This weekly column aims to give readers some clarity when it comes to lineup decisions. This will help you to decide who might be worth plugging into your lineup and who might be better suited riding that pine. This column will NOT address the most prominent players in the game. Always start your studs. Don’t get cute.
START
Tyler Lockett
This is EXACTLY how last week’s article started off. And I was right! Lockett put up a solid 14.5 half points against a tough Broncos defense for those who started him in .5ppr leagues. The bad news for Lockett is that the Bears defense is also a stout bunch. The good news is that Doug Baldwin is not going to be on the field hogging all of the targets.
Brandon Marshall seems to have replaced Graham in the role of the slow, old guy who is still big enough to get red zone looks but it is Lockett who is the defacto lead receiver on this team with Baldwin sidelined. Lockett will be all over the field while Wilson scrambles around like a madman. He isn’t a sexy name, but he did get a big contract this offseason and is the go-to guy on a team that is going to need to pass a whole lot to win. Lockett did not disappoint in week one, so let it ride in week two.
Alex Collins
The Ravens employed a committee approach in their blowout win over the hapless Bills last week. Dixon got the majority of the touches, but they came late in the game after the blowout was secured. Now with Dixon on IR yet again, the path is more clear for Collins. Buck Allen will be in the mix, especially on passing downs and is a nice FLEX option, but Collins will get the first crack at the Bengals D on Thursday night. Assuming he can keep the ball off of the ground, Collins should have a good game against a team that always seems to crumble in prime time.
Nelson Agholor
The Eagles didn’t exactly soar in their home opener, but they did just enough to squeak by the Falcons. The same can be said for Agholor’s performance. Not great, but his 33 yards were just enough to help his team win. Although 33 yards isn’t a great yardage total, Agholor did catch eight of his whopping 10 targets. Alshon Jeffrey is going to miss another game, and the Buccaneers defense is much worse than what Agholor faced against Atlanta. He may not be a world-beater but Agholor is the current number one wide receiver for the defending world champions, and that makes him worthy of a start this week.
Derrick Henry
Week one was an abject disaster for the Titans. Several weather delays prevented the team from finding any rhythm, the injury bug struck multiple times, and Derrick Henry rushed for a paltry 2.6 yards a carry. With rock-steady veteran Delanie Walker likely done for the season, Mariota nursing a mysterious arm injury that may prevent him from playing, and Corey Davis coming up with a slight hammy in practice, the Titans will have to lean heavily upon the run game. Dion Lewis will still factor heavily, but Henry will have to be featured. He has no choice but to play well. This could be a career-defining game for the third year former Heisman trophy winner. Get the big-bodied back into your lineup this week.
Ben Roethlisberger
The home/road splits are real. When Ben plays within the friendly confines of Heinz Field, he is unreal. Over the past three years, he has posted a mind-blowing eight games of 30+ points and averages 28 points a game at home. Week one was a bit of a let down against the Browns, but that game was played in Cleveland, not Pittsburgh, in a downpour. This week the Steelers host a team with a potent offense but lack-luster defense in the Kansas City Chiefs. What happens when two teams with turbo-powered offenses and vanilla defenses clash? A fantasy points bonanza! Big Ben bounces back in a big way this week.
BENCH
Kenny Stills
Stills is coming off an absolute monster of a game. The Dolphin posted 26 points in a .5ppr. He is a must-start for a Dolphins team that lost Jarvis Landry, right? Not so fast. Yes, Stills’ 26 points were enough to make him the #4 wideout on the week, but over his career, his per game average is only 7.5 points. You didn’t draft Stills to be your WR1, don’t start treating him that way. Especially not on the road against a divisional foe.
Amari Cooper
Cooper gained weight for two consecutive offseasons. For two consecutive years, Cooper has looked like he is running in quicksand. The kid had a great draft pedigree, but he has always underwhelmed. Cooper was perennially out-preformed by Michael Crabtree. In week one, he was out-preformed by an aging tight end that has never posted a good fantasy season in the last decade. There are crazy stats out there about John Gruden always producing 1,000-yard receivers. That was a decade ago, folks. And if Cooper is going to be a 1,000-yard receiver this year, the journey isn’t starting against the Broncos defense in Mile High.
Larry Fitzgerald
It almost feels like sacrilege writing those words. Larry Fitzgerald is a sure-thing, first-ballot Hall of Famer. The man has been politely kicking ass and taking names in the most sportsmanly way for the last 15 years. Sadly, 2018 feels different. The results of week one contests in the NFL aren’t necessarily indicative of how the rest of the season will unfold but Arizona looked dreadful. Sam Bradford looked utterly washed. Fitzgerald still managed to put up 10.5 points in a 5. ppr but that was against the Redskins. A significantly more difficult challenge awaits the 35-year-old receiver in Los Angeles. If there were ever a game to sit Larry Legend, this is it.
