Man, what a crazy week of fantasy football. Many of the Week 1 narratives that arm-chair quarterbacks were quick to proclaim came crashing back to reality. Marcus Mariota isn't in fact the second coming of Joe Montana. The Saints do not get super powers in the Superdome. Adrian Peterson is still the same back from last year. Carson Palmer and the Cardinals are legit. The Bears are not. Any way, we wrote about all of this in greater detail below. So if you missed any of the fantasy action attending a baby shower or something, we've got you covered below.
New York Jets vs Indianapolis Colts
Top performers:
»Brandon Marshall, WR: 7 rec, 101 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 16.10 fantasy points
»Chris Ivory, RB: 57 rush yards, 3 rec yards, 6.00 fantasy points
»Eric Decker, WR: 8 rec, 97 yards, 1 TD, 15.70 fantasy points
»Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: 244 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 6 rush yards, 16.36 fantasy points
»Jets D/ST: 3 INTs, 2 fumbles recovered, 7 points allowed, 14.00 fantasy points
»Andrew Luck, QB: 250 pass yards, 24 rush yards, 1 pass TD, 3 INTs, 1 fumble lost, 8.40 fantasy points
»Frank Gore, RB: 57 rush yards, 4 rec yards, 1 fumble lost, 4.10 fantasy points
»Andre Johnson, WR: 3 rec, 27 yards, 2.70 fantasy points
»T.Y. Hilton, WR: 4 rec, 45 rec yards 4.50 fantasy points
»Donte Moncrief, WR: 7 rec, 122 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 18.20 fantasy points
If you're one of the fantasy owners who just needed 10 points out of Andrew Luck on Monday Night Football to secure a Week 2 win, well ... This was a tough one to watch. Luck committed four turnovers himself when all was said and done, tossing three picks and losing a fumble against the Jets. The four turnovers subtracts eight fantasy points from Luck's total in most leagues. Ouch. T.Y. Hilton played but only caught four passes for 45 yards, while Donte Moncrief was the big offensive star for the Colts as he collected 115 yards and a touchdown. Frank Gore had just 57 yards and lost a fumble of his own and would have had more yards if several of his runs early in the game weren't called back on holding penalties. Veteran receiver Andre Johnson was silent for most of the night. The Jets took advantage of the five Colts' turnovers and Ryan Fitzpatrick led New York to their second win of the season, utilizing wideouts Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall who each scored touchdowns and finished with 15.70 and 16.10 fantasy points respectively. Chris Ivory also played after owning a questionable tag all week, but had a tough time producing with just 60 total yards on the night.
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Top performers:
» Russell Wilson, QB: 206 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 78 rush yards, 22.04 fantasy points
» Marshawn Lynch, RB: 62 total yards, 6.20 fantasy points
» Doug Baldwin, WR: 92 rec yards, 1 TD, 15.20 fantasy points
» Jimmy Graham, TE: 11 yards, 1.10 fantasy points
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 249 yards, 2 TD, 23 rush yards, 2-pt conversion, 22.26 fantasy points
» James Starks, RB: 106 total yards, 1 fumble, 8.60 fantasy points
» James Jones, WR: 29 rec yards, 1 TD 8.90 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 116 rec yards, 11.60 fantasy points
Welp, this one was a tough one to watch for Packers fans or fantasy owners with Packers on their teams. Both Eddie Lacy and Davante Adams were carted to the locker room in the first half with ankle injuries, and neither returned. Aaron Rodgers was still able to do some damage against the staunch (but Kam Chancellor-less) Seahawks' defense, scoring two touchdowns, a 2-point conversion and throwing for 249 yards. Losing Eddie Lacy was a big blow, but James Starks came in and found some space to work, notching over 100 total yards. James Jones continued his touchdown scoring ways, being just inches away from two more tonight (he still got one, though). Randall Cobb notched 116 receiving yards, doing everything he could to help move the offense sans Jordy Nelson and Lacy. The much-maligned Green Bay defense found the strength to shut down Jimmy Graham and Marshawn Lynch (relatively), forcing Russell Wilson to escape the pocket and do his usual magic to make plays from nothing. In the end, it just wasn't enough, as the Packers forced two turnovers and exited the night with an ugly, but effective win.
