James Starks – Starks is still sitting unowned in 33 percent of Yahoo! leagues which is completely head-scratching. In week one he completely outplayed Ryan Grant and saw approximately 30 more snaps than the former lead back and this week was no different as Starks racked up 105 yards from scrimmage to 39 yards from scrimmage for Grant. If you are one of the lucky ones where Starks went undrafted and is still on the wire put in your claim now. Starks will only get better as the season wears on and he is currently a high upside RB3 with the look of an emerging RB2.
Jonathan Stewart – Stewart is somehow still available in 42 percent of Yahoo leagues despite it becoming obvious in week one that Stewart would see more snaps this season due to his plus pass protection skills vis a vis DeAngelo Williams. Now while Williams will continue to be force fed snaps because they just made him one of the richest running back in football, this is not the John Fox show anymore and talent wins here. Stewart’s increased snaps translated into fantasy success to the tune of a career high eight receptions for 100 yards receiving. To put this in perspective Stewart only had 103 receiving yards all of last year and his career high is 139 receiving yards. No one could have imagined that Stewart would emerge as the lead back and the favorite in PPR formats, especially after the notoriously thrifty Panthers doled out the cash for D-Will but the Panthers desire to protect