After two weeks, we have a little more to work when using our Position vs. Fantasy Defensive Points Allowed research tool. The numbers can’t save Jamaal Charles’ season, but they can help you replace him.
Please keep in mind that the players listed below are mostly meant to be borderline guys, who need reasons for you to play or bench them. You won’t see a recommendation to start Tom Brady, because you should always start Tom Brady. Make sense? Good.
Note: The points referenced below are from FOXSports.com standard leagues.
Quarterbacks
Stay away: Eli Manning, Giants (vs. Eagles)
Even though Matt Ryan tossed four touchdown passes against the Eagles on Sunday night, he didn’t rack up a big yardage total. The Asomughamazing Eagle D has allowed just 180.5 passing yards and a better-than-average 18.1 fantasy points per game so far, with Manning and his depleted receiving corps coming to town. Steve Smith is gone, Kevin Boss is gone, Mario Manningham might be out due to a concussion, and Domenik Hixon is done for the season with a torn ACL. The G-Men are a mess, and Manning has completed just 59 percent of his passes with two TDs over the first two weeks.
Also:
• You weren’t thinking about starting Donovan McNabb, were you? The Lions’ pass defense has been ferocious, allowing just 187.5 yards per game, one passing touchdown, 5.8 yards per attempt (second in the NFL) and 7.2 fantasy points per game. The Christian Ponder Countdown Clock in the Twin Cities will start ticking faster after Sunday’s game.
• The Rams have held opposing QBs to 174 yards per game, a 52.5 completion percentage, 6.3 yards per attempt so far. They’ve given up 44 fantasy points in two games, but that number is inflated by Michael Vick’s rushing yardage in Week 1. This week, Joe Flacco and the Ravens visit Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz-happy defense. Keep Flacco on your fantasy bench in Week 3 – and in Week 4 against the Jets, while you’re at it.
Play, play, play: Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (vs. Falcons)
The Falcons are a pretty good team, but they’ve allowed a subpar average of 21.9 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The Dirty Birds’ porous efforts have us smelling a Freeman breakout. Ignore Freeman’s low-TD output over the season’s first two weeks, and get him in there on Sunday. Even if he doesn’t have a huge passing game, his running ability always gives him a chance for extra points.
Also:
• Cleveland’s Colt McCoy has 414 passing yards and three touchdowns in two games, but this week gets to face a Dolphins’ pass defense that’s among the worst in the league (32.2 fantasy points per game). Yes, we know the Fins were the victims of a Tom Brady aerial assault in Week 2, but Matt Schaub didn’t have much trouble with them in Week 2, either.
• To paraphrase Larry David, the Seahawks have looked pretty, pretty bad so far. Their pass defense numbers don’t look terrible (15.9 fantasy points and 210.5 yards per game to opposing QBs), but that’s because they’ve been thrown at a league-low 51 times. The QB rating against them is a sky-high 106.5, and they’ve allowed 74.5 percent of passes to be completed. Look for the Cardinals’ Kevin Kolb to light them up this week.
Running Backs
Stay away: Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs. 49ers)
Benson went from 25 carries for 121 yards and a score in Week 1 to 16 carries for 59 yards in Week 2. This week, he faces fantasy football stingiest rushing defense, the 49ers, who have allowed 7.6 fantasy points and 54.5 rushing yards per game, along with 2.5 yards per carry. Benson’s heavy workload usually makes him a fantasy favorite in this space, but if you have a good alternative you should consider giving him the week off.
Also:
• Tim Hightower has given his fantasy owners ear-to-ear smiles so far, but the Cowboys’ run defense is nothing to scoff at, as they’ve given up just 12.6 fantasy points per game to running backs. It might be hard to imagine benching Hightower right now, but since you probably picked him in the middle rounds, odds are good that you have two more productive backs. This could be a good time to bench Mike Shanahan’s latest backfield project.
• DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart haven’t run very well so far, combining for just three more rushing yards than their quarterback. This week, they host the scrappy Jaguars, who have given up just 11.7 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs. Seeing as how the lead backs in those games were Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene, the Jags’ strong start doesn’t seem like a fluke.
Play, play, play: Shonn Greene, Jets (at Raiders)
The Raiders have given up 24.3 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, thanks largely to a league-worst (by a lot) average of 6.7 yards per carry. Greene will start for you more often than not, but this week is a no-brainer.
Also:
• The Eagles are good, but stopping the run isn’t their strong suit, as evidenced by their awful performance so far (293 rushing yards and 28.6 fantasy points per game allowed to opposing running backs). Ahmad Bradshaw will start for most fantasy teams, but this is one of those weeks when rhino-like Brandon Jacobs is a strong option as well.
