CINCINNATI BENGALS
9/11/2024

If you are a Bengals fan, or a fantasy football manager with Bengals on your roster in recent years, you’ve been down this road before.

Bad week 1.

And I mean bad.

Cincinnati lost to New England 16-10. As we suspected in last week’s game preview, the game was much closer than most pundits theorized.

The concerning thing for all is QB Joe Burrow. Video is circulating showing Burrow shaking his right hand and wrist and struggling somewhat to pick up a water bottle. His passing numbers against the Patriots defense clearly back the notion that Burrow and his previously injured wrist are not 100 percent.

Can it be 100 percent at any time this season? I am not a doctor but it would seem unlikely. Could it be 100 percent with surgery? That is the most likely scenario but when and how long would Burrow be out with such a procedure?

For now, we plug away and watch this offense struggle. There are some who will blame the WR Ja’Marr Chase contract situation. Well, if Chase is unhappy and not playing at his fullest because the contract he signed which has two years remaining isn’t good enough, then for me personally I’m not sure I want to make him the highest paid receiver in the game. If he plays hard this year despite not being happy with his current deal, then I would be willing to put him above former LSU teammate WR Justin Jefferson when the time comes.

Against New England, RB Chase Brown and WR Ja’Marr Chase didn’t touch the ball much. They are the two game-breakers on offense, rookie WR Jermaine Burton aside, who were on the field plenty and didn’t seem to be much of a factor.

The offensive line was not the problem. According to Pro Football Focus the line had a combined blocking grade better than all but four games the past two seasons. Burrow had time. In fact, Next Gen Stats posted Burrow had the third lowest rate of pressure of his entire career yet averaged just 5.6 yards per pass attempt. That’s unacceptable for a healthy Burrow but indicates the wrist is more of an issue than anyone let on. Despite the lack of pressure, Burrow was not pushing the ball down field, instead opted for 70 percent of his passes short of the first down marker.

Does your fantasy league include punters? If so and you had Bengals P Ryan Rehkow and his NFL record day kicking the ball, you were likely a winner.

On defense, other than DE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati did not generate a pass rush. Add to that, one of the worst tackling days I can remember from this team, and you get a pretty good overall for the Patriots offense and a great day for Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson.

As bad as things were, Cincinnati could easily have won this game and everyone would be talking about a great matchup this week in Kansas City.
TE Tanner Hudson fumbled what would have been a game-equalizing touchdown at the 1 yard line. He was carrying the ball like a loaf of bread and tried to avoid a tackle but then fumbled. Patriots recovered.

After the defense stopped New England on the next drive. WR Charlie Jones fumbled the ensuing punt and New England recovered. Essentially that was game over.

The numbers look like this.

Quarterback: QB Joe Burrow was 21 for 29 passing for just 164 yards. He did not throw an interception or a touchdown.

Running back: RB Zack Moss and RB Chase Brown…. Cincinnati ran the ball well in the third quarter on its only touchdown drive of the game but then inexplicably decided to go back to an ailing Burrow and the pass game and were never effective again. Cincinnati ran six designed rush plays in the first half then five on the touchdown drive in the third period. They ran just five times the rest of the game. RB Zack Moss went 9-44-1 while RB Chase Brown was 3-11-0. In the pass game, Moss went 2-17-0 while Brown was 3-12-0

Receivers: The Bengals played without WR Tee Higgins. That hurt, a lot. WR Ja’Marr Chase had 6-62-0 on 6 targets. Andrei Iosivas was 3-26-0, WR Trent Irwin 1-6-0, WR Charlie Jones 1-5-0

Tight end: TE Mike Gesicki was blamed by many for “dropping” a touchdown pass but it would have an amazing catch, one you would see on all the highlights for weeks to come. Could he have caught it? Yes but it was a tough one for sure. Gesicki was 3-18-0 while TE Tanner Hudson went 2-18-0

Defense: DB Dax Hill had 7 tackles while LB Logan Wilson had 7 tackles and 6 assists. LB Germaine Pratt had 3 tackles and 5 assists.

Kicking: PK Evan McPherson had a 51 yard field and one extra point.

Mark Huber

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HOUSTON TEXANS
9/13/2024

The Texans host the Bears Sunday night. I am sure we will see more surprises. The major surprise week one was the play of OG Kenyon Green. For the first time we saw the violent version. May have been the Texans best O lineman. We have been waiting for that! The O-line has a way to go as a team.
QB C. J. Stroud will need that off-line performance this week. The Bears play D. Quick. Smooth. Violent. They will play well. Can OT Tytus Howard negate DE Montez Sweat? The passing game may struggle early against exceptionally good Bears’ CBs. Can RB Joe Mixon carry the O again? He had thirty carries last week! Will we see more of RB Damian Pierce?

