Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season in now officially in the books. Subsequently, so is the first week of the Fantasy Football season. As Week 1’s go, this one did not disappoint. There were shockers all over the league and performances that had fantasy players everywhere buzzing.
As waivers clear Tuesday and Wednesday nights for most fantasy leagues, we’ll discuss the hottest pickups of each and every week. Who should you grab? Who should you put all the money on? And which of those hot players are merely a mirage?
Here is our Week 2 edition of Fantasy Football “Waiver Wire Reality.”
Sign them:
John Brown – WR – Cardinals
Rookie WR John Brown is in a dream scenario over in Arizona. Head Coach Bruce Arians allows Carson Palmer to sling it, and the Cardinals will be a big-play passing team all year long. While Brown looks to be the third WR on the chart behind Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald, he’ll product starter numbers.
On Monday night against the Chargers he made quite a first impression by catching the game-winning TD on a slip screen, according to CBSSports.com. The love affair that Arians and the rest of the Cardinals organization has for this kid will go on for a very long time.
Justin Forsett – RB – Ravens
With Ray Rice now completely out of the picture for the Ravens, it comes down to Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett in the backfield. Pierce fumbled early in their game against Cleveland, and Forsett took advantage by running for 70 yards and a TD on 11 carries, according to ProFootballReference.com. He also chipped in with 5 catches for 14 yards. Forsett could a big contributor all season long, especially if Pierce continues to cough it up.
Josh Gordon – WR – Browns
This one is a better suited for prior to Week 1, but many leagues still have Josh Gordon sitting out there un-owned. Due to the NFLPA and the league getting together on a completely new discipline system, guys like Gordon and Wes Welker could be looking at shortened sentences for their current suspensions. It is well worth the risk to stash the top 2013 fantasy WR on your bench until news comes down.
Pass on them:
Isaiah Crowell – RB – Browns
Isaiah Crowell made headlines with two TD’s. The problem is, he only carried the ball a measly five times. Ben Tate and Terrance West are clearly ahead of him on the depth chart, and fitting three relevant fantasy RB’s in Cleveland is a tough sell.
Leave Crowell on waivers and don’t waste your FAAB money. Hurt another team in your league by allowing them to bid on him.
Allen Hurns – WR – Jaguars
The biggest surprise of the week came out of Jacksonville as young Allen Hurns absolutely tore the Eagles defense up. Hurns went for 110 yards and 2 TD’s on four catches. The Jags pounced early on the Eagles and an upset was in the making.
Although the Eagles recovered and wound up winning, Hurns remains a hot entity in fantasy. Picking up Hurns in your league is fine, but do not go overboard with the price. Ask yourself this one question: Do you trust QB Chad Henne?
Jake Locker – QB – Titans
Much like that beautiful girl you grew up loving but were firmly planted in the “friend zone,” Jake Locker is the same sort of tease. He has all the talent in the world, and weapons in this offense now to boot. Coach Ken Whisenhunt knows how to put together a successful offense and Locker has all the makings of a breakout candidate in 2014.
However, injuries have been the issue with Locker since being drafted back in the first round of 2011. In his two seasons as the starting QB of the Titans, Locker has only played in half of those games (11 in 2012 and 7 last year).
Keep an eye on:
Ronnie Hillman:
The mere understanding of how explosive an offense Denver possesses makes Ronnie Hillman somebody to monitor. Not yet is he a hot pickup, but could be very soon once everybody realizes Montee Ball cannot play every down. With Knowshown Moreno’s exit, Hillman is firmly planted as the third-down back in Denver where receptions are a plenty.