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| Sunday, September 19, 2021 |
| The Fantasy Football Today team is here to help make sure you've got your best lineup locked in this morning. Adam Aizer and Heath Cummings updated you on the latest news and answered some start/sit questions on this morning's FFT podcast, and Heath is on CBS Sports HQ with Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard until kickoff to answer your questions and get you ready for the week on the FFT live show. |
| Make sure you check both out, but if you want more direct answers to your questions, I've got two more ways for you to win: Go to Twitter and use the hashtag "#AskFFT", where our whole team will be answering questions all morning; and go to the FFT YouTube channel to chat with Adam and I from 11:30 until kickoff. We'll be there right up until kickoff answering as many questions as we can, so make sure you're in the chat early to get your questions in. |
| For more Week 2 help, here's the rest of our preview content to get you ready: |
| Week 2 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WRStarts, sits and sleepers for every gameWeek 2 Cheat Sheets: PPR | Non-PPRWeek 2 Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | TEMy Week 2 Rankings: Flex Top 150 | QB | RB | WR | TE |
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| For the rest of this morning's newsletter, I've got updates on the latest injury news as well as answers to your questions in an #AskFFT mailbag -- email me at chris.towers@CBSi.com throughout the week to get your emails included. But first, here are some quick thoughts on the three biggest questions for Week 2: |
| 1. Should you start Kenyan Drake? |
| With Jacobs healthy in Week 1 against a tough Ravens defense, Drake was still good for 13.0 PPR points. The Steelers are another tough matchup, but I'll bet on Drake getting more than six carries this week even if Peyton Barber does play a significant role, while his passing game role seems pretty locked in. I've got Drake as a top-20 RB in PPR, so I'm starting him where I have him. |
| 2. Can you trust Elijah Mitchell? |
| Trust? I don't know if that word applies when it comes to a Kyle Shanahan running back. The guy likes to ride with the hot hand, and while Mitchell should get the first chance to prove himself, JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon will get their chances, too. That being said, you can certainly rely on Mitchell as a No. 2 RB in non-PPR formats, and he's a viable flex starter in PPR, too. |
| 3. Is Mike Evans a must start? |
Yes, I think so. It's a little worrying that Evans got just three catches in a game where the Buccaneers threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns, especially when you remember just how touchdown dependent he was in 2020 early on. On the other hand ... if you're gonna be touchdown dependent, this isn't a bad place to be. Yes, this is a crowded receiving corps, but Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski aren't going to have 90-plus yards and a touchdown each every week. Evans' upside is too high to consider sitting.
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| Week 2 Injury Report |
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| Quarterbacks |
| There are no relevant quarterback injuries to watch Sunday morning. |
| Running backs |
| Josh Jacobs (toe) -- Jacobs has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers. He missed practice all wee and was ruled out Friday afternoon, so hopefully you've had time to find an alternative. Kenyan Drake should make for a solid starter even in a tough matchup against the Steelers thanks to his passing game role, while Peyton Barber is more of a No. 4 RB who needs a touchdown to have much value. I would prioritize the likes of Kenneth Gainwell (59% rostered) or Tony Jones (60%) over Barber if available for Week 2, with Barber more on the Carlos Hyde (18%) tier. |
| Wide receivers |
Odell Beckham (knee) is out for Week 2 as he continues to recover from his torn ACL. It's not clear when the Browns expect to have Beckham active, but he remains worth stashing. I like Donovan Peoples-Jones as a DFS play this week, while Jarvis Landry remains a fringe No. 2 WR in PPR against the Texans.
