Fantasy Football Week Two Sit 'Em & Start 'Em! Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan & More
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
"Matty Ice" threw the ball well against Pittsburgh (252 yards on 27/44), but the Falcons offense stalled in the red zone with little support from the run game. Expect that to change in the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome where Ryan sports a 94.5 QB rating and a 17:9 TD to interception rate. The Cardinals have a talented secondary, but their over-aggression can be exposed. Look for the Falcons to establish Turner early and open up the field for Ryan. WARNING: Atlanta needs a second wide receiver to step up. Roddy White saw 23 targets in week one and will be Arizona's lock down target.
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks
Hasselbeck toyed with the 49ers in week one, completing 78% of his passes with three total touchdowns. This performance wreaks more of a mirage than of reinvigoration. Much like 09-10, he was still staring down receivers and throwing off his back foot. Fortunately for him, the San Francisco corners were inept, biting on every double move and pump fake. Hasselbeck will face a much sterner test on the road in Denver, a team that he's thrown one career TD against in four starts (5 INT). Outside of a 32 yard run by Justin Forsett, the Seahawks ran for 45 yards on 22 attempts. If they continue to operate a one-dimensional offense, Hasselbeck will be in for a long day.
Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Public Service Announcement: Get Felix Jones the ball! Eight carries is simply not sufficient for a player with his game breaking speed and explosive potential. In 21 career games, Jones averages 6.5 yards per offensive touch. In addition, his rare receiving skills are all but wasted in the Cowboys offense. He's ready to take the next step as a player, but for whatever reason the team is apprehensive about granting him that opportunity. The Bears held Jahvid Best to 20 yards on 14 carries (2 scores) last week, but the Lions were often pinned back and forced into a conservative game plan. Dallas won't make it that easy. Jones erupts in week two.
Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants
Benching a productive running back tandem against a defense that just allowed 257 yards on the ground? On the surface this appears to be a questionable strategy, but warranted nonetheless. The Giants accumulated 118 rushing yards on 36 attempts versus Carolina, but 61 of those yards came on two carries late in the 4th quarter when the result was no longer in doubt. Six carries went for negative yardage. All in all, the offensive line looked out of sync, and 4/5 of the unit is carrying an injury. The Colts defense is a prideful bunch, and it would be surprising if they didn't meet the challenge at home in prime time, small front line or not.
Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
Yes, another play against the Detroit secondary. The Lions allowed five passing plays over 20 yards against Chicago, a perfect recipe for the Eagles speedy wide outs. Maclin saw only six targets in week one, but that figure should rise exponentially. Three of those targets came in the fourth quarter as his repoire with Vick improved, including a TD reception. With DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek receiving the bulk of the defense's attention, Maclin should have plenty of room to operate one on one. Get ready to see some 4.3 speed in action.
Malcolm Floyd, San Diego Chargers
Some might view this as an overreaction to his underwhelming effort on Monday night. The truth is, Floyd has just been dramatically overvalued in fantasy circles. His success was a product of the Chargers machine like offense and the weapons around him. Without Vincent Jackson's presence to occupy two defenders, he's just another receiver with size and hops. His route running has improved but will never be a strength, and his speed is average by NFL standards. He is in no way, shape or form capable of being a number one receiver. The Jaguars secondary is no great shakes to say the least, but both corners have size to combat his greatest asset.
Tony Scheffler, Detroit Lions
The 27-year old pass catcher should flourish with regular playing time. Scheffler caught six balls in the opener but was limited to 43 yards. Make no mistake, however, he's a playmaker not a safety blanket. His 13.5 yards per catch for his career speaks for itself. New starter Shaun Hill would be wise to target Scheffler frequently against the blitz happy Eagles. Philadelphia held Jermichael Finley to 47 receiving yards, but he was open on numerous occasions without reward.
Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are short at the wide receiver position without Sidney Rice, and it won't be long before opponents adjust. Shiancoe has developed into a legitimate threat in all areas of the field, a first down and touchdown magnet. Unless Bernard Berrian starts displaying his past form (one catch for three yards in opener), stopping Shiancoe will become a top priority. The Dolphins will no doubt make Favre beat them on the outside.
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Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Check back weekly for Adam’s NFL Sit ‘Em, Start ‘Em .
Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football, NFL, Sit 'Em Start 'Em, Week Two, Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons, Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks, Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys, Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants, Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles, Malcolm Floyd, San Diego Chargers, Tony Scheffler, Detroit Lions, Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings
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