Who's Hot Who’s Not 2016 Week 2

By Jen Ryan
Jen Ryan RIP Keenan Allen. That feels like the only appropriate way to begin this article. Such a horrific injury for such a promising talent. There were a few awful things about last week, including some of my calls but not all was lost. Here’s a quick recap from Week 1.

I Knew It

Derek Carr – QB14 – Carr put up 21 fantasy points in this shootout.

Ryan Mathews – RB14 – Mathews carried the ball 22 times and scored.

Julian Edelman – WR26 – He caught all seven of his targets for 66 yards, but failed to score. In a week with huge receiver scoring, his 15 PPR points were not enough to make him a WR2.

Dak Prescott – QB29 – Only three quarterbacks had a worse day than the over-hyped rookie. His 45 attempts were second to Andrew Luck, yet he could not crack 250 yards and failed to throw a touchdown.

Matt Jones – RB53 – Chris Thompson, as I said, is indeed the back to own in Washington.

Gates – TE31 – Last week marked Gates’ third straight game in which Kansas City stifled him.


I Blew it

Alshon Jeffery – WR29 – Although he extended his 100-yard game streak to seven of his last ten, Jeffery’s 14 points were sub-optimal.

Clive Walford – TE27 – He had the upside to score but could not secure his lone red zone target.

Now that Week 1 is behind us, let’s see what Week 2 has in store.


Who’s Hot

Fire Starter: Jeremy Langford – Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles
There was a lot of talk about the type of player Langford would be this summer, but coming off a week where he had 19 total touches it is safe to assume Langford will bell cow it up again this week. We will have to wait until Monday to see Langford go off. He will have an opportunity to run all over the 23rd-ranked Eagles rushing defense at home.

QB – Josh McCown – Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
McCown might be a risky call but I am not here to tell you to fire up Andrew Luck. The ageless veteran threw for a combined 669 yards in two meetings with the Ravens last season. He will be a matchup-based quarterback as long as he is playing and this matchup is a favorable one. The Vegas line for this game is trending in the wrong direction, opening at 43.5 and closing at 42.5, but I am betting against the house on this one. I expect McCown to come out slinging and he should put Duke Johnson and Gary Barnidge back on your fantasy map this week.

WR – Vincent Jackson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals
Sticking with the bold-call theme here, I will be starting the 33-year old Jackson everywhere I own him this week. Though the Cardinals defense is a brutal matchup one can assume the majority of their attention will be thrown in the direction of Mike Evans. Jimmy Garoppolo was able to hit his playmakers against this touted defense last week and Jameis Winston is coming off of a huge win where he targeted Vincent Jackson seven times. The volume should be there again this week.

TE – Virgil Green – Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts
There are a few things to like about Virgil Green this week. Demaryius Thomas’ health seems to be at less than 100% and the big-bodied tight end could see his 19% target share from Week 1 increase. Green saw a target from within the 10 zone in the season opener and should be looked at again in scoring situations this week. The Colts allowed 39 points to the Detroit Lions last week, which included a 5/46/1 stat line for Eric Ebron.


Who’s Not

Ice Cold: Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams
I realize how difficult it is to bench Russell Wilson but it is something I am doing this week. He is dealing with a hobbled ankle and will be on the road in a stadium he has never played in before. Wilson historically does not have great numbers against the Rams. In eight career games, Wilson averages 227 yards per game and has thrown nine touchdowns along with six interceptions. He cracked 300 yards once. The matchup between these two teams is always a low-scoring, gritty affair and is one to avoid this week.

WR – Willie Snead – New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants
Do not chase Snead’s performance from last week and expect it to carry over this week. Drew Brees notoriously underperforms on the road and Snead obviously goes as his quarterback does. Granted, this is also expected to be a high scoring affair, but keep in mind that Snead failed to score a single touchdown on the road last season. I am taking that for all that it is worth and keeping Snead on my bench for this matchup.

RB – Giovani Bernard – Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
While I am most excited for football’s ugliest rivalry I am not very excited for Giovani Bernard. Pittsburgh quietly touts a solid run defense. Jeremy Hill’s usage in the red zone keeps him in play for me but I am expecting Bernard to get swallowed up and shut down any time the ball is in his hands. You should have other options outside of this PPR darling. Chris Thompson snuck into the end zone against the Steeler’s last week, and he fits more of the “Gio mold”, but the goal line looks will go to Hill here.

TE – Jack Doyle – Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
I will try not to go on a rant here in regards to Doyle so all I want to say is just stop with him. He was a waiver wire pick up in far too many leagues based off of, in my opinion, a very misleading Week 1. Dwayne Allen is the tight end to own, not Doyle or his flukey two touchdowns on three receptions. The reverse engineering of a point total must be taken into consideration and Doyle is a perfect example. Do not be fooled by him or look foolish by starting him.

Start/Sit decisions come down to a few things. Research, matchup analysis, game theory, and a plethora of other fantasy-relevant variables need to be taken into consideration. The fun in redraft is that the final roster comes down to one thing and that is your intuition. There are players who I think are hot and who are not this week but ultimately you need to go with your gut. You know what you are doing so trust in yourself. Good Luck!

Remember to consult our Ease of Schedule tool when considering the matchups for this week. Feel free to reach out to me @FFdeJENerate for any of your fantasy needs!