Of special note, watch the Special Teams’ play. Last week the Bears blocked a punt and the Texans had one blocked.

The middle of the Houston D is suspect against the run. The DTs need more bodies. The LBs are missing their best player. Expect the Texans to blitz QB Caleb Williams from the first play. I project a 27-17 Texan victory unless Special Teams play is one-sided.

Can you guess which of the top three WRs will score this week? I wish I could. Also, check to see if TE Dalton Schultz is active. He has been missing practice this week with a bum wheel.

Good luck this week!

David Trojanowsky

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
9/10/2024

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts this week as the 0-1 Colts look to break into the win column with a trip to the not-yet-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to tangle with the Love-less Packers:

LAST WEEK: A bit of an ugly game especially for the run defense which was bludgeoned by Joe Mixon. The secondary had no answer for the depth and talent of the Texans

INJURIES: The young secondary took a big hit when CB JuJu Brents was placed on injured reserve today with a knee injury. Although he is eligible to return after as little as four games, some team sources have indicated that the injury may indeed be season-ending. CB Chris Lammons was activated from the practice squad (he saw action last week as well), and veteran CB Kelvin Joseph was added to the practice squad as a backfill. The Colts say PK Matt Gay may return to kick this week only three weeks after a hernia surgery, but if not then PK Spencer Shrader would continue to sub for him. Slot WR Josh Downs is again likely to be out this week as he has yet to practice from a preseason ankle injury.

QUARTERBACK: You saw the high and low of QB Anthoiny Richardson this week; incredible deep ball and athleticism, but no touch or accuracy. Young passers, raw passers, nervous passes and amped-up passers all tend to miss hard and high….and Richardson is all of those, and was inaccurate high all game. He should be better (he has to be), and his floor and ceiling is always going to be high with his rushing potential. A solid #1 starter for fantasy, even while struggling to be a consistent passer.

RUNNING BACK: The Packers were lit up by Saquon Barkley last week, and RB Jonathan Taylor is a more explosive threat. The Pack also had to travel back from Brazil, which is a lot of air time even without a lot of time zones, so they could be tired. I like Taylor to have a big game but with more big plays than last week. No one else is worth considering -- or rostering -- in this backfield right now.

WIDERECEIVER: No way that WR Michael Pittman again gets 8 targets and a 42% target share with such a paltry output. I would bet that he gets a lot of short passes this week to help Richardson establish rhythm, making him a PPR darling this week. WR Alec Pierce had a big game, but only three targets, making him extremely unlikely to reproduce his fantasy value. Rookie WR Adonai Mitchell was missed when wide open multiple times and probably deserved a better stat line than even Pierce had last week. I might consider Mitchell a “what-the-heck” flyer this week as a #4 or flex with some bust potential.

TIGHT END: Just, no. Not for fantasy. 4-headed monster and a low-volume passing game? Fuggetabowdhit.

KICKER: Allegedly PK Matt Gay may play, but PK Shrader may be a late-plug in a la Jordan Mason on MNF. With the matchup, the field surface and wind possibility, and the uncertainty….you can surely do better in a week 2 matchup. I would stay away.

DEFENSE: Despite getting hammered by Mixon, the fantasy defense had some gusto. They had 4 sacks and a turnover, plus a blocked punt that they nearly returned for a score. With Malik Willis under center, the chances of a sack go up quite a bit so I would feel comfortable with the Colts in my lineup this week. Maybe no upside, but a fairly high floor in my opinion.

OVERALL: I am sure the Colts will see a heavy dose of Josh Jacobs after the Packers watch the game film this week – even without the need to protect a backup quarterback. The Packers’ deep receiving crew can present some problems though if Willis can find his way to get them the ball. This has all the earmarks of a second straight loss, and a winless start through two weeks for the 4th time in 5 seasons. If the Colts’ defense (especially run defense) shows a pulse this weekend, they could pull it out on the road (where they have actually played a little better under Steichen’s regime) but I would not place a lot on that. Strong fantasy plays are Taylor and to a slightly lesser extent Pittman, with solid plays for Richardson and the defense. For the Packers, I expect Jacobs and Watson to have the best days as the Pack squeak out a 23-20 win over Indy.

That is all for this week from the Crossroads of America. Good luck in week 2!

