As if signing up for the Fantasy Alarm Assistant G.M. wasn't a good enough decision already, we present to you even more assistance in setting your lineups this week.
Every Friday throughout the NFL regular season I will be sending you this lineup helper that I like to call: Tough Decisions. In this article I will breakdown players with similar value, ranking and projection heading into this coming week.
Let's take a look at the TOUGH DECISIONS for Week 2:
Quarterbacks
Jay Cutler (Cardinals) or Matthew Stafford (Vikings)
The Case for Cutler: Although the Saints couldn’t put a tally in the win column, Drew Brees was able to throw for 355 yards with a 62.5 completion percentage against the Cardinals in week one. Jay Cutler gets to face them in week two and it’s an intriguing play nonetheless. The 355 yards Brees threw for in week one against the Cardinals was the third highest of the week. Don’t get me wrong, Cutler is nowhere near the caliber quarterback that the signal caller in New Orleans is, but Cutler could top 300 yards in this game. He has three solid receiving options in Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and his running back Matt Forte.
The Case for Stafford: There is no doubting that he has some great weapons at his disposal, including Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Ameer Abdullah. However, Stafford tends to struggle against Minnesota, throwing for just an average of 185 yards per game in his last three contests against the boys in purple and white. The Minnesota defense was decimated by Carlos Hyde and the 49ers on Monday Night Football, but they held Colin Kaepernick to only 165 yards passing. Stafford wasn’t great in week one, throwing for 246 yards with two interceptions. He would have ended in single digit fantasy points, if it weren’t for Theo Riddick doing most of the work on a 21-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.
The Verdict: Cutler. I can’t believe I just said that. Never would I have thought to tell you to start Cutler, but hey, there’s a first for everything. Sure, Stafford has some dangerous weapons but Minnesota should be able to slow down Stafford, more so than the Cardinals can slow down Cutler. And by Cutler I mean Jeffery, Bennett and Forte.
Running Backs
Frank Gore (Jets) or Danny Woodhead (Bengals)
The Case for Woodhead: The San Diego Chargers selected Melvin Gordon with the 15th overall pick in the first round of this year’s draft to solidify the running game following Ryan Mathews’ departure. Even though Gordon saw 17 touches to Woodhead’s 16, the latter is the San Diego back that you want to own. Sure, Gordon might get more touches on the ground, but Woodhead is going to get the important ones. In week one, Woodhead received all six of the team’s carries inside the opposition’s 20, en route to scoring two red zone TDs. He also saw four more targets from quarterback Philip Rivers and Woodhead is a legitimate RB2 this week against the Bengals.
The Verdict: Woodhead. His impact in the passing game will likely make him the better play in week two while his matchup is more fantasy friendly than Gore’s. The Bengals allowed two touchdown passes out of the backfield last week, leaving lots of optimism in week two for the San Diego running back.
Bishop Sankey (Browns) or Alfred Morris (Rams)
The Case for Sankey: Sankey received 14 touches, equating to 86 total yards (74 rushing, 12 receiving) and one touchdown. He had a great matchup in week one, when the Titans went up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luckily enough for Titans and Sankey owners, his week two matchup is another friendly one. He will face a Cleveland defense that has allowed the eighth most points to running backs since the start of last season. Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell torched the Jets in week one, so Sankey will be a great fantasy play once again in week two. With Sankey contributing both in the running and passing game, he garners much deserved flex consideration against the Browns on Sunday.
The Case for Morris: Morris was one of just four running backs (Forte, Hyde, DeAngelo Williams) to rush for 100 or more yards in week one. His 25 carries were also the second most, showing that the Redskins are committed to giving Morris plenty of carries this season. Kirk Cousins needs the running game to help open the passing game, but Morris’ fantasy value is capped by his almost nonexistent role in the passing attack. He should receive a similar workload in week two, but running against the Rams won’t be as easy as the Dolphins. The Rams boast one of the best defensive lines in all of football, and since Morris requires touchdowns for fantasy value, he might not be the best option this week.
The Verdict: Sankey. Yes, Morris ran for over 100 yards in week one, but that won’t happen in week two. The Rams held Marshawn Lynch to 73 yards on 18 carries in an overtime victory in week one and Morris ran for over 100 against a Dolphins defense who allowed the ninth most yards last season. Sankey factors in the passing game, which should put him ahead of Morris on Sunday.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins (Panthers) or Keenan Allen (Bengals)
The Case for Hopkins: Hopkins had a coming out party as the official No. 1 wideout in Houston in week one. Kansas City couldn’t slow him down, as Hopkins caught nine passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, he doesn’t even have a league average quarterback, but he continues to produce for his owners. The Carolina defense was able to keep the Jacksonville receivers in check on Sunday, allowing 15 receptions on 28 targets for 132 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Mallett will likely start in week two, which shouldn’t hurt Hopkins’ value. In Mallett’s first drive, Hopkins saw almost all of the targets and caught Mallett’s lone touchdown pass. The synergy is there between the two, and Hopkins is going to receive double-digit targets every week as the lead receiving option in Houston.
