Week 1 Studs
Arian Foster - After compiling 231 yards on the ground and 3 TD's, Foster Freeze certainly lived up to all the hype and more. Most fantasy owners are rejoicing for picking him up as Arian had the NFL's second-best opening weekend rushing performance since 1933, topped only by Buffalo's O.J. Simpson's 250 in 1973. Enough said.
Matt Forte - Named NFC player of the week after his performance of 201 total yards, 7 receptions and a pair of TD's. It looks like Forte is finally back to 100% as last season he was plagued with minor injuries and didn't equate to his first round value. It also seems that Forte will have a prominent role in the passing game, so you better play this guy if your in a PPR league.
Peyton Manning - No surprise here, Manning completed 40 of 57 passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns Sunday in Houston. The only surprise is the the Colts lost 34-24. Look for Manning to have another great season as he has the best supporting cast yet.
Chad Ochocinco - Ocho had 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against New England. Even with the new addition of the T.O. Show, Chad still managed to be the focal point of the passing attack. However, Owens and Ochocinco were both targeted 13 times each and it looks like T.O. will diminish some of Chad's overall production. Not to mention the Bengals were down early and resorted to throwing the ball most of the game. Don't count on #85 to put up these kind of numbers regularly.
Chris Johnson - Not surprising, CJ ran all over the Raiders defense with 150 total yards and a pair of TD's. Johnson proved why he was the #1 pick overall in most fantasy leagues and there is no sign of him slowing down. Look for him to have a tougher time against the Steelers this week.
Miles Austin - Miles looked solid against the Redskins last week producing 146 receiving yards and a TD. Austin was targeted 11 times and came down with 10 catches. Even with a beat up Dallas O-line, look for Miles to secure his spot as an elite WR in the league, while Dez Bryant continues to expand his role within the Dallas offense.
Austin Collie - Collie Man really shined against the Texans compiling 10 receptions for 131 yards and a TD. Also note, Collie caught every ball thrown his way except for one. Although there are a lot of options for Manning to throw to Collie came out on top in week 1 amongst his peers. With Anthony Gonzalez suffering an ankle injury and Pierre Garcon not being in sync with Peyton, I would say Collie could possibly have an expanded role.
Roddy White - Being targeted a ridiculous 23 times by Matt Ryan, Roddy managed to pull away with a career best 13 catches for 111 yards. Being the fact that White was targeted more than half of the time on the passing attack, look for Roddy to be Matt Ryan's go to guy.
Hakim Nicks - Nicks is definitely off to a great start compiling 3 TD's, while only having 4 catches last week against Carolina. This TD count represents half of the 6 touchdowns Hakim scored as a rookie last season. Beware though, Nicks has sat out of practice all week to nurse a hurt ankle and is expected to practice Thursday.
Pickups for Week 2
Brandon Jackson - No questions asked you need to scoop this guy up before it's too late, it may already be. With Ryan Grant out with a season-ending injury (ankle/leg) look for Brandon Jackson to be putting up serious fantasy points for the remainder of the season. The Packers may try and pick up another RB like Marshawn Lynch or Willie Parker, but that will hardly affect his value. Hurry! Go pick this Jackson up, you won't regret it.
Michael Vick - With Kolb out for an indefinite amount of time suffering a concussion against Green Bay, the Eagles are looking to move forward with Vick and he sure looked like his old self in the 2nd half of Sunday's game. With the weapons in Philadelphia, Vick could be leading some fantasy teams to Vick-tory in the coming weeks as long as Kolb is not in the picture. Mark Clayton - Really showed his worth in St. Louis and recorded a career high 10 receptions, 119 yards and most importantly, 16 targets . He's been with the team for not even a week! The veteran should thrive in this offense and Sam Bradford will continue to look his way, especially against Oakland this week.
Darren McFadden - With Michael Bush out of action, "McFake" stepped up and proved to be extremely productive for the Raiders rushing for 95 yards and catching six passes for 55 yards and a TD. Although the Raiders offense is still struggling, McFadden seems to be a key component and might grow out of his nickname. Expect Darren to have a big week against the Rams this week.
Brandon Lloyd - Pulling away with 5 catches for 117 yards, Lloyd might be able to seize an opportunity in Denver where the receiving corps have a lot of question marks with Marshall gone. In deeper leagues (12-14 teams), Lloyd is a good pick up as long as he keeps up the production. It's worth snagging him to see how the next few games play out.
Peyton Hillis - The former Bronco, Hillis, was a huge surprise in week 1 totaling 65 yards and a TD. Due to the uncertainty with Jerome Harrison, look for Hillis to net double-digit touches on a regular basis, including this week against the Chiefs. Behind a respectable O-line against a sub-par KC defense, it is safe to say Hillis will total over 60 yards and possibly run it in for a score. Worth picking this guy up if your in need of a RB in deeper leagues.
Mohamed Massaquoi - With Delhomme's arm and Massaquoi's speed, Mohamed has some serious potential to be a constant deep threat like he was in week 1. Another explosive hookup could be on brewing for this week as the Brown's take on the Chiefs, whom surrended the second-most 40-yard pass plays in the league last year. He won't record a ton of receptions and there might be some lackluster games, but in the right match up Massaquoi's got mad upside.
Other noted pickups for the week:
- Carolina Defense
- Arizona Defense
- Fred Taylor
- Llegedu Naanee (aka "Llegedu my Egedu")
- Kyle Orton
- Mike Thomas
- Mike Williams (both)
- Jabar Gaffney
- Eddie Royal
- Nate Washington
Additionally, feel free to ask questions in the comments section.
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