newsletter was published on Wednesday The first half of the St. Louis Rams story, you might have noticed, was missing in the Wednesday product. An editing/pasting error. Its in there now. Not a great team, but Zac Stacy and Brian Quick should probably be starters in a lot of 12-team fantasy leagues. The Rams are playing at home, and the Dallas defense (while surprisingly good in Weeks 1-2) could still potentially fall apart in a big way. Stacy looks like a possible top-10 back, while Quick is their clear No. 1 receiver. The Rams probably will be without Tavon Austin this week; he suffered a knee injury at Tampa Bay and didnt practice on Wednesday or Thursday. He did some limited work on Friday, but with him not being a big part of that offense anyway, theres not need to try to rush him back. Shaun Hill (quad) is questionable and was limited each day in practice. Jeff Fisher says Hill is the teams starting quarterback, but Austin Davis won and played reasonably well last week, and hes definitely more healthy. It will be a game-time decision, and were guessing Davis will get that game-time nod (with Hill also active). Corey Harkey (a fullback and tight end) is questionable with a knee injury. The Cardinals are going without Carson Palmer (shoulder). Drew Stanton will start. This is a game changer. Palmer had 298 and 407 yards in the two games against San Francisco last year (against better 49ers defenses) but Stanton doesnt have that kind of ability. Stanton last week went only 14 of 29 for 167 against the Giants. So this is a big downgrade for the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and especially Michael Floyd. With Fitzgerald, at least there was some rapport there last week; he caught 6 passes for 51 yards and one near touchdown that was reversed to a catch to the 1-yard line. Floyd thrives on the deeper balls that are harder to connect on. Stanton went only 1 of 6 thrown to Floyd last week, for 19 yards. Also with Arizona, it placed Jonathan Dwyer on a reserve list after charges that he head- butted his wife. Its like injured reserve, in that Dwyer cant return to Arizona this year. His NFL career is almost certainly over. Guys with some talent (Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice) might get second chances. Jonathan Dwyers do not. He carried 9 times for 31 yards and a touchdown last week as their No. 2 back. Stepfan Taylor moves into that role behind Andre Ellington (whos probable this week with the foot injury). Cardinals should also be without tight end Rob Housler (hip). Earlier in the week we were working under the assumption that A.J. Green (toe) wouldnt play. Thats not the case. Hes probable and practiced fully on Friday. Theres a chance that maybe this injury flares up or whatever, but Green has too much upside to be left out of fantasy lineups. Possible top-3 receiver. Helps Andy Dalton. Bengals wont have Marvin Jones or Tyler Eifert, as expected. The Texans have classified Arian Foster (hamstring) as questionable. He was limited in practice all week. Not a huge deal. If Foster was truly injured, he would have been held out entirely on at least one of those games. But Foster has a history of hamstring injuries, and hes been carrying an awfully large load the first two weeks. They could spell him a little more on Sunday. Theres also the troubling issue that hes been running against weak run defense. On Sunday hes on the road against a Giants defense thats been solid against the run in its first two games. It could be the perfect time to trade Foster. If you want to use a roster spot to fish for the tailback wholl start when Foster gets hurt this year, its Alfred Blue. Blue appears to have separated himself from Jonathan Grimes and Ronnie Brown and is higher on the teams depth chart. Kansas City is calling Jamaal Charles (ankle) questionable. He was limited at practice on Thursday and Friday. This is all a surprise, considering they were saying early in the week that he had a high-ankle sprain (which generally sidelines guys for about a month). We dont expect hell play, and hell be a high-risk guy even if he does. They have a capable backup (Knile Davis) so the more logical course would be to hold Charles out, let him get healthier, and bring him back in Week 4. Thats how we believe it will play out. Adding a dimension to this is the kickoff time. Its an East Coast game, but its got a late start, so those with Charles (and Davis) might not have the benefit on Sunday in the a.m. of knowing whether guys will be active. Theres a chance Charles wont travel with the team, and if it goes down that way, well post something on the website. Only other notable injury here is DeAnthony Thomas (hamstring), who is out. Thomas will give a spark to the special teams when he is healthy. Washington wont have Jordan Reed (hamstring) so if youre looking for a fill-in tight end, Niles Paul is your guy. Hes been piling up the catches the last two weeks. Same kind of player. As a bonus (for Paul) DeSean Jackson looks iffy to play and very doubtful to have much of an impact. With the shoulder injury, he didnt practice at all on Wednesday or Thursday and was limited on Friday. This is an early kickoff, so youll be able to check/confirm his status on Sunday in the a.m. Jackson is questionable. Washington kicker Kai Forbath (groin) is also questionable, so confirm his status on the off chance you want to use him. They potentially would have to sign a kicker to replace him on Saturday. In that same game, Josh Huff is doubtful for Philadelphia, which is no big deal. Baltimore is calling Bernard Pierce (thigh) questionable, but he was a limited participant at practice on Thursday and Friday. He should play. The risk with Pierce is that if hes ineffective early (like we was in the preseason and in Week 1) the Ravens might switch to Justin Forsett. But Pierce should be fine. Those planning on using him should check to ensure hes active on Sunday in the a.m. Some in larger leagues may have been kicking around the possibility of plugging Jerricho Cotchery this week, with him playing against his former team. But September 19, 2014 Friday Supplement (after NFL injury report) 206-527-4444 FANTASY INDEX SUPER LEAGUE: ITS NOT TOO LATE FOR WEEK 3: You can still sign up and play this week. You just cant use any players from last nights scorefest. You might even win this weeks $25 prize. Which brings us to our Week 2 winner: Congratulations, mystery person! Whoever you are, your Old School Raiders led the Super League with 199 points in Week 2. Unfortunately, you provided us with an invalid e-mail address. Whoever you are, step forward and claim your prize. Tell us the e-mail address you provided, an well send your $25 Starbucks gift card. Sign up at http://football.myfantasyleague.com/ 2014/FantasyIndex. Cotchery is questionable with a hamstring injury and didnt practice at all on Friday. Too much risk and not enough reward. DeAngelo Williams and Jason Avant are also questionable with hamstring injuries, but they were at least able to put in limited practices on Friday. They apparently have a better chance of playing (but again, not much upside). With Williams situation, we expect it will be Jonathan Stewart getting most of the tailback work for Carolina. He wont necessarily be their goal-line guy. He scored a short touchdown against Detroit, but that was on the play after Mike Tolbert left the game with a chest injury. Tolbert is probable and practiced fully on Friday. Keenan Allen (groin) might have injured himself at practice on Wednesday. He wasnt on their initial injury report, then was limited on Thursday and Friday. Should play, but might not be 100 percent. That narrows the gap between him and the teams other wide receivers. Chargers wont have Ryan Mathews (knee) for about a month. Miami wont have Knowshon Moreno (elbow). Tight end Charles Clay (knee) is questionable, but he was able to do some work in practice all week (limited all week). As with Kansas City, you work without a safety net on Clay. Its a late start, so you dont quite know for sure that hell be active. But chances are hell be fine. Lamar Miller (ankle) was banged up in the Buffalo game, but hes not even on the injury report. Both of San Franciscos top tight ends are questionable, and neither practiced all week. Vernon Davis (ankle) and Vance McDonald (knee). This should adversely affect the teams running game. And sounds like theyll plug in Derek Carrier as their starting tight end. Carrier was on the roster last year for five games as a free agent rookie. He caught 3 passes for 41 yards last week. Both of Buffalos starting receivers are probable. Sammy Watkins (ribs) practiced fully all week. Robert Woods (ankle) didnt practice on Thursday and was limited on Wednesday and Friday. This guys are fine, we think. Allen Hurns was hurt on the last play of Jacksonvilles last game, but hes fine. He practiced fully on Friday and is probable. Hell definitely start this week because the Jaguars will be without Marqise Lee (hamstring), who is out. The teams top 3 receiving threats in this game should be Hurns, Cecil Shorts III and Allen Robinson. Shorts is probable and practiced fully on Friday. Clay Harbor should replace Marcedes Lewis (wholl spend half of the season on injured reserve) but Harbor could be rusty and not completely healthy. Harbor is questionable and was limited in practice on both Thursday and Friday. Harbor hasnt played yet this year (he has no fantasy value). The Browns have declared Ben Tate (knee) out. Theyre going with Terrance West at tailback again. Jordan Cameron (shoulder) is questionable. Cameron practiced some all week, so he should play. Tough defense hell face, though, and he caught only 1 pass for 4 yards in his last game against them. Recall that the Giants put Jerrel Jernigan on injured reserve. Hes out for the year. This makes Odell Beckham worthy of a stash roster spot. Once the 12th pick of the draft is healthy and acclimated, he might add an explosive element to that offense. But Beckham is still dealing with a hamstring injury and didnt practice all week, so it will be Corey Washington in the No. 3 role against Houston. Dez Bryant suffered a shoulder injury in the Tennessee game. He landed hard on it after a catch. But hes questionable and practiced some on Thursday and Friday, so he should be fine. Tony Romo (back) is probable, but he practiced fully on Thursday and Friday. Backup running back Joseph Randle (concussion) is questionable and didnt practice on Wednesday or Thursday. The Steelers are pretty much healthy. Lance Moore is probable with a groin injury. Hell play and be their No. 3 receiver this week. Dri Archer (ankle) is at least another week away; hes doubtful. When Archer is healthy, theyll work him in as a change-of- pace receiver and runner, getting him a few touches per game and having him return kickoffs. The Patriots look pretty healthy. Shane Vereen (shoulder) is questionable, but he practiced some all week. Maybe they give a few of his snaps to rookie James White (whos the same kind of back). That would make sense if the game gets out of hand. But we believe Vereen is fine. Julian Edelman (back) and Rob Gronkowski (knee) are both probable and have been practicing for most of the week. Two big names on Oaklands report, Maurice Jones-Drew (hand) and Rod Streater (hip) are both questionable. Jones- Drew practiced some on both Thursday and Friday. Those using him will need to double- check on Sunday, but thats a strong indication hell play (sharing time with Darren McFadden). Streater didnt practice at all until putting in a limited workout on Friday. Hes more likely to be relegated to a part-time role (hes normally a starter). Denver at Seattle is a big game. But no notable injuries on either side. Both teams are healthy. Only five times previously have Super Bowl combatants played again the next year (and not since Green Bay hosted New England in the mid-90s). In three of the previous five rematches, the champion won again. One sort-of notable injury (maybe). Kicker Brandon McManus is probable with a groin injury. With his leg maybe hurting a little, it makes it more likely that Percy Harvin will get to return some kickoffs, and he might be the leagues best in that regard. No big injuries for the Packers-Lions game. For Green Bay, right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) is questionable, but he was a limited participant at practice all week. For the Lions, Joique Bell (knee) is probable. The Colts look healthy. Hakeem Nicks (illness) didnt practice on Thursday or Friday, but he should be in reasonable shape by Sunday. Hes questionable. Hes their only notable injury. The Vikings dont have any notable injuries. Theyve released Jerome Simpson, who would have been their No. 3 receiver when his league suspension ended on Monday. In todays climate with increased sensitivity to off-field transgressions Simpson is unlikely to get another NFL contract. The Saints wont have Mark Ingram (hand) or Erik Lorig (ankle), but everyone knew that. The Titans look healthy. Dexter McCluster had a foot issue earlier in the week, but hes probable. Well cover the Monday night injuries on Saturday. Right now it doesnt look good for Eric Decker (hamstring); he hasnt practiced. For the Bears, Brandon Marshall (ankle) hasnt practiced but was the same last week and caught 3 TDs. Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) should play. Hes been limited in practice. But Jeffery clearly wasnt 100 percent at San Francisco. Bears will be missing a starter center and a starting guard. Fantasy Index Weekly (supplement after Friday injury report) September 19, 2014 Phone: 206-527-4444 Web Orders: www.fantasyindex.com September 19, 2014 Copyright 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Rankings based on 6 points for TDs, 4 for TD passes, 1 point per 10 rush/rec yards, and 1 point for 20 passing yards. Defenses receive 6 points for TDs (kick or turnover), 2 for takeaways and 1 for sacks. To customize rankings, go to Your Stuff at the website. Updated through7 p.m. ET, September 19, 2014. 1. DET Calvin Johnson 2. ATL J.Jones (Thur. Proj.) 3. NO Jimmy Graham (TE) 4. CIN A.J. Green 5. GB Jordy Nelson 6. GB Randall Cobb 7. PIT Antonio Brown 8. DAL Dez Bryant 9. CHI Brandon Marshall 10. DENDemaryius Thomas 11. MIA Mike Wallace 12. ATL Douglas (Thur. Proj.) 13. NE Julian Edelman 14. SEA Percy Harvin 15. MIN Cordarrelle Patterson 16. CAR Greg Olsen (TE) 17. HOUAndre Johnson 18. NO Brandin Cooks 19. DENJulius Thomas (TE) 20. TB V.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 21. BAL Steve Smith 22. JAC Allen Hurns 23. STL Brian Quick 24. CAR Kelvin Benjamin 25. SF Anquan Boldin 26. ARI Larry Fitzgerald 27. CHI Alshon Jeffery 28. NYGVictor Cruz 29. DET Golden Tate 30. DENEmmanuel Sanders 31. BUF Sammy Watkins 32. DAL Terrance Williams 33. SF Michael Crabtree 34. PHI Jeremy Maclin 35. IND Reggie Wayne 36. PIT Markus Wheaton 37. NO Marques Colston 38. TB Evans (Thur. Proj.) 39. NE Rob Gronkowski (TE) 40. CIN Mohamed Sanu 41. WASD.Jackson (if active) 42. SD Keenan Allen 43. CHI Martellus Bennett (TE) 44. JAC Cecil Shorts III 45. ATL Hester (Thur. Proj.) 46. DENWes Welker 47. NYGRueben Randle 48. MIN Greg Jennings 49. MIN Kyle Rudolph (TE) 50. CLE Andrew Hawkins 51. WASPierre Garcon 52. HOUDeAndre Hopkins 53. IND T.Y. Hilton 54. PHI Zach Ertz (TE) 55. SEA Doug Baldwin 56. TEN Delanie Walker (TE) 57. WASNiles Paul (TE) 58. CLE Jordan Cameron (TE) 59. KC Dwayne Bowe 60. SD Antonio Gates (TE) 61. ARI Michael Floyd 62. BAL Dennis Pitta (TE) 63. GB Davante Adams 64. NO Kenny Stills 65. MIA Charles Clay (TE) 66. SD Malcom Floyd 67. NYGLarry Donnell (TE) 68. NYJ Jeremy Kerley 69. BAL Torrey Smith 70. JAC Allen Robinson 71. PIT Heath Miller (TE) 72. BUF Robert Woods 73. TEN Justin Hunter 74. SD Eddie Royal 75. MIA Brian Hartline 76. NE Aaron Dobson 77. SEA Jermaine Kearse 78. CIN Jermaine Gresham (TE) 79. CLE Miles Austin 80. WASAndre Roberts 1. DAL DeMarco Murray 2. CIN Giovani Bernard 3. KC Davis (if Charles out) 4. SEA Marshawn Lynch 5. HOUArian Foster 6. PHI LeSean McCoy 7. MIA Lamar Miller 8. NYGRashad Jennings 9. TB Rainey (Thur. Proj.) 10. KC Davis (current) 11. STL Zac Stacy 12. WASAlfred Morris 13. KC Charles (if active) 14. CHI Matt Forte 15. PIT LeVeon Bell 16. SD Donald Brown 17. NYJ Chris Johnson 18. BAL Bernard Pierce 19. DET Joique Bell 20. NE Stevan Ridley 21. GB Eddie Lacy 22. CLE Terrance West 23. DET Reggie Bush 24. NO Khiry Robinson 25. NO Pierre Thomas 26. PHI Darren Sproles 27. DENMontee Ball 28. ARI Andre Ellington 29. IND Ahmad Bradshaw 30. MIN Matt Asiata 31. CAR Jonathan Stewart 32. NE Shane Vereen 33. BUF C.J. Spiller 34. BUF Fred Jackson 35. SD Danny Woodhead 36. NYJ Chris Ivory 37. SF Frank Gore 38. ATL S.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 39. CIN Jeremy Hill 40. JAC Toby Gerhart 41. IND Trent Richardson 42. BAL Justin Forsett 43. TEN Shonn Greene 44. OAK Maurice Jones-Drew 45. TEN Dexter McCluster 46. STL Benny Cunningham 47. NYGAndre Williams 48. SF Carlos Hyde 49. MIN Jerick McKinnon 50. CAR Williams (if active) 51. OAK Darren McFadden 52. CLE Isaiah Crowell 53. ATL Rodgers (Thur. Proj.) 54. ATL Freeman (Thur. Proj.) 55. CAR Mike Tolbert 56. DAL Lance Dunbar 57. TEN Bishop Sankey 58. MIA Damien Williams 59. CAR Williams (current) 60. WASRoy Helu Jr. 61. ARI Stepfan Taylor 62. ATL A.Smith (Thur. Proj.) 63. NE Brandon Bolden 64. NO Travaris Cadet 65. GB James Starks 66. DENC.J. Anderson 67. JAC Denard Robinson 68. KC Charles (current) 69. PIT LeGarrette Blount RUNNING BACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS RECEIVERS (WR & TE) WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Jimmy Graham 2. CAR Greg Olsen 3. DENJulius Thomas 4. NE Rob Gronkowski 5. CHI Martellus Bennett 6. MIN Kyle Rudolph 7. PHI Zach Ertz 8. TEN Delanie Walker 9. WASNiles Paul 10. CLE Jordan Cameron 11. SD Antonio Gates 12. BAL Dennis Pitta 13. MIA Charles Clay 14. NYGLarry Donnell 15. PIT Heath Miller 16. CIN Jermaine Gresham 17. STL Jared Cook 18. DAL Jason Witten 19. PHI Brent Celek 20. ATL Toilolo (Thur. Proj.) 21. SF Derek Carrier 22. KC Travis Kelce 23. BAL Owen Daniels 24. IND Coby Fleener 25. SEA Zach Miller 26. KC Anthony Fasano 27. IND Dwayne Allen 28. OAK Mychal Rivera 29. NYJ Jeff Cumberland 30. JAC Clay Harbor 31. BUF Scott Chandler 32. SD Ladarius Green 33. TB Myers (Thur. Proj.) TIGHT ENDS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NE Stephen Gostkowski 2. SEA Steven Hauschka 3. ATL Bryant (Thur. Proj.) 4. IND Adam Vinatieri 5. NO Shayne Graham 6. PHI Cody Parkey 7. CIN Mike Nugent 8. BAL Justin Tucker 9. DAL Dan Bailey 10. CAR Graham Gano 11. MIA Caleb Sturgis 12. SF Phil Dawson 13. STL Greg Zuerlein 14. BUF Dan Carpenter 15. CLE Billy Cundiff 16. GB Mason Crosby 17. NYGJosh Brown 18. DET Nate Freese 19. SD Nick Novak 20. NYJ Nick Folk 21. ARI Chandler Catanzaro 22. CHI Robbie Gould 23. DENBrandon McManus 24. HOURandy Bullock 25. MIN Blair Walsh 26. TEN Ryan Succop 27. JAC Josh Scobee 28. WASForbath (if active) 29. KC Cairo Santos 30. PIT Shaun Suisham 31. TB Murray (Thur. Proj.) KICKERS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. BAL Baltimore 2. NE New England 3. MIA Miami 4. CAR Carolina 5. KC Kansas City 6. NO New Orleans 7. HOUHouston 8. PHI Philadelphia 9. CIN Cincinnati 10. GB Green Bay 11. CLE Cleveland 12. WASWashington 13. SF San Francisco 14. DET Detroit 15. BUF Buffalo 16. IND Indianapolis 17. SEA Seattle 18. JAC Jacksonville 19. SD San Diego 20. CHI Chicago 21. DAL Dallas 22. STL St. Louis 23. ARI Arizona 24. NYGNY Giants 25. DENDenver 26. MIN Minnesota 27. NYJ NY Jets 28. PIT Pittsburgh 29. TEN Tennessee 30. TB Tampa Bay (Wed. proj.) 31. ATL Atlanta (Wed. proj.) 32. OAK Oakland DEFENSE / SPECIAL TEAMS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Drew Brees 2. GB Aaron Rodgers 3. PHI Nick Foles 4. IND Andrew Luck 5. ATL Ryan (Thur. Proj.) 6. CAR Cam Newton 7. DET Matthew Stafford 8. SEA Russell Wilson 9. DENPeyton Manning 10. NE Tom Brady 11. CIN Andy Dalton 12. SD Philip Rivers 13. SF Colin Kaepernick 14. CHI Jay Cutler 15. MIA Ryan Tannehill 16. DAL Tony Romo 17. BAL Joe Flacco 18. PIT Ben Roethlisberger 19. WASKirk Cousins 20. KC Alex Smith 21. JAC Chad Henne 22. TEN Jake Locker 23. NYJ Geno Smith 24. NYGEli Manning 25. STL Davis (if Hill out) 26. STL S.Hill (if active) 27. BUF EJ Manuel 28. TB McCown (Thur. Proj.) 29. MIN Matt Cassel 30. HOURyan Fitzpatrick 31. ARI Drew Stanton 32. CLE Brian Hoyer QUARTERBACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS YARDAGE+TD SCORING SYSTEM FANTASY INDEX WEEKLY Phone: 206-527-4444 Web Orders: www.fantasyindex.com September 19, 2014 Copyright 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Rankings based on 6 points for TDs, 4 for TD passes, 1 per 10 rush/rec yards, and 1 for 20 passing yards, plus 1 point for each catch. Defenses score 6 for TDs on returns (turnovers & kicks), 2 for takeaways, 1 for sacks and .5 per point opponent scores under 24. Updated through7 p.m. ET, September 19, 2014. 