Chris Rito

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DENVER BRONCOS
9/10/2024

Denver 20 Seattle 26
Prior to the game, Denver signed CB Pat Surtain II with a four-year contract extension worth $96M a year with $77.5M guaranteed. ORG Quinn Meinerz also was extended four-years at $20M a year (1st 2021 draft class extension). And QB Bo Nix's teammates voted him in as one of the team captains; the first rookie team captain since RB Flood Little (57 years)! QB Bo Nix looked every bit the rookie quarterback that he is. He was not helped by Sean Payton's play calling, an ineffective running game, dropped passes and Vance Joseph's failure to make second half defensive adjustments.
Seattle's defense lived up to its talent level with better coaching than it had last year. Their offense struggled in the first half, but their adjustments made short work of a Denver lead and sealed the victory with a late fourth quarter first down.
Denver failed to take advantage of their opportunities in first half, even with two safeties. The offensive was bland and predictable leaving Nix to try to salvage things with little help offensively from his coaches or teammates. Nis was hit nine times, sacked twice and was intercepted twice throwing into triple coverage. WR Courtland underwhelmed making only four catches on 12 targets (38 yards). The middle of the defensive secondary was open, but Payton failed to attack it.
RBs Javonte Williams (8) and Jaleel McLaughlin (10) combined for 50 yards and averaged less than three yards per carry.
Rookie WR Devaughn Vele was 7/7 for 39 yards. WR Josh Reynolds had a tough catch/dropped TD pass, but followed up with some tough catches (5/8-45). TE Greg Dulcich wasn't targeted until late in the game an was never used to attack the deep middle (2/3-12)
Pittsburg @ Denver QB Russell Wilson's career record is 1-1 against the Broncos, while the Steelers are 3-1 against the Broncos since 2014. QB Justin Fields is 0-1 against the Broncos, but set Chiago quarterback records before losing 28-31. QB Justin Fields started for the injured Russell Wilson. He could not get the Steelers into the end zone. Kicker Chris Boswell kicked 6 field goals to get the win. The defense held Atlanta to 10 points. RB Najee Harris was the ball carrier with 20 for 70 yards. WR George Pickens the receiver 6/7 for 85 yards.
Expect the same run first approach against the Broncos who need to get their run defense in order.
Denver's offense struggled against the solid Seattle defense. Pittsburg's defense will present similar problems.
Look for Sean Payton to improve his play calling and Nix to be a better rookie quarterback in their second game. The big challenge for Denver will be to get their running efficiency up and to find a playmaker receiver.
This is a tough matchup for Denver with Pittsburg favored by three at Mile High.
Orangeman's Take I had hoped for a better game from Nix, while also expecting him to look like a rookie. I truly believe that Sean Payton showed little faith in Nix in his play calling and didn't tap into Nix's strengths that could have made a difference. In addition, he failed to field a productive run game. His play calling didn't help his wide receivers, who had their own issues, either. His failure to use Dulcich down the deep middle was inexcusable.
In order to win NFL games, you have to be able to make half-time adjustments. That didn't happen for Denver. And, it didn't happen on the fly. If that doesn't improve, it will be a very long season and won't bode well for Nix's development! This season is all about Nix developing into a franchise quarterback. Regardless of wins and losses, it is all about Nix. He should be getting more help than he was given against Seattle.

Fantasy outlook

Quarterbacks points
Bo Nix 12-14
Zack Wilson 0
Jarrett Stidham 0

Running Backs
Javonte Williams 8-10
Jaleel McLaughlin 4-10
Audric Estime 1-2
Blake Watson 0
Michael Burton FB 0 Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton 10-15
Marvin Mims, Jr 2-5
Josh Reynolds 7-11
Lil’Jordan Humphrey 1-2
Michael Bandy 0
David Sills 0
Troy Franklin 0-1
Devaughn Vele 7-10

Tight ends
Adam Trautman 3-5
Lucas Krull 0-2
Greg Dulcich 5-9
Nate Adkins 0
Thomas Yassmin 0
Donald Parham 0

Kicker
Wil Lutz 6-8

DST 6-8

Good luck this week!

Charles Rives

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
9/12/2024

Last week, the Chargers defeated the Raiders 22-10. It was thought by many that this would be an entirely different team under new HC Jim Harbaugh, and indeed it was, with an emphasis on the run game and a stout defense. This week, the 1-0 Chargers head to Carolina to take on the 0-1 Carolina Panthers, in a game that the Bolts are widely expected to win. This report will be a review of last week’s win over the Raiders, coupled with a preview of the Chargers at Panthers game this Sunday.