Will Fuller (personal) will be inactive for Week 2. It's not clear exactly what is going on at this point, but Dolphins coach Brian Flores would not commit to Fuller being back with the team anytime soon. Hopefully everything is OK. Preston Williams (foot) is questionable for the Dolphins but seems like he's getting close to returning after getting a full practice in this week.Marquise Brown (ankle) got in a limited practice Friday after missing the prior two sessions, but seems like he might be a legitimate game-time decision for Sunday night against the Chiefs. I like Brown if he's healthy, but I would try to avoid him unless I have someone else playing in the late game or Monday's game between the Packers and Lions to slot in -- consider Marquez Valdes-Scantling if you're looking for an option. Jamison Crowder (groin) looks like a game-time decision for Sunday against the Patriots, with his status likely coming down to how he feels after pre-game warmups. He missed Week 1 on the COVID list and if he can't play again this week, Elijah Moore figures to remain the No. 2 target in the offense alongside Corey Davis, with Braxton Berrios likely to run in the slot again. Keelan Cole (knee) would also figure into the game plan after missing Week 1 himself if he is able to play. Parris Campbell (abdomen) is questionable for Sunday against the Rams after ending up on the injury report Friday. You're probably better off avoiding Campbell until he proves he can stay healthy and produce at this point. Michael Pittman (ankle) is also questionable for the game after being limited in practice. Zach Pascal might be the lead receiver for the Colts, while intriguing rookie Mike Strachan could see an increased role. He's someone to keep an eye on for deeper leagues. Gabriel Davis (ankle) is questionable but expected to play Sunday against the Dolphins. He remains fourth on the pecking order for the Bills, making him a tough player to trust for Fantasy, but he continued to show his potential in Week 1 with a touchdown, his eighth in 17 career games.Tyrell Williams (concussion) is out for Week 2 against the Packers. Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond should see a larger role for the Lions, but neither is a recommended starter for Fantasy. |
| Tight ends |
| Jonnu Smith (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets after getting limited practices in Thursday and Friday. If he can't play, Hunter Henry would likely be a top 12 Fantasy tight end against the Jets. Anthony Firkser (knee) is questionable for Sunday against the Seahawks after missing practice Friday. His status will likely be determined close to game time, but he's just a touchdown or bust play for Fantasy. |
| Kickers |
| Quinn Nordin (abdomen) is out for Sunday against the Jets, with Nick Folk set to kick in his stead again. Folk nailed all three of his field goals in Week 1. |
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| #AskFFT Mailbag |
| Send your questions to Chris.Towers@CBSi.com to be included next week |
| Shamar: Should I start Mike Davis or Kenyan Drake in PPR? |
| I view Drake as the better of the two options, but they're very close. Both should have healthy passing game roles and Davis might have more carries, but I think Drake is the better play even against a tough Steelers matchup. I have more faith in him having a big game in the passing game. |
| Alessi: I need two to start in Flex: Julio Jones, Christian Kirk, Jaylen Waddle, Robby Anderson, or Ronald Jones? |
| I think I can eliminate two of these off the top: Kirk and Jones. I like what we saw from Kirk in Week 1, but that's going to be a very spread out passing game, so I need to see more than one game before I trust him. As for Jones, well, I just don't see how you can trust him unless you just don't have another option. Sure, Bruce Arians said he was the starter this week, but we know he has basically no margin for error, and just because he's starting doesn't mean Jones will get more carries than Fournette. |
| So, that makes the decision a little less complicated. I get being concerned about Jones coming off Week 1, but it's not like Anderson usage was super inspiring. So, I'll role with Jones and Waddle in this one. |
| Caleb: Pick two: James Robinson, Elijah Mitchell, or Jamaal Williams. |
| I know Mitchell is the shiny new toy you just dropped big FAB bucks on, but he's actually third for me in PPR among this trio. Now, that being said, I understand you can't feel particularly good about starting Robinson after watching him cede so many carries to Carlos Hyde, but I'll just point out that a lot of that came late. That may not be enough to settle your stomach, but I think the two pass-catching options are the better ones in PPR here, especially given Kyle Shanahan's hot-hand approach to RB. |
| Rob: Corey Davis or D.J. Chark? Matchup vs. New England scares me for Davis. |
| This one is pretty close for me, because I have both ranked as WR3 with upside, but I actually do have Davis higher. Sure, the matchup against New England looks pretty tough, but they are missing Stephon Gillmore, for what it's worth. If the Jets are going to move the ball, it's hard to see how Davis won't be a significant part of that. I really like what we saw from Chark in Week 1 as far as how the Jaguars used him, but he and Trevor Lawrence did have trouble actually connecting, and it wouldn't totally shock me if that happened again, given Chark's downfield oriented role. I think Davis is the safer play, actually. |
| Rich: Who would you start? Kareem Hunt or Mike Williams? I tend to prefer RB because they usually have a more predictable number of touches. But Williams could be in a shootout with Dallas. On the other hand, the Browns could blow out the Texans. Think that would mean that Hunt gets more touches in the second half as they rest Nick Chubb? |
| I love the way the Chargers used Williams in Week 1, and the matchup against the Cowboys could lead to a ton of points. But I do have Hunt ranked higher for this one. We should see the Browns able to win comfortably, which should mean a larger role than usual for Hunt, who has been a touchdown machine even playing alongside Chubb since the start of 2020. I'm with you on how Hunt's workload is likely to play out. |
| Jeff: Who would you start: Jaylen Waddle, Jalen Reagor, or Emmanuel Sanders? |
| I like Sanders a lot, and he would have been one of the biggest waiver-wire targets this week if Josh Allen hadn't overthrown him on what should have been an easy long touchdown. However, Waddle is the clear choice for me with Fuller not playing. He's a top-24 WR for me this week. |
| Rick: Non-PPR flex play: Leonard Fournette, Diontae Johnson. or T.J. Hockenson? |
| I think I would just default to Hockenson for non-PPR, but I don't feel super confident in it. Fournette has a decent chance to score every week, but there's also a decent chance Ronald Jones truly is the lead back for the Buccaneers, making it tough to trust him. Johnson is a PPR specialist who doesn't often put up big yardage totals, and I don't want to count on him finding the end zone. So, that leaves me with Hockenson, who had a big Week 1, but who also had a somewhat disappointing 18% target share in Week 1. Still, I think he's the best option here in a game where the Lions should have to lean on the passing game a lot again. |
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