Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Dashed and Rehashed

Week 1 is in the books and many hopes and dreams have already been dashed but many old realizations have been re-realized. Hey, if Eli Manning is Elite, re-realized is a valid word and can be used in a sentence. Speaking of the Giants, they are this year’s proof that pre-season records mean zero. Based on Monday night’s performance, they have little chance of equaling the number of pre-season wins in the regular season. In the fantasy football world, it was proved right away that you always want to back up your top running backs as Doug Martin, Zac Stacy and Ben Tate look like potential early-round busts. Of course, there are plenty of games left for them to shake off injuries and poor performance and earn their lofty draft positions. More about Week 1:

The Good:
  • Ryan Succop kicked 4 field goals for Tennessee to help beat the KC Chiefs, the team that dumped him a week ago.
  • Antonio Brown provided the best football highlight since the Butt Fumble.
  • Knownshon Moreno stuck it to everyone that thought he got fat and happy after his big year in Denver. He makes Miami a viable contender for the AFC East crown.
  • Rookie highlights: Terrance West (shocked that Ben Tate got hurt?), Kelvin Benjamin, Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns all showed that the transition from college to the Pros is shrinking more and more each year.
  • Second half wagers are the way to go with wagering as Chicago, Philly, Cleveland, and Indy all rallied to close/cover big deficits and cover their second half numbers, though the amount wagered on Cleveland was a drop in the bucket compared to the other three teams.
  • Eli Manning – the obvious constant that did not change, as expected (the same could be said for Tony Romo, but he’ll get a pass since he was coming off of back surgery).

The Bad:
  • The Seattle Seahawks, or whatever entity manages their parking lots, charged $140 to park during the opening game versus the Packers. Of course, the remote local parking garages took advantage of that and significantly increased their prices to $60-$80, which seems like a bargain when you factor in the health benefits of the extra walking distance.
  • Jamaal Charles – though it is hard to blame Jamaal when the Chiefs barely utilized him in the first half, when the game was still in doubt. This team has all the makings of a bust this year.
  • The NFL is crazy pass-happy, (62 passes from Joe Flacco in regulation in a tight game) which means loads more penalties and more dead time. I guess it helps justify watching the games in bars so you can constantly shift focus from one game to the next in hopes of catching one not discussing a penalty, looking at a review or showing a commercial. My liver is gonna take a beating this season.
  • Larry Fitzgerald barely getting involved in the Cardinals offense. It saddens me that he didn’t get more than a few seasons with a top QB.
  • Jay Cutler – if Marc Tressman could lower the strength of Cutler’s arm, he certainly would since it has given Jay the impression that he can, and should, make every throw. Very Favresqe.
Happiness for league kitties is Week 1 transactions. This is when too many people dump players that they expected to do well but had a slow week 1 and pick up flash-in-the-pan players, such as Allen Hurns, only to see them disappear for the remainder of the season. Remember Kevin Ogletree? However, there are some worthy waiver wire candidates to grab if you in need of roster help.

The Waiver Wire:

QB: Jake Locker (TENN) – If you have Tony Romo, I wouldn’t cut him, but I would bench him until he shows that he is healthy. Locker is a solid play this week at home against a really bad Dallas defense.

RB: Terrance West (CLE) – If someone didn’t back up fragile Ben Tate with West or read our 2014 Fantasy Football Sleepers article, grab him immediately. If he is gone and you play in a deeper league, make sure to grab his running mate, Isaiah Crowell.

RB
: Justin Forsett (BAL) – Bernard Pierce failed for the second year in a row to take advantage of the opportunity to lock down the RB1 spot for the Ravens. Forsett was flashy with his 70 yards on 11 carries.

WR
: Steve Smith Sr (BAL) – With the Ravens looking to get their $20 million out of Flacco, there are plenty of throws to go around. Somehow, Torrey Smith has fallen out of favor in Baltimore and that makes Smith a must-add. He had 15 Targets in week 1, which amounted to 7 catches for 118 yards, including an 80-yard TD.

WR
: Andrew Hawkins (CLE) – It was wise to avoid Browns’ receivers in your draft, but with TE Jordan Cameron re-injuring his shoulder, Hawkins should be looking at double digit Targets weekly.

TE
: Larry Donnell (NYG) – With so many quality tight ends around the league, Donnell went undrafted in almost every fantasy football league. However, thanks to the Giants ineptitude in grasping the West Coast offense and inability to block, Donnell will be a much bigger factor in the Giants anemic offense this season. His 6’6” frame makes him much easier to find for Eli in his panic than the other receivers.

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