The Lions are in a good bounceback spot
against a 49ers secondary that looked overmatched in Wk 1.
Grab a Helmet
Travis
Kelce @ PIT: There aren’t enough relevant tight ends
to justify an entire position-specific write-up, so Colby and I
have always included them in the wide receivers section. This isn’t
much of a stretch in Kelce’s case as he performs like one most of
the time. He was TE 1 in 2016 and TE 2 last season, which would
have equated to WR 20 and WR 11, respectively, in those seasons.
Most of the time did not, unfortunately, include Week 1 when he
netted a single reception for six measly yards on six targets. The
fact KC managed to score 38 points and win going away against a
tough Chargers-D without their TE A-lister contributing should send
shivers up the spines of NFL defensive coordinators. There’s no
way Andy Reid doesn’t figure out a way to get Kelce and Patty Mahomes
II on the same page this weekend.
Kenny
Golladay @ SF: Golladay was a popular WR sleeper heading
into this season and my personal favorite at the position, a guy
I snapped up in literally every league I’m in. It felt like stealing.
Had his rookie campaign not been marred by a nagging hamstring injury
that cost him Weeks 3 through 9, there’s no way he’d have been designated
a sleeper and no way I’d have been able to grab him when I did (9th
round in our FF Today Staff league, for instance). Though all anyone
wants to talk about is how bad Matt Stafford played on Monday night,
I was tantalized by Golladay’s 12-target, 7-reception, 114-yard
outing. He’s huge, athletic, can run, and could very well end up
stealing lots of Marvin Jones’ thunder in 2018. The Lions play a
whole lot better on Sunday in a game that could get wild. Take the
points.
Tyler
Lockett @ CHI (Monday): I’ve never subscribed to the
“somebody has to catch passes” philosophy, but when the passes are
being thrown by the reigning fantasy QB king, it’s probably wise
to consider who his de facto WR1 is on any given week. With Doug
Baldwin felled by a partial MCL tear and the Hawks calling up pass-catchers
from the practice squad I’ve never heard of, that man is almost
certainly the diminutive but explosive Tyler Lockett. The K-State
product only commanded four targets in Week 1 when Baldwin succumbed
to injury, but made them count to the tune of three receptions,
59 yards, and a six-pointer. He doesn’t offer the red zone upside
of Brandon Marshall, but he can line up anywhere, in the slot or
outside, and has 4.4 speed to burn. Start Lockett against a Bears
secondary that couldn’t hold up for sixty minutes Sunday night.
Grab Some Wood
Robby
Anderson v. MIA: Anderson was the Jets’ most productive
wideout in 2017, tallying 26 more fantasy points than the squad’s
next highest scorer, Jermaine Kearse. Yet, even with Kearse on
the shelf for this season’s opener, Anderson was barely utilized
against the Lions. Sam Darnold looked his way just a single time,
in stark contrast to the 10 targets Quincy Enunwa received. The
pair made the most of that one connection, for sure, a pretty
41-yard score that netted Anderson a day’s worth of fantasy points
in one fell swoop. Still, it’s concerning the young Darnold looked
Enunwa’s way 1000% more often. Even more concerning? Kearse is
very likely to return in Week 2 against the Dolphins. His QB is
new, he has more competition, and legal troubles that have been
hanging over his head all summer are not yet in the rear-view
mirror. There are less risky options.
Tyrell
Williams @ BUF: Tyrell is still ahead of Mike in the
battle of the Chargers’ Williamses for the right to snap up whatever
Philip Rivers targets aren’t directed at Keenan Allen, but one
has to believe the gap is closing after last week, possibly in
a hurry. While Tyrell played 18 more snaps than Mike (62 to 44),
he received one less target and caught three fewer balls for 73
fewer yards. He also dropped a sure touchdown in the second quarter
(think wide open by 10 yards) that would have helped the Bolts
keep pace with the high-flying Chiefs. Yes, he caught one later
to make partial amends, but the damage was done and LA dropped
a divisional game at home. Teams with playoff aspirations can’t
make a habit out of that. I think we’ll start to see more of the
other Williams as the season grows longer.
Sammy
Watkins @ PIT: KC scoring 38 points despite a negligible
contribution from Travis Kelce is surprising, as mentioned previously,
but KC scoring 38 points despite a negligible contribution from
Sammy Watkins (three receptions for 21 yards) really shouldn’t
be. After all, the former Ram caught three or fewer passes THIRTEEN
TIMES in 2017 and look how that turned out for them. All Los Angeles
did was lead the league in total points (29.9 per game) and make
the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons. The Chiefs’
paid Watkins $48 million to join another explosive offense, but
it’s gonna be worth asking why sooner rather than later.
Yes, he’s ultra-talented, but save for one great season
in Buffalo (2015), where’s the production to match it? He’ll
hit some homers this year, certainly, but he’ll also rack
up a fair amount of strikeouts. There are way more reliable wideouts.
