by Ray Kuhn
Here are 5 thoughts that I have entering Week 2:
- Will Robert Griffin III build upon his Week 1 success and continue on the path to come close to replicating Cam Newton’s rookie season. Griffin passed for over 300 yards, had some highlight reel moments and also showed some burst running the ball. The Redskins called 8 runs for Griffin and he also had one additional rush for a total of 42 yards. Before we get overly optimistic about Griffin, I don’t think that he will go the entire season without throwing an interception. Also, as he faces tougher defenses and plays in tougher environments (mainly the NFC East) his performance will suffer some. Even Newton’s second half last season was dramatically different from his first half of his season. This week against the Rams I can see RGIII having another good week. It is too early to determine if he will become an every week starter as their will be some volatility involved, but that could change. Depending on your other options, this could be both a week to start Griffin and after Sunday’s game a week to sell high on him.
- One question heading into this season was, would Darren McFadden become worthy of, and live up to his status as, a first round pick and the fourth best fantasy running back? From a points perspective McFadden’s season debut was a success, but he only rushed 15 times for 32 yards. If he keeps that up his season will be a bust. In the last two seasons he did average 5.2 and 5.4 yards per carry, so I don’t expect that to be an issue moving forward. What will really pump up McFadden’s value is if his receptions continue. I don’t think he will catch 13 passes each week, but even half of that total will still be a vast increase over season’s past. I will be interested to see how many times he carries the ball this week and what his production will be, as well as how that meshes with his new found pass catching prowess. If he combines the two, and also stays healthy, he will be dangerous.
- Three of the top five quarterbacks did not look good at all last week. How will they rebound? Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford all passed for more than 300 yards (only Stafford got a win), but none of them looked sharp and a lot of interceptions were thrown. With Brees and Newton facing off at least one will still remain winless, but from a fantasy perspective that does not matter. All of them did show flashes of success and did not come close to the lost Jay Cutler status from Thursday night. These quarterbacks can easily carry a week for you and make Week 1 a distant memory. I think there is a good chance of that happening, but if it doesn’t, it could prove to be something to keep an eye on going forward.
- Will Stevan Ridley really become a top running back? The Patriots have not had a top running back since Curtis Martin. It looked like Corey Dillon and others could have been that guy, but it never truly stuck. Ridley stands out from those other running backs as he is young, powerful, and explosive. Ridley started off his sophomore season with a bang rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown. With the dual tight end threats, the new deep threat in Brandon Lloyd and however the Patriots decide to use slot weapon Wes Welker, coupled with the throwing of Tom Brady, there is always the fear of Ridley falling into the background. However, with Shane Vereen still battling injury problems, no other threats on the roster and Bill Belicheck’s only loyalty being to winning, Ridley should continue to make an impact. The Patriots will be winning a lot, which will lead to more clock killing rushing attempts for Ridley. Plus Brady and the passing game will help to open up rushing opportunities. He could become a top 10 running back this season if this continues.
- After Fred Jackson’s injury CJ Spiller ran wild with 14 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown. Chan Gailey is suggesting that Spiller will now become the focal point of the Bills offense and there is nothing to suggest otherwise. Even though he only caught 2 passes last week, some of his value will lie there. If Ryan Fitzpatrick cannot get it together, defenses will be able to concentrate on Spiller which could limit his value. What also remains to be seen is how good of a rusher he will be between the tackles. Spiller was drafted either as a late round speculative pick or was left on the waiver wire, but it will be interesting to see if he can develop into a starting running back option.
What are your thoughts entering Week 2? What you are looking for?
Make sure to check out our Week 2 rankings:
