Before jumping into the Sunday rundown of each team's most notable fantasy implication, a question for the FF4W community. My DFS 50/50 lineup hit on three of my five one-dollar contests: 35th, 42nd, and 42nd out of 100 competitors. The two I missed finished 51st and 52nd.
Can I call this a "win" for the lineup? I'm looking to those who played it down the line. How did you fare? I want to be upstanding about this.
Now to the rundown:
Browns -- Many survivor pools would have been crushed if Cleveland had pulled off this miraculous upset. The most interesting fantasy impact in Cleveland's post-Josh Gordon Era was Antonio Callaway leading the way with 81 yards and a TD. This is not a high-volume throwing team, so consistency will be an issue. But Callaway is a legit WR4 with some upside heading into Week 3.
Saints -- While it wasn't pretty, the big three of Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas got the job done. Most notably, Mike Gillislee earned eight uneventful carries (for 18 yards). Mark Ingram can't return soon enough.
Dolphins -- Miami's on pace for a perfect season, and Ryan Tannehill's on pace for 32 TDs. The former is obviously a joke. The latter is not; Tannehill will blow is QB-31 ADP out of the water.
Jets -- Sam Darnold crashes back to Earth a bit in a favorable matchup. Most notably, Bilal Powell outplayed Isaiah Crowell, likely because they were playing from behind. Keep tabs on that potential pattern.
Panthers -- Christian McCaffrey dominated with 22 touches, catching 14 of 15 balls. Although I still believe his Week 1 reflects more realistic expectations for the second-year back, I look pretty dumb after this performance.
Falcons -- Tevin Coleman averaged 6.7 YPC on 16 carries and added four catches against a tough Carolina D. This preseason I warned that the gap between him and Devonta Freeman would continue to narrow, placing them side by side in my preseason rankings. Don't assume Freeman will remain this backfield's official 1A RB all year.
Chargers -- Melvin Gordon found the end zone three times despite gaining only 28 yards on nine carries (and adding 38 yards on six receptions). But Austin Ekeler looked better on 14 touches. I continue to believe Gordon's sub-4.0 YPC is a modest warning sign, which is fairly unpopular at a time when Gordon looks unstoppable from a fantasy perspective.
Bills -- LeSean McCoy's rib injury opens the door for Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy to cancel each other next week in Minnesota.
Vikings -- Dalvin Cook is expected to be fine after injuring his hamstring. Full health among Minnesota five key offensive players is all most fantasy managers care about for this team, which boasts difference-making talent at every position except, apparently, kicker.
Packers -- Another week, another tie in the NFL. When has that ever happened? Aside from Aaron Rodgers gutting it out for 70 minutes, it should be noted Jamaal Williams has been merely adequate through two games. Paging the high-upside Aaron Jones . . .
Texans -- Deshaun Watson finally showed some life this season after a rough first 29 minutes in Tennessee. He remains in bust territory given how early he went in drafts.
Titans -- Hard to believe Tennessee won this one, but give them credit for converting on some creative plays. Derrick Henry's lackluster 18 carries was, nonetheless, 18 carries. He's far from irrelevant, despite his slow start.
Chiefs -- I thought Patrick Mahomes would be a mid-range QB2. Hats off to those who knew I was an idiot.
Steelers -- With Antonio Brown battling a calf injury, JuJu Smith-Schuster posted AB-like numbers. He's the reason AB was not my #1 (or #2) ranked WR this preseason. That said, JuJu has been far better than I ever imagined.
Eagles -- Mike Wallace could be done for the year, while Jay Ajayi battled a back injury. Nelson Agholor is the biggest winner of all this chaos, and he'll continue to be a must-start WR as long as Alshon Jeffery is out -- and possibly even when he returns.
Buccaneers -- Another four TDs for Ryan Fitzpatrick. I asked this question over the summer, and again last week. Does it need to be asked again? This is Fitz's team, not Winston's.
Colts -- Another adequate outing for Andrew Luck. More notably, Eric Ebron outperformed Jack Doyle for the second straight week. Based on what I've been saying for months, right up through Saturday, this should have surprised no one.
Redskins -- If you spent half your waiver FAAB on Adrian Peterson, well, this is reality. AP was never going to be a fantasy stud this year. While he might still have a couple good games in him, weeks 4-6 aren't looking promising, and his final three contests of the year (Jacksonville, Tennessee, Philly) make him unstartable when it'll matter most. Sold high last week? Great. If not, trade him for an RB2 if you can and move on.