QB: The good news is that Chargers QB Justin Herbert arguably has top 10 abilities. The bad news is that the Chargers are suddenly a run first team, with reduced talent at the wideout positions. Until he demonstrates consistency in the passing game, something I don’t expect to happen soon, you’ll want to avoid starting him in your fantasy games. Last week, Herbert was 17/26 for only 144 passing yards, a TD, no interceptions and 4 runs for 6 yards. Not exactly the kind of gaudy passing numbers that we’ve grown accustomed to.

RB: So, the Chargers are now a run first team. Who benefits from that? Last week, it was RB J.K. Dobbins, with 10 carries for 135 yards, 1 rushing TD and 3 receptions but for only 4 yards. Plodding RB Gus Edwards failed to impress, with 11 uninspiring carries for only 26 yards and no TDs. Edwards also had 1 catch for 2 yards. Although injury-prone, you’ll want to ride the hot hand and go with Dobbins as a strong RB2. Edwards needs to show me something, and perhaps he will. But until he does, I’d bench him. Rookie RB Kimani Vidal was a healthy scratch, and you can’t contribute if you can’t even suit up. He could make an impact due to injury (think Dobbins), or if Edwards doesn’t perform. For now, he belongs on the bench or in the free agent pool.

WR: Again, this is a run first team without a lot of talent at wideout. The leading receiver was rookie WR Ladd McConkey with 5 receptions for 39 yards and a TD. He’s a WR3 this week but could be upgraded if he has a strong game. I mentioned weeks ago that WR DJ Chark was injury prone, and indeed he is on the IR (hip) without a single game under his belt. Waive him. WR Josh Palmer only caught 2 passes for 15 yards and has been limited in practice this week due to a knee injury. While I do think that Palmer is decent and can perform, keep him on the bench until he is healthy and performing well. I thought that WR Quentin Johnston looked better, although he only had 3 catches for 38 yards and no TDs. I wouldn’t even own him right now, but I would keep an eye on him. He did look a bit more polished to me.

TE: TE Hayden Hurst caught 2 for 33 yards and no scores. TE Will Dissly caught 1 for 13 yards. I don’t think any of these guys are worth owning, yet alone starting.

PK: The Chargers signed PK Cameron Dicker to a long-term deal, and for good reason. He’s a solid and consistent kicker with a good leg. Last week, he was 3/3 on FGs with a long of 53 yards and went 1/1 on extra points. Dicker is an above average week 2 fantasy option.

DEF: It was a solid showing for the Chargers’ defense, holding the Raiders to 10 points with 3 sacks and an interception. Do be aware that the Chargers defense is a bit banged up. At Thursday’s practice, OLB Joey Bosa was DNP due to a back injury, S Alohi Gilman was DNP due to a knee issue, and several other players were limited. Still, against a shaky Panthers team, consider the Chargers defense a top 10, and quite possibly a top 5 option. Good luck in this week’s games!

Brad Willis

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DALLAS COWBOYS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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NEW YORK GIANTS
9/12/2024

The Giants lose their home opener in embarrassing fashion to an improved Minnesota Vikings team 28-6. The offense never got untracked and the defense wasn’t able to get pressure on QB Sam Darnold who had all day to throw the ball. It was not a good debut for new playcaller HC Brian Daboll. I expect a much crisper and efficient game plan against the Washington Commanders this Sunday in Washington. Traditionally, the GMen have played the Commanders well over the last several years so I’m hoping for more of the same.

The reviews/previews by area are below:
QB Daniel Jones never seemed to be in sync all game. He looked rusty and made several poor decisions which resulted in costly turnovers. He completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, 0 TD’s, 2interceptions and a passer rating of 44.3. He was sacked FIVE times. He also ran for 15 yards.

DJ is facing a Washington pass defense that was ranked 32nd in the league last year. They allowed 39 TD passes. They also had 39 sacks and 8 interceptions. This unit was shredded last week by QB Baker Mayfield. This is a great matchup to build his confidence.Expect 180 yards passing with 1-2 TD’s combined with 25 yards rushing. Until he shows consistency however, keep on the bench or waiver wire.
RB Devin Singletary had 10 carries for 37 yards and 4 catches for 15yards. He was relatively consistent but needs more touches to produce.

Expect Devin to collect 75combined yards with 15-18 touches and a possible TD making him a low-end flex play against last year’s 27th ranked rush defense which allowed 127 yards per game and 15 TD’s.Neither RB Eric Gray or RB Tyrone Tracy Jr are fantasy worthy at the moment.