1. ATL J.Jones (Thur. Proj.) 2. NO Jimmy Graham (TE) 3. DET Calvin Johnson 4. CIN A.J. Green 5. GB Jordy Nelson 6. GB Randall Cobb 7. PIT Antonio Brown 8. NE Julian Edelman 9. DAL Dez Bryant 10. CHI Brandon Marshall 11. ATL Douglas (Thur. Proj.) 12. MIA Mike Wallace 13. CAR Greg Olsen (TE) 14. DENDemaryius Thomas 15. HOUAndre Johnson 16. SEA Percy Harvin 17. DENJulius Thomas (TE) 18. BAL Steve Smith 19. SF Anquan Boldin 20. NO Brandin Cooks 21. MIN Cordarrelle Patterson 22. CAR Kelvin Benjamin 23. NYGVictor Cruz 24. ARI Larry Fitzgerald 25. DET Golden Tate 26. TB V.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 27. STL Brian Quick 28. DENEmmanuel Sanders 29. BUF Sammy Watkins 30. JAC Allen Hurns 31. CIN Mohamed Sanu 32. CHI Alshon Jeffery 33. DENWes Welker 34. PIT Markus Wheaton 35. SF Michael Crabtree 36. CLE Andrew Hawkins 37. IND Reggie Wayne 38. PHI Jeremy Maclin 39. NO Marques Colston 40. TB Evans (Thur. Proj.) 41. CHI Martellus Bennett (TE) 42. DAL Terrance Williams 43. JAC Cecil Shorts III 44. MIN Kyle Rudolph (TE) 45. SD Keenan Allen 46. WASNiles Paul (TE) 47. WASPierre Garcon 48. NE Rob Gronkowski (TE) 49. NYGRueben Randle 50. PHI Zach Ertz (TE) 51. ATL Hester (Thur. Proj.) 52. TEN Delanie Walker (TE) 53. WASD.Jackson (if active) 54. CLE Jordan Cameron (TE) 55. HOUDeAndre Hopkins 56. KC Dwayne Bowe 57. MIN Greg Jennings 58. BAL Dennis Pitta (TE) 59. SD Antonio Gates (TE) 60. NYGLarry Donnell (TE) 61. IND T.Y. Hilton 62. MIA Charles Clay (TE) 63. SEA Doug Baldwin 64. PIT Heath Miller (TE) 65. CIN Jermaine Gresham (TE) 66. NYJ Jeremy Kerley 67. SD Eddie Royal 68. GB Davante Adams 69. CLE Miles Austin 70. DAL Jason Witten (TE) 71. ARI Michael Floyd 72. SD Malcom Floyd 73. BUF Robert Woods 74. MIA Brian Hartline 75. TEN Kendall Wright 76. BAL Torrey Smith 77. WASAndre Roberts 78. JAC Allen Robinson 79. STL Jared Cook (TE) 80. TEN Justin Hunter 1. CIN Giovani Bernard 2. KC Davis (if Charles out) 3. DAL DeMarco Murray 4. TB Rainey (Thur. Proj.) 5. NYGRashad Jennings 6. PHI LeSean McCoy 7. MIA Lamar Miller 8. HOUArian Foster 9. SEA Marshawn Lynch 10. KC Davis (current) 11. CHI Matt Forte 12. PIT LeVeon Bell 13. NO Pierre Thomas 14. KC Charles (if active) 15. NYJ Chris Johnson 16. SD Donald Brown 17. DET Reggie Bush 18. STL Zac Stacy 19. PHI Darren Sproles 20. WASAlfred Morris 21. DET Joique Bell 22. GB Eddie Lacy 23. SD Danny Woodhead 24. IND Ahmad Bradshaw 25. DENMontee Ball 26. NE Shane Vereen 27. BAL Bernard Pierce 28. NO Khiry Robinson 29. ARI Andre Ellington 30. CAR Jonathan Stewart 31. BUF Fred Jackson 32. MIN Matt Asiata 33. CLE Terrance West 34. BUF C.J. Spiller 35. NE Stevan Ridley 36. CIN Jeremy Hill 37. ATL S.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 38. SF Frank Gore 39. BAL Justin Forsett 40. JAC Toby Gerhart 41. IND Trent Richardson 42. NYJ Chris Ivory 43. TEN Dexter McCluster 44. TEN Shonn Greene 45. OAK Maurice Jones-Drew 46. STL Benny Cunningham 47. ATL Freeman (Thur. Proj.) 48. MIN Jerick McKinnon 49. CAR Mike Tolbert 50. ATL Rodgers (Thur. Proj.) 51. OAK Darren McFadden 52. CAR Williams (if active) 53. SF Carlos Hyde 54. DAL Lance Dunbar 55. NYGAndre Williams 56. WASRoy Helu Jr. 57. ATL A.Smith (Thur. Proj.) 58. TEN Bishop Sankey 59. NO Travaris Cadet 60. CLE Isaiah Crowell 61. MIA Damien Williams 62. ARI Stepfan Taylor 63. CAR Williams (current) 64. WASDarrel Young 65. GB James Starks 66. NE Brandon Bolden 67. JAC Denard Robinson 68. OAK Marcel Reece 69. KC Charles (current) RUNNING BACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS RECEIVERS (WR & TE) WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Jimmy Graham 2. CAR Greg Olsen 3. DENJulius Thomas 4. CHI Martellus Bennett 5. MIN Kyle Rudolph 6. WASNiles Paul 7. NE Rob Gronkowski 8. PHI Zach Ertz 9. TEN Delanie Walker 10. CLE Jordan Cameron 11. BAL Dennis Pitta 12. SD Antonio Gates 13. NYGLarry Donnell 14. MIA Charles Clay 15. PIT Heath Miller 16. CIN Jermaine Gresham 17. DAL Jason Witten 18. STL Jared Cook 19. PHI Brent Celek 20. KC Travis Kelce 21. ATL Toilolo (Thur. Proj.) 22. BAL Owen Daniels 23. KC Anthony Fasano 24. IND Coby Fleener 25. SF Derek Carrier 26. OAK Mychal Rivera 27. SEA Zach Miller 28. IND Dwayne Allen 29. NYJ Jeff Cumberland 30. TB Myers (Thur. Proj.) 31. JAC Clay Harbor 32. BUF Scott Chandler 33. STL Lance Kendricks TIGHT ENDS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NE Stephen Gostkowski 2. SEA Steven Hauschka 3. ATL Bryant (Thur. Proj.) 4. IND Adam Vinatieri 5. NO Shayne Graham 6. PHI Cody Parkey 7. CIN Mike Nugent 8. BAL Justin Tucker 9. DAL Dan Bailey 10. CAR Graham Gano 11. MIA Caleb Sturgis 12. SF Phil Dawson 13. STL Greg Zuerlein 14. BUF Dan Carpenter 15. CLE Billy Cundiff 16. GB Mason Crosby 17. NYGJosh Brown 18. DET Nate Freese 19. SD Nick Novak 20. NYJ Nick Folk 21. ARI Chandler Catanzaro 22. CHI Robbie Gould 23. DENBrandon McManus 24. HOURandy Bullock 25. MIN Blair Walsh 26. TEN Ryan Succop 27. JAC Josh Scobee 28. WASForbath (if active) 29. KC Cairo Santos 30. PIT Shaun Suisham 31. TB Murray (Thur. Proj.) KICKERS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. CAR Carolina 2. NE New England 3. MIA Miami 4. NO New Orleans 5. BAL Baltimore 6. SF San Francisco 7. PHI Philadelphia 8. CIN Cincinnati 9. IND Indianapolis 10. KC Kansas City 11. NYGNY Giants 12. CLE Cleveland 13. HOUHouston 14. ARI Arizona 15. SD San Diego 16. CHI Chicago 17. NYJ NY Jets 18. DAL Dallas 19. PIT Pittsburgh 20. GB Green Bay 21. BUF Buffalo 22. SEA Seattle 23. STL St. Louis 24. ATL Atlanta (Wed. proj.) 25. JAC Jacksonville 26. DET Detroit 27. WASWashington 28. TEN Tennessee 29. DENDenver 30. TB Tampa Bay (Wed. proj.) 31. MIN Minnesota 32. OAK Oakland DEFENSE / SPECIAL TEAMS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Drew Brees 2. GB Aaron Rodgers 3. PHI Nick Foles 4. IND Andrew Luck 5. ATL Ryan (Thur. Proj.) 6. CAR Cam Newton 7. DET Matthew Stafford 8. SEA Russell Wilson 9. DENPeyton Manning 10. NE Tom Brady 11. CIN Andy Dalton 12. SD Philip Rivers 13. SF Colin Kaepernick 14. CHI Jay Cutler 15. MIA Ryan Tannehill 16. DAL Tony Romo 17. BAL Joe Flacco 18. PIT Ben Roethlisberger 19. WASKirk Cousins 20. KC Alex Smith 21. JAC Chad Henne 22. TEN Jake Locker 23. NYJ Geno Smith 24. NYGEli Manning 25. STL Davis (if Hill out) 26. STL S.Hill (if active) 27. BUF EJ Manuel 28. TB McCown (Thur. Proj.) 29. MIN Matt Cassel 30. HOURyan Fitzpatrick 31. ARI Drew Stanton 32. CLE Brian Hoyer QUARTERBACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS POINTS PER RECEPTION SYSTEM FANTASY INDEX WEEKLY Phone: 206-527-4444 Web Orders: www.fantasyindex.com September 19, 2014 Copyright 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Rankings based on 6 points for TDs and 4 for TD passes. Kicking points are standard. Defenses receive 6 points for TDs (kick or turnover). To customize rankings, go to fantasyindex.com, select Your Stuff and drag down to Scoring Systems tab. Updated through7 p.m. ET, September 19, 2014. 1. NO Jimmy Graham (TE) 2. DET Calvin Johnson 3. ATL J.Jones (Thur. Proj.) 4. GB Randall Cobb 5. DENJulius Thomas (TE) 6. DAL Dez Bryant 7. GB Jordy Nelson 8. SEA Percy Harvin 9. CIN A.J. Green 10. CHI Brandon Marshall 11. DENDemaryius Thomas 12. NE Rob Gronkowski (TE) 13. ATL Douglas (Thur. Proj.) 14. NO Brandin Cooks 15. MIN Cordarrelle Patterson 16. ARI Larry Fitzgerald 17. CAR Greg Olsen (TE) 18. CAR Kelvin Benjamin 19. NE Julian Edelman 20. MIA Mike Wallace 21. ATL Hester (Thur. Proj.) 22. JAC Allen Hurns 23. TB V.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 24. NO Marques Colston 25. DENEmmanuel Sanders 26. CHI Martellus Bennett (TE) 27. SF Anquan Boldin 28. CHI Alshon Jeffery 29. MIN Kyle Rudolph (TE) 30. DAL Terrance Williams 31. PIT Antonio Brown 32. NYGVictor Cruz 33. SF Michael Crabtree 34. IND Reggie Wayne 35. DENWes Welker 36. STL Brian Quick 37. BAL Steve Smith 38. TB Evans (Thur. Proj.) 39. SEA Doug Baldwin 40. CIN Mohamed Sanu 41. DET Golden Tate 42. SD Antonio Gates (TE) 43. BUF Sammy Watkins 44. HOUAndre Johnson 45. MIN Greg Jennings 46. NO Kenny Stills 47. JAC Cecil Shorts III 48. WASD.Jackson (if active) 49. PHI Jeremy Maclin 50. SEA Jermaine Kearse 51. SD Keenan Allen 52. ATL Toilolo (TE) (Thur. Proj.) 53. TEN Delanie Walker (TE) 54. IND T.Y. Hilton 55. NYGRueben Randle 56. ARI Michael Floyd 57. WASPierre Garcon 58. MIA Charles Clay (TE) 59. SEA Zach Miller (TE) 60. CLE Jordan Cameron (TE) 61. BAL Dennis Pitta (TE) 62. NYGLarry Donnell (TE) 63. GB Davante Adams 64. NE Aaron Dobson 65. WASNiles Paul (TE) 66. WASAndre Roberts 67. PHI Zach Ertz (TE) 68. PIT Heath Miller (TE) 69. JAC Allen Robinson 70. CLE Andrew Hawkins 71. HOUDeAndre Hopkins 72. PIT Markus Wheaton 73. CIN Jermaine Gresham (TE) 74. KC Anthony Fasano (TE) 75. BAL Torrey Smith 76. IND Hakeem Nicks 77. SD Malcom Floyd 78. TEN Justin Hunter 79. MIA Brian Hartline 80. CAR Cotchery (if active) 1. SEA Marshawn Lynch 2. PHI LeSean McCoy 3. CIN Giovani Bernard 4. DAL DeMarco Murray 5. KC Davis (if Charles out) 6. HOUArian Foster 7. MIA Lamar Miller 8. NYGRashad Jennings 9. TB Rainey (Thur. Proj.) 10. STL Zac Stacy 11. KC Davis (current) 12. NE Stevan Ridley 13. KC Charles (if active) 14. WASAlfred Morris 15. BUF Fred Jackson 16. NO Khiry Robinson 17. DET Joique Bell 18. SD Donald Brown 19. CHI Matt Forte 20. GB Eddie Lacy 21. DET Reggie Bush 22. PHI Darren Sproles 23. CIN Jeremy Hill 24. BAL Bernard Pierce 25. SD Danny Woodhead 26. CLE Terrance West 27. NYJ Chris Johnson 28. ATL S.Jackson (Thur. Proj.) 29. NYJ Chris Ivory 30. NO Pierre Thomas 31. NE Shane Vereen 32. IND Ahmad Bradshaw 33. MIN Matt Asiata 34. SF Frank Gore 35. DENMontee Ball 36. BUF C.J. Spiller 37. PIT LeVeon Bell 38. CAR Jonathan Stewart 39. IND Trent Richardson 40. JAC Toby Gerhart 41. ARI Andre Ellington 42. TEN Shonn Greene 43. CAR Mike Tolbert 44. BAL Justin Forsett 45. NYGAndre Williams 46. OAK Maurice Jones-Drew 47. SF Carlos Hyde 48. NE James Develin 49. TEN Dexter McCluster 50. CLE Isaiah Crowell 51. STL Benny Cunningham 52. WASDarrel Young 53. ATL Freeman (Thur. Proj.) 54. ATL Rodgers (Thur. Proj.) 55. OAK Darren McFadden 56. NE Brandon Bolden 57. MIA Damien Williams 58. DAL Lance Dunbar 59. MIN Jerick McKinnon 60. CAR Williams (if active) 61. NO Travaris Cadet 62. TEN Bishop Sankey 63. ARI Stepfan Taylor 64. ATL A.Smith (Thur. Proj.) 65. PIT LeGarrette Blount 66. CAR Williams (current) 67. GB James Starks 68. WASRoy Helu Jr. 69. GB John Kuhn RUNNING BACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS RECEIVERS (WR & TE) WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Jimmy Graham 2. DENJulius Thomas 3. NE Rob Gronkowski 4. CAR Greg Olsen 5. CHI Martellus Bennett 6. MIN Kyle Rudolph 7. SD Antonio Gates 8. ATL Toilolo (Thur. Proj.) 9. TEN Delanie Walker 10. MIA Charles Clay 11. SEA Zach Miller 12. CLE Jordan Cameron 13. BAL Dennis Pitta 14. NYGLarry Donnell 15. WASNiles Paul 16. PHI Zach Ertz 17. PIT Heath Miller 18. CIN Jermaine Gresham 19. KC Anthony Fasano 20. IND Coby Fleener 21. SF Derek Carrier 22. BAL Owen Daniels 23. IND Dwayne Allen 24. STL Jared Cook 25. OAK Mychal Rivera 26. DAL Jason Witten 27. PHI Brent Celek 28. JAC Clay Harbor 29. BUF Scott Chandler 30. STL Lance Kendricks 31. KC Travis Kelce 32. NYJ Jeff Cumberland 33. TB Myers (Thur. Proj.) TIGHT ENDS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NE Stephen Gostkowski 2. SEA Steven Hauschka 3. ATL Bryant (Thur. Proj.) 4. IND Adam Vinatieri 5. NO Shayne Graham 6. PHI Cody Parkey 7. CIN Mike Nugent 8. BAL Justin Tucker 9. DAL Dan Bailey 10. CAR Graham Gano 11. MIA Caleb Sturgis 12. SF Phil Dawson 13. STL Greg Zuerlein 14. BUF Dan Carpenter 15. CLE Billy Cundiff 16. GB Mason Crosby 17. NYGJosh Brown 18. DET Nate Freese 19. SD Nick Novak 20. NYJ Nick Folk 21. ARI Chandler Catanzaro 22. CHI Robbie Gould 23. DENBrandon McManus 24. HOURandy Bullock 25. MIN Blair Walsh 26. TEN Ryan Succop 27. JAC Josh Scobee 28. WASForbath (if active) 29. KC Cairo Santos 30. PIT Shaun Suisham 31. TB Murray (Thur. Proj.) KICKERS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. BAL Baltimore 2. MIA Miami 3. NE New England 4. CIN Cincinnati 5. MIN Minnesota 6. CAR Carolina 7. CLE Cleveland 8. ARI Arizona 9. BUF Buffalo 10. SEA Seattle 11. NO New Orleans 12. DET Detroit 13. WASWashington 14. HOUHouston 15. CHI Chicago 16. NYJ NY Jets 17. GB Green Bay 18. PHI Philadelphia 19. STL St. Louis 20. ATL Atlanta (Wed. proj.) 21. TEN Tennessee 22. SF San Francisco 23. KC Kansas City 24. NYGNY Giants 25. DAL Dallas 26. TB Tampa Bay (Wed. proj.) 27. IND Indianapolis 28. SD San Diego 29. JAC Jacksonville 30. DENDenver 31. PIT Pittsburgh 32. OAK Oakland DEFENSE / SPECIAL TEAMS WEEK 3 RANKINGS 1. NO Drew Brees 2. SEA Russell Wilson 3. GB Aaron Rodgers 4. IND Andrew Luck 5. ATL Ryan (Thur. Proj.) 6. DENPeyton Manning 7. NE Tom Brady 8. CAR Cam Newton 9. PHI Nick Foles 10. DET Matthew Stafford 11. CIN Andy Dalton 12. CHI Jay Cutler 13. SD Philip Rivers 14. DAL Tony Romo 15. SF Colin Kaepernick 16. BAL Joe Flacco 17. MIA Ryan Tannehill 18. JAC Chad Henne 19. WASKirk Cousins 20. NYJ Geno Smith 21. BUF EJ Manuel 22. ARI Drew Stanton 23. NYGEli Manning 24. MIN Matt Cassel 25. STL Davis (if Hill out) 26. TB McCown (Thur. Proj.) 27. STL S.Hill (if active) 28. TEN Jake Locker 29. HOURyan Fitzpatrick 30. KC Alex Smith 31. PIT Ben Roethlisberger 32. OAK Derek Carr QUARTERBACKS WEEK 3 RANKINGS TD-ONLY SCORING SYSTEM FANTASY INDEX WEEKLY FANTASY INDEX WEEKLY ARIZONA (vs. S.F.): Were all conditioned to be afraid of San Franciscos defense. Only Seattle and Carolina allowed fewer points last year. But this isnt really the same group. Aldon Smith is suspended, NaVorro Bowman is down, and there are holes in the secondary. DeMarco Murray ran for 118 yards against them in Week 1, and Jay Cutler came alive to toss 4 TDs on Sunday night. With this game being in Arizona, this really looks like more of an average matchup for the Cardinals maybe even better than average. The Cardinals need Carson Palmer to be healthy, of course. Hes expected to return from a shoulder injury, but its not certain. Assuming he gets a clean bill of health, he should have a big day against this defense. Hes got a great cast of receivers, and Arizona doesnt run the ball all that well. Even against a much better San Francisco defense last year, Palmer was effective. He passed for 298 yards and 2 TDs when Arizona lost 32- 20 at Candlestick, and he passed for 407 yards and 2 TDs when the 49ers won the rematch 23-20 in the final week of the season. Were putting Palmer down for 275 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and hes one of the few quarterbacks with a realistic chance of going for 3-plus touchdowns this week. Thats how far the 49ers have fallen. If, come Friday, it looks like theres a pretty good chance Drew Stanton will have to fill in, that will be a significant, game-changing hit. He wasnt accurate enough at New York. For now, were projecting all of these guys as if Palmer is playing. The 49ers dont have enough pass rush, and they dont have quality corners, so its an appealing matchup for the wide receivers. San Francisco simply doesnt have anyone who matches up well with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. They combined for 11 catches, 161 yards and 2 TDs in the first game last year. In the rematch, they went for 12 catches for 204 yards. Playing on a bad ankle, Brandon Marshall caught 3 TDs against this defense on Sunday night. Thats the kind of potential were talking about. You start the big guns, and John Brown looks like one of the better No. 3 receivers. Arizona is playing a bunch of different guys at tight end, and none look viable. With the kind of firepower Arizona has in its passing game, that makes Andre Ellington, bad foot and all, a viable option. The 49ers cant really afford to make him much of a priority, given that theyre dealing with Palmer and the receivers. Its kind of like the Denver running backs with Peyton Manning. Ellington ran for 91 yards against the Giants on Sunday. Hes also a run-catch guy. Jonathan Dwyer will spell him and punch in any potential 1-yard touchdowns. Were sticking Chandler Catanzaro in the middle of the pack at kicker. If we were more confident the Cardinals would win this thing, hed be higher. Hes scored 6 and 13 points in his first two games. Were also playing it conservative with the Cardinals Defense. Colin Kaepernick was pretty awful on Sunday night, with 4 sacks, 3 interceptions and a lost fumble. But thats unusual for that offense. He threw only 8 interceptions all of last year. Arizonas defense has taken some hits, and it sacked Kaepernick only twice in each of the games last year. Ted Ginn had a nice punt-return touchdown last week, but lets not get too excited. His last previous kick return touchdown was over three years ago. ATLANTA (vs. T.B.): The Falcons got smacked around in Cincinnati, but this is a better matchup. The opposing defense isnt as tough, plus their offense is much better at home. In nine home games dating back to the start of last season, theyve averaged 24 points, 6 more than on the road. Divisional games on a short week (this is the Thursday game) have historically tended to be lower- scoring, but note that these teams combined for 54 and 69 points in splitting the series a year ago, so the offenses seem to match up well against each others defense. The previous seasons games were more reasonable: 24-23 in Tampa, 22-17 in Atlanta. Matt Ryan was sacked twice and threw 3 interceptions last week. Not all the mistakes were his fault, but thats the kind of game hell have on occasion given the protection he wont get behind a lesser offensive line. Jake Matthews is just a rookie, but hes a much better blindside protector than Gabe Carimi, who was forced to fill in last week. Good news for Ryan: Matthews (ankle) put in a full practice on Tuesday and is expected to return for this game. Ryan faces a Tampa Bay defense thats allowed an average of 235 passing yards in its first two games, which seems OK until you consider the opposing quarterbacks have been Derek Anderson and Austin Davis the Bucs actually made both of those guys look pretty good. Neither Carolina nor St. Louis has anything close to the receiving corps Ryan has, either. Ryan threw for 448 yards and 3 TDs in Week 1, though he struggled against Cincinnatis top-notch defense last week (231, 1). Well split the difference and go with slightly above-average numbers for him. He averaged 264 yards and threw 5 TDs in the series last year, which looks like a good target area. Julio Jones is in the discussion for the best receiver in the league. Consider that in his last eight games dating back to Atlantas playoff loss after the 2012 season hes caught 11, 7, 11, 9, 6, 8, 7 and 7 passes for 966 yards and 5 TDs. Over a full season that works out to 132 receptions, 1,932 yards and 10 TDs, and Jones hasnt been under 76 yards in any of them. Jones has 19 catches for 394 yards and 3 TDs in four career games against Tampa Bay. Roddy White is a trickier case. He scored in his lone game against Tampa Bay last year (Jones missed that contest), but hasnt scored in any of the four Bucs games that Jones also appeared in. One big game (9 for 140 at Tampa Bay in 2011), but otherwise hes caught 4, 5 and 5 passes for 69, 57 and 42 yards. Hes been the clear secondary option since Jones emergence. Not that White wont also be good, but Jones should be better. Both wideouts are dealing with injuries, but Jones (ankle) practiced fully on Tuesday. White (hamstring) didnt, but the Falcons indicate hell play. Still, another reason to like Jones a little more. The Falcons are also throwing to their third and fourth receivers, Harry Douglas and Devin Hester. Both were good in Week 1, then Douglas was thrown to 8 times at Cincinnati. In deeper leagues, and given that Atlanta wont throw much to its tight end (and doesnt have a strong ground game), Douglas makes some sense, but Tampa Bay will need to contain Jones and White first. And were not sure they can: Opposing No. 1s Kelvin Benjamin (92 yards) and Brian Quick (74) have been very good against this defense so far. Levine Toilolo caught 2 short passes last week and let a third bounce off his hands for an interception. Hell be an occasional end- zone target, but otherwise not a big part of the passing game. The Bucs got lit up by Greg Olsen in the opener, but Toilolo isnt in his league. Steven Jackson got two- thirds of the running back carries and averaged 4.2 per attempt last week. If the ball winds up near the goal line, hes the September 17, 2014 Vol. 23, No. 3 PO Box 15277, Seattle, WA 98115 206-527-4444 most likely back to score. But with Jacquizz Rodgers getting a third of the carries, and Devonta Freeman and Antone Smith more involved as receivers, theres not a lot of upside with Jackson. Through two games he has exactly half the running back chances on a team that finish in the bottom 10 in rushing. Tampa Bay is allowing 116 rushing yards per game, which suggests a good game for Jackson will be in the neighborhood of 70 yards. Jackson rushed for just 41 yards in his lone game against this defense a year ago, at Tampa; in the home game, Rodgers caught 8 passes including a pair of touchdowns. Matt Bryant looks OK; hes at home, and theres a good chance the Falcons will score some points and win this game. The Falcons Defense is