Cardinals -- A few weeks ago some of you asked why David Johnson had drifted down my preseason rankings. He's this year's 2016 Todd Gurley. After getting predictably pummeled against the Rams, Arizona now looks ahead to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco twice, Minnesota, Denver, and a bye week. Nothing to do except wait it out and hope Johnson gives you enough RB2 performances to keep you competitive. Oh, can anyone make the case for why Sam Bradford is still starting? Not the first time I've asked that, and unfortunately it probably won't be the last . . .
Rams -- Rookie RB John Kelly has been inactive two straight games, and yesterday's usage suggests Malcolm Brown is the handcuff to roster, though realistically this could be a committee backfield if Todd Gurley goes down.
Patriots -- Tom Brady's comeback fell short in this highly anticipated revenge game. Most notably, Sony Michel was the lead ball carrier, and Phillip Dorsett was the most targeted receiver. Ladies and gentlemen, your September 2018 New England Patriots (not to be confused with the August 2018 Patriots, and what will be the October 2018 Patriots).
Jaguars -- Hard not to highlight Blake Bortles and his four touchdowns. But the bigger story is T.J. Yeldon proved a capable backup to Leonard Fournette, amassing 71 yards on 12 touches. He remains a must-roster handcuff.
Raiders -- Amari Cooper got it done. Consistency remains the question. Congrats to those who bought low.
Broncos -- Clearly I underestimated Phillip Lindsay. Can't argue with his 111 total yards, and can't dismiss his 15 touches. What a phenomenal start to his career for the undrafted rookie. (And remember, he was't even invited to the Combine.)
Lions -- Kerryon Johnson looked good on 13 touches. Strongly urging folks to buy low on someone who could be at 18+ by October.
49ers -- I poo-poo'd two newly installed starters heading into Week 1: AP and Alfred Morris. People spent way too much to acquire Morris after Jerick McKinnon was lost for the year. He's a aged, historically one-dimensional player whose greatest differentiator is knowing Kyle Shanahan's offense. Yesterday Matt Breida took a commanding lead in this backfield competition. Morris remains unstartable.
Giants -- Eli Manning has been top-10 in pass attempts two straight weeks, yet without much to show for it. And his schedule doesn't get much easier. Those expecting a much-improved Giants offense this year probably won't get it. We've been witnessing the downside of Eli's career for a while.
Cowboys -- Dak Prescott didn't do quite enough to win last week, and he did just enough to win this week. A nice throw to a wide-open Tavon Austin proved to be the difference last night. It's getting hard to view him as a must-start in two-QB leagues.
Can I call this a "win" for the lineup? I'm looking to those who played it down the line. How did you fare? I want to be upstanding about this.
Now to the rundown:
Browns -- Many survivor pools would have been crushed if Cleveland had pulled off this miraculous upset. The most interesting fantasy impact in Cleveland's post-Josh Gordon Era was Antonio Callaway leading the way with 81 yards and a TD. This is not a high-volume throwing team, so consistency will be an issue. But Callaway is a legit WR4 with some upside heading into Week 3.
Saints -- While it wasn't pretty, the big three of Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas got the job done. Most notably, Mike Gillislee earned eight uneventful carries (for 18 yards). Mark Ingram can't return soon enough.
Dolphins -- Miami's on pace for a perfect season, and Ryan Tannehill's on pace for 32 TDs. The former is obviously a joke. The latter is not; Tannehill will blow is QB-31 ADP out of the water.
Jets -- Sam Darnold crashes back to Earth a bit in a favorable matchup. Most notably, Bilal Powell outplayed Isaiah Crowell, likely because they were playing from behind. Keep tabs on that potential pattern.
Panthers -- Christian McCaffrey dominated with 22 touches, catching 14 of 15 balls. Although I still believe his Week 1 reflects more realistic expectations for the second-year back, I look pretty dumb after this performance.
Falcons -- Tevin Coleman averaged 6.7 YPC on 16 carries and added four catches against a tough Carolina D. This preseason I warned that the gap between him and Devonta Freeman would continue to narrow, placing them side by side in my preseason rankings. Don't assume Freeman will remain this backfield's official 1A RB all year.
Chargers -- Melvin Gordon found the end zone three times despite gaining only 28 yards on nine carries (and adding 38 yards on six receptions). But Austin Ekeler looked better on 14 touches. I continue to believe Gordon's sub-4.0 YPC is a modest warning sign, which is fairly unpopular at a time when Gordon looks unstoppable from a fantasy perspective.
Bills -- LeSean McCoy's rib injury opens the door for Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy to cancel each other next week in Minnesota.
Vikings -- Dalvin Cook is expected to be fine after injuring his hamstring. Full health among Minnesota five key offensive players is all most fantasy managers care about for this team, which boasts difference-making talent at every position except, apparently, kicker.