The Case for Allen: Unlike Hopkins, Allen does have a good quarterback throwing him the football. Allen’s 17 targets, 15 receptions and 166 receiving yards lead the league at the moment, which is a true testament to how good he was in the season opener. Down in the red zone, he did see two targets, but the team has plenty of other options to steal red zone looks away from Allen, including Stevie Johnson, Ladarius Green and Danny Woodhead. The only thing Allen didn’t do in week one was score a touchdown. Wow, how could he. In week one, the Bengals held Oakland receivers to just 14 receptions on 104 yards. However, a Derek Carr-Amari Cooper combo isn’t as good as a Rivers-Allen connection. Expect Rivers and Allen to put some yards again in week two.
The Verdict: Hopkins. He is the lead receiver on a team that lacks viable receiving options outside of him. Also, San Diego has running backs that can move the ball, while Houston boasts Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk. When Arian Foster returns, some of the offensive spotlight will come off Hopkins, but even that should be beneficial for Hopkins. Also, Allen was one of four Chargers to see multiple red zone targets, while Hopkins (4) was the only Texan to see multiple targets inside the 20.
Donte Moncrief (Jets) or Terrence Williams (Eagles)
The Case for Moncrief: Moncrief had a productive season opener, catching six passes on 11 targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Bills. An injury to T.Y. Hilton leaves the team in need of a speedy receiver to stretch the field. Well, enter Moncrief. He is poised to have another pivotal role in the offense, but the Jets secondary is one of the best in the league. Things won’t be easy for Moncrief, but he has the best chance of any receiver in Indianapolis to score a touchdown on Monday night. Andre Johnson will stay in his possession role, while the team will look to Moncrief to stretch the field.
The Case for Williams: The injury to Dez Bryant thrusts Williams into the team’s No. 1 receiver. While he isn’t going to be the reliable go-to top receiver that other teams have, he will see an increase in targets in week two. After catching five passes on eight targets for 60 yards in the season opener, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him get double digit targets against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles were decimated by Julio Jones (9-141-2) and Roddy White (4-84-0) on Monday Night Football, which leaves optimism for Williams this week. The Cowboys will likely try to run the ball a bit more in this one, but Williams should see double-digit targets, while approaching 100 yards on the day.
The Verdict: Moncrief. In a battle between receivers who gain extra fantasy value through injuries to a star receiver, Moncrief will come out on top. Andrew Luck will find ways to get Moncrief the ball, even though the Jets’ secondary is exponentially better than the Eagles’. Also, Williams has just 11 receptions (one TD) in four career games against the Eagles for his career.
Tight Ends
Jordan Reed (Rams) or Delanie Walker (Browns)
The Case for Reed: Even though the matchup isn’t the best, sheer volume should make Reed fantasy worthy in week two. DeSean Jackson is unavailable, leaving Pierre Garcon and Reed to head the receivers and tight ends for Washington. Reed’s 11 targets in the season opener were a team-high and he was on the receiving end of Kirk Cousins’ lone touchdown pass on the day. Jimmy Graham was able to find the end zone against the Rams in week one, and owners will be hoping the same for Reed. He saw two red zone targets last weekend (one for TD), and Cousins will continue to look his way inside the opposition’s 20-yard line.
The Case for Walker: In Marcus Mariota’s regular season debut, he impressed, throwing four touchdowns and outplaying the only player selected before him in this year’s draft. Mariota could have had an even bigger day, but with the score being 35-7 at halftime, there was no need for Mariota to continue to throw the ball much. Walker was able to come down with one of the four touchdowns from Mariota, but he saw just three targets in the game. He finished behind Kendall Wright and Bishop Sankey in targets, however, he will continue to get Mariota’s attention in the red zone. His touchdown catch came from just one yard out and even though he is dealing with a hand injury, he should play on Sunday. He has the fifth most targets among tight ends since the start of last season, but a stiff Cleveland defense –stiff against tight ends that is—will make things a bit tougher on Walker than it was in week one.
The Verdict: Reed. He has solid upside against the Rams in week two, mostly because of the fact that he should receive 10-plus targets in the game. Kirk Cousins will look his way early and often, and he should be able to wind up in the end zone at some point on Sunday.