the only team yet to record a sack. That wont continue, but its difficult to get excited about putting them into a lineup until they do something to merit it. Devin Hester gives the return game some potential, so theres that. BALTIMORE (at Clev.): The Ravens have owned the Browns recently, winning 11 of the last 12, but their offense hasnt dominated in any of those games. Baltimore scored only 14 and 18 points when the teams split last year, The Ravens won all six in the previous three years, but scored only 20- 25 points in all of those games no big blowouts. With this game being in Cleveland, modest production is to be expect. The casinos have this game as a pick em, with an over-under of 41 points. Bernard Pierce has been so-so thus far. He struggled in August, got benched in Week 1, and struggled for much of the Pittsburgh game before ultimately muscling out 96 yards on 22 carries with some better runs in the second half. Hes a pretty ordinary guy, and hell be spelled by Justin Forsett (who offers more quickness in his change-of-pace role). Pierce is a liability in the passing game. But we have some interest. Baltimores backs and blockers are still getting used to Gary Kubiaks zone-blocking scheme, and this defense theyll face isnt as good against the run as either of Baltimores first two opponents. LeVeon Bell, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas all averaged over 5 yards per carry against this defense. The Steelers ran for 127 yards, and the Saints ran for 174. The Browns ranked 18th in run defense last year and have some decent personnel, but there may be something about Mike Pettines scheme that makes it softer against the run. He had good personnel in Buffalo last year, but that defense ranked 28th against the run. So this could be a group that the Ravens hit up for 130-140 yards, and it would be Pierce leading the way. The lack of receiving production is a concern, obviously, but Pierce looks like a possible fantasy starter this week. Were cool on Joe Flacco. If the running game is working, that could limit his workload. Thats kind of how it played out last week. Flacco played well enough, but with the running game working at times, he finished with only 166 yards and 2 TDs. The Browns have some talent in their secondary; Drew Brees finished with only 237 yards against them last week. Flacco has historically been just OK against them. He threw for 250 yards and 2 TDs in the last meeting, but he had only one touchdown in each of his previous three. The Ravens used Flacco on four quarterback sneaks against Pittsburgh, so theres some rushing touchdown potential, but the way he got clobbered on one of those, you have to wonder if theyll shy away from those in the future. Steve Smith Sr. is the clear No. 1 receiver. He may be 35, but hes playing like hes four years younger 13 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown in the first two games. Torrey Smith, meanwhile, now looks like just a nominal deep threat. Theyll throw younger Smith a few deep balls per game, but there will be a lot of games where he doesnt see enough of the other routes. Younger Smith has caught only 4 passes for 60 yards (even though Flacco has completed 56 balls). Elder Smith no doubt will have Joe Haden following him around, but right now hes playing well enough that youd have to like his odds one on one against any defensive back. Below-average matchup for both Smiths. Also a slightly below-average matchup for the tight ends. Dennis Pitta led the team with 10 catches in the opener, but Owen Daniels is also out there all the time and is just as likely to catch touchdowns, given the way Gary Kubiak likes to use play-action and bootlegs around the goal line. Daniels caught 5 passes for 28 yards and 2 TDs in the win over Pittsburgh. Justin Tucker is an elite kicker. He can knock em in, and this offense tends to run out of ideas. Tucker has scored 132 and 140 points in his first two seasons. In his last 16 games, hes kicked at least three field goals in half of them. The Ravens Defense gets to play against a relatively inexperienced quarterback, so theres some potential there. Brian Hoyer has been solid thus far, but in his two complete games last year, he threw 3 interceptions and was sacked 6 times. The Ravens have the personnel to potentially come up with 3-4 sacks and multiple takeaways. They also have good kick return teams. BUFFALO (vs. S.D.): The Bills are 2-0, but its too early to say for sure if theyre for real. They might not be much better than last year (when they went 6-10). The running game seems to have slipped, and the defense might not be as good. We keep thinking back to the preseason, when the first-unit offense couldnt get out of its own way. Were slotting their players off this game going either way, with both teams scoring around 20-23 points. Were not sold on the running game. C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson will share time. Thus far, theyve each had one good game and one dud. Spiller averaged only 3.5 yards per carry in Week 1 against Chicago, while Jackson was down at 2.0 per attempt against Miami. With Spiller, the draw is his big-play ability. Hes one of the few running backs with the speed to bust loose for a 60-yard touchdown. He scored on a kickoff return last week, and he scored 6 TDs from 30- plus yards in his last two seasons. Leave him in there, and youll get some big touchdowns along the way. With Jackson, youre playing for the shorter, safer scores. Hes a better, more rugged ball carrier between the tackles, so hes more likely to get the ball at the goal line. He outscored Spiller 10-2 last year in large part because he got 18 carries inside the 5, while Spiller got none. So far this year, its 2-0 Spiller. But an average kind of matchup for them. San Diego ranked 12th against run last year, allowing 107 yards per game, and the Chargers have allowed 15 rushing touchdowns in their last 18 games. The Bills, meanwhile, have averaged 145 rushing yards per game in the Doug Marrone era, with 16 rushing TDs in 18 games. Sounds like about 135 rushing yards and a touchdown this week is the fair estimate. Anthony Dixon has 7 carries in the first two games, so looks like theyll work him in for a few touches as well. EJ Manuel is 2-0, but he looked awfully shaky erratic in the preseason, when he couldnt complete anything downfield or even deliver the short passes accurately. Hes thrown for only 173 and 202 yards in the first two games. His best attribute is his mobility; hes run for 3 TDs in 12 starts as a pro. But we just dont see enough. Theyll try to run. You cant really start him with any real expectation that hell make it up to 230 yards and 2 TDs. With it being a lesser situation for the passing game, were not particularly high on any of the receivers. But Sammy Watkins put together a breakout-type game against 5 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 Miami, and that potential must be recognized. Against Miami he caught 8 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, and he had another 45-yard touchdown stripped out of his hands as he was trying to control it on their opening drive. All through the preseason, Robert Woods was the better and more polished receiver, and he should outproduce Watkins in some games, but the rookie is simply a far more talented guy. Those are the two receiving threats to consider if you want to go that route. Mike Williams looks like a distant No. 3. The Bills seem to be souring on Scott Chandler (originally drafted by the Chargers back in 2007). In the preseason and again in the first two games, theyve been using him now as more of a pass catching specialist going with better blockers on early downs, it seems. Not really worth a fantasy roster spot anymore, in our eyes. Dan Carpenter is off to a big start. Hes knocked in 28 points in two games. But field goal attempts and wins tend to go hand-in-hand. Were not confident the Bills will win half of their remaining games, so Carpenters big workload should decline in a hurry. The Bills Defense looks like an above-average unit. It finished among the leaders last year in sacks (57) and interceptions (23). Its off to a good start, with 6 sacks and 3 interceptions. It also is probably one of the top half-dozen teams on kick returns. But its got a difficult matchup this week. Philip Rivers doesnt tend to make many mistakes just 31 sacks and 12 interceptions in 18 games under Mike McCoy. The Chargers dont have touchback machine, but theyve been outstanding covering kickoffs under 16 yards, on average, on the 9 that have been returned against them (and they faced Percy Harvin on Sunday). So very unlikely that youll see C.J. Spiller take another kickoff to the house this week. CAROLINA (vs. Pitt.): It may sound weird, given Pittsburghs rich defensive history, but its become a lesser defensive team. Not enough pass rush, and its been soft against the run. With this game being at home, we consider it to be an above-average situation for the Panthers. For starters, its a chance for the running game to get healthy. Carolina hasnt done much on the ground in the first two weeks. Jonathan Stewart hasnt averaged better than 2.5 per carry in a game yet. DeAngelo Williams popped a couple of runs against Tampa Bay but sat out last week with a thigh injury. He should return. They should both start getting back on track this week. The Steelers have allowed over 150 rushing yards in both of their games. At home against Cleveland, they allowed three different running backs to average over 6 yards per carry. So as poorly as the Panthers have played, this is a game where they could easily run for something like 130 yards. Stewart and Williams should get most of the carries. Mike Tolbert has been their main short- yardage back. He got a goal-line poke against Detroit but appeared to suffer some kind of upper-body injury on the play, setting up Stewart to come in and score. Chances are one of those two big backs will punch in a 1-yard touchdown in this game. Cam Newton looked very good against the Lions. He completed 65 percent, which is higher than what we typically see out of him, and he threw for 281 yards, which was better than all but one of his games last year. They really dialed him back last year (relying more on the defense), but Newton throws a really nice deep ball. Think back to his rookie year, when he put up record passing yards in his first two games. And for all the talk about him losing his top four wide receivers from last year, the quiet reality is those guys really werent that good. Steve Smith can still ball, but the other three arent even No. 3 receivers this year Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon. So this looks like a fair enough matchup for Newton. Pittsburgh doesnt have enough pass rush, and Brian Hoyer passed for 230 yards against them on opening day. Were putting Newton down for 240 yards, and if he were to play this game 16 times (a seasons worth) we figure hed probably throw about 24-25 TDs. Its a fair enough situation for the pass catchers. Greg Olsen is one fire right now. Hes caught 14 passes 6 more than anyone else on the team with one touchdown. The Steelers have allowed 5 TD passes to tight ends in their last six games. Kelvin Benjamin is their No. 1 receiver. He nearly made a difficult touchdown catch on Sunday, and including the preseason, twice hes caught touchdowns even while being interfered with by the defensive back covering him. Jerricho Cotchery is playing well enough; hes caught 8 passes (just like Benjamin), and you have to figure hell be jacked up to play his 2013 team. Jason Avant hasnt been much of a factor (including the preseason) but caught 5 passes and a touchdown last week. All of these guys are a little higher than usual on our board. Graham Gano is off to a solid start, with 8 and 10 points in his first two games. With the kind of ball they play, you would figure Gano might be a top-5 or top-10 kicker, but he scored only 114 points last year. The Panthers Defense is going without Greg Hardy, who led them with 15 sacks last year, but it didnt seem to slow them down much against Detroit. They still managed to come up with 4 sacks and an interception. Ben Roethlisberger doesnt tend to throw many interceptions (just 16 in his last 18 games) but hes a guy wholl hold the ball too long. Hes been sacked 47 times in those same 18 games. Carolina should get at least 3 sacks in this game. CHICAGO (at NYJ): The Bears had the leagues 2nd-highest scoring offense last year better than the Saints, Eagles, Patriots and every other non-Denver team in the league. But theyre not playing at that kind of level right now. Too many injuries. The Jets have some holes in their defense, but they also have difference makers, an aggressive scheme, and home-field advantage. We expect lesser production out of Chicagos offense probably around 20 points. Matt Forte, for starters, looks like a disaster. Running behind a line missing both guards, he averaged under 2 yards per carry last week at San Francisco. This defense is even better against the run, with two elite linemen (Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson) who can dominate at the point of attack. Eddie Lacy is a Forte-style runner, and he went for only 43 yards on 13 carries against this defense last week. Probably not 50 yards for Forte, and he has very little chance of running for a touchdown. The Bears havent scored any rushing touchdowns yet, while the Jets havent allowed any. If Forte is going to put together a serviceable statistical evening, it will be due to catching a healthy dose of dumpoff balls. Thats a big part of their offense. Forte caught 74 passes last year, and hes caught 13 passes for 102 yards in the first two weeks of the season. Jay Cutler tossed 4 TDs last week at San Francisco, but he looked pretty awful doing it. He finished with only 176 yards, and Chicago was really dead and buried in that game. He may have benefited from the 49ers simply easing up and then going flat in the second half. This is the same kind of defense. The Jets have the advantage up front to control the line of scrimmage and apply some pressure, but there are holes in that secondary. If the Bears can hang around and find ways to give Cutler time, hell eventually find some weaknesses. But it wont be easy. Aaron Rodgers eventually caught fire and finished with 346 yards and 3 TDs against this defense, but they had him on his heels early Rodgers 6 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 completed under 60 percent. We expect the same kind of cat-and-mouse game here, only the Jets now have a home crowd working with them. Were slotting Cutler for less production than usual (but if the Bears score 2 TDs in this game, theyll probably both come on passes). Were also slotting the wide receivers lower than usual. Brandon Marshall (ankle) and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) are both playing hurt, and it showed at San Francisco. Theyre not moving as well as usual. They have a huge talent edge over New Yorks cornerbacks, but the Bears have to figure out how to get Cutler time to throw. Mix that all together, and we think it makes sense to slot them a little lower than usual. Jordy Nelson, though, is a big Marshall-Jeffery type receiver, and he went over 200 yards against this defense last week. Santonio Holmes left the Jets on bad terms, so maybe theres some extra motivation, but hes not high enough in the pecking order for the Bears that we even want to start mulling whether he could be a significant player in this game. Martellus Bennett is playing the best ball of his career. Hes on his game right now, and theyre going to him more because of their receiver injuries. Bennett has caught 15 passes and 2 TDs in the first two weeks. Robbie Gould is probably one of the half dozen most talented kickers in the league, but this game could turn sour for the Bears. Well pass. The Bears Defense came up with 4 sacks and 3 interceptions last week against Colin Kaepernick, but well skip on them. Theyll be without five starters. Chicago managed only 1 sack and 1 interception in Week 1 against EJ Manuel. CINCINNATI (vs. Tenn.): The Bengals offense has been hit with a number of early injuries. A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert are three of their top receivers and probably none will play in this game. But Cincinnati clobbered the Falcons anyway last week, and we wont be surprised if they do the same to the Titans. Its a deep and talented team that to our eyes looks like one of the AFCs best. Giovani Bernard is the clear No. 1, but Jeremy Hill will be a solid part of a tandem in many weeks. Theyre still working in the rookie and building some trust in him. In the back-and-forth opener against Baltimore, Bernard touched the ball 20 times compared to just 4 for Hill. Against Atlanta, which the Bengals controlled for most of the way, it was a 32-17 split. Sizable workload for Bernard regardless; though hes averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, the Bengals are comfortable with him as the focal point of the offense. But Hill also had a healthy share of touches in the second game, and the team has probably noticed hes up at 4.9 yards per carry. Hes bigger and runs with more power and attitude than Bernard. Were placing little stock in the Titans holding Kansas City to just 67 yards on the ground in the opener; Andy Reid conceded his culpability in that one. Dallas mauled the Titans for 220 and a touchdown last week, and that was in Tennessee. Especially given the sorry state of Cincinnatis receiving corps right now, we expect another 30-plus touches for this duo. With Hill outweighing Bernard by 30 pounds, you might expect him to be a better bet for goal-line work, but thats not how the team has used the backs so far. Against Atlanta, Bernard took 4 straight carries inside the 10-yard line on one series, scoring a 4-yard touchdown. Later in the game, Hill handled an entire series that began at the Atlanta 43, finishing it with a short touchdown. Hes a change-of- pace back, not a specialist. A.J. Green has a toe or foot injury that Marvin Lewis has described only as not long-term. Were guessing he wont play in Week 3 (Cincinnati has a Week 4 bye), but even thats not certain. Well revisit in the Friday update. If he sits out, Mohamed Sanu will be the top target; the other healthy wideouts, Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Tate, cant be counted on for significant roles. Jermaine Gresham would be the other beneficiary; Tyler Eifert and Alex Smith are both on injured reserve, though Eifert can return in Week 10. (Cincinnati also signed Kevin Brock on Tuesday.) Sanu has the added benefit of the occasional gadget play where hell throw a pass; he played quarterback in high school and college, and is 3 for 3 for 148 yards in the NFL after completing a 50-yard bomb against Atlanta. We wont be too aggressive with Greshams projection, since Green missed almost all of last weeks game and the tight end still only caught 3 balls for 25 yards. Tennessee has been strong against the pass, holding its first two opponents to 189 yards, and Cincinnatis ground game is a lot healthier than its passing game. So were putting a modest grade on Andy Dalton, whos playing well but probably wont have to do as much. Were figuring he wont have A.J. Green available, either. Tennessee has 8 sacks through its first two games, another reason to think the Bengals will emphasize the run. Dalton did throw 3 TDs at Tennessee back in 2011 in a 24-17 win, but much has changed since then. Mike Nugent knocked in 5 field goals in Week 1, then missed 3 of 4 in Week 2. A little troubling, but its hard not to like the opportunities hes had so far, which should continue to be the case against Tennesee. Dan Bailey kicked 4 versus the Titans last week. The Bengals Defense is too talented to underestimate, with 5 sacks and 4 interceptions through two games. Jake Locker has made some strides, but he still strikes us as sack and error-prone in a tough environment. The Cowboys seemed to bait him into one of his 2 interceptions last week, and this is a much better defense. CLEVELAND (vs. Balt.): The Browns have scored 27 and 26 points in their first two games, and they won 24- 18 in the last meeting between these teams. Hapless as theyve been, the Browns have at least managed 2 TDs in all but one of their last eight games at home. So well put them down for about 20 points, even though theyre playing a defense that typically bottles them up. Prior to that last week, Cleveland lost 11 straight in this series and didnt score more than 17 points in any of those games. And the Ravens look tough as usual on defense, holding the Bengals and Steelers to a combined one touchdown in the first two games of the season. Cleveland has run for 183 and 122 yards in the first two weeks, with 3 TDs, but that facet of their offense should slow down substantially. Baltimore is a lot better against the run than Pittsburgh or New Orleans. The Ravens gave up only 79 rushing yards against the Bengals, and they were similarly effective against