Fantasy Week 1 Review

In a highly anticipated week one in the NFL, it was nothing short of surprises. Tight ends stole the show, as nearly five tight ends scored 20 plus points in standard scoring leagues. One of those is owned in 24.6% of leagues in the ESPN universe, which is Austin Seferian-Jenkins. For as many unpredictable high scorers, there were unpredictable low scorers. Adrian Peterson only scored five points, where Demaryius Thomas and A.J. Green only six. This week, I will break down some of the unpredictable scores, and give you my thoughts moving forward.

Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota Vikings: His score and stat line this week was awful. All week long the talk had been about this 49er defense and how they were going to fill all the holes they had punched in them this offseason. I think some people questioned AP, but not many. He plays against the Detroit Lions next week, and I say play him. I’m not real worried about AP, until it shows to be a pattern, then I’ll worry. I have him in a league (a league I have a $100 bet riding on) and I’m playing him.

James Jones, WR Green Bay Packers: His stat line wasn’t exactly monstrous. He had four catches for 51 yards, but here’s the kicker; two touchdowns. While I think he’s worth a pickup, if you need to bolster your WR spots, I’m probably going to watch one more week to see if this was a fluke or real. He caught all of his targets (four), but was only targeted 17% of the time. Although you may give up another huge game, if he explodes again, you may find your answers. On the other hand, if he duds, you’ll most certainly lose against competitive opponents. I would sit him, but if he mirrors last week’s success, you my friend have found your first waiver gem this season.

Demaryius Thomas, WR Denver Broncos: I’m playing Demaryius Thomas this week. I know he only scored six points, but it’s not like the Broncos are trying to keep the ball away from him. He caught seven passes on Sunday and was targeted nearly 30% of the time. Emmanuel Sanders had one more target than Thomas and got a measly half a point out of it. I say play him in Thursday night’s game, and I bet he has a similar stat line but with a touchdown to go with it.

Tyler Eifert, TE Cincinnati Bengals: He had a monster game against the Raiders. Nine grabs for 104 yards and two touchdowns. It’s no surprise that it happened since the Raiders have a weak secondary to begin, but this guy is for real. The Chargers allowed Eric Ebron to score, and go for 54 yards. While I don’t think he’ll match last week’s numbers, he is worth a play next week. He seems to be big part of the Bengals offense and the Chargers won’t exactly be a really tough matchup for Eifert.

Marcus Mariota, QB Tennessee Titans: Man did this guy go off or what? I’ll be the first to admit, I thought Jameis Winston was going to be the better quarterback in this one. I’m not writing Winston off yet, but he’ll have to do much better moving forward. Marcus Mariota will be worth watching this year. If you do decide to pick up Mariota, sit him. You need to know consistency before making a play like that.

Notable Injuries:

Dez Bryant (Foot): Out 4-6 weeks

Andre Ellington (Knee): Doubtful, possibly missing 1-2 weeks

Victor Cruz (Calf): Questionable, missed last game

Delanie Walker (Hand): Questionable, Coach Whisenhunt said Monday that the hand isn’t broken.

Luke Kuechly (Concussion): Questionable, he’ll have to pass NFL protocol before he can play.