San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Top performers:
»Carlos Hyde, RB: 43 rush yds, 18 rec yds, 1 fumble, 4.10 fantasy points
»Colin Kaepernick, QB: 335 pass yds, 2 pass TDs, 51 rush yds, 1 2-pt conversion, 28.50 fantasy points
»Anquan Boldin, WR: 60 rec yds, 1 TD, 12.00 fantasy points
»Vernon Davis, TE: 62 rec yds, 6.20 fantasy points
»Torrey Smith, WR: 120 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 1 2-pt conversion, 20.00 fantasy points
»Ben Roethlisberger, QB: 369 pass yds, 3 pass TDs, -1 rush yd, 2 2-pt conversions, 30.66 fantasy points
»DeAngelo Williams, RB: 77 rush yds, 3 rush TDs, 15 rec yds, 27.20 fantasy points
»Antonio Brown, WR: 195 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 1 2-pt conversion, 27.50 fantasy points
»Heath Miller, TE: 15 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 1 2-pt conversion, 9.50 fantasy points
The Steelers offense was dominant in a big win over the 49ers in Week 2. Running back DeAngelo Williams, wideout Antonio Brown and tight end Heath Miller all got into the end zone. Williams scored not one, not two, but three rushing touchdowns and was the highest scoring fantasy running back in the entire league by the end of the early games on Sunday with 27.20 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. Brown was magnificent again, making tough catches all day long en route to 195 yards and a score. Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of his 27 pass attempts and finished with over 30 fantasy points as the No. 1 fantasy signal-caller by Sunday afternoon. The 49ers may have lost the game, but from a fantasy standpoint, the team's offensive players produced. The one low spot in the San Francisco offense was running back Carlos Hyde, who finished with 18 touches but totaled just 61 yards. Hyde also got banged up in this one, as he sat out a few plays in the first half with what looked like a knee injury, but returned. Then he was taken to the locker room in the second half with a head issue, but again returned. Colin Kaepernick did work in garbage time and finished with 28.50 fantasy points, tossing touchdown passes to both Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith in the second half.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Top performers:
»Jameis Winston, QB: 207 pass yds, 1 pass TD, 23 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 1 fumble, 18.58 fantasy points
»Louis Murphy, WR: 82 rec yds, 8.20 fantasy points
»Doug Martin, RB: 78 rush yds, 20 rec yards, 1 fumble, 7.80 fantasy points
»Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE: 29 rec yards, 2.90 fantasy points
»Vincent Jackson, WR: 54 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 11.40 fantasy points
»Mike Evans, WR: 0 catches, 0 yds
»Drew Brees, QB: 255 pass yds, 1 pass TD, 1 INT, -1 rush yd, 12.10 fantasy points
»Brandin Cooks, WR: 62 rec yds, -4 rush yds, 5.80 fantasy points
»Mark Ingram, RB: 53 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 5 rec yds, 9.80 fantasy points
»Marques Colston, WR: 69 rec yds, 6.90 fantasy points
Welp, this game did not play out as expected. All week we were plugging Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints offensive weapons for fantasy purposes as the juicy matchup against a soft Buccaneers defense was just too good to pass up. But when the dust settled in the Superdome, Tampa Bay had the last laugh. Brees struggled to get anything going in the passing game and for the second straight week Brandin Cooks was held out of the end zone. Wideout Willie Snead was the only Saints receiver to score, which obviously helps no one, while some fantasy owners got a bit of relief with a Mark Ingram rushing touchdown. Still, it wasn't a good day for the Saints in fantasy. On the other side of the ball, fantasy owners hoping for some reinforcement from wide receiver Mike Evans, who played in his first game of the year after being sidelined with a hamstring injury, were left with a big goose egg. Evans caught zero passes on the day. Vincent Jackson scored a receiving touchdown, while Doug Martin ran hard, but failed to score. In the first win of his NFL career, Jameis Winston also scored his first rushing touchdown as a pro, and did enough to help his team beat Brees and the Saints in New Orleans.
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears
Top performers:
» Carson Palmer, QB: 185 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 21.40 fantasy points
» Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 8 rec, 112 yards, 29.20 fantasy points
» David Johnson, RB: 45 total yards, 1 TD, 1 returnd TD, 10.50 (standard) fantasy points
» Cardinals D/ST: 2 sack, 2 INT, 2 total TD, 18.00 fantasy points
» Jay Cutler, QB: 120 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 9.20 fantasy points
» Matt Forte, RB: 105 total yards, 10.50 fantasy points
» Martellus Bennett, TE: 48 rec yards, 4.8 fantasy points
This one got out of hand in a hurry. Speedy rookie David Johnson returned the opening kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, and added one of the ground later. Carson Palmer was sharp, throwing four touchdown passes on a consistently short field thanks to Bears turnovers. He hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald three times for six. John Brown played a heck of a game, even if it didn't show up in the stat sheets. He consistently beat defenders deep drawing penalties. He'll have a blow up game soon. For the Bears, Jay Cutler left in the second quarter and didn't return, as he got injured trying to make a tackle on his interception that Tony Jefferson returned for a touchdown. Matt Forte couldn't find the same space to run that he did last week, and once Cutler went out and the Bears fell behind by more, his fantasy ceiling came crashing to the ground. With Alshon Jeffery out, we hoped Martellus Bennett would have a big day. Him getting tackled at the 1-yard line paved the way for a Jeremy Langford touchdown instead. Doh.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Top performers:
» Matthew Stafford, QB: 286 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 20 rush yards, 19.44 fantasy points
» Ameer Abdullah, RB: 18 total yards, 1.80 fantasy points
» Calvin Johnson, WR: 10 rec, 83 yards, 1 TD, 14.30 fantasy points
» Eric Ebron, TE: 43 yards, 1 TD, 10.30 fantasy points
» Teddy Bridgewater, QB: 153 yards, 1 TD, 21 rush yards, 1 TD, 18.22 fantasy points
» Adrian Peterson, RB: 134 rush yards, 58 rec yards, 1 fumble, 17.20 fantasy points
» Mike Wallace, WR: 38 rec yards, 3.80 fantasy points
After the Vikings offense struggled mightily in Week 1, they went back to the basics. They fed Adrian Peterson. He rewarded the offense with a nearly 200 total yard day, giving Teddy Bridgewater space to work with in the secondary. Teddy didn't light up the scoreboard, but he played well and found the end zone twice (once on the ground). The Minnesota passing attack looks as if it will live and die by the touchdown this season, and Kyle Rudolph was the one lucky enough to get into the paint in Week 2. Meanwhile, in Detroit, they seem to be suffering from an aversion to giving the ball to their good players. In Week 1, they ignored Megatron, who had 10 catches and a touchdown on Sunday. In Week 2, it was Ameer Abdullah, who only received seven offensive touchdowns. Meanwhile, Theo Riddick and Joique Bell both saw six. Sigh. On the plus side for the Lions, Eric Ebron found the end zone for the second week in a row. Golden Tate managed 80 yards on six catches.
Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants
Top performers:
» Matt Ryan, QB: 363 pass yards, 1 TD, 18.42 fantasy points
» Leonard Hankerson, WR: 77 rec yards, 1 TD, 13.70 fantasy points
» Julio Jones, WR: 135 rec yards, 13.50 fantay points
» Odell Beckham, Jr., WR: 146 rec yards, 1 TD, 20.60 fantasy points
» Eli Manning, QB: 292 pass yards, 23 rush yards, 1 fumble lost 19.98 fantasy points
» Shane Vereen, RB: 19 rush yards, 76 rec yards, 9.50 fantasy points
Julio Jones might not have had a touchdown, but he's still going to see a plethora of targets week in and week out. Roddy White, on the other hand ... not so much. The veteran receiver had just one pass thrown his way and it looks like Leonard Hankerson is creeping up the pecking order in the Falcons offense. Last week, Tevin Coleman doubled up on Devonta Freeman in touches. This week, Freeman had the bulk of the opportunities with both players tallying a touchdown. It looks like the timeshare we all feared is coming to pass.
Odell Beckham is still the No. 1 receiver in the Giants offense. That's a surprise to no one. What could be a little more eye-opening is that Shane Vereen might be the second option. Vereen led the Giants with eight catches and tallied 95 total scrimmage yards. The veteran running back won't be terribly productive in standard leagues, but should be a nice add in PPR leagues. As for the rest of Big Blue's backfield ... good luck figuring that out.
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals
Top performers:
» Philip Rivers, QB: 241 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 5 rush yards, 1 fumble lost, 14.14 fantasy points
» Malcom Floyd, WR: 55 rec yards, 1 TD, 11.50 fantasy points
» Steve Johnson, WR: 45 rec yards, 1 TD, 10.50 fantasy points
» Andy Dalton, QB: 214 pass yards, 3 TD, 10 rush yards, 21.56 fantay points
» Giovani Bernard, RB: 123 rush yards, 16 rec yards, 13.90 fantasy points
» Marvin Jones, WR: 48 rec yards, 1 TD, 3 rec yards, 11.10 fantasy points
» Tyler Eifert, TE: 49 rec yards, 1 TD, 10.90 fantasy points
The Chargers made a concerted effort to get Melvin Gordon the ball early and the rookie finished with a decent stat line, totaling 98 scrimmage yards. However it was also quite noticeable that San Diego went to Danny Woodhead when they entered the red zone. In the passing game, Keenan Allen wasn't going to have 15 catches this week, but two catches, 16 yards and a fumble lost wasn't what we had in mind. Meanwhile, consider this our weekly plea to get Steve Johnson off your league's waiver wire. He needs to be more widely owned.
Early on, it looked like the Bengals were going to make up for A.J. Green's lack of production last week. While he scored a touchdown, Green didn't post the type of numbers we would have hoped for. But Tyler Eifert, though. Our tight end sleeper scored yet again this week and is making us believe there's at least one more worthwhile option at the position. Jeremy Hill was exiled to the bench after two fumbles, and Giovani Bernard took advantage with 139 scrimmage yards. Let's not have this happen again, okay?
Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns
Top performers:
» Marcus Mariota, QB: 257 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 19 rush yards, 2 fumbles, 16.18 fantasy points
» Anthony Fasano, TE: 84 rec yards, 1 TD, 14.40 fantasy points
» Dexter McCluster, RB: 98 rush yards, 26 rec yards, 12.40 fantasy points
» Travis Benjamin, WR: 115 rec yards, 2 rec TD, 23.50 fantay points
» Browns D/ST: 7 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 ret TD, 20.00 fantasy points
» Johnny Manziel, QB: 172 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 14.98 fantasy points
It was far from a perfect performance for Marcus Mariota this week. The rookie was constantly under pressure, sacked seven times and fumbled twice. Yet he still finished with a respectable 16.18 fantasy points. As for the rest of his weapons, it's going to be a hard group to figure. Terrance West was banished to the bench after his second fumble in as many weeks and Dexter McCluster took off with 124 scrimmage yards. If you can figure out which skill position players will take off, then you might be a wizard.
Johnny Manziel to Travis Benjamin is officially a thing, people. After connecting once last week on a deep touchdown, they did it again twice on Sunday. But before you get too excited about Johnny Football, it's worth noting that he only threw the ball 15 times and completed just eight of those attempts. Isaiah Crowell had a nice day with 72 rush yards and a score, but he had just three more carries than Duke Johnson. This is truly a committee system in Cleveland.
St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins
Top performers:
» Nick Foles, QB: 150 yards, 1 TD, 10.1 fantasy points
» Tre Mason, RB: 26 rushing yards, 3.0 fantasy points
» Kenny Britt, WR: 2 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD, 10.4 fantasy points
» Jared Cook, TE: 5 catches, 47 yards, 4.7 fantasy points
» Kirk Cousins, QB: 203 yards, 2 TDs, 12.12 fantasy points
» Matt Jones, RB: 123 yards, 2 TDs, 24.6 fantasy points
» Alfred Morris, RB: 59 yards, 7.2 fantasy points
» Pierre Garcon, WR: 6 catches, 23 yards, 1 TD, 8.3 fantasy points
» Jordan Reed, TE: 6 catches, 82 yards, 8.2 fantasy points
The Rams offense came back to Earth in this one. Nick Foles had one great deep ball to Kenny Britt on his touchdown, but was otherwise ordinary. The running game was blotted out, and is unlikely to get going without top pick Todd Gurley. This Washington defense is no longer a league bottom dweller, in light of two strong showings to kick off 2015. In a game that Washington controlled from the beginning, their running game ruled the roost. Matt Jones broke out in the second game of his rookie season, scoring two touchdowns on 19 carries. He looked like the more explosive option compared to Alfred Morris, and clearly added another dimension. Morris owners have to be concerned that the coaching staff will begin to defer to the younger Jones, whom this regime sunk a draft pick in to. It was an economical PPR day for both Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed. Jones should end up being the top waiver target of the week, and that is the biggest takeaway.
Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers
Top performers:
» Ryan Mallett, QB: 244 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 18.36 fantasy points
» Chris Polk, RB: 47 total yards, 4.7 fantasy points
» DeAndre Hopkins, WR: 5 catches, 53 yards, 5.3 fantasy points
» Nate Washington, WR: 3 catches, 63 yards, 6.3 fantasy points
» Cam Newton, QB: 195 yards 3 total TDs, 1 INT, 27.4 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 62 yards, 5.9 fantasy points
» Philly Brown, WR: 3 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD, 11.7 fantasy points
» Ted Ginn, WR: 4 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD, 10.1 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 6 catches, 70 yards, 7 fantasy points
Houston couldn't get much going in the early portions of this game, but did mount one final drive to try and tie the game. This helped pad Ryan Mallett's fantasy numbers, but he didn't look capable of leading this offense to wins any time soon. Chris Polk emerged as the leader of this backfield today with 16 touches -- the next highest back had six. The Texans won't move the ball effectively on a consistent basis until Arian Foster comes back, which could be next week. DeAndre Hopkins saw plenty of targets again, but he'll have days like this due to his quarterback play. It's far from a ghastly PPR floor, however. Cam Newton threw two deep passes to Ted Ginn and Philly Brown, and elevated them both to nice fantasy lines. Newton also leapt over a few defenders to score on the ground, as well. He salvaged a big fantasy day against a quality defense at home. It was still abundantly clear that this team lacks offensive firepower. For the second straight week, Jonathan Stewart finished with single-digit fantasy points.
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Top performers:
» Tom Brady, QB: 466 yards, 3 TDs, 28.24 fantasy points
» Dion Lewis, RB: 138 total yards, 1 TD, 17.8 fantasy points
» Julian Edelman, WR: 11 catches, 97 yards, 2 TDs, 22.9 fantasy points
» Rob Gronkowski, TE: 7 catches, 113, 1 TD, 17.3 fantasy points
» Tyrod Taylor, QB: 242 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 25.98 fantasy points
» LeSean McCoy, RB: 116 yards, 11.6 fantasy points
» Karlos Williams, RB: 37 total yards, 1 TD, 9.7 fantasy points
» Sammy Watkins, WR: 6 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD, 12 fantasy points
» Robert Wood, WR: 3 catches 60 yards, 1 TD, 12 fantasy points
The Rex effect did not take hold today. The Patriots came in and basically did whatever they wanted to the Bills on offense. Tom Brady continued his revenge tour by dicing up one of the league's best defensive units. Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman both enjoyed the type of days fantasy owners are used to them having. Neither player should ever be benched, with the PPR caveat applied to Edelman. Dion Lewis continues to own the Patriots backfield, as he held 13 touches to LeGarrette Blount's two. Lewis went over 100 total yards from scrimmage for the second week in a row, and even powered a touchdown in on a short yardage attempt. He looks like the every down back in the Patriots ever confusing backfield. Bill Belichick even stuck with him after a fumble, which was very out of character. He's a weekly flex play until further notice. Tyrod Taylor had a big fantasy day, and made some eye-popping plays despite turnover problems. His playmaking ability shined through even in a tough matchup against Belichick's strong gameplan. He'll have struggles, but remains a good fantasy option. LeSean McCoy played, and had moments, but was vultured in the red zone by Karlos Williams. This is two weeks in a row we've seen this for McCoy, so there's no reason to expect change. The Bills receivers garnered some big plays from Taylor as they tried to catch up late. While it was a Harvin game last week, Watkins and Woods rose to the top today. This could be a frustrating situation to predict all season.
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars
Top performers:
»Ryan Tannehill, QB: 359 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 17 rush yards, 24.06 fantasy points
»Jarvis Landry, WR: 110 rec yards, 6 rush yards, 11.60 fantasy points
»Rishard Matthews, WR: 115 rec yards, 11.50 fantasy points
»Allen Robinson, WR: 155 rec yards, 2 rec TD, 27.50 fantay points
»Blake Bortles, QB: 273 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 27 rush yards, 21.62 fantasy points
»T.J. Yeldon, RB: 70 rush yards, 13 rec, 8.30 fantasy points
It was another uneven offensive performance for the Dolphins. But don't fault Ryan Tannehill or Jarvis Landry. Both of them played well in defeat. For the second straight week, Rishard Matthews makes an impact in the passing game. He's becoming a player to watch. But it was frustrating to watch Lamar Miller struggle to 14 rhsing yards before leaving the game with an injury. It might also be time to reconsider our expectations about the Dolphins defense as they were gashed by the Jaguars offense today.