Pittsburgh (LeVeon Bell shook free for a couple of longer runs, helping the Steelers up to 99 yards). Were putting Cleveland down for 100 yards, with about a 50 percent chance of a rushing touchdown, but our heart isnt really in it. No real interest in these backs. Ben Tate (knee) hasnt been ruled out, but hes almost certainly down until they return from their Week 4 bye. It should be Terrance West carrying the load, with Isaiah Crowell getting about a third of the work. Neither West nor Crowell offers much in the passing game, which kills them in many fantasy formats. Brian Hoyer has made a few neat plays in his first two games, sneaking the team past New Orleans and keeping it competitive with Pittsburgh. But hes a lesser talent, and he could be exposed in this one. The Ravens have a much better pass defense than what hes seen. Think back to opening day a year ago, when Peyton Manning torched them for 462 yards and 7 TDs. Since that time, the Ravens in 17 games have allowed only 7 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 19 TD passes, with an average of 234 passing yards in those games. Two games into this season, theyve given up only one touchdown against Andy Dalton and Ben Roethlisberger, and both of those guys are way above where Hoyer will ever be. Were expecting about 210 yards and a touchdown, and hes not a factor as a runner. Youve got the home-field thing working in your favor, and thats about it. A lesser situation for the passing game means were lower than usual on the pass catchers. Jordan Cameron should return from the shoulder injury that sidelined him last week, but the Ravens did a great job against him in the last meeting. The Browns won that game and scored 24 points, but Cameron caught 1 pass for 4 yards. Andrew Hawkins looks like this teams best and busiest receiver right now. Hes caught a team-high 14 passes 6 more than anyone else. Miles Austin comes off a decent game (6 catches and a touchdown) but hes just an aging veteran whos played his best ball. Theyve got some other youngsters theyll rotate through, but these are just guys. Billy Cundiff almost fell out of the league when the Ravens released him, but hes salvaged his career in Cleveland. Hes hit 2 field goals in each of the first two games. Including the preseason, hes 13-14, with the only miss from 50-plus. As well as the Ravens play defense in the red zone, that can work in favor of opposing kickers. Baltimore allowed 130 kicking points last year, and its given up 21 to Mike Nugent and Shayne Graham the first two weeks of the season. The Browns Defense has some interesting pieces. Theyve got some pass rushers, and theyve got some quality in their secondary. Cleveland is sitting at 5 sacks and 2 interceptions after two games, which is solid enough, and Joe Flacco has had problems in those areas. In his last 18 games, Flacco has thrown 23 interceptions and taken 51 sacks (over 3 per game). The Browns also have one of the better punt returners in Travis Benjamin. DALLAS (at St.L.): Its fun to pick on the Cowboys, what with their egotistical owner, unremarkable head coach, and quarterback who has tended to come up small in the biggest games. Theyve blown more than their share of draft picks and free agency decisions, and their defense might be the leagues weakest. But forget all that for this week. Theyve got one of the leagues best running backs, and theyre facing a defense thats struggled against the run in its first two games. Were not sure its much better against the pass right now, either. Good situation for the Dallas offense. DeMarco Murray is running as well as any back in the league. He leads the league in rushing, and note that one of his two games was against a San Francisco defense that shut down Matt Forte in its other contest. Hes averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and its not as if he has a 40-yard run in there to skew things; his long is 22 yards. Now he faces a Rams defense that just let Bobby Rainey go for 144 yards. Its also a defense hes no doubt excited to match up, given the history. As a rookie back in 2011 he had a breakout game against St. Louis, going for 253 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown run. He faced them again last season, and went for another 175 yards and a touchdown. Both of those games were in Dallas, but the fields are the same size, right? Murrays getting a sizable workload (51 carries through two games), and it probably wont be scaled back this week. The only negative that can be argued against Murray is that the Rams went into Week 1 trying to contain Adrian Peterson and were able to do so, holding him under 4 yards per attempt. Joseph Randle left last weeks game with a concussion, so its possible Lance Dunbar will be the only other candidate for carries. Big thumbs up on Murray. Tony Romo looked pretty bad in the opener, throwing a trio of fluttering interceptions. He was better at Tennessee (no turnovers), but did so by primarily sticking with shorter throws and not forcing anything he averaged just over 6 yards per attempt and also took 4 sacks. With this looking like a choice matchup for the running game, we dont expect Romo to put up big numbers. St. Louis has defended the pass fairly well thus far, holding the Vikings and Bucs each under 180 yards. Matt Cassel and Josh McCown arent as adept as Romo, of course, but this is a strong pass rush that wont let much develop downfield. Plus the Cowboys shouldnt have to get away from the ground game very often. Romo has been sacked 7 times the first two games, a less than ideal situation for a quarterback coming off back surgery. It wont be a surprise if Romo finishes south of 200 yards for the second straight week. In those previous meetings where Murray rushed for 175- plus, Romo threw for 166 and 210 yards. He did throw 2 and 3 TDs in those contests, so we cant drop him too far, but 1-2 (with 2 slightly more likely than 1) looks like the correct projection. Lesser numbers for the passing game might have you looking away from Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, but that looks risky. Bryant caught touchdowns in both the 2011 and 2013 meetings, averaging 64 yards in those games. Witten scored in the 2011 game and went for 67 yards last year. Bryant thus far despite missing a good chunk of the opener due to injury/dehydration has caught a third of Romos completions (14 of 42) and accounts for 35 percent of the yards (158 of 457). He was targeted on nearly half (14) of Romos 29 attempts at Tennessee. Even if Romo puts up below-average numbers, Bryant should be in store for a solid day. Witten is less reliable, but was also targeted 7 times at Tennessee. Terrance Williams is off to a quiet start, with 6 catches for 70 yards and 1 TD through two games. The way Bryant is being targeted, hell probably need bigger numbers out of Romo to really have a noteworthy game. Miles Austin (2 for 22) did nothing in this matchup a year ago. Dan Bailey knocked in 4 field goals last week, and it is another game were there should be some points out of the Dallas offense. The Cowboys Defense appears a little higher in our rankings than normal. St. Louis will be quarterbacked by either Shaun Hill or Austin Davis, who may be fine when managing low-scoring contests, but lets see what happens if theyre forced to throw a little more than the Rams would like. If the Cowboys are piling up production on the ground, the Rams may be forced to be more aggressive in trying to keep up, giving Dallas a chance for some sacks and turnovers. DENVER (at Sea.): Its been masked a little bit by a 2-0 start and Peyton Manning throwing 3 TDs in each game, but Denvers record-busting offense has slipped a little. The running game isnt as good, and Manning isnt ripping defenses like he did last year. Hes thrown for only 269 and 242 yards in his first two games, and those were both at home against below-average defenses. Last year Manning finished under 280 yards in only two games all year 150 yards in a weather-affected loss at New England, and 266 yards when he sat out the second half of Week 17 at Oakland. Now the Broncos are in toughest possible situation on the road against one of the best pass defenses ever. This is a rare week where the Broncos might score only about 20 points. Manning is as good as they come capable of putting up 300 yards and 3 TDs against any defense but this remarkable defense has a way of making even outstanding quarterbacks look ordinary, especially at Century Link Field. 8 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 Franchise QBs at Seattle (2012-) Player Com Att Yds TD Int Aaron Rodgers 26 39 223 0 0 Tony Romo 23 40 251 1 1 Tom Brady 36 58 395 2 2 Drew Brees 23 38 147 1 0 Carson Palmer 13 25 178 1 4 Drew Brees 24 43 309 1 0 Aaron Rodgers 23 33 189 1 1 Its just a tough place to play, and an outstanding defense. Manning knows this, of course. He played one of the worst games of his career in the 43-8 Super Bowl loss against Seattle. He finished with 280 yards and a touchdown, but most of that production came in the second half, long after the result was determined. He tossed a couple of interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Seattle wasnt quite as good last week, and it has some injuries in its secondary. Maybe the Broncos can find some matchups to exploit. But his is a rare week where you can seriously think about starting other quarterbacks ahead of Manning. Were putting him down for 260 yards and 2 TDs, and hes probably more likely to fall to one touchdown than to climb up to 3. Montee Ball is starting to become a concern. Two weeks into the season, it doesnt look like hes as good as Knowshon Moreno. Certainly not as good as a pass catcher, and hes been surprisingly unproductive as a runner. Ball averaged only 2.9 yards per carry in Week 1 against Indianapolis, and he really wasnt much better against Kansas City. He ran for 60 yards on 12 carries, and 23 of the yards came when they ran a draw on a third-and-long. How is it possible for any running back to average only around 3 yards per carry when defenses are on their heels, far more concerned with Peyton Manning? Tough to envision Ball doing much of anything in this game. Seattles defense has allowed only 12 touchdowns in its last nine games at home, and only 3 have those touchdowns have been of the running variety. C.J. Anderson has outplayed Ball two weeks in a row, so hes a guy who should be tucked away with a roster spot to cover the possibility that Ball gets hurt or starts losing that job. Its a lousy situation, but its tough to seriously consider not using the Denver pass catchers. Julius Thomas is on fire; hes caught 4 TDs in two weeks. And the Seahawks great as they are just gave up 3 TDs to a tight end last week. You can be sure the Broncos will take a careful look at those plays. Pretty much everything went wrong for Denver in the Super Bowl last year, and Demaryius Thomas still caught 13 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Wes Welker caught 8 passes in that game. And Emmanuel Sanders has been pretty remarkable in his first two games, finishing with at least 29 more receiving yards than Demaryius Thomas in both of them. How do you bench any of these guys? With Welker presumably returning this week, Sanders should kick outside and play less in the slot, costing him some catches. This trio will work against a secondary thats a little thinner than it was in the postseason last year. And the Seahawks use Richard Sherman on one side, so the Broncos should be able to isolate guys in matchups at least at times. Brandon McManus kicks two more games before Matt Prater returns, but best to avoid him in this one. Seattle has allowed only 46 kicking points in its last nine games at home. The Broncos Defense should be OK for sacks. They have a nice pair of speed rushers, and Seattle allows sacks. It doesnt have a great pass-blocking line, and Russell Wilson will hold the ball at times. He was sacked 44 times last year. But Wilson doesnt throw interceptions just 9 in his last 18 games. DETROIT (vs. G.B.): Well call it an average matchup for the Lions, but were not excited about it. On the one hand, they have a bunch of nice offensive pieces. But they havent really put it all together, and theyve historically struggled against Green Bay. In this century, the Lions are 5-23 in this series. Most recently Detroit won 40-10 last Thanksgiving, but that was with Aaron Rodgers sidelined. In their last five games against the Packers when the franchise quarterback has been in place, the Lions have scored 7, 15, 20, 20 and 9 points. The Packers have a below-average run defense. We saw that in Week 1 when Marshawn Lynch was rumbling for 110 yards and 2 TDs. But the Lions havent gotten their ground game going yet. Joique Bell is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry, and Reggie Bush is down at 2.7. Bell has been getting more carries, while Bush has more potential to bust off a 70-yard play, and those kind of runs have tended to come at Ford Field for him. Bell ran for 117 yards and a touchdown in the Thanksgiving Day Massacre, but again, that was with Rodgers out, which completely changes Green Bays team. The Lions have run for only 76 and 70 yards as a team in their first two. With Green Bay having allowed over twice that in each of its games, well put Detroit down for 105 rushing yards, with a touchdown. The Packers have allowed 2 TD runs in each of their games. Matthew Stafford can sling it around. Hes thrown for 346 and 291 in his first two. But Green Bays defense is better against the pass than the run, and its also historically had some success against him. Set aside last years games, because Aaron Rodgers missed one of them and Calvin Johnson missed the other. Wind it back to 2012 and youll see Detroit scoring 20 points and losing in both of the games against Green Bay. Stafford threw for 264 and 266 yards in those two games, with 1 TD in each game. Not that hes chopped liver, but were not sticking him up with super elite guys this week. About 280 yards and 1-2 TDs is out expectation, with 2 TDs more likely than 1. The Packers have some good cornerbacks and might get pretty good pressure on Stafford, but its tough stopping Calvin Johnson. Hes gone over 100 yards in four straight games against them, as well as catching a touchdown in one of those. No reason to get too cute with Johnson. Golden Tate looks legit a lot better than the other receivers the team has used opposite Johnson over the years. Tate is catching whats thrown his way, and hes got some after-the-catch ability. Hes gone for 93 and 57 yards in his first two games, so right now hes on pace for an even 1,200 yards. Its his first game against Green Bay since his infamous Fail Mary touchdown in 2012. The Lions are using three tight ends. Brandon Pettigrew should play the most, but hes their worst pass catcher. You can see theyre eager to start tapping into Eric Ebron. Hes a pass-catching threat, and thats why they drafted him 10th overall. He got 5 targets at Carolina, and his role will continue to grow. Joseph Fauria is just a part-time player, but the team likes to utilize him in the red zone, so hes probably the most likely to score. Its kind of a mess. The Lions Defense has some upside. Playing at home and with considerable talent on the defensive line, it could exploit some of the weak spots in Green Bays depleted offensive line. Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 7 times in two games. But Rodgers has thrown only 21 interceptions in his last 42 games, so tough to envision him being harassed into multiple turnovers. The Lions have a top-10 kick returner, Jeremy Ross, and youve got to figure hed love to take one back against the team that released him last year. The Lions are mulling whether to make a change at kicker. Nate Freese has missed 3 field goals in two games, so the team has worked out Rob Bironas, Alex Henery and Garrett Hartley. Freeses next miss could be his last, and the team potentially 9 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 could even make a move this week. GREEN BAY (at Det.): Its not an easy thing, winning at Ford Field, but the Packers tend to find a way. Theyre 14-2 against the Lions the last eight years, and both of the losses came when they were without their quarterback. Aaron Rodgers got sidelined early by a concussion when they lost 7-3 in 2010. And Rodgers didnt play at all when the Lions rolled to a 40-10 win on Thanksgiving last year. But when Rodgers is in the lineup, Green Bay tends to do just fine in this series. Hes 9-0 in his full games against Detroit, and theyve scored at least 26 points in all but one of those games (a 22-9 win at Lambeau last year, where they ran more often and also settled for 5 field goals). The Lions have some talented defensive linemen, which is a concern, but with the holes they have in their secondary, you get the feeling Rodgers will break them down eventually. He ripped up a Jets defense with secondary issues last week, passing for 346 yards and 3 TDs. Detroit let a rusty Cam Newton pass for 281 yards and a touchdown last week, and hes not in Rodgers league as a passer. Were not high on Eddie Lacy. Hes struggled thus far, while Detroit has been very stout against the run. The Giants ran for only 53 yards at Detroit in Week 1, and the Panthers went for only 62 last week. Both of those teams averaged under 3 yards per carry. Lacy hasnt really gotten on track yet, and theyve got some offensive line issues. Sounds like he could be headed for a third straight game under 50 rushing yards. Lacy ran for 99 yards at Lambeau last year, but he carried only 10 times for 16 yards in the loss on Thanksgiving. A lesser matchup for Lacy. Rodgers is healthy and in the lineup, so its a good enough matchup for the wide receivers. Jordy Nelson looks like the No. 1 option right now; hes been more impressive than Randall Cobb in both games, and he went over 200 yards against the Jets. Cobb has been getting more looks around the goal- line, with 3 short TDs in the first two games. Its not a cherry situation for these receivers, but theyre starters for most every fantasy team that has them. There could be a change in that No. 3 receiver spot (which is basically a full-time player in this offense). Davante Adams played a lot more than Jarrett Boykin against the Jets in the final three quarters of that game, and Adams was a lot more impressive, catching 5 passes. Adams passes the eyeball test; looks like hell be really good after the catch. The usual route for Green Bay receivers is to let them sit for about a year, but Adams looks like hes moving into the top 3 right now. At tight end, its a three-way deal. Brandon Bostick could play his way into a role, but hes just a wait-and-see option. In the first two games, theyve used Richard Rodgers on most basic run-pass downs, and theyve tended to use Andrew Quarless when theyre definitely looking to pass. Were putting Quarless highest, but none of these tight ends look roster-worthy right now. With this game being at Ford Field, were going only above-average for Mason Crosby. He chipped in 16 points at Lambeau against the Lions last year, but he scored only 6 and 9 points in the two Detroit games the previous season. The Packers Defense seems to have Matthew Staffords number, so were putting them higher than you might think. In each of the last two years its gotten 6 sacks against him, with 3 interceptions in 2012 and 2 last year. HOUSTON (at NYG): The Texans lost 14 straight games to close out last season, but even then it was clear this wasnt a terrible team just one that made critical mistakes at inopportune times. Getting rid of Matt Schaub and getting Arian Foster back healthy have gone a long way to addressing Houstons key failings from a year ago, and suddenly the team is 2-0 and atop at the AFC South. We doubt theyll stay there, but heres another matchup where their offense and defense might both be just fine. The Giants are nothing special against either the run or the pass, and their offense is prone to the same kind of miscues that killed Houston a year ago. Arian Foster is on top of his game. With him missing half of last season, its easy to forget that hes an elite, three-down back when healthy. Hes up at 4.4 yards per carry, and regularly looks like hes close to busting every short run for an even longer game. His usage is a mild concern (nearly 30 touches per game), but for the moment were focusing on fielding a winning lineup in Week 3, so its full speed ahead with Foster. He hasnt been as big a part of the passing game in Bill OBriens offense (just 4 receptions), but Houston has been playing with a lead for most of the last two weeks, so too soon to say he wont also be busy as a receiver if game situation dictates it. The Giants held Detroit to 76 yards on the ground in Week 1, but that might not mean much the Lions were even less effective running the ball against Carolina, plus they lit New York up via the pass. Arizona rushed for 124 and a touchdown last week, and thats with Andre Ellington operating on a bum wheel. Foster will get almost all the snaps (minus a breather or two from Alfred Blue and perhaps Jonathan Grimes) and the game plan should revolve around him. New York will be without middle linebacker Jon Beason, sidelined last week with a toe injury, further helping Fosters outlook. Hes too good, and productive, to sit down in most leagues. Houstons passing game is less enticing. Ryan Fitzpatrick averages 21 pass attempts through the first two games. Its clear that the team has little interest in putting the ball in the air as long as the ground game is working, and theres little reason to think that will change against the Giants. Fitzpatrick has thrown 3 TDs and eked up over 200 yards in the opener, but that was largely due to a blown coverage and 76-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins that few quarterbacks could have failed to make. Not to dismiss Fitzpatrick, who has proved plenty capable of moving an offense in the past, but he wont be asked to do too much in most games beyond not get sacked and not commit any turnovers (and so far, so good; hes spotless in both areas). The Giants probably have a better offense than the Washington and Oakland groups Houston has shut down the first two weeks, so maybe Fitzpatrick has to do a little more here. But it will be a surprise if he throws for more than 220ish yards and 1-2 TDs, with 1 more likely than 2. Since letting Calvin Johnson catch 2 TDs in the first quarter of the opener, New York has now gone the last 7 quarters without giving up a score through the air. Andre Johnson is the main target, and like Foster hes tough to sit down as long as hes healthy. Fitzpatrick has completed just 28 passes, but 12 of them (43 percent) have gone to Johnson. New York proved in the opener it couldnt handle Megatron, and had some trouble staying with Larry Fitzgerald last week, as well. Fitzgerald caught 6 passes last week, and was open on several other occasions (and was unlucky to lose a touchdown on a play where he was determined to be just short of the goal line on a replay review). DeAndre Hopkins is a credible No. 2, but its debatable whether this passing game can support two wide receivers at this point. Hes at 111 yards through two games, with all but 35 of that coming on one play. Had a nifty touchdown catch last week, and as noted its possible Houston will need to pass a little more against this opponent than its had to the last two weeks. If the tight end is going to play a big role in this offense, it hasnt been apparent yet. J.J. Watt has as many catches lined up as a tight end (1) as 10 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 Garrett Graham, including the only touchdown. C.J. Fiedorowicz (foot) was ruled out on Friday last week, so were not counting on him returning; Ryan Griffin would again fill in. Randy Bullock had a short attempt blocked last week, but made his other three kicks, including one from 46 yards. The Giants have served up 7 field goal attempts through two games, including 6 successful ones only two teams have allowed more. The Texans Defense has a good pass rush, and the way the Giants are serving up turnovers and struggling to protect Eli Manning, were definitely interested in them in this matchup. INDIANAPOLIS (at Jac.): Pep Hamilton is fast becoming the least favorite offensive coordinator in fantasy football. He wants to develop a 49ers-style power running game, but the Colts dont really have the personnel to do that. Their offensive line isnt good enough, and their backs arent good enough. Many fans would like to see what would happen if Hamilton allowed Andrew Luck to let it rip. Luck averaged 273 passing yards per game as a rookie, and it seemed like he was on the fast track to becoming another Brees, Brady or Manning. When the Colts fell way behind in Denver in Week 1, Hamilton tossed out the game plan and let Luck pass for 370 yards and 3 TDs. But those games probably will be the exception. The Colts were at home on Monday night against an Eagles defense that ranked last in pass defense last year. They stuck with a run-oriented approach, with Luck throwing for only 172 yards. Hes got the nice pass-run ability; hell run for 20-plus yards in a lot of games, and he might score a third of their rushing touchdowns. But Lucks passing numbers will be well short of the big guns on a lot of Sundays. Hes not going to gun it like guys like Stafford and Ryan. Thats just not the way Hamilton wants to run that offense. Well put Luck down for above-average passing numbers this week. Jacksonvilles defense has been a sieve against the pass the first two weeks, giving up 610 yards and 4 TDs against Philadelphia and Washington. But the Colts probably wont be that aggressive. Were thinking more like 250 yards and about 2 TDs. Luck passed for 257 and 282 yards in the two Jaguars games last year, but with only 3 TDs in those two games. The backfield looks a lot like last year, only with Ahmad Bradshaw replacing Donald Brown. Trent Richardson is the starter and getting more carries, but Bradshaw is simply better. Hes averaging 5.3 yards per carry, while Richardson is down at 3.7. Richardson had 2 fumbles in the Eagles game, including one in the second half that helped turn the game. We expect them to share time going forward, with Richardson getting slightly more touches but Bradshaw getting more yards. Its a time share. Theyre facing a lesser Jacksonville run defense. The Jaguars played pretty well for a lot of their opening day loss at Philadelphia, but that was a poor and beaten defense at Washington on Sunday, giving up 191 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Were putting the Colts down for 120 and a touchdown. It looks like an average-type matchup for the passing game, so were putting the pass catchers in their usual kind of spots. Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton should be the top receivers when all is said and done. Theyve caught 11-12 passes so far. But neither one has scored, and neither one has gotten downfield for any big plays. Its a dink-and-dunk system right now. The third receiver, Hakeem Nicks, is the king of the short ball thus far, down at only 5.3 yards per catch. With these three involved, and a couple of pass-catching tight ends, its tough to get excited about anybody on this team becoming a reliable receiving performer. The Colts should win this one comfortably, and that makes Adam Vinatieri look appealing. He scored 13 and 12 points in his two games against Jacksonville last year. This opponent has allowed 10 and 11 kicking points in its first two game. Those are good indicators. Jacksonville allowed 10 sacks last week, which bodes well for the Colts Defense, but Indianapolis doesnt really have any top-level pass rushers. Robert Mathis had 19.5 sacks last year, but hes out for the year, making Indianapolis look like a bottom-5 sack team. A week removed from getting gouged by Washington, you can be sure the Jaguars will make offensive corrections to ensure it doesnt happen again. JACKSONVILLE (vs. Ind.): Jacksonville probably wont win this game, but it could at least be competitive (as in about 20 points). The offense was hapless last week at Washington, but it started well enough at Philadelphia. And the Colts arent anything special on defense. By the end of the year, Indianapolis probably will rank in the bottom 10 in rushing defense, and it has no pass rush, so many opposing quarterbacks will have good days against them. We cant sign off on Toby Gerhart. Jacksonvilles running game just looks broken right now. It struggled all through the preseason, and hes averaged only 2.0 yards per carry in the real games. Whats worse, the two defenses hes struggled against both gave up plenty of yards in their other games. Eventually theyll get this thing figured out, but for right now, Gerhart doesnt look like hes going to hit even 50 yards. Chad Henne had the nice opening quarter against Philadelphia. Since then, hes struggled. Hes thrown only one touchdown in his last seven quarters, and he had only 193 yards at Washington. Best we can offer in his defense is that the Colts dont have much of a pass rush. Henne was sacked 10 times last week; hell have time to throw this time around. He went for 331 yards and a touchdown when Jacksonville lost 30-10 at Indy in Week 17 last year. With a fleet of hungry young receivers to throw to, its at least possible hell throw for something like 270 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Were putting him down for 240 yards and 1-2 TDs, but its probably more likely to be just the one touchdown. As Henne continues to struggle, it becomes more likely the Jaguars will take a peek at Blake Bortles for the final quarter of one of these games. The Jaguars have some receiving talent, but they dont have a clear go-to guy. Allen Hurns had the big first quarter at Philadelphia, but he wasnt much of a factor at Washington. He dropped what could have been a 76-yard touchdown early, and he suffered a sprained ankle on the last play that doesnt look too bad. How much better (if at all) is he than Cecil Shorts III (who should return this week) and Marqise Lee? Theyve also got Allen Robinson, whos been coming on and had a big 54-yard catch at Washington. Jacksonville will be without Marcedes Lewis for the next eight games, which helps these wide receivers. The Jaguars dont have another tight end whos anywhere near the caliber of Lewis as a pass catcher. We dont have any confidence in Josh Scobee as a kicker right now. The team around him simply isnt good enough. The Jaguars Defense has a much better pass rush than last year; its got 8 sacks in its first two games. But Andrew Luck is one of the better quarterbacks at getting the ball out of his hands and avoiding turnovers. KANSAS CITY (at Mia.): Snow and cold tends to be prominently featured late in the year, but heat and humidity early in the season might be just as severe. We saw it in Week 1 with the Patriots losing at Miami, and it showed up again in Week 2, with Seattle wilting in 100-degree temperatures in San Diego. This could be the same kind of game. Kansas City probably would win on a 11 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 12 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 neutral field, but Miamis home-cooking advantage could make for a long afternoon. While Miamis defense played poorly at Buffalo, it was outstanding in its home opener against New England. A lesser matchup, we think for Kansas City. Jamaal Charles is out with a high-ankle sprain. Knile Davis is arguably a top-5 back as a fill-in against most any defense. Hes a talented, well-rounded back, and thats just the featured guy in this offense. When Charles was injured early against Denver, Davis (against a good defense) scored 2 TDs, ran for 79 yards and caught 6 passes for 26 more. He put together the same kind of game when Charles suffered a concussion on the opening drive of the playoff loss at Indianapolis in January 2 TDs, 67 rushing yards and 7 catches for 33 yards. When Davis started at San Diego in Week 17 last year, he scored 2 TDs and put up 67 total yards. He can play. Its a below-average matchup for him, but 100 total yards and a touchdown are certainly in play. Alex Smith is one of the better game manager quarterbacks. Hes careful with the ball, and hell run for first downs when the openings are there. Hes run for 36 and 42 yards the last two weeks. But he doesnt like taking chances. He wont drive the ball downfield for the big throws. Hes working the underneath stuff. As Kansas Citys quarterback, hes averaged 222 passing yards, with 24 TDs in 17 games. Thats what he is. We have only nominal interest in him against this defense. Miami will cause pass-rushing problems against that makeshift offensive line, and the Dolphins have allowed only 19 TD passes in their last 18 games, which is pretty remarkable. (Miami has allowed fewer TD passes since the start of the 2013 season than the Seahawks, believe it or not.) We have no interest in any of Kansas Citys wide receivers. Miamis pass defense is tough, and those wideouts are pretty much decoys in this system anyway. Dwayne Bowe has played 17 games with Alex Smith at quarterback and hasnt had more than 70 yards in any of them. Just 5 TDs in those 17. Donnie Avery is the other starter, and hes even worse. Instead this passing game is built around getting the ball to the tailback (Davis this week) and the tight ends. Travis Kelce is their speedy second tight end; he caught 4 passes for 81 yards at Denver. And Anthony Fasano is a sneaky effective weapon in the red zone. Setting aside the games he missed with injuries, Fasano has been on the field when Alex Smith has thrown 14 TDs; Fasano caught a team-high 4 of those during that span over a quarter. So in a ballpark sense, if you figure that Smith throws one touchdown in this game (which is about what were figuring), then probably a 25-30 percent chance it will go to Fasano. Fasano used to play for Miami, so maybe hell do a better job adjusting a little bit to the heat and humidity. Cairo Santos may be a missed kicked away from the waiver wire. He missed a 37-yarder at Denver, and he hit the upright twice back in the Week 1. He just doesnt seem to be NFL material. The Kansas City Defense will be missing Pro Bowlers Eric Berry and Derrick Johnson, but lets not wave the white flag just yet. It still has the pair of impressive pass-rushers coming from the edges (Tamba Hali and Justin Houston), and Ryan Tannehill has had problems holding the ball too long. He was sacked a league-high 58 times last year, and hes gone down 5 times this year. Kansas City potentially could get 3 sacks in this game. Their special teams will get a lot better when DeAnthony Thomas returns from a hamstring injury; he scored on a long punt return in the preseason. Thomas likely will be in uniform this weekend. MIAMI (vs. K.C.): This looks like a slightly better-than- average situation for the Dolphins. Theyre better at home, and theyre playing against a Kansas City defense thats missing three starters (including a pair of Pro Bowlers). Knowshon Moreno is out with a dislocated elbow, so Lamar Miller is on the radar as a possible big-time player for the next two weeks (especially next week against Oakland). Miller will be their featured runner, and Miamis ground game is a lot better this season. The offensive line is improved, and the scheme is better. At home (where they might benefit from heat and humidity) and facing a defense thats probably below-average against the run, top-10 rushing numbers are possible. Kansas City got gouged for 162 rushing yards back in Week 1 before rebounding with 88 yards in the loss at Denver. Were putting Miami down for 120 rushing yards, with Miller getting the bulk of it and Damien Williams serving as a change-of- pace guy off the bench. Miller is also an above-average pass catcher; hes caught 6 passes in two games. We have issues with Ryan Tannehill. Hes missing too many big throws touchdowns. He doesnt seem to be able to throw the long ball, and those kind of misses can swing games. He missed multiple touchdowns against New England, and he wasnt any better at Buffalo. He had Mike Wallace positioned for a long touchdown, but the throw was too far and turned into a contested ball that was knocked down. He just doesnt look like a top quarterback. And Tannehill doesnt seem to have a good feel for running the read-option. He doesnt keep the ball often enough, and hes not gaining anything when he does. Tannehill is a lot faster than Nick Foles, but Foles does a better job running those plays. So were not big Tannehill fans. Here he faces a secondary that will be without Eric Berry, but can he take advantage? Kansas City still has a pair of dangerous edge rushers. This defense played well enough against Peyton Manning last week, limiting him to 242 yards and 3 TDs (at Mile High, thats an above-average day against Manning). Kansas City was a disappointment in Week 1, letting Jake Locker throw for 266 and 2 TDs. Were putting Tannehill down for 235 yards and 1-2 TDs an average-type day. Mike Wallace is a must-start kind of guy right now. Theyre making a much larger effort to get the ball in his hands. Hes seen 19 targets in the first two weeks, with 12 catches and 2 TDs. With better throws, he would have another couple touchdowns. Brian Hartline finished with more catches and yards than Wallace last year, when those guys were pretty much interchangeable, but Wallace is way ahead of Hartline now. Jarvis Landry seems to have taken the No. 3 receiver job. He played a lot more than Brandon Gibson and Rishard Matthews at Buffalo. Landry also returns punts and kickoffs, if your league rewards such things. Charles Clay is a healthy part of the offense. Hes seen 14 targets the first two weeks, 2nd-most on the team. Hell face a defense thats allowed 3 TDs to tight ends so far. Miami should win this game, maybe comfortably, so were putting an above-average grade on Caleb Sturgis. He kicked 4 field goals in his last home game. The Dolphins Defense looks like one of the better options. It probably has a top-10 pass rush. Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon were all over Tom Brady in Week 1, while Alex Smith is working behind a depleted offensive line. Smith has been sacked 6 times in two weeks, and were thinking another 3-4 could be on the way. Smith has thrown only 20 interceptions in his last 42 starts, but if Miami can get a lead in this game, hell have to open it up and start taking more chances. In the last six games Smith has lost by over a touchdown, hes thrown 9 interceptions. MINNESOTA (at N.O.): The schedule makers havent been kind to Minnesota. Last week they hosted an offensive juggernaut coming off a tough loss (New England). Now theyll travel to 13 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 face one, a Saints team that plays its best ball at home. And not just on offense: a year ago New Orleans allowed just 15.6 points in eight home games, compared to 22.3 on the road, so nearly a touchdown fewer per game in the Superdome. San Francisco (20) was the only visitor to score more than 17 points against the Saints last year. Tall order for the Vikings offense, and thats without even factoring the likelihood of the Adrian Peterson controversy proving to be a major distraction. On Monday, the Vikings said theyd let the legal system play out with regard to Adrian Peterson; by Wednesday, with pressure and criticism coming from all sides (and as high up as the Governor of Minnesota), they deactivated him again. Matt Asiata draws his second straight start, and it seems safe to assume hell be in that role for the foreseeable future. The wild card is rookie Jerick McKinnon, who played roughly a third of the snaps last week and is a lot faster and more talented than Asiata. McKinnon is pretty raw; he played more quarterback than running back in college. But no doubt the team would like to get that talent on the field to give defenses more to worry about than the plodding Asiata. The matchup looks to be at least an average one, with the Saints allowing 122-123 yards and 1 TD in each of their first two games. A year ago they were 19th against the run. But once the Vikings fall behind, and they probably will, these backs will make their greatest impacts in the passing game. Asiata took a short throw down the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown last week, but also let another ball carom off his hands for an interception. McKinnon was thrown to 3 times, catching 2 (although for just 5 yards). Our biggest concern with the running game is not the defense or the committee, but our sense that New Orleans will put a lot of points on the board in its home opener, forcing Minnesota to the air. That didnt work out so well against New England. When your head coach has to confirm at his postgame press conference that youre still the starting quarterback, its probably not a good sign for your longevity in the role. Not that Matt Cassel is all bad, but he is what he is. Hell be successful in weeks where the running game and defense are playing well and he doesnt have to force anything. When the team falls behind, as it did against the Patriots and likely will against the Saints, his accuracy and decision- making liabilities will crop up, probably in a haze of turnovers. New Orleans has a good pass rush (we think), though it hasnt shown up yet this season (2 through two games). It should be able to get some pressure on Cassel, and the mistakes will likely follow. The Vikings have lost three of the nine games quarterbacked by Cassel by double digits, and in those contests hes thrown 2, 3 and 4 interceptions (just 3 interceptions in his other six full games). This looks like a double-digit loss. Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, so its a little odd he didnt handle the ball in that capacity last week. Minnesota put him in the backfield on a couple of plays but didnt hand it off. Perhaps now that theyve sufficiently cast some doubt on what theyll do in those situations, theyll try the plays that put the ball in their best playmakers hands. Patterson looks a lot more appealing as a fantasy prospect when hes not entirely reliant on Cassel throwing him the ball. In any case, the Saints had a lot of trouble staying with Falcons receivers in Week 1, and had a couple of breakdowns against the Browns last week (including one to set up the game-winning field goal). Patterson is too talented not to get plenty of chances with the ball in his hands one way or another this week, especially with Minnesota probably needing to take some chances to keep up. Greg Jennings is a lesser option, though weve noted his strong rapport with Cassel. Against the Patriots, he was an afterthought behind the teams other pass catchers, with just 1 grab for 4 yards. Were more interested in Kyle Rudolph, who caught a touchdown in the opener and then was targeted a team- high 8 times in Week 2. Hes a lot better than what the Saints have seen from the position so far, but Levine Toilolo caught a touchdown and Gary Barnidge (Gary Barnidge!) caught 4 balls for 41 yards. Blair Walsh had a field goal blocked for a touchdown last week, but otherwise is solid. We think Minnesota will need to score touchdowns rater than field goals here, however. The Vikings Defense is most interesting for Cordarrelle Pattersons kick return potential on a fast track. It probably wont get many sacks or turnovers off Drew Brees. NEW ENGLAND (vs. Oak.): With the Patriots hosting one of the leagues worst teams, we thought wed explore how theyve fared in recent years against pushovers teams that ended up winning 5 or fewer games, which seems to be a certainty with this Raiders squad. The results werent as convincing as we expected. In the last four years, New England has played 10 such games. In 2010, they won three games against 4-12 Buffalo and Cincinnati teams, but lost to a 5-11 Cleveland team. In 2011, they edged 2-14 Indianapolis (31-24) and 5-11 Washington (34-27). In 2012, they were upset 20-18 by a Cardinals team that finished 5-11, and won 23-16 against a 2- 14 Jacksonville club. Last year they beat 2- 14 Houston by a field goal and 4-12 Cleveland by a point. So while theyve won eight of ten against that lesser opposition, only three times have they won by more than a touchdown (and all three came back in 2010). So while New England, should win this game, we wont get all crazy predicting a wild blowout where even their second- and third-stringers have value. The Vegas numbers suggest about a 30-17 win, which sounds about right. Were not sure the Raiders are actually softest against the run; a year ago, in fact, they were much better against the run (13th) than the pass (27th). But their offense is weak enough that teams will emphasize the ground game rather than risk making a lot of mistakes through the air (and possibly giving up a cheap touchdown). Through two games theyve faced 6 more rushing attempts than any other team. Thats part of why theyre giving up a league-worst 200 yards per game, even though half a dozen teams are worse in terms of yards per carry. In any case, they can be run on, and thats probably what New England will do. Stevan Ridley should be the main ballcarrier. He seemed to be on the outs in the preseason, but hes started the first two games and got to tote it 25 times in Week 2, with those carries going for 101 yards and a touchdown. Unless he fumbles it away (a legitimate concern for those who put him in the lineup), hell get the bulk of the rushing attempts, especially once the team builds a lead. Houston just pounded away at Oaklands front seven with Arian Foster last week, and our guess is the Patriots will do the same. Back in 2011, the last time these teams met, BenJarvus Green- Ellis rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown, and Ridley came in to rush for 97 yards and a touchdown of his own. A good game for Ridley probably wont be good for Shane Vereen. Last week Vereen totaled just 41 yards, and if you look at his games from last year when Ridley and/or LeGarrette Blount had strong games, those were typically his worst. In seven games last year where that tandem was held under 100 yards (including the postseason), Vereen totaled 159, 72, 91, 75, 162, 21 and 93 yards, with 48 receptions in those seven games (nearly 7 per game; he had just 6 receptions total in the three games listed above). In this matchup, if you buy into our expectations for Ridley, it makes 14 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 sense to downgrade Vereen. Tom Brady is off to a slow start. He struggled in the second half against Miami, then attempted only 22 passes in a methodical win at Minnesota, finishing with just 149 yards and 1 TDs. Theres risk in underestimating a quarterback of his caliber against a soft defense, but this could be another quiet game for him. Oakland has a punchless offense and has really been pummeled on the ground its first two weeks: 212 rushing yards for the Jets, 188 for the Texans. The Patriots have a much better passing game than either of those teams, but if the ground game is working, Brady wont need to do as much. Were going with average to below-average numbers for Brady, and that projection filters down to the wide receivers. The pecking order has been pretty clearly established. Julian Edelman is the top target, and should be a primary read whenever Brady drops back to pass. But big passing numbers dont look as likely in this particular matchup. Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson are secondary wideouts; those guys were only targeted a combined 3 times at Minnesota. Kenbrell Thompkins and Brandon LaFell have quickly become afterthoughts, with Thompkins inactive and LaFell not targeted last week. Dobson appears to have passed Thompkins and LaFell in the pecking order. That could change based on matchups, but probably not here. You cant drop Edelman too far after he caught 6 of Bradys 15 completions at Minnesota; a similar percentage of the passing game should be in store. Note that when these teams met in Oakland back in 2011, and Green-Ellis and Ridley combined for 172 yards, Brady still threw for a respectable 226 yards and 2 TDs. In that game Oakland was hopeless trying to stay with Wes Welker, who caught 9 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Thats the role Edelman holds in the offense. Working his way back from knee surgery, Rob Gronkowski has played fewer than half the snaps in New Englands first two games. Thats contributed to him putting up modest numbers just 72 total yards and 1 TD in those contests. But hes been targeted 17 times, including 6 even in Bradys quiet Week 2. Oakland doesnt have anyone who can cover him, so its risky to sit Gronkowski down. If you count J.J. Watts short touchdown last week (he was lined up as a tight end), that position has done fine against Oakland thus far. Jeff Cumberland caught 4 balls for 50 yards in the opener. Stephen Gostkowski is at home and facing a soft defense, but this could go similarly to the 2011 game, where he kicked 4 extra points but just 1 field goal. The Patriots Defense matches up with a rookie quarterback, and should get some opportunities for sacks, turnovers and probably defensive touchdowns. Carr took 2 sacks in his first start and threw 2 picks in his second, and New England baited Matt Cassel into several mistakes once it built a lead last week. NEW ORLEANS (vs. Minn.): The Saints are 0-2 after a pair of tough losses, but those were both on the road, where Sean Paytons team has traditionally underperformed both on offense and defense. Now theyre back at the friendly Superdome, facing a team thats soft defensively and (although well be careful not to overrate it) has to be somewhat distracted by the ongoing Adrian Peterson controversy. Big game coming for New Orleans. Drew Brees has been pretty mortal thus far, averaging 285 yards and throwing 3 TDs in two games. That was against a Falcons defense that sees him twice a year and a Cleveland defense with a lot of talent in the secondary, and both were on the road. Brees is much better at home than away yardage is similar in both places, but he throws a lot more touchdowns at the Superdome. Last year it was 27 TDs at home versus 12 on the road, so more than a 2-1 margin. Minnesota has allowed only 1 TD through the air so far, but were dismissing the Shaun Hill/Austin Davis aerial attack, and New England pummeled the Vikings on the ground and via turnovers. Last week Minnesota allowed 37 TDs through the air, which was 4 more than any other team thats the kind of matchup Brees is looking at, and no doubt the Saints will be in a testy mood after dropping their first two games, looking to remind everyone that theyre one of the NFLs elite teams. Its going back to 2011, but Brees shredded the Vikings up when he faced them in Minnesota that season, throwing for 412 yards and 5 TDs in a 42-20 win. Mark Ingram (hand) is down for at least a month, and thats a blow to this offense he was running hard and averaging a healthy 6.0 yards per carry. But the Saints will persevere, we suspect, with Khiry Robinson in that main running back role, with Pierre Thomas likely continuing as the passing downs back. Travaris Cadet will also play, but Robinson should lead the team in carries. Hes carried the ball just 14 times so far, but those have gone for 59 yards (4.2 per attempt) and a touchdown. He proved in last years playoffs he can handle a significant role, with 45 yards in the win at Philadelphia and 57 and a touchdown in the loss in Seattle. Minnesota held the Rams to 72 yards in a lopsided win, but got mauled for 150 yards and a touchdown against New England which team is more similar on offense to the Saints? If you picked Robinson up off waivers this week, dont hesitate to throw him right into the lineup. Theres a degree of week-to-week unpredictability with the Saints passing game. Receivers shuffle on and off the field based on matchups, and then the Browns did a nice job last week of taking their primary targets, Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks, away. But the Browns have Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert, and the Vikings cornerbacks arent in that league. Colston should bounce back, and we suspect the team will get the ball into Cooks hands, as well. Cooks has touched the ball 13 times on offense the first two games, and the fast track of the Superdome should help his game. Cooks is also averaging 25 yards per game as a runner. Kenny Stills also could be worth a role of the dice. Brees tends to throw for 3- plus touchdowns in a lot of his home games, so the probability of hitting on one of those 60-yard bombs to Stills is significantly higher. Stills should be mostly an outside speed receiver in this offense. Probably too soon to talk about Jimmy Graham breaking the tight end record for receiving yards (1,327), but with 200 through two games, hes on pace to shatter it. Graham caught 7 balls for 70 yards and a touchdown when these teams met in 2011, just another day at the office for him. Shayne Graham should be busy in this game, but we suspect hell primarily be kicking extra points. New Orleans kicked 6 of them, and no field goals, in the 2011 meeting. Maybe Minnesotas defense is a little better, but New Orleans offense probably wont be stalling a lot. The Saints Defense has been a disappointment so far, but theres a lot of potential to make things right against Matt Cassel. His 4-interception, 6-sack game against New England was how things have tended to go for him when his team falls behind, and thats our expectation for Minnesota here. N.Y. GIANTS (vs. Hou.): The Texans have allowed just 20 points in their first two games, but lets hold off on proclaiming this any kind of defense to avoid. A struggling Robert Griffin III and Derek Carr; thats what the Texans have faced so far. Not that the Giants offense is playing well, but theyve faced pretty good Detroit and Arizona defenses, and many of their problems have been self-inflicted. We wont underestimate the possibility of the 15 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 Giants scoring 20-plus points in this one and getting their first win. In our eyes, with the game being at MetLife, its a surprise that Houston is favored. Start with Rashad Jennings. He had a very soft fumble to kill New Yorks chances at tying up Arizona late last week. Hes off to a slow start, as well, down at just 3.2 yards per carry, with 1 TD. But the Giants want to get that ground game going, and this may be a defense to get it going against. Houston, believe it or not, is allowing 5.8 yards per carry through two games worst in the league. Alfred Morris carried 14 times for 91 yards (6.5), while Roy Helu was at 4 for 46 (11.5). Darren McFadden managed only 37 yards on 12 carries (3.1), but hes not the back he once was, and he scored a touchdown in that game (plus Oakland is starting a rookie at quarterback). Nothing special, we dont think, about this run defense, so even though Jennings is pretty ordinary, hell have some chances to gain some yards. Hes also been a productive receiver so far 4 catches for 45 yards in the opener, and 4 for 50 last week. He hasnt really been pushed by rookie Andre Williams yet; Williams is at 1.6 yards per carry and displayed his lack of receiving ability by dropping an easy chance against Arizona. Dont hesitate to consider Jennings a viable option in this game. Eli Manning has thrown 4 picks through two games, but he played fairly well against Arizona. He threw for 277 yards and 2 TDs, and his 26 of 39 stat line would look even better if his receivers hadnt dropped 4-5 passes. Houston has allowed an average of 265 yards in its first two games, with 1 TD, and theyve yet to face a quarterback as capable when hes not throwing passes up for grabs, anyway as Manning. Its a good pass rush and a poor offensive line, but we have some interest in Manning. Wed be higher on him if we didnt think the Giants would emphasize the run, and probably have some success working the ball downfield that way. Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle are talented guys. Cruz has proved it over the past several years, while Randle has shown flashes like on an impressive one-handed touchdown grab against Patrick Peterson last week. Now can they hang onto the ball with any consistency? Cruz dropped several last week, and Randle had a costly miscue late. Houston didnt do anything special against Pierre Garcon in Week 1 (10 for 77) and gave up some nice numbers to James Jones (9 for 112, TD) last week. Also working in these players favor is that Manning might have to lean on them a little more than normal; third receiver Jerrel Jernigan is done for the season with a foot injury. Undrafted Corey Washington will likely slide into that third spot, at least until rookie Odell Beckham shakes his hamstring injury, and either might take a while to earn Mannings trust. Beckham could add some playmaking sizzle into this offense once hes up to speed. The Giants deserve some credit for producing fantasy-worthy tight ends. Jake Ballard (604 yards) in 2011, Martellus Bennett (626) in 2012, Brandon Myers (522) last year. Now Larry Donnell has 12 receptions for 137 yards and 1 TD through two games. Houston gave up serviceable games to Niles Paul (4 for 86) and Mychal Rivera (5 for 31) in its first two. Donnell is a big part of the offense right now; he was on the field on a little 1-yard toss to second tight end Daniel Fells last week. Somewhat unbelievably, Josh Brown has yet to attempt a field goal this season. Houston has allowed 2 through two games, so straight off the numbers, he has about a 50 percent shot of kicking his first this week. The Giants Defense faces a quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick whos been exceedingly careful thus far; no sacks or interceptions in the first two games. Thats been easy to do while controlling a couple of teams that were struggling on offense, but New York should be more competitive, giving them a chance to show why Fitzpatrick seems to wear out his welcome in different NFL cities fairly quickly. New Yorks pass rush looked good against the Cardinals. N.Y. JETS (vs. Chi.): The Jets are a 1-point favorite in this game, and thats probably not enough. Chicago is on the road and dealing with a lot of injuries. New York should control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and that could lead to a pretty comfortable win. It hasnt really sunk in yet, but the Jets have one of the leagues best running games. This will be a top-5 running offense. The Bears, on the other hand, had the leagues worst run defense last year, and it might still be a bottom-10 group. The Bills ran for 193 yards against them in Week 1, and the 49ers were on their way to a similar kind of night until they started shooting themselves in the foot. New York ran for 212 and 146 yards in its first two games, making us think they might churn out about 170 in this one. Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory will do most of the damage, and this is more of an even time- share that what you may have expected. After two games, Johnson has a 25-23 edge in carries, while Ivory has a 145-89 edge in yards. Toss out a 71-yard touchdown by Ivory and its been pretty even. Ivory is their main back in short- yardage situations. Johnson has the advantage of also catching passes (hes got 6 receptions after two weeks, while Ivory wont catch 6 passes all year). Get the picture? Johnson no doubt will run hard in this primetime game looking to show the nation that hes better than the back the Titans released. Neither back is an elite guy that anybody wants to plug into a starting lineup, but theyre both good enough that they need to be considered. If the Jets score 14 rushing touchdowns this year, Geno Smith will probably score about 4 himself, and probably 1-2 TDs will be scored by Sheldon Richardson, the defensive lineman they like to use as a fullback at the goal line. Richardson scored 2 TDs late last year, and thats just the kind of stunt Rex Ryan would probably love to pull in front of a national TV audience. Geno Smith should play a lesser role. Hes not a great passer. He confirmed that when he went only 16 of 32 at Green Bay. And they dont want him giving away the game by serving up turnovers against a defense that picked off Colin Kaepernick 3 times on Sunday. Smiths main strength is his mobility. Hes run for 64 yards and a touchdown in the first two weeks. He ran for 6 TDs in 16 games last year. But running can get you only so far. Smith has passed for only 221 and 176 yards in his first two games, with 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. Tough to see him lighting up a pass defense thats been pretty solid against EJ Manuel and Colin Kaepernick in its first two games. Not a great matchup for the passing game, so were putting modest grades on the pass catchers. Eric Decker is the No. 1 option. Hes caught 9 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in the first two games. But he suffered a hamstring injury at Green Bay, so his status will need to be confirmed. Right now were ranking him as if hell be OK. David Nelson is the other outside receiver, while Jeremy Kerley will work the slot, but no reason to even think about those guys unless Decker is ruled out (and even then you wouldnt want to rely on them). Jeff Cumberland is a pretty ordinary receiver; hes caught 4 TDs since the start of the 2013 season. If the Jets can get their running game fired up and take this game by the horns, Nick Folk could be a top-5 kicker. He had multiple field goals in 12 of his last 18 games. But the ingredients looked even stronger back in Week 1 (when the team was home against the Raiders) and he scored a modest 7 points in a sluggish 19-14 win. The Jets Defense will probably try to throw some 16 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 pressure at Jay Cutler. New York was able to sack Aaron Rodgers 4 times on Sunday. But Marc Trestman is careful about keeping his quarterbacks out of harms way. The Bears have allowed only 33 sacks in 18 games since Trestman took over. And New York doesnt have any playmakers in its secondary (no interceptions in two games). OAKLAND (at N.E.): We dont need to pick on the Raiders: Charles Woodson will do it for us. We suck, he said after Oakland fell to 0-2. Close to halftime in that game, more than half of Oaklands 78 yards of total offense had come on a 41-yard quarterback draw. It was the fourth quarter before they ran a play inside the Houston 30-yard line. There are some prideful veterans on this team and strange things happen in the NFL every week, but its difficult for us to see Oaklands offense doing much of anything in this game. Maurice Jones-Drew (hand surgery) probably will miss at least one more game, giving Darren McFadden another shot at a featured role. McFadden didnt do much with it against Houston (12 for 37, TD), but New Englands run defense looks above average, rebounding last week after struggling in the heat at Miami. Setting aside a 58-yard quarterback scramble, the Raiders as a team have been under 50 rushing yards in both of their games. They just look hopeless right now. There was some talk