Exciting rookie WR Malik Nabers led the way with 5 receptions for 66 yards. He flashed in limited opportunities. WR Wan’dale Robinson chipped in with 6 catches for 44 yards.

I expect Daboll to feed Nabers early and often given the favorable matchup. Expect 8 catches for 85 yards and a TD making him a solid flex play this week. He should have WR1/2 upside going forward. Robinson will be the security blanket underneath and accrue 6 catches for 65 yards making him worth of low-end flex consideration for those in need. WR Darius Slayton is in concussion protocol and WR Jalin Hyatt won’t get enough looks to be fantasy worthy.
TE Theo Johnson and TE Daniel Bellinger had one catch each.

Neither tight end is fantasy worthy at this point. Johnson is intriguing and has upside. Watch & learn!

Two turnovers and one sack. Not bad but expect much better results on the sack front going forward.

This group is not playable yet even with a decent matchup. Hopefully, this will change in the future.
PK Graham Gano is not playable until the offense becomes more productive.

That’s all for now and good luck in Week 2!

Tony de Armas

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CHICAGO BEARS
9/12/2024

Week 1 Recap/Analysis: Titans at Bears
So the Bears’ offense isn’t going to look like the ‘99 Rams right out of the gate. For multiple reasons, this game looked like any number of times over the years when Chicago’s defense and special teams bailed out an inept offense.It may have felt like pulling teeth, but a win’s a win, and the Bears are 1-0 after a 24-17 victory over the Titans.

Quarterback QB Caleb Williams completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and had five scrambles for 15 yards. Williams claimed before the season started that he doesn’t get nervous before games, but anyone with eyes could see that he definitely showed some nerves in his first NFL start, which is understandable. He dropped a shotgun snap and missed quite a few throws that he could normally make in his sleep, likely due to being too amped up for his debut. Of course, pressure up the middle from the Titans didn’t help either, and the Bears’ interior O-linemen had a rough time of it.

Williams also learned (hopefully) that going backwards to escape pressure isn’t a very good idea most of the time. I suppose that is what people are referring to when they question whether he can play in structure. In other words, can he resist the urge to be Superman all the time? I think he’ll be fine, but this was a reminder that it will take time.

Running back
RB D’Andre Swift had ten carries for 30 yards and was targeted once. The fact that the Bears were trailing for much of the game didn’t help in terms of getting Swift carries, though I expected him to be more involved catching the ball. RB Khalil Herbert had two carries for four yards, while RB Travis Homer had two for ten. RB Velus Jones Jr had two carries for 11 yards and caught his lone target for eight yards.

Wide receiver WR DJ Moore caught five of his eight targets for 36 yards and had a carry for 14 yards. WR Keenan Allen caught four of his 11 targets for 29 yards and reaggravated a heel injury that he’s been dealing with since training camp. He also dropped what should’ve been Williams’ first NFL TD pass. WR Rome Odunze caught one of his four targets for 11 yards and suffered a sprained MCL while blocking. WR DeAndre Carter caught one of his two targets for six yards.

Tight end TE Cole Kmet caught his lone target for four yards. More notably, he played only 48 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps, while TE Gerald Everett played 61 percent of the snaps, many of them in 11 personnel. Just as Williams is feeling his way through his first NFL season, new OC Shane Waldron is still trying to figure out how to deploy the many offensive weapons the Bears have, and he acknowledged on Thursday that he needs to find more balance in terms of snaps for everyone and knows that Kmet is one of the top tight ends in the league. I would not be too alarmed if I was a Kmet owner, but this will be something to continue to monitor. Everett caught his lone target for a one-yard loss.

Defense/Special teams
The defense took some time to get going, as the Titans had their way offensively for much of the first half. But after halftime, this unit pitched a shutout and put the winning points on the board with a CB Tyrique Stevenson pick-six thanks to an inexplicably bad decision by Mayo Man Will Levis. CB Jaylon Johnson added a pick to seal the win. On special teams, DE Daniel Hardy blocked a punt that S Jonathan Owens (aka Mr. Simone Biles) returned for a TD that gave the Bears life.

Unfortunately, Jones Jr muffed another kickoff, leading to a field goal for the Titans. Velus seems like a nice guy, and he’s a great storyteller (the ferret story he told during training camp had the assembled media in stitches). But you’re playing with fire any time you put him back deep to return anything.

Kicker PK Cairo Santos hit all three of his field goal attempts and his only extra point.


Week 2: Bears at Texans (SNF)
The Bears will now head to Houston for a Sunday night showdown with the Texans.

Quarterback
The Texans’ D allowed three 50+ yard completions in their win over the Colts last weekend. But this will be Williams’ first road start, and it’ll be in prime time, so the adrenaline may overflow a bit for him again. Plus, he may not have two of his top three receivers. I expect Caleb to look better overall than he did last week, but I still wouldn’t play him this week.

Running back
Houston held Jonathan Taylor to 16 carries for 48 yards and a score last weekend. Assuming the Bears are trailing for much of this one, Swift may have a hard time getting carries again, though I expect him to be more active as a receiver. I don’t expect much from the other backs, including Herbert.

Wide receiver
Start Moore. Allen (heel) didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Ditto for Odunze, who was diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain. HC Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that the injury fortunately was “nothing serious” and that Rome is day-to-day. If Allen and Odunze are both out, WR Tyler Scott would be activated and could be a deep league play. Carter may see more snaps as well, but likely not enough to be a fantasy factor. If Allen is active, he’d be a risky play because of his heel.

Tight end
With so much talk about Kmet’s lack of snaps in the opener, I definitely expect him to see more targets in this one, especially if Allen and/or Odunze are out. Everett was only targeted once in the opener, so I’m not sure if I expect a whole lot of production from him this week.

Defense/Special teams
The Texans are pretty loaded on offense, and they’ll have the home crowd behind them. I have this unit as an average play at best this weekend.

Kicker
Scoring could be hard to come by on Sunday night. I have Santos as an average play this week.

Good luck to you this week!

Richard Fung

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DETROIT LIONS
9/12/2024

Lions report, week 2 preview
Buccaneers at Lions

QB: Sunday night was a very pedestrian game from QB Jared Goff. He was just 18 of 28 for 217 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The play calling on offense leaned toward the run, and with the Rams holding a bid edge in time of possession, the volume just wasn’t there for Goff. He threw that pick in the fourth quarter and almost threw another one, which is uncharacteristic of Goff. He usually takes good care of the football. Maybe that was part of the reason why the Lions kept the ball on the ground in the overtime. There’s no reason to worry about Goff. Fantasy owners probably have other options this early in the season anyway. If you want to use Goff this week, it’s not a bad idea. Look at what happened to Tampa Bay’s secondary. They have been decimated by injuries, so I would think the Lions will have a more pass happy game plan this week.

RB: It ended up as a solid day for RB David Montgomery but let’s be honest. Had the Rams won the coin toss in overtime maybe they drive down the field for the win and the Lions don’t touch it in OT. As it is, Montgomery ran it down the throats of the Rams in OT as the Rams defense was clearly gassed. So he ended up with 91 yards and a TD. RB Jahmyr Gibbs also scored, adding 11-40 on the ground plus 4-34 receiving. It’s worth noting, not that it was a surprise, that Gibbs scored from 1 yard out, showing that he will get some goal line carries. This was the case last year too. For this week, Tampa Bay is traditionally a tough team to run against, at least as long as they have Vita Vea to clog things up in the trenches. And as I mentioned above, with so many defensive backs hurt, I think the best approach for the Lions this week is to throw the ball early and often. So maybe this sets up as a better game script for Gibbs then it does for Montgomery.

WR/TE: A big start to the season for breakout candidate WR Jameson Williams, with 5 catches for 121 yards and a TD. It’s encouraging, but I still think he will be very inconsistent. His big play ability will flash at times like it did against the Rams. But the Lions aren’t going to force the ball to him at the expense of WR Amon-Ra St. Brown or TE Sam LaPorta. Williams did tweak an ankle early in the game. It didn’t seem to affect him but he is listed as limited in practice this week. I fully expect St. Brown to bounce back this week with a big game so there is no reason for fantasy teams who picked him in round 1 to be worried. One injury worth monitoring this week is OT Penei Sewell. He is missing practice with an ankle. They don’t seem too concerned, but if he sits out or plays at less than 100% you might see LaPorta stay in to block a little more than usual this week.

K/DST: The Lions were able to ease PK Jake Bates into things a bit as he made two short field goals and both of his extra points. But the second field goal was a pressure kick as it tied the game up in the final minute, so getting that first pressure kick out of the way should benefit Bates moving forward. The Lions added a veteran kicker to the practice squad in PK Greg Joseph. He is just insurance. On defense the Lions sacked Matthew Stafford only twice on a night when he threw 49 passes, but they applied enough pressure that Stafford was getting rid of the ball quickly. Aidan Hutchinson is going to put up big sack numbers this year if that helps in IDP leagues. And Alex Anzalone was a tackling machine in week 1 so he would be another guy to watch for IDP purposes. This week the Lions face Tampa Bay, who had a nice performance in week 1 putting up 37 points which featured 4 TD passes from Baker Mayfield. It won’t be that easy at Ford Field.

I will be back next week with the latest on what the fantasy world needs to know about the Lions.

James Hintz

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GREEN BAY PACKERS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
9/11/2024

Denver down and NE on deck. Seattle stumbled out of the gates on offense. Maybe more than just the blocks. The offensive guards stumbled for the entire first half. Seattle Fan has to feel okay about it though because we finally saw what it looks like to make halftime adjustments. It has been a while. It did not help that RT George Fant went down early too. It did help that LT Charles Cross played the best game of all tackles in the NFL in week one. The line was responsible for 4 of Denver’s 20 points on safeties. But the second half was a different story and it looks like we have a net positive improvement on the line. Of course they are starting with a low bar having been one of the worst in the NFL last year.

QB-
The line played ugly early, but QB Geno Smith did not help by throwing an int right out of the gate. The struggle left Geno with around 20 fantasy points on 171 yards, a TD, an INT, and 30 yards rushing for another TD. I think that New England will be a tough opponent for Geno and they should be ready to test this offensive line again. I did not expect Denver to shut down WR DK Metcalf at the expense of leaving others open, but NE will not be able to do that. And Seattle should not have to lean on their running game against NE like they had to in the second half against the Broncos. I expect that Geno and DK will show up and dominate NE. I am back to where I was last week expecting 280 yards and 2TDs for Geno.

RB-
I am seeing an assumption by the national media that RB Ken Walker had a great game because we have OC Connor Williams. Which is how I felt before the game when I predicted that he should be started. However, Cross rocked this game and if he and Williams hold their own while letting the others catch up that will mean everything for Walker. There were a lot of yards left on the table in that first half. And really the coaching adjustments and LG Laken Tomlinson and RG Anthony Bradford showing up for the second half after taking a pounding in the first is what made the difference for Walker. Walker ended up over 100 yards rushing and a TD. RB Zach Charbonnet did steal a touchdown, but through the air instead of at the goal line like I expected. He finished with just 12 on the ground and 29 in the air and that TD. I suggest starting Walker again because he is right on that cusp of earning stud status. However this game may be sealed by the air game instead.

WR-
I did not think that Denver could lock down DK, but they did. DK ended with 4 targets and caught 3 for 29 yards. It was the right call not to challenge the pass protection of CB Patrick Surtain because he was draping DK all day. But that will not be the case in New England and DK will be frustrated by having been locked down. He is a starter all day in NE. After no one was talking about WR Tyler Lockett he showed up with 77 yards on the day. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba suffered from the poor line play getting just 2 targets all game. Lockett was the best one to have started and I saw him going undrafted in many leagues. Just because there is no chatter does not mean a dude is done. But if DK is due for the year I expect, then this coming game is his. Start DK with confidence and JSN or Lockett as a WR3.

TE-
I do wish that TE Brady Russell would have gotten some targets. So much for my sleeper pick. Instead 4 targets went to TE Noah Fant for a total of 11 yards. Not much to speak of, but when the offensive line looks as offensive as they did in the first half, the tight ends have other duties to attend to. New England may apply similar pressure and Seattle’s line has to prove they can stand up to game planning, so I would not start any Seattle tight end this week.

K-
A perfect game by PK Jason Myers nets 8 fantasy points. There is just nothing to say here other than at least he did not miss anything. But you want more than that from your fantasy kicker.

D-
If you did not watch this game then you should watch it for the defensive showing. It was impressive. Denver had a slop time drive - if you can call it that when down by two scores late. But other than that they could not get much done at all. You can blame the rookie QB Bo Nix, but this D showed up. The front seven played solid and the corners were insane. Yeah, and I have to put the safeties in there as a huge factor too with FS Julian Love ending up with a game leading 10 tackles plus an INT and a forced fumble. Dude. And that was mainly due to him playing up and having 3 safety sets with SS K’Von Wallace and SS Rayshawn Jenkins in there too. In the old days if FS Earl Thomas led the team in tackles it would have been because someone did not do their job or LB Bobby Wagner was hurt or some twist like that. Love had that stat line by intent. He should soar up the list of IDPs for defensive backs. DT Byron Murphy looked like he had a hardhat kinda game. He was there, he did his thing, but he did not shine. It is still early though. The Patriots do not have much more on offense than the Broncos, so I do not see why anyone would expect them to come up with more than the Broncos did on offense. Maybe less because Nix was pretty lucky not to have more turnovers. I would start this team D for sure.

