Building a game-winning drive for Week 3 and looking back on Week 2, are you ready for some fantasy football? Check out our latest projections and recap.
Claim Him Off Waivers Now: Dion Lewis
If Dion Lewis is available in your league—the way he is in mine—claim him off waivers ASAP. Despite the Week 2-return of LeGarrette Blount, the New England Patriots running back still racked up 17 fantasy points and it's how he did it that make us urge all fantasy owners to snatch him up as a free agent and add him to your roster. Lewis, 24, rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and added 98 receiving yards on six receptions out the backfield. Even though Blount may bite into his workload, Lewis has a solid chance of continuing such valuable production.
Anticipated Letdown: Jamaal Charles
As good as Jamaal Charles is, he may not put up numbers worthy of a first-round pick come Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. Although the Kansas City Chiefs running back has a different style than Marshawn Lynch, the Packers' defense is coming only allowing Beast Mode to rush for 41 yards against it at Lambeau Field in Week 2. Back at home, the Packers defense could stifle Charles into the same sort of lackluster performance. Obviously, when you have a running back like Charles, you must start him all the time, but just beware of a potential letdown.
Sleeper Pick: Blake Bortles
Yes, Blake Bortles is up against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. in Week 3 action Sunday and no, I'm not crazy. Let me explain why the Jacksonville Jaguars second-year quarterback could be a sleeper pick this week. Despite the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots being 2-0, its defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to rack up numbers through two weeks with Ben Roethlisberger airing it out for 351 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 and Tyrod Taylor throwing for 242 yards and three TDs this past Sunday. Although they threw for a combined four interceptions, they still did their numbers against the teeth of the Pats' defense. Even in a Week 3 loss, Bortles could do the same. For what it's worth, he's coming off a 273-yard passing and two-TD game in a win over the Miami Dolphins, who bolstered their defense over the offseason.
Confusion By Committee: Redskins running backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones
Having two solid running backs is great for an NFL franchise. Not so much for fantasy owners, though. Owning one of two capable rushers on a team often spells fit-inducing frustration in always feeling like you're on a whim, regardless of if your running back is the featured back for that given week or relents to his teammate.
That seems to be the case with the Washington Redskins, who enjoyed a 24-10 home win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 2, but walked off the field with a little confusion by committee, too. Featured Redskins running back Alfred Morris rushed for 59 yards on 18 carries, but teammate Matt Jones ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts. Now, if Jones had substantially more carries and that kind of success, perhaps fantasy owners could defer that he would be the featured back in Week 3.
However, since he only had one more carry, it creates the prospect of either another solid performance or severe drop off and a total dice roll. The only words of advice I could provide here is slightly lean toward Jones to continue getting more carries and that's only because Morris showed a bit of indifference following the Redskins' win in Week 2. What will happen Week 3, when Washington visits the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football?
And now, looking back at the best and worst performers of Week 2...
Best Fantasy Performer: Ben Roethlisberger
Whether it was a case of the Pittsburgh Steelers still playing without running back Le'Veon Bell or veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger up against an inferior defense, the way Big Ben carved up the San Francisco 49ers in the Steelers' 43-18 rout win was truly a sight to see. Roethlisberger aired it out for 369 yards and three touchdowns, while converting a pair of two-point conversions for 36 total points, which led all fantasy players in Week 2.
Closely behind was Tom Brady, who seems to be playing with an inflated chip on his shoulder following his Deflategate scandal. The four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback racked up an absurd 466 yards passing and three touchdowns for 34 total fantasy points in the New England Patriots' 40-32 road win over the Buffalo Bills. If it wasn't for a fumble, Brady would have also finished with 36 points.
Surprise, Surprise: Derek Carr
Derek Carr has weapons this season...and the young Oakland Raiders quarterback did a good job of using them in a 37-33 home victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The game seen the 24-year-old QB spread the wealth, passing for three touchdowns to three different wideouts—helping veteran Michael Crabtree and dazzling rookie Amari Cooper each finish with over 100 yards receiving. Carr's 351 yards passing, three TDs, one interception and 23 yards rushing gave him 32 fantasy points in one of the best starts of his young career. One would be hard-pressed to find bigger surprises around the league than Carr and Crabtree in Week 2. Though, Johnny Manziel's respectable 18 points receives an honorable mention.
Biggest Disappointment: Andrew Luck
Yes, the New York Jets boast a rugged defense. However, the way Andrew Luck played in the Indianapolis Colts' 20-7 home loss to the Jets on Monday Night Football, one would swear Gang Green has the best defense in the entire league.
If Luck is the next great quarterback—as advertised—he certainly didn't show it in his dreadful three-interception, one-fumble and one-touchdown performance against the Jets on Monday night. Let's see...for fantasy purposes, Luck's three interceptions wiped out his 250 yards passing and his 24 yards rushing were negated by a fumble, leaving his lone TD as his only six points. Good grief. Luck lost plenty of fantasy owners' close games in Week 2.
But he wasn't the only one. Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray only rushing for two yards, while receiving for 53 more—against his former Dallas Cowboys team at that—was dreadful. Also, Beast Mode was more than tamed during the Seattle Seahawks' 27-17 road loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. Known for being a bruising rusher, Marshawn Lynch was limited to 41 yards rushing on 15 carries and another 21 yards receiving for a total of six fantasy points. To put that in perspective, Adrian Peterson's backup Zach Line scored six points in Week 2.
With each the Colts and Seahawks 0-2, Luck and Lynch are going to have to play better. A lot better if their squads are going to be back in the hunt and in serious contention.
Most Costly Injury: Tony Romo
The Dallas Cowboys are 2-0 early this year, yet the season's prospects are looking bleak. After losing star wide receiver Dez Bryant for at least 10 to 12 weeks due to a broken foot in Week 1, the Cowboys lost franchise quarterback for at least eight to 10 weeks because of a broken collarbone in Week 2. That's a bad break—literally and figuratively. What bad luck for the Cowboys. Brandon Weeden is now at the helm of the Cowboys' offense at quarterback.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