Packers -- Another week, another tie in the NFL. When has that ever happened? Aside from Aaron Rodgers gutting it out for 70 minutes, it should be noted Jamaal Williams has been merely adequate through two games. Paging the high-upside Aaron Jones . . .
Texans -- Deshaun Watson finally showed some life this season after a rough first 29 minutes in Tennessee. He remains in bust territory given how early he went in drafts.
Titans -- Hard to believe Tennessee won this one, but give them credit for converting on some creative plays. Derrick Henry's lackluster 18 carries was, nonetheless, 18 carries. He's far from irrelevant, despite his slow start.
Chiefs -- I thought Patrick Mahomes would be a mid-range QB2. Hats off to those who knew I was an idiot.
Steelers -- With Antonio Brown battling a calf injury, JuJu Smith-Schuster posted AB-like numbers. He's the reason AB was not my #1 (or #2) ranked WR this preseason. That said, JuJu has been far better than I ever imagined.
Eagles -- Mike Wallace could be done for the year, while Jay Ajayi battled a back injury. Nelson Agholor is the biggest winner of all this chaos, and he'll continue to be a must-start WR as long as Alshon Jeffery is out -- and possibly even when he returns.
Buccaneers -- Another four TDs for Ryan Fitzpatrick. I asked this question over the summer, and again last week. Does it need to be asked again? This is Fitz's team, not Winston's.
Colts -- Another adequate outing for Andrew Luck. More notably, Eric Ebron outperformed Jack Doyle for the second straight week. Based on what I've been saying for months, right up through Saturday, this should have surprised no one.
Redskins -- If you spent half your waiver FAAB on Adrian Peterson, well, this is reality. AP was never going to be a fantasy stud this year. While he might still have a couple good games in him, weeks 4-6 aren't looking promising, and his final three contests of the year (Jacksonville, Tennessee, Philly) make him unstartable when it'll matter most. Sold high last week? Great. If not, trade him for an RB2 if you can and move on.
Cardinals -- A few weeks ago some of you asked why David Johnson had drifted down my preseason rankings. He's this year's 2016 Todd Gurley. After getting predictably pummeled against the Rams, Arizona now looks ahead to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco twice, Minnesota, Denver, and a bye week. Nothing to do except wait it out and hope Johnson gives you enough RB2 performances to keep you competitive. Oh, can anyone make the case for why Sam Bradford is still starting? Not the first time I've asked that, and unfortunately it probably won't be the last . . .
Rams -- Rookie RB John Kelly has been inactive two straight games, and yesterday's usage suggests Malcolm Brown is the handcuff to roster, though realistically this could be a committee backfield if Todd Gurley goes down.
Patriots -- Tom Brady's comeback fell short in this highly anticipated revenge game. Most notably, Sony Michel was the lead ball carrier, and Phillip Dorsett was the most targeted receiver. Ladies and gentlemen, your September 2018 New England Patriots (not to be confused with the August 2018 Patriots, and what will be the October 2018 Patriots).
Jaguars -- Hard not to highlight Blake Bortles and his four touchdowns. But the bigger story is T.J. Yeldon proved a capable backup to Leonard Fournette, amassing 71 yards on 12 touches. He remains a must-roster handcuff.
Raiders -- Amari Cooper got it done. Consistency remains the question. Congrats to those who bought low.
Broncos -- Clearly I underestimated Phillip Lindsay. Can't argue with his 111 total yards, and can't dismiss his 15 touches. What a phenomenal start to his career for the undrafted rookie. (And remember, he was't even invited to the Combine.)
Lions -- Kerryon Johnson looked good on 13 touches. Strongly urging folks to buy low on someone who could be at 18+ by October.
49ers -- I poo-poo'd two newly installed starters heading into Week 1: AP and Alfred Morris. People spent way too much to acquire Morris after Jerick McKinnon was lost for the year. He's a aged, historically one-dimensional player whose greatest differentiator is knowing Kyle Shanahan's offense. Yesterday Matt Breida took a commanding lead in this backfield competition. Morris remains unstartable.
Giants -- Eli Manning has been top-10 in pass attempts two straight weeks, yet without much to show for it. And his schedule doesn't get much easier. Those expecting a much-improved Giants offense this year probably won't get it. We've been witnessing the downside of Eli's career for a while.
Cowboys -- Dak Prescott didn't do quite enough to win last week, and he did just enough to win this week. A nice throw to a wide-open Tavon Austin proved to be the difference last night. It's getting hard to view him as a must-start in two-QB leagues.