Hot Fire Fantasy Football Questions Week 2
Our “Hot Fire Fantasy Questions” series examines an exciting Week 2 following up recent news, fantasy performances, and implications for owners moving forward. Our Hot Fire contributors from our Fantasy Footballers writing staff includes: Kent Weyrauch (@KentWeyrauch) and Keaton Denlay (@keatondenlay). Give them a follow on Twitter along with all of our Footballers accounts to get goodness like this:
Dez reading about Josh Gordon’s release: pic.twitter.com/nHDqmpsteo
— Mike Wright (@FFHitman) September 15, 2018
We have seen the final attempt of Zane Gonzalez NFL career.
— Jason Moore (@jasonffl) September 16, 2018
1. Give us the season-long finishes of Pat Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Mahomes QB3, Fitzpatrick QB12-15 range
Mahomes is the real deal. I’ve been a big fan of him since before the draft last year. With the weapons of Hill, Watkins, Kelce, and Hunt at his disposal, I see no reason why he can’t be a top-3 QB on the year. Fitzpatrick may still be replaced by Winston some time down the road. It’s difficult to say how many weeks Fitzpatrick will play at this point. What we do know is that what Fitz has done in the first two games isn’t his norm. He will come down to earth eventually. –Kent Weyrauch (@KentWeyrauch)
Before we get too carried away with the success of Patrick Mahomes, let’s start with the easy projection: Mahomes’ current pace for 80 passing TDs is not sustainable. Although its clear owners should start him so long as he stays hot. He should finish as a top-10 QB on the season based on this burst of production alone. Fitzpatrick is more difficult to project. I do not believe he will still be the starter when the team emerges from their Week 5 bye. He will be a viable starter in the meantime, but he will be a footnote in the end of season rankings. –Keaton Denlay (@keatondenlay)
2. Which player’s Fantasy performance let down owners the most?
I’m sure many people put Crowell into their RB2 or Flex spots after his huge Week 1 performance. This week was the polar opposite of that. He managed a measly 39 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches against the Dolphins. This backfield will be split between Powell and Crowell all year — guessing which of the two will score the touchdown each week will frustrate owners. – Kent Weyrauch (@KentWeyrauch)
Can a good performance let owners down? If so, Amari Cooper’s 10 receptions for 116 receiving yards certainly qualifies. Just 6 days removed from a 9-yard performance in Week 1, Cooper seemed to have lost the trust of Jon Gruden and probably many of his fantasy owners. Hopefully, these points didn’t get squandered on your bench. –Keaton Denlay (@keatondenlay)
3. Give us a buy and sell candidate after Week 2.
Buy: Corey Davis. He has 20 targets through two weeks. In week 2, he had to deal with Blaine Gabbert throwing the passes. Mariota was active for Sunday’s game so that leads me to believe that the injury won’t be long term. With Delanie Walker out for the season, Davis is ready to step into the limelight and break out in a big way.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Sell: Jordan Reed. I love how Reed has been playing so far this season, but we all know what’s coming. Reed’s career has been riddled with injuries, and I just don’t bet on him finishing the year. See if you can package him with a running back or wide receiver to get an Ertz or Kelce. –Kent Weyrauch (@KentWeyrauch)
I’m buying T.Y. Hilton. He’s been good since the return of Andrew Luck, but he has been overshadowed by monster performances by other WRs. Try to strike while others may be sleeping on Hilton’s potential.
I think you need to test the waters on selling Juju Smith-Schuster. He’s the number 2 WR on his own team and yet is currently on pace for 1,920 receiving yards. The NFL record, by the way, is 1,964 receiving yards. This is what selling high looks like. –Keaton Denlay (@keatondenlay)
4. Give us an under-the-radar stat line Fantasy owners need to pay attention to.
I think the Baltimore Ravens TE situation is fascinating. Especially in an unsettled landscape still reeling from the losses of Greg Olsen and Delanie Walker. In the first two weeks of the season, the Ravens TEs have combined for 17 receptions on 24 targets, good for 177 receiving yards and a TD. Keep an eye on this position group. You want the one who emerges. My money is on Mark Andrews who drew both red zone targets for this group in Week 2. –Keaton Denlay (@keatondenlay)
No player on the Buffalo Bills had more than 5 targets in week 2 against the Chargers. Josh Allen played the entire game as the starting quarterback and threw the ball 33 times. There was a total of 11 players targeted in that game. Some thought that Kelvin Benjamin might benefit from Allen playing. It seems that you want to stay as far away from the Bills players as possible. –Kent Weyrauch (@KentWeyrauch)