Thumbs Up:
Matthew Stafford (QB, Detroit Lions): The Lions quietly have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, and Stafford is the guy running the show. He was dominant last week against an average Bucs secondary, so imagine what he’ll do this week against the Chiefs. Kansas City got torched by Buffalo in Week One and now they’ll be playing without second-year safety Eric Berry, who was placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury sustained last week. Even if Stafford is your second or third quarterback, I would start him ahead of anyone besides Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Drew Brees or Philip Rivers.
Rex Grossman/Santana Moss (QB/WR, Washington Redskins): If you plug in different quarterbacks each week, then Grossman is the guy you want for Week Two. The Redskins play against the Arizona Cardinals who just allowed a record-setting day from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Moss has a similar skill set to Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who had 178 yards and two touchdowns last week. Watch for Moss to find the holes in the Cardinals secondary, just as Smith did last week.
Arian Foster (RB, Houston Texans): This is mostly just a reminder for anyone who thought Foster was still hurt. He’s back in practice, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak has made it clear that he won’t limit Foster’s touches if he suits up on Sunday. He’s a no-brainer, every-week start as long as he’s healthy, so get him back in your lineup.
Ryan Grant/James Starks (RBs, Green Bay Packers): The Packers didn’t go to the ground game very much in Week One, but that was because the Saints turned it into a quick strike, passing shootout. Green Bay is heavily favored in their matchup with the Panthers, so look for a lot of late-game rushes for these two running backs. Since the Panthers just lost star linebacker Jon Beason for the rest of the year, Grant and Starks should each get decent yardage and hopefully a score.
Peyton Hillis (RB, Cleveland Browns): He wasn’t great last week, as the Bengals held him to 54 yards on 17 carries. Don’t be scared if you own him, he’s going to have a big year and it starts Sunday against the Colts. The Texans second and third string running backs ran up and down the field last week against Indianapolis, and you better believe Hillis will do the same. I see 150 total yards and at least one score in his future.
LaGarrette Blount (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Minnesota was staunch against the run last week in San Diego, allowing only 2.9 yards per carry. Even so, both Chargers running backs (Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert) had decent fantasy days. Tampa Bay will realize that they need to get Blount more involved in the game plan after they lost to the Lions (Blount had five carries), and he will surely produce with the added touches.
Mario Manningham (WR, New York Giants): Giants’ number one receiver Hakeem Nicks is dinged up, so quarterback Eli Manning will look primarily toward Manningham. He might have a breakout game, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him put up 20 fantasy points on Monday night.
Dallas Cowboys defense: Their secondary seems to be made of fine china, but there are still some playmakers on the Cowboys defense. Plus, they play against Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers, who really didn’t look that great in their win against Seattle last week. Smith will make his fair share of errors on Sunday, and the Cowboys will be sure to take advantage.
Thumbs Down:
Cam Newton (QB, Carolina Panthers): Every year someone has an amazing Week One fantasy line, causing fantasy owners to overreact and jump on their bandwagon. This year’s version is Newton, who played a truly terrible Cardinals secondary. No one could hang with 32 year-old wideout Steve Smith, but that will change when they play the Packers this week.
Dwayne Bowe (WR, Kansas City Chiefs): Most teams probably don’t have a better option than Bowe on their bench, but I’d be very cautious about starting anyone on the Chiefs besides Jamaal Charles until they prove themselves. Last week was just ugly, and the Detroit Lions have a better defense than the Chiefs previous opponent, the Buffalo Bills.
Percy Harvin (WR, Minnesota Vikings): This isn’t a slight against Harvin’s talent as much as it is against his quarterback. I mean, Donovan McNabb threw for 39 yards last week! That’s an astoundingly low number, and it only gets worse for Harvin as he matches up with Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib this week. Unless he’s bailed out by another kickoff return touchdown, Harvin won’t be worthy of a start on your fantasy team.
Chad Ochocinco (WR, New England Patriots): As we witnessed on Monday night, the Patriots have an explosive passing game – and that’s putting it modestly. Tom Brady threw for over 500 yards and yet “Eight-Five” only had one catch for 14 yards. The Pats love to run two wide receiver, two tight end sets so they can get both Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski on the field. That leaves Ochocinco, the third receiver on the depth chart, out of the mix. Until Brady and Ochocinco develop a better connection, leave Ocho on your bench.
Shonn Greene (RB, New York Jets): He was horrible last week against the Cowboys, totaling only 26 yards on 10 rushes. Both those numbers cause me to raise an eyebrow, as it seems like LaDainian Tomlinson’s NFL career isn’t quite over yet (Tomlinson stole five of the Jets carries). The Jets matchup this week is against the Jaguars, who are coming off a Week One victory over the Titans in which they effectively contained speedster Chris Johnson. If at all possible, hold off on starting Greene this week.