last week about Latavius Murray getting a shot, but he was busy handling kickoffs against Houston, carrying the ball just one time. James Jones looked solid against Houston, as long as you set aside the comical pass play where he somehow managed to commit 2 fumbles. Hes a capable if undynamic wide receiver who can probably be counted on for the occasional 5- or 6- reception for 80-yard game, with much of that production coming after Oakland falls way behind (not that that matters in fantasy leagues). Rod Streater (hip flexor) isnt certain to be available, so Denarius Moore and Andre Holmes will pick up extra snaps if Streater cant go. Neither of those players went over 45 yards last week even with Derek Carr chucking the ball 42 times. Moore got an end-zone look in that game, drawing a fairly generous pass interference penalty. New Englands secondary has allowed 1 TD to a wide receiver thus far. Derek Carr has looked serviceable, considering he has essentially no chance of succeeding. The offensive line is poor and the receiving corps isnt much better, and more often than not hell be attempting to bring Oakland back from a deficit. He finished with decent numbers against Houston (263 yards and 1 TD), which can probably be considered his ceiling in most games. Maybe New England loses interest in things upon building a big lead and Carr comes up with 250ish yards and 1-2 TDs, but it takes a pretty deep league to seriously consider putting him into a lineup. Oakland will no doubt emphasize the ground game in an effort to keep New Englands offense off the field, at least for a while. Carr will help his numbers by running; those were the teams best offensive plays against Houston. Combine his rushing production with some likely garbage-time passing stats and maybe Carr sneaks into a lineup in some leagues, but it could just as easily be a meltdown game against one of the leagues better defenses in its home opener. Mychal Rivera has put up exactly 31 yards in each of the first two games. Thats about what to expect from him here. New England hasnt allowed a tight end to score in five straight dating back to last season. Sebastian Janikowski has no value; tough to kick field goals when you cant move the ball consistently, and when the other team is scoring touchdowns. The Raiders Defense shouldnt get much off Tom Brady. Hes yet to throw an interception, and taking 4 sacks from a superior Miami pass rush doesnt seems as relevant as the 1 he took at Minnesota last week (since were thinking this game might closely resemble that one). PHILADELPHIA (vs. Wash.): Philadelphias offense has been a slight disappointment thus far. The running game hasnt been as dominant, and theyve fallen behind in back-to-back games. Theyve managed to score 34 and 30 points, going 2-0, but it doesnt seem as effective as last year. Part of this can be attributed to defenses being more prepared for the challenges of facing this up-tempo spread scheme they know its coming now. And Washington fits this scheme. When these teams met in Week 1 a year ago, Washington had no idea what was coming, giving up 263 rushing yards and 33 points. When they met later in the year (at Philadelphia) the Eagles ran for only 126 yards and scored 9 fewer points. Washingtons defense has been solid thus far, giving up only one touchdown each to Houston and Jacksonville. Philadelphia, it seems, is more likely to score in the mid- 20s rather than moving up into the 30-plus range. The running game isnt working quite like last year. LeSean McCoy is averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. Hes been under 4.0 per carry in both games. Last year he averaged under 4.0 in only 5 of 16 games; he averaged 5.1 overall. Part of this can be attributed to offensive line issues, but the larger dynamic is probably simply defenses being better prepared. McCoy ran for 184 yards in Week 1 at Washington last year, when the defense simply wasnt prepared. He went for 77 yards on 20 carries in the rematch later in the year, which is a far better indicator of what to expect this year. Philadelphia has run for 145 and 127 yards in its first two games, and it could have been under 100 yards in both of those games if not for a couple of big runs. Below-average matchup for the Philadelphia running game (though below-average for the Eagles is still a top- 10 number). McCoy should get around 20 carries, but the Eagles will also work in Darren Sproles, and with his speed there will be many games this year where he busts loose for long gainers. Two games into the season, Sproles has a lot fewer touches than McCoy but better overall numbers. Sproles has scored on 19- and 49-yard touchdown runs, and hes also caught 11 passes for 166 yards. As opponents get better against Philadelphias running game, that should benefit Nick Foles. Hes had to pass for 322 and 331 yards in the first two games. He had 300 yards in only two starts all of last year. A month or so ago, we thought Foles would average about 250 passing yards per game; now were thinking hes more of a 280-yard guy. But Foles thus far hasnt been quite as effective as last year. Hes completing under 59 percent, and hes thrown only 3 TDs. Last year he completed 64 percent, with 24 TDs in his 10 starts. Definitely there will be weeks against good defenses where hes off. Washington doesnt necessarily have a great defense, but it does have a good pass rush; it sacked Chad Henne 10 times on Sunday. Foles passed for 298 yards against Washington last year, with no touchdowns but a touchdown run. Were thinking about 290 yards and 1-2 TDs makes sense this time around. After two weeks, Jeremy Maclin looks a lot better than Riley Cooper. Maclin has caught 8 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs. Cooper has caught only 5 passes for 37 yards, with no touchdowns. Cooper looks very much like an ancillary part. He lines up as an outside receiver, and the intention is to occasionally throw him a deep ball. He dropped a touchdown at Indianapolis, which would make him look more impressive, but right now he doesnt really look much better than rookie Jordan Matthews, whos playing about as much. 17 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 And theyre working Zach Ertz into the offense more. Just two weeks in the season, Ertz already has 6 catches over 20 yards. Last year Jimmy Graham led all tight ends with 19 of those. For all of these pass catchers, it looks like an average-type situation. Were slotting them about where they go in a typical week. We put a modest grade on Cody Parkey heading into the season because Philadelphia was so good last year at scoring touchdowns rather than field goals. Only the Broncos and Bengals were better at putting the ball in the end zone, so the Eagles ranked only 19th in kicking points. Plus Parkey wasnt accurate enough at Auburn. But two weeks into the season, hes kicked 5 field goals and scored 10 and 12 points. If the offense doesnt get back to being more efficient in the red zone, he could be a top- 5 kicker. Were slotting the Eagles Defense as a middle-of-the-pack unit. Kirk Cousins played well off the bench last week, but he doesnt have great mobility or arm strength. He was intercepted 7 times last year while attempting only 155 passes. To us, Philadelphia looks better than average in interception potential and below average in sacks. The Eagles tend to give up more yards and points than other teams because of their up-tempo offense, so thats not included in our standard rankings. PITTSBURGH (at Car.): The Steelers havent scored a touchdown in their last six quarters. Now theyre on the road against probably the best defense in the league. Tough to see them scoring more than 17 points (and were not promising theyll score more than 10). The Panthers have the rock-solid run defense. They allowed only 70 yards last week to the Lions, and they gave up only 102 at Tampa Bay on opening day (over half of which came on an unlikely carry by fullback Jovorskie Lane). Carolina has allowed only 4 rushing touchdowns in its last 18 games. So definitely a below- average situation for LeVeon Bell. But Bell is a good enough back that essentially everyone who drafted him has little choice but to play him anyway. Bell is that good probably one of the five best backs in the league right now. After losing 15-20 pounds in the offseason, hes noticeably faster and more elusive. Hes using moves that he simply didnt have last year. Bell has averaged over 5 yards per carry in both games, and hes also a big part of their passing game, with 11 catches for 136 yards. So in a performance-type fantasy system, you have to respect that Bell is still a realistic threat to go for 120-plus total yards. He might run for 80 yards, and could catch a bunch of dumpoff passes. Joique Bell caught 6 passes for 61 yards against the Panthers on Sunday. Its a poor situation for Bell (especially for touchdowns) but there just arent many backs that put up those kind of yards. LeGarrette Blount is pretty much just a short-yardage back right now. For him to have a good game, the ball needs to wind up on the 1- or 2-yard line, and then hes got to punch it in. Doesnt look particularly likely. Like Bell, Antonio Brown is probably too good to sit down. Hes really stepped up his game. With his after-the- catch ability and his toughness, he might be one of the top half-dozen receivers in the league. Hes probably more of a go-to receiver than anybody in the league. Hes caught at least 5 passes a league-high 18 games in a row. While this defense is outstanding, its not as formidable against the pass. Its allowed over 280 passing yards in six of its last nine games, with the only teams under that mark lesser teams that simply dont pass the ball that well (Bucs twice and Jets). Brown should be fine for catches and yards, though his scoring potential is lower than usual. The Bucs have allowed only 20 TD passes in their last 18 games, and only 8 of those have gone to wide receivers. The same kind of scouting report applies for Markus Wheaton. Hell be busy; hell get some touches hes caught 11 passes the first two weeks but less likely than usual to score. Wheaton also should pick up about 10 yards as a runner in a lot of games. Theyre using him on end-arounds. If you want to play around with the numbers, you might talk yourself into starting Heath Miller. Of the last 20 touchdown passes allowed by Carolina, after all, half have gone to tight ends. But half of those 10 tight end touchdowns were caught by Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Tony Gonzalez, and Miller isnt one of those kind of guys. Were not crazy about Ben Roethlisberger. Hes a capable quarterback who can move the chains and pile up some yards. Of the last nine quarterbacks to start against this defense, two thirds put up at least 280 yards, and the three exceptions were lesser options (Mike Glenn, Josh McCown and Geno Smith). But its tough to get around the reality that Carolina has allowed only 20 TD passes in its last 18 games. Roethlisberger has thrown only one this year, and it was against a defense thats a lot worse than what hell see on Sunday. With there being a good chance Pittsburgh scores south of 20 points, Shaun Suisham looks like one of the bottom handful of kickers this week. For much of the 90s and most of this century, the Steelers Defense has been about the best in the league. But its system doesnt seem to work anymore. The sacks and turnovers arent occurring anymore, and that looks like it will be the case again this year. Pittsburgh has only 3 sacks and no takeaways after two weeks. ST. LOUIS (vs. Dall.): Weve spent a lot of time ripping the Cowboys defense, but maybe weve underestimated them. They did a credible job despite losing to San Francisco in Week 1 (just 319 yards of net offense in that game), and frustrated the Titans for most of their 26-10 win in Tennessee. We are not, therefore, willing to promise big offensive numbers out of St. Louis. The Rams have scored just 1 TD and 25 total points through their first two games. Zac Stacy should lead the way. Not because hes a dominant runner (hes down at 3.8 yards per carry, similar to last year), or because Dallas is especially soft against the run (just 103 yards per game and a rushing score by Carlos Hyde so far). But St. Louis wants to run the ball, and theyve got better personnel there than in the passing game (especially at quarterback, where theyll be relying on either an inexperienced young backup quarterback or a beat-up older one). Stacy has carried the ball 30 times with a long run of 12 yards. He lost a fumble last week, leading to a go-ahead Tampa Bay touchdown, but was back out there for the next series, with Benny Cunningham remaining in a secondary, change-of-pace role. Cunningham could play more in passing situations, but hes not particularly dynamic in that regard; just, better than Stacy. If the ball winds up near the goal line, Stacy is likely to get the carries; thats the primary reason to put him into a lineup. When the Rams lost 31-7 in Dallas a year ago, the team was trying to get Isaiah Pead going. He carries 6 times for 20 yards, so less effective than Cunningham (4 for 16). The teams struggles to run the ball in that game paved the way for Stacys emergence the rest of the way. The matchup looks OK, but as we said earlier, its not quite as exciting as we were expecting. Tennessee (mostly because they fell behind early) didnt put up great rushing numbers against this defense last week. Frank Gore averaged just 4.1 yards per carry even with San Francisco enjoying a big lead for most of the game. We have some interest in Jared Cook. Although the Cowboys defense hasnt been as bad as 18 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 we were anticipating, theres one area where its been notably lacking: defending the tight end. Tight ends against Dallas Player No Yds TD Vernon Davis 4 44 2 Delanie Walker 10 142 1 Its a small sample set, but dipping back into last season, Andrew Quarless and Brent Celek caught touchdowns against the Cowboys in the last three games of the year, as well. Cook isnt as good as Davis or Walker, but like those players hes an athletic guy whos difficult to handle. The Rams also have Lance Kendricks, but Cooks been more productive (8 for 102 through two games, compared to 5 for 37 for Kendricks). If youre in a bind at the position, Cook is worth a dice roll. The other receiver to consider is Brian Quick. Quicks caught 14 passes through the first two games, and looks like hes finally putting it all together out there. Imagine if he were working with a better quarterback. The Cowboys havent allowed a touchdown pass to a wide receiver yet (all 3 have gone to tight ends) but its early. After Quick things get murky. Kenny Britt is the other starter, but not that youd notice; just 1 reception on 4 targets so far. Tavon Austin has a sprained knee; he probably will be done for a game or two. Stedman Bailey is expected to return from suspension, but it might take him a while to adjust into the offense and its new starting quarterback. It would take a very deep league to consider starting any wideout but Quick, although Bailey looks like a hold; see if he emerges as the No. 2. He cant bring much less to the table than Britt, Austin or Austin Pettis, who had a big catch and a big drop late last week. Austin Davis got a win at Tampa Bay fortunate, with time running out with the Bucs in field goal range, but whatever. Jeff Fisher says Shaun Hill is the starter when healthy; hes dealing with a thigh injury, but doesnt look too badly hurt. Maybe Fisher is telling the truth, but Hill isnt Kurt Warner, so theres little reason to rush the veteran back into action. Davis completed 76 percent of his passes last week and didnt make any mistakes, but hes attempted 52 passes the last two games without throwing a touchdown, so hes not likely to help fantasy teams, either. Whichever quarterback starts should manage a run-dominated offense and only throw many passes if the team falls way behind (which is possible). Greg Zuerlein has six field goals in the first two games. The Rams Defense is struggling versus the run, and its poor history against DeMarco Murray has us thinking that could happen again this week. Difficult to record sacks or interceptions when you cant force opponents to the air; St. Louis has only one of each on the season. Tavon Austin sitting out reduces the value of the return game, as well. SAN DIEGO (at Buff.): The Chargers look like a playoff team solid on defense, and they can attack in a variety of ways. Theyd beat the Bills on a neutral field. But its in Buffalo, and theres some excitement in western New York with that team off to a 2-0 start. Well call it a pick em type game, slotting both teams in the range of 20-23 points. Ryan Mathews (sprained knee) should miss at least a month, but that shouldnt affect the offense too much. Donald Brown is just about as good and the same kind of back. Theyll plug him in and get the same kind of production. This looks like an average- type matchup for him. Buffalo has some good personnel on its defensive line, but that was a bottom-5 run defense last year. Mathews averaged 96 yards per game last year (83 run, 13 rec), with 7 TDs in 15 games, and thats probably about Browns ceiling. The Chargers also have Danny Woodhead, and they could use him just a little more than usual. Woodhead is a run- catch combo threat, and as Darren Sproles showed on Monday night, those kind of players can cause assignment headaches for defenses. Woodhead averaged 27 rushing and 38 receiving yards last year, with 8 TDs in 16 games. Philip Rivers seemed to be playing his way out of the league two years ago, with too many sacks, interceptions and fumbles. (Remember the discussions about whether there was something physically wrong with his arm?) But with Mike McCoy running that offense, Rivers is clearly a top-10 passer again. He has the veteran smarts and necessary pass catchers to break down defenses, as underscored by 3 touchdowns last week against Seattle. This looks like an average-type matchup for him this week. Hes on the road and Buffalo ranked 5th against the pass last year, but Jay Cutler passed for 349 yards and 2 TDs against that defense back in Week 1. Ryan Tannehill went for 241 and a touchdown last week, and he left some plays on the field. We expect a typical type of game out of Rivers, and typical for him this year seems to be 260-270 yards per game, with maybe 30 touchdowns on the season. Antonio Gates is off to a great start this year. Hes led the team in catches in both games and had the 3-TD dragon-slayer game against Seattle last week. In general, you dont sit down a hot player. But as a reminder, the Chargers also have another tight end who might be even more talented. Ladarius Green is way faster than Gates, and while theyve pretty much ignored him the first two weeks, theyll work him in at some point. Average-type matchup for these guys. With Gates being hot, you go ahead and start him. With Green being cold, hes best left on the bench until theres some kind of sign hell be included more. Keenan Allen looks like their best wide receiver. Last week they were comfortable throwing to him when Richard Sherman was covering. Thats how good he is. But San Diegos other receivers are also capable. Eddie Royal tied for a team- high with 7 catches last week. Malcom Floyd had 4 catches and a touchdown back in Week 1. Each of these wide receivers will be the best on the team in multiple weeks this week. This time around, its an average-type situation for each of them. We generally like San Diego, and it logically follows that Nick Novak might end up being a top-5 kicker. He knocked in 12 points against Seattle, and he had 144 points last season. But kickers tend to go as their team goes, making this just a so- so week for him. Were putting a cautious grade on the Chargers Defense. As poorly as EJ Manuel played in the preseason, its possible hell completely melt down at some point, taking sacks and throwing balls all over the place. But hes held up fine thus far, with only one sack and one interception. Hes at home, and hes facing a defense that doesnt rush the passer as well as the Miami defense he saw on Sunday. San Diego probably will finish this season about average in sacks and interceptions. SAN FRANCISCO (at Ariz.): The 49ers seem to have offensive problems. Colin Kaepernick struggled for most of last year, and he still seems to have issues with decision making when hes in the pocket. And the entire offense sputtered all through the preseason. The team managed to score 28 points in Dallas in Week 1, but two of those touchdowns really belonged to the defense. And the offense disappeared in the second half of the loss to Chicago. Now theyre on the road against an Arizona defense thats probably better than either of those two. It doesnt look good. The problems start with Kaepernick. Hes a great runner, but theyre trying to avoid using him too much in that capacity they want to develop him to where hes reading and adjusting to defenses properly rather than just taking off every time he gets the first sniff of 19 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 trouble. Hes averaged only 33 rushing yards in his 25 regular-season starts as a pro, with 6 TDs (modest rushing numbers, compared to what hes done in the playoffs). And as a passer, he simply hasnt taken off. He averaged only 200 yards per game last year, with 21 TDs. He doesnt look much better this season 201 yards at Dallas, and 248 yards against Chicago (but with 3 interceptions and only one touchdown). Arizona has allowed 238 and 277 passing yards in its first two, with 3 TDs, but were hesitant to promise anything more than about 220 yards and a touchdown from Kaepernick. Hes got a strong track record against this opponent, at least, with 2 TD passes in each of his three career meetings, and above-average yards 276, 252 and 310. Kaepernick has the great mobility, but just 47 rushing yards in three career Arizona games, with no touchdowns. A below- average matchup for the passing game, we think, so were not terribly interested in the 49ers pass catchers. Vernon Davis injured an ankle against Chicago. Hes supposedly avoided the dreaded high-ankle sprain, but if he plays it will be at less than 100 percent. He caught 3 TDs against the Cardinals last year. If Davis sits, it will benefit Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. Boldin spent a lot of years in Arizona, which might put a little extra bounce in his step. He had one of his best games of last year at Arizona, catching 9 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. But he wasnt a factor in the other Cardinals game (3 catches, 28 yards) even though Kaepernick threw for 252. Frank Gore played well enough against Chicago, banging out 63 yards at close to 5 yards per carry. He had a long run called back by a hold. But at 31, you have to wonder how long he can keep it up. Carlos Hyde carried only 4 times for 0 yards against Chicago, but weve seen enough in limited playing time (including preseason) to conclude hes just bigger and faster. Theyll probably have to start expanding his role at some point, and at that point you wont want to be holding Gore. Its a tough matchup for both of them. Arizona ranked 3rd in run defense last year, and it looks almost as tough this year, giving up only 52 yards against San Diego and 81 at New York. Gore went for 101 yards in one of the Arizona games last year, but he ran for only 14 yards on 13 carries in his last game against them. With the general declining condition of the team around him, were not sure Phil Dawson is a top-5 kicker anymore. Hes scored only 4 and 8 points in the first two games, which isnt Dawson- like production. Were not particularly interested in the 49ers Defense. It had a couple of big takeaways at Dallas, but its simply lost too much talent. It doesnt have enough pass rush, and the secondary is a concern. Carson Palmer isnt a defense- friendly opponent. Setting aside one nightmare game at Seattle, hes thrown only 5 interceptions in his last nine games, with 21 sacks. Well have slightly more interest in this defense if Palmer isnt able to play, in which case Drew Stanton would fill in. SEATTLE (vs. Den.): The Seahawks got ambushed last week in San Diego, but no reason to get too concerned. They still appear to be the best team in the league, and their offense is better than in recent years. Theyve got the efficient passing game, and they can run the ball on anyone. Denver has a quality defense, so we cant guarantee a big score, but Seattle at home is capable of scoring 30-plus against any defense. The Broncos are above-average against the run, but Marshawn Lynch might go for 100 yards and a touchdown anyway. The Seahawks are better at home, and their running game has looked outstanding thus far. They ran the ball well in both of their significant preseason games. Lynch went for 110 and 2 TDs in the opener against the Packers, then he averaged 6.0 yards per carry but was underused at San Diego. Lynch is better at home, and he tends to be at his best when the stakes start getting higher. Including the playoffs, hes averaged 90 rushing yards in his last 11 games at home, with 14 TDs. Lynch wasnt a big factor in the Super Bowl, running for only 39 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, but thats not a big deal. Hes one of the leagues best, and you let him do his thing. Russell Wilson hasnt put up big yardage numbers thus far. Hes thrown for only 191 and 202 yards in the two games. But hes been efficient, and hes putting the ball in the end zone 2 TDs in each game. Wilsons had a passer rating over 110 in each game. Also keep in mind that hes a capable runner; he ran for 3 TDs in the preseason. This is a good defense hell face; the Broncos have a pair of feared pass rushers, and theyve added a lockdown corner. But for fantasy purposes, it looks like a pretty typical matchup for Wilson. When these teams last met (in the Super Bowl) Wilson turned in one of his typical games 72 percent passing, with 206 yards and 2 TDs as a passer and another 26 yards on 3 scrambles. It looks like an average-type matchup for Seattles wide receivers. Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin are the starters, but Jermaine Kearse will play almost as much. All three of them scored in the Super Bowl. Baldwin led them with 5 catches. Kearse had 4 receptions, with a second touchdown stripped out of his hands as he was controlling it in the end zone. Harvin wasnt as acclimated to the offense at that time but scored on a kickoff return and gained 45 yards on two jet sweeps. Those end-around plays have been a big part of Seattles offense early, so it looks like Harvin will have plenty of games with 20-plus rushing yards. Hes also more of a primary target in the passing game (he caught all 7 passes thrown his way against Green Bay). With the way Seattle uses its wide receivers (theyll rotate at least two other backup receivers into the game) they dont really have a guy that Aqib Talib will try to take out of the game. They run Harvin across the field too much on short routes to try to cover him man-to-man. Zach Miller seems to have upped his game some this year; he was outstanding in their opener. But you run into the same deal with him as the wide receivers theyre almost as likely to look to their second tight end (Luke Willson) inside the red zone. With the way Seattle mows down opponents at home, Steven Hauschka appears to be about as good as any kicking prospect this week. Including the playoffs, hes scored 103 points in his last 11 games at home just one poor game in there (4 against Arizona). Hauschka knocked in 11 points against Denver in the Super Bowl last year. Were putting the Seahawks Defense lower than you might think. Great unit one of the leagues all-time best but its tough trying to get sacks and turnovers off Peyton Manning. In his last 18 games, hes given up only 20 sacks and 10 interceptions. As well as Seattle played against Manning in the Super Bowl last year, it got only one sack in that game. It also got 2 interceptions and a fumble in that game (helping them to a touchdown and a safety) but that will be tough to repeat. Percy Harvin might be the leagues best kick returner, but with the way Brandon McManus booms his kickoffs, were not confident Harvin will even get to return any. When Denver played a preseason game at Dallas, all of McManus kickoffs were landing outside the back of the end zone. Harvin, of course, had the 87-yard kickoff return touchdown in the Super Bowl against these guys, but to pull that off again, hes got to get the ball in his hands. TAMPA BAY (at Atl.): The Buccaneers have opened with a couple of narrow defeats, and scored just 31 total points in those games. Help may be on the way, however: Atlanta allowed 472 yards of offense to the Saints in Week 1, and then served up another 472 total yards at Cincinnati last week. Tampa Bay doesnt have nearly the firepower of those teams, and these Thursday night divisional games tend to be lower scoring. But after struggling against the Panthers and Rams the last two weeks, the Bucs should benefit from facing a much softer opponent, maybe working their way up to 20 points for the first time this season. Note also that both games between these teams a year ago were high-scoring: 31-23 in Atlanta, 41-28 in Tampa, with the home team winning both games. Doug Martin sat out last weeks game with a knee injury, after Lovie Smith downplayed it as a minor deal, and Martin was able to put in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. Take that as evidence Smith may not be entirely forthcoming with injury information. Martin was able to put in a limited practice on Tuesday. Even if Martin is healthy, it seems he wont be a workhorse back. Weve been inclined to dismiss Bobby Rainey, but the coaching staff likes him, and Rainey had a strong game against St. Louis, piling up 144 yards on 22 carries (6.5) and catching 3 passes for 30 yards more. Rainey isnt going away we cant even guarantee he hasnt moved past Martin so look for some sort of committee going forward. Atlanta got hit for 119 yards and 3 TDs by Saints running backs, and allowed another 164 and 2 TDs to the Giovani Bernard/Jeremy Hill tandem. A lot of that was due to volume (New Orleans was at 4.6 yards per carry, Cincinnati at 3.9), but the matchup looks fine. The uncertainty of how carries will be distributed, however, has us putting a modest grade on both backs. Should Martin be ruled out, wed have a lot more interest in Rainey, since hed likely play close to full-time. Mike James got only 6 carries last week, and they went for just 7 yards. Josh McCown led a high-flying passing offense in Chicago, and the Bucs have two big, talented wideouts in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. Those guys have done very little the first two games. Jackson averages 44 yards, Evans 43. McCown has been under 200 passing yards in each of the first two games, salvaging some fantasy value by throwing for a pair of fourth-quarter scores in the Carolina game (after falling behind 17-0) and running for 2 TDs against the Rams. This is a pretty soft pass defense those guys will face. The Falcons let Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks all up over 77 yards in their opener, then let Mohamed Sanu and Giovani Bernard over that total on Sunday (with A.J. Green being sidelined early due to injury). Their next sack will be their first on the season. Were being careful not to promise too much from these players out of the feeling that the ground game will be effective, but the matchup is favorable enough. Jackson in particular may have too much potential for most fantasy teams to sit down. He caught 10 passes in each meeting a year ago, for 138 and 165 yards, with 3 TDs. Evans was shaken up after a big hit on the game-ending play last week, but hes fine; he practiced on Tuesday. Sounds like Austin Seferian-Jenkins (foot) will miss his second straight game, putting Brandon Myers in the featured tight end role. Just two catches last week. Tim Wright caught only 3 passes in the series a year ago. Patrick Murray had a 24-yard kick blocked in a 2-point loss, so he might be on thin ice. Tampa did kick 5 field goals in this series a year ago. The Buccaneers Defense seems a poor bet to get much off Matt Ryan, generally difficult to sack and careful with the football (though neither were true at Cincinnati last week). Thats a better defense, and he didnt have his preferred left tackle. Lovie Smiths defense has only 3 sacks and no interceptions so far, despite facing a better of lesser backup quarterbacks. TENNESSEE (at Cin.): The Titans were impressive winning at Kansas City, but their home loss to Dallas served as a reminder that theres nothing particularly special about this team. Now theyre on the road against one of the AFCs best teams on both sides of the ball. Were not expecting much out of Tennessee. Its not entirely surprising that the Titans seem to be ready to start moving on from Shonn Greene. They made Bishop Sankey the first running back drafted, after all, a strong indication that they were looking to upgrade at the position. Thats not to say anyone should plug Sankey into a lineup Greene will continue to start and probably get the most carries. But both backs got snaps early on against Dallas, and Dexter McCluster and Leon Washington will play in passing situations (and thats not only on third downs; the Titans have been using a lot of shotgun formations throughout their games). Greene got only 5 carries against Dallas, McCluster 4 and Sankey 2. That was in a game where Tennessee fell behind early, but this one might go similarly. Best we can say for the ground game is that its too soon to say the Bengals have an elite run defense. Theyve held their first two opponents to an average of 94 yards, but those teams (Ravens and Falcons) have weak rushing attacks anyway. But they were very strong last year (5th), and even tougher until losing tackle Geno Atkins midseason. Poor situation for Greene and Co. McCluster, who would get most work in passing situations, looks like the best bet, but we cant even be certain hell play. He injured a foot against the Cowboys and was in a walking boot afterward. If he sits out, Washington would probably get those chances. Sankey is a player to stash in case his role increases. Justin Hunter, Kendall Wright and Nate Washington will all play, but were not sure any will put up good numbers. The Bengals were 4th against the pass a year ago. Theyve started the year by really frustrating Matt Ryan (231 yards, 1 TD). Joe Flacco reached 345, but that was on 62 attempts, and included an unlikely 80-yard play to Steve Smith, their only touchdown pass in that game. This is a three-wide receiver offense and all those guys are on the field extensively, but all are at 30-45 yards per game, so its not happening to great effect. Wright will catch the most passes, Hunter is getting downfield for bigger plays. Wright has the only touchdown so far. We view Hunter as the most talented and most likely to break out in a given week, but this probably wont be the defense it happens again. Delanie Walker is the actual top option, a go-to receiver in this offense. Hes having a big year, with 13 catches for 179 yards and 2 TDs so far. The Ravens had a lot of success with their tight ends against this defense. Dennis Pitta caught 10 balls for 83 yards, and Owen Daniels caught 4 balls for 34 more. Tennessee probably wont be as productive through the air, but another good game out of Walker looks reasonable. Weve seen some good things out of Jake Locker under Ken Whisenhunt. Hes seemed comfortable running the offense, using all his targets and moving the ball. One mistake that went for an interception against the Cowboys, but the other was a ball tipped at the line. Hes taken 6 sacks so far, however, and now hell face a tough defense in a hostile environment. Tennessee should try to keep things simple and work some shorter stuff, defusing this pass rush and keeping Locker in one piece. Were not eager to test him in this matchup. Just one field goal in each game against the Bengals so far, and a better than average 26 all of last season. We will pass on Ryan Succop. The Titans Defense shouldnt get much off 20 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 21 Fantasy Index Weekly www.fantasyindex.com 206-527-4444 September 17, 2014 Andy Dalton. Playing behind one of the leagues best offensive lines, hes yet to turn it over or take a sack through the first two games. WASHINGTON (at Phil.): Washington probably wont win on Sunday, but it can get in and trade punches. It might have success with its running game. And if the Eagles are successful in piling up yards and points with their up-tempo offense, then there will simply be more plays available. The Eagles won both meetings last year, but Robert Griffin III still threw for 329 and 264 yards, with 2 TDs in each game. Alfred Morris is a top runner right now. Hes big and decisive, and this week hes going against a defense that was surprisingly soft against the run at Indianapolis on Monday night, letting both Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson go over 70 yards. Morris is better than either of those guys. Hes averaging 4.9 yards per attempt, and went for 93 yards on 22 carries in his last game against Philadelphia. Hell probably go for 80-plus yards (and were not saying he cant go for 110). Not a factor at all, however, in the passing game, which is a gut punch if youre trying to start him in a PPR format. Kirk Cousins might be better right now than Robert Griffin III. He doesnt have a strong enough arm and isnt mobile, but hes getting rid of the ball decisively. Hes got plenty of good weapons at his disposal, and Philadelphias defense could be knocked on its heels if Morris is gobbling up yards. With the extra plays in their games, the Eagles allowed a league-high 306 passing yards per game last year. They got hit for 266 by Chad Henne in Week 1. The Colts opted to go with a more ground-oriented approach on Monday, with Andrew Luck passing for only 172 (but with 3 TDs). Theres a difference, of course, between doing it in the preseason and against lesser defenses (like Jacksonville). Cousins wasnt impressive when they let him start the final three games last year, completing only 52 percent of his passes in three games, with 4 TDs and 7 interceptions. But were putting him down for 240 yards and 1-2 TDs. If they played this game all year, were figuring hed put up about 24 TDs. Its a reasonable enough situation for the pass catchers. Philadelphia has allowed a lot of passing production in the Chip Kelly era. Jacksonville lit up that secondary pretty good back in Week 1. But there are plenty of pass catchers involved. DeSean Jackson no doubt would love to stick it to the team that cut him loose, but hes less than 100 percent with a sprained shoulder. The last time Philadelphia was involved in one of these kind of personal battles, it got the better of Terrell Owens (who caught only 3 passes for 45 yards). Jackson tends to get motivated and up for these kind of games, but were guessing it will be the return game before he potentially makes his mark. Pierre Garcon is the healthier option, but he hasnt made any downfield catches thus far. His 11 catches have gone for only 89 yards. Andre Roberts will chip in (particularly if Jackson is gimpy). And Washington should get production out of its tight end. Niles Paul has excelled in that role the last two weeks, with 12 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown, but hell likely head back to the bench if Jordan Reed (hamstring) is able to play. Jay Gruden says hes hopeful Reed will return. Were shying away from Kai Forbath. Were not confident enough Washington will be competitive. We have some interest in the Washington Defense. It has some pass-rush ability; it had 10 sacks last week. And Nick Foles does take some hits in that offense; the Jaguars got him 5 times for sacks in Week 1. Foles was sacked 27 times in 10 starts last year, which is below average. ADDITIONAL INJURIES: ATLANTA: OT Sam Baker (knee, IR) is out for the year. WR Drew Davis (foot, PUP) is out until at least Week 7. CHICAGO: WR Marquess Wilson (shoulder) is out until at least Week 10. CINCINNATI: WR Marvin Jones (foot) is out until at least Week 5. TE Tyler Eifert (elbow) is out until Week 10. TE Alex Smith (triceps, IR) is out for the year. CLEVELAND: RB Ben Tate (knee) is likely out until Week 5. WR Josh Gordon (suspension) is out until Week 12. DENVER: PK Matt Prater (suspension) is out until Week 6. GREEN BAY: C J.C. Tretter (knee) is out until at least Week 9. RT Bryan Bulaga (knee) is out until at least Week 4. INDIANAPOLIS: RB Vick Ballard (Achilles, IR) is out for the year. JACKSONVILLE: WR Justin Blackmon (suspension) is out for the year. KANSAS CITY: RB Jamaal Charles (ankle) is out indefinitely. MIAMI: RB Mike Gillislee (hamstring, IR) is out for the year. RB Knowshon Moreno (elbow) is out until at least Week 7. MINNESOTA: WR Jerome Simpson (suspension) is out until Week 4. RB Adrian Peterson (suspension) is out indefinitely. TE Chase Ford (PUP) is out until at least Week 7. NEW ORLEANS: RB Mark Ingram (hand) is out until at least Week 7. N.Y. GIANTS: G Geoff Schwartz (toe) is out until at least Week 9. WR Mario Manningham (calf, IR) is out for the year. WR Jerrel Jernigan (foot, IR) is out for the year. N.Y. JETS: WR Shaq Evans (shoulder, IR) is out for the year. OAKLAND: TE Nick Kasa (knee, IR) is out for the year. PHILADELPHIA: LG Evan Mathis (knee) is out until at least Week 10. OT Allen Barbre (ankle, IR) is out for the year. ST. LOUIS: QB Sam Bradford (knee, IR) is out for the year. RB Isaiah Pead (knee, IR) is out for the year. SAN DIEGO: C Nick Hardwick (neck, IR) is out for the year. SAN FRANCISCO: RB Marcus Lattimore (knee) is out until at least Week 7. RB Kendall Hunter (knee, IR) is out for the year. SEATTLE: TE Anthony McCoy (Achilles, IR) is out for the year. TAMPA BAY: RB Charles Sims (ankle) is out until at least Week 10. WASHINGTON: WR Leonard Hankerson (knee, PUP) is out until at least Week 7.