd 2012. Best to stay away from the Seahawks in week 2.



Kickers

Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Kansas City Chiefs

With Denver struggling a little on offense at the beginning of this season goals may become key. McManus was the top scoring kicker last week and I expect him to do well this week.

Zach Hocker, New Orleans Saints, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hocker was another who scored well last week and should fair well again against a poor Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.

Outside Bet

Josh Lambo, San Diego Chargers, $1m
Week 2 Opponent: @ Cincinnati Bengals

The former goalkeeper, who once spent time on trial at Everton, beat out the experienced Nick Novak for the kickers job in San Diego this year. Lambo, for me, was one of the best kickers in college football last year and I expect him to score decent points in what could be a high scoring game.

Avoid

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts, $3m
Week 2 Opponent: New York Jets

For the extortionate price of $3m I expect performance on par with skill players. Last week Vinatieri scored no fantasy points whatsoever in a game where he didn't attempt an extra point and missed his only field goal attempt. Whilst I expect better this week, definitely not worth the risk.




Watch List

These are the players I have been impressed with recently but I want to see a little more of before I commit them to my team.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans, $2m

Mariota looked great in week 1, tearing apart the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in one of the best all time rookie performances. In week 2 he faces a better defence in the Cleveland Browns, so it will be interesting to see if he can perform to the same level.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions, $2m

Another rookie who looked the real deal in week 1. My biggest concern is Jim Caldwell still insisting that Joique Bell is the Lions number 1 running back. Will wait another week or 2 on Abdullah but I fully expect him to have a big rookie season.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $2m

Martin looked like the player he was a couple of years back again. He has worked hard in the off season and looks in good shape. Had him in one of my teams last week but he didn’t score big points mostly due to the Buccaneers being so far behind they had to take chances on the passing game. Will sit and watch for a couple of weeks to see how he develops during this season.

Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans, $2m

This one goes hand in hand with Marcus Mariota above. If the Titans can prove that week 1 was not a freak result and performance then Wright could become a star.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles, $2m

Agholor is one of the best receiving talents from this year’s NFL Draft and is in an offense that is going to be high scoring. Despite this, he didn’t score any fantasy points week 1 as the Eagles struggled to get going. I still think Agholor could have a big year but it may take a few weeks for him to start scoring big points.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $2m

The second highest scoring Tight End of week one benefited from the Buccaneers being so far behind. That said, if he can strike up a good relationship with QB Jameis Winston then Seferian-Jenkins could have a productive year. Need to see him produce consistently before starting him in my fantasy teams.


Week 1 Performance

This is an overview of how my teams performed in Week 1.

First Team



Strong performances from Matt Forte, Rob Gronkowski, Dolphins Defence & Steven Hauschka were offset by weaker than expected performances by Sam Bradford, Doug Martin, Davante Adams & Amari Cooper. A very average week that garnered just 102 fantasy points for a tied 2188th place for the season. My frustration is compounded by my last minute decision to switch from Chris Ivory (21 points) to Doug Martin.

Second Team



Similar story to my first team with strong performances from Aaron Rodgers, Jeremy Hill, James Jones and Antonio Brown but let down by Greg Olsen and the Eagles Defence. Dan Carpenter and Benny Cunningham scored what I expected really (although a few more points from Cunningham would have been nice). Cunningham was a last minute swap for Ameer Abdullah following the news that Tre Mason was not ready to face the Seahawks. This allowed me to bring in Olsen as a "safe" option at Tight End in place of Richard Rogers. Again, this cost me a handful of points but could on another day have gone the other way. A total of 102 points to match my first team.