Quarterback:
At QB thus far, the leading scorer is none other than the partially-forgotten Philip Rivers (27). I had him ranked outside of my top 10, and that was still higher than the consensus. Second on the day is Ryan Fitzpatrick (22). He continues to be a solid option against lesser defenses for QB2 leagues. Alex Smith (21) had his second straight week over 20, and third of 4. I still don't consider him a great choice, but he does face Denver next week. Ryan Tannehill (17) had another solid game, this time against the parents without Charles Johnson. He continues to be pretty good at home. Mike Glennon (17) also justified his ranking in the top 10 with a good performance. Thats 15 points in 6 of his last 7 games. Ben Roethlisberger (16) is another QB who has been hot lately. 16+ in 3 of his last 4. He faces Baltimore next week, I'm not interested. Matthew Stafford (15) had 4 ints, but also had 3 TDs to salvage his day fantasy-wise. Matt Flynn (14) was very solid in relief of the bad Scott Tolzien (11). And if Flynn starts next week, he should be a solid option. Andrew Luck (13) struggled again, and you definitely have to be worried going forward. Matt McGloin (12) didn't play well, but considering how highly I think of the Titans defense, I was pretty impressed. Next week against Dallas? Who knows. I was pretty low on Case Keenum (4) but this was awful. I would have no confidence in him going forward.
Running Backs:
Not much of a surprise at the top, Jamaal Charles (27) hadn't been great lately though. It was nice to see him with a great game again. MJD (21) was a big surprise in the top 5. He looked pretty decent and has now had a rushing TD in his past 3 games. Danny Woodhead (18) had two TDs against the formerly tough Chiefs. He is a great play every week. Andre Brown (15) lived up to expectations against the Cowboys. Despite not scoring a TD, owners have to be satisfied with 138 total yards and a 2PC. Rashad Jennings (11) faces the Cowboys next and he had a decent game here. Also didn't score, but had over 100 total yards as well. Le'Veon Bell (8) had a typical game for him. He rushed 23 times for 80 yards. But the point is he gets a ton of carries, its rough next week against Baltimore, but it gets better after that for playoffs. Ray Rice (3) was back to terrible. I have no confidence in him whatsoever. Ben Tate (2) looked really bad, with 7 carries for just 1 yard. Dennis Johnson (8) stepped up and looked pretty good. Because of that, I'm not confident in starting either going forward. I felt Chris Ivory (3) did not do a bad job, but Geno Smith was so bad again that he hindered the entire offense. Not good. The lions defense lived up to the bill and stopped Bobby Rainey (3) cold in his tracks. It doesn't get better the next two weeks with Carolina and Buffalo. Chris Ogbonnaya (1) looked good, but lost a fumble and only got 4 carries. We'll have to see if this will hurt his time going forward. I think he is startable in bad situations if he is still going to get time. Also of note, Donald Brown (0) only got 3 touches. It was bad playcalling by Indy, and they fell behind really quick. Kind of optimistic next week vs Tenn.
Wide Receivers:
Obviously we have to start off with the incredible performance by Josh Gordon (29). I don't want to overreact and say he is elite, he still has to deal with one of two bad QBs after all. But the dude is a must start and has a great schedule the rest of the way. He might have a down game or two in those 5, but the good ones will be really good. Mike Wallace (18) also had a great game. Its hard to know what to make of this. He's a deep threat and so he will be inconsistent. BUT, you can beat the Jets deep. I'd still have a hard time starting him. Larry Fitzgerald (17) had his second best game of the year. It only came on 5 receptions, but its a good sign that he is getting into the endzone. With Philly up next, he's a great play. Jacoby Jones (16) had a great game. But like I said, you can beat the Jets deep, I wouldn't consider him a must-add. Kendall Wright (16) lived up to the high expectations this week thanks to a late touchdown. Only 5 catches, which is low for him, but it didn't matter. He is a good WR2 in standard leagues and a high end WR2 in PPRs. Tavon Austin (15) with another good week, but again how can you feel good about playing him? Only 3 touches. I'm not risking him on a weekly basis hoping for 60 yard plays. He is CJ Spiller without 15+ opportunities. Nate Burleson (13) had a great game in his return. This one was aided by Calvin being shut down a little by Revis and Co., but very promising going forward. He should be owned in all leagues, a middling WR3/Flex. A lot of people were low on Keenan Allen (12). I was a bit worried because of knee problems, but I maintained full faith in him. He has a great schedule going forward. Michael Floyd (10) with his second straight 100 yard game. He will still be limited by Carson Palmer, but when Palmer is good, Floyd benefits big time. Torrey Smith (7) had one big catch, but was otherwise limited in a windy day in Baltimore. I still like him a decent amount going forward. Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton (3) were two of the biggest disappointments this week. Both struggled as did their QBs. Not souring on them long-term. Miles Austin's (1) return led to just one catch, but he saw more than Terrance Williams (1) so its a bit promising for the upcoming games. If you own him, I wouldn't drop him yet, unless someone like Burleson is out there. Victor Cruz (2) with another bad game. Its a little his fault, but mostly the poor play of Eli.
Tight Ends:
Jason Witten (15) kicked his bad games away from Dallas problem to the curb. He only had 3 yards and 4 catches, but two of them were TDs, so thats all that matters for fantasy-owners. Still, I'm a little worried about his inconsistency, but if you own him, you are probably starting him. Ladarius Green (14) of the Chargers went over 80 yards for the second straight game. I like him, but with Antonio Gates (2) there, I still don't want him for this year. Martellus Bennett (12) had a nice game, but for the most part has been bad with McCown and I don't really want to use him. Jeffery will have his touchdown in most games. Coby Fleener (11) wasn't overly impressive, but he got a touchdown and he continues the trend of players doing very well against Arizona. Greg Olsen (9) now has 4 TDs in his last 5 games. He has become very reliable as an option in the next tier if you don't own the elite TEs. Timothy Wright (7) bounced back after some quiet games. I like him, but I wouldn't feel good about starting him. Rob Housler (5) & Delanie Walker (4) didn't play terrible, but they didn't play great either. If you started them you are a bit disappointed, but 4 points isn't the worst thing. Garrett Graham & Jordan Cameron (3) were disappointments. Graham is dependent on his QB, but Owen Daniels will be back soon enough. If you own Cameron, hope that Brandon Weeden plays next week, as it is the best possible thing for you if you still plan on starting him.