Prediction:
I know the line is just 3 starting out, but I think everyone is still stuck on the old Seattle curse of starting early on the East Coast – and Geno had an East Coast curse of his own. I think both of those are in the past. Seattle should be showing who they are and that they can beat a weaker team without leaving it close. If this one ends up close, then that will tell us that this Seattle team will likely keep us guessing all year.

Seahawks: 30
New England: 13

Go Hawks!

Rick Watts

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LOS ANGELES RAMS
9/11/2024

Painful loss! Los Angeles loses to Detroit 26-20 in overtime but lose more than the game as several key players were injured and will miss significant time. The Rams started the game with second string offensive tackles and then lost both starting linemen on the left side, OT Joe Noteboom and OG Steve Avila. The bigger blow came when WR Puka Nacua reinjured his knee and sat out most of the game. All three of these players will be out several weeks with Avila and Puka most likely going on injured reserve. The Rams travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals who lost to Buffalo 34-28. Let’s take a look at the Fantasy positions for the Rams.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford (34 of 49 for 317 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 int)played very well and was hit often behind the make-shift offensive line. Arizona allowed only 232 passing yards to Josh Allen, but he attempted only 23 passes while Buffalo ran it 33 times. I think Matthew attempts more than 23 passes and throws for at least 280 yards with at least two touchdowns. Stafford is a solid QB1 with potential to be higher.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (18 for 50 yards and 1 touchdown rushing and 3 receptions for 4 yards) was ok and scored a touchdown but dude needs to stay in bounds when the team is trying to run the clock! RB Ronnie Rivers (2 for 16 yards rushing) was the second back, which leads to the question, WHERE IS CORUM?! Rookie RB Blake Corum was touted as someone who would share the backfield with Williams but he did not see one offensive play. The Cards allowed 130 rushing yards to Buffalo and I think Williams has another solid game while Corum gets his first professional carries. I predict 80+ rushing yards and a touchdown for Kyren and 40+ rushing yards between Corum and Rivers.

WR: WR Cooper Kupp (14 rec on 21 targets for 110 yards and 1 touchdown and 2 rushes for 10 yards) had a huge game while WR Puka Nakua (4 rec on 4 targets for 35 yards) was limited due to the injury. WR Tyler Johnson (5 rec on 7 targets for 79 yards) and WR Demarcus Robinson (4 rec on 7 targets for 42 yards) were both productive and will have to step up for at least the next month or more. WR Tutu Atwell (no stats)is wasting a roster spot and I prefer rookie WR Jordan Whittington, who would have scored on a jet sweep but was called back due to penalty. Kupp is a top WR1 and I think he goes over 100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown. Robinson will step into the WR2 spot should produce 60+ yards and a possible touchdown. Johnson could be viable as well depending on the game plan.

TE: TE Colby Parkinson (4 rec on 5 targets for 47 yards) had a nice game and could be a nice sleeper, especially with Puka on the shelf. TE Davis Allen dropped his only target and looks like a non-factor until further notice. Parkinson could be productive in Arizona and could score a red-zone touchdown but he most likely is not rostered in most Fantasy leagues.

K: PK Josh Karty(2-2 field goals (41 and 26) and 2-2 extra points) had a nice debut making all of his kicks. Karty should have had two more field goals but McVay went for it on fourth down and failed and Stafford threw a bad interception in the red zone. Karty should have ample opportunities with this offense and I think kicks two field goals with one of 50+ yards. Play the rookie if you have him.

DEF: This unit played very well until overtime when they ran out of steam. DB Quentin Lake (5 solos and 5 assists), LB Troy Reeder (5 solos and 3 assists), and LB Christian Rozeboom (4 solos and 4 assists) were the tackle leaders. DB John Johnson (2 solos, 4 assists, and 1 int) had a nice interception. Rookie ED Jared Verse (2 solos, 2 assists, and 1 sack) and second year ED Byron Young (2 solos, 2 assists, and 1 sack) provided ample pressure and both got sacks.Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray is very mobile but was sacked four times by Buffalo so hopefully Verse and Young can get multiple sacks. Lake could be a solid IDP so keep an eye on him.

It was a tough loss the created optimism based on performance as well as trepidation due to injuries. I think McVay has the team regroup and get a big win in Arizona. I predict a 34-24 Rams victory. I won my Keeper and Dynasty league games so at least I was able to enjoy that. Hope you had a good week and look forward to Week 2. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops& Scratch! Aloha!

Layton Pang

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