We hyped Allen Robinson all offseason and today he came through in a huge way. This is the signal that he deserves weekly consideration for a starting spot in your offense. Blake Bortles and T.J. Yeldon also had productive days, but neither is worth more than a matchup-based start on occasion. The Jaguars fantasy options remain pretty slim for the time being.
Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders
Top performers:
»Steve Smith Sr., WR: 150 rec yds, 15.00 fantasy points
»Joe Flacco, QB: 384 pass yds, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 2 rush yds, 21.56 fantasy points
»Justin Forsett, RB: 68 rush yds, 12 rec yds, 8.00 fantasy pts
»Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB: 34 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 12 rec yds, 10.60 fantasy points
»Crockett Gillmore, TE: 88 rec yds, 2 rec TDs, 20.80 fantasy points
»Amari Cooper, WR: 109 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 16.90 fantasy points
»Latavius Murray, RB: 65 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 22 rec yds, 14.70 fantasy points
»Derek Carr, QB: 351 pass yds, 3 pass TDs, 1 INT, 23 rush yds, 26.34 fantasy points
»Michael Crabtree, WR: 111 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 17.10 fantasy points
The Raiders came out of the gate hot in this one as Derek Carr hit rookie wideout Amari Cooper for a 68-yard touchdown pass on Oakland's first drive of the game. We've been waiting for a breakout like this from the electric Cooper, and those fantasy owners who started him were rewarded. The other big story here from a fantasy perspective was tight end Crockett Gillmore whom Joe Flacco hit for two scores and 88 receiving yards. Gillmore finished as Sunday's highest-scoring tight end in fantasy with his big day. Veteran wideout Steve Smith Sr. also contributed with 10 catches for 150 yards in the game. Elsewhere, Michael Crabtree had an unexpected big day with over 100 yards and a score of his own. Running back Justin Forsett was actually outscored in fantasy by Lorenzo Taliaferro who vultured a touchdown in the second half. Latavius Murray had a respectable day with over 14 fantasy points in standard leagues on 15 carries including a 1-yard touchdown run.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Top performers:
» Tony Romo, QB: 195 yards, 7 fantasy points
» Joseph Randle, RB: 65 total yards, 6.5 fantasy points
» Terrance Williams, WR: 4 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD, 14.4 fantasy points
» Jason Witten, TE: 7 catches, 56, 5.6 fantasy points
» Sam Bradford, QB: 224 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 7.86 fantasy points
» DeMarco Murray, RB: 55 total yards, 5.5 fantasy points
» Jordan Matthews, 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD, 14 fantasy points
» Nelson Agholor, WR: 3 catches, 31 yards, 3.1 fantasy points
» Zach Etrz, TE: 3 catches, 17 yards, 1.7 fantasy points
In what many believed would be the highest scoring game of the weekend, points were few and far between. The Cowboys won, but it came at a high cost. Tony Romo fractured his clavicle, and will miss multiple weeks. An offense once led by the sweet Romo to Dez Bryant combination will have to tread water with Brandon Weeden and Terrance Williams. The aforementioned Williams didn't do much until the fourth quarter, when he embarrassed Byron Maxwell on way to a 42-yard touchdown. He proved once again, even in a favorable matchup, that he is still just a sporadic producer. He'll have major ups and downs. The Cowboys running backs didn't do much to make us believe they can help shoulder some of the weight with the passing game banged up. Joseph Randle averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Lance Dunbar did chip in with some big catches out of the backfield. You have to wonder if we see Christine Michael soon. The Eagles offense completely collapsed in this game. Sam Bradford looked pedestrian, and his receivers did him no favors. Jordan Matthews' final stat line looks good, but almost all of that (including the touchdown) came on the Eagles final drive of the game when the game was already lost. The running game was nothing short of miserable. The offensive line was beat back by the Dallas front, and the running backs were met in the backfield on almost every play. For some reason, they kept sending DeMarco Murray on the outside zone stretch runs when it was abundantly clear it wasn't working. This is concerning, as it is the same mistake the coaches made in Week 1. We fear it may be time to adjust our once lofty expectations for this Eagles offense.