• Ryan Mathews or Mike Tolbert? Mike Tolbert or Ryan Mathews? Against the depleted Chiefs, who have allowed 252 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, along with 27.9 fantasy points per game to opposing backs? Both! The Chargers figure to be ahead by so much that they’ll run at least 30 times.
• The Vikings have allowed a league-worst 31.7 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. We don’t need to tell you to start Jahvid Best, right?
Wide Receivers
Stay away: Plaxico Burress, Jets (at Raiders)
We mentioned above that the Raiders are struggling against the run, but they’ve been kinda, sorta OK against the pass (26.7 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs) even when you include Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Week 2 heroics against them. Combine that with Burress’ Week 2 disappearance (two targets, no catches), and this seems like a good time to sit him out. Burress is probably more of a red zone threat than all-around wideout at this point, anyway.
Also:
• The Browns have given up just eight catches for 101 yards and a score to opposing wide receivers over the first two weeks. Brandon Marshall will get his share of catches, but there might not be enough left over for second fiddle Davone Bess.
• The aforementioned Flacco recommendation brings Anquan Boldin along as well. The Rams are in the middle of the pack in fantasy pass defense (23 fantasy points per game points to opposing wideouts) after limiting Giants’ monster Hakeem Nicks to three receptions for 15 yards (and, yes, a touchdown). Like Nicks, Boldin doesn’t have a strong second banana to take the pressure off him, unless you count perennial fantasy tease Lee Evans.
Play, play, play: Mike Thomas, Jaguars (vs. Panthers) Thomas is freed from the Week 2 shackles of Revis Island and gets to catch passes from … Blaine Gabbert? Not to worry, as the porous Panthers have given up 377 yards, three touchdowns and 26.9 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers so far, and lead the NFL with four pass plays of longer than 40 yards against them. Gabbert will have to throw to someone in his first pro start, and Thomas is WR1 for the Jags. He’s been targeted 10 times in each of the first two games.
Also:
• The Dolphins didn’t just get lit up by the Patriots, as the Texans’ wideouts victimized them for 11 catches, 157 yards and a score in Week 2. Cleveland’s Mohammed Massaquoi has seen a respectable 13 targets in two games, with six catches for 122 yards. Massaquoi is owned in just 1.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and if you need a replacement for someone (e.g., Mile Austin), he could put up solid numbers.
• Let’s assume that as the Giants’ best cornerback, Corey Webster will spend most of Sunday afternoon chasing DeSean Jackson. That would leave Aaron Ross on Jeremy Maclin, and if you watched Monday night’s game, you know that Ross couldn’t cover most of the contestants on The Biggest Loser. The Giants have allowed a shockingly bad 28 receptions, 447 yards and 30.4 fantasy points per game to opposjng wide receivers in the season’s first two weeks, and if you have any doubts about Maclin, get rid of them. He’s a GREAT start in Week 3, and could give fantasy owners quite an encore after his 13-catch, 171-yard, two-touchdown explosion against the Falcons last Sunday night.
Tight Ends
Stay away: Lance Kendricks (vs. Ravens) The Ravens have given up six receptions, 80 yards and 4.0 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in their first two games, while Kendricks’ two catches have made him a disappointment to legions of fantasy owners who expected him to make a quick impact as a rookie. Judging from the weekly lineup questions we get, people are anxious to start Kendricks. This week isn’t the time.
Also:
• Jeff King is currently a top-10 tight end in FOXSports.com leagues due to his pair of touchdowns. However, King has been targeted only five times, caught just two passes, and is about to face a Seahawks’ defense that has allowed seven catches for 62 yards and 3.2 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. Resist the temptation to start King.
Play, play, play: Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs. Bengals) Sixty-five yards and no touchdowns in two games? Wasn’t Davis supposed to be one of fantasy’s best half-dozen tight ends? Yes, and he’ll probably start to show it this week. The Bengals permitted a pair of TDs to Browns’ tight ends Ben Watson and Evan Moore in the season opener, and with WR Braylon Edwards out for the Niners, the stars seem aligned for Davis to post strong numbers.
Also:
• Only nine teams have allowed 11 or more receptions by opposing tight ends so far, and just seven have given up two or more touchdowns. Since two teams in each category have played the Patriots, we probably shouldn’t count them. The Browns have given up 11 catches, 94 yards and a pair of scores so far, and host the struggling Dolphins this week. Anthony Fasano was nearly invisible Sunday after a big Week 1, but if you’re looking for a deep sleeper – maybe in a two-tight end league – he’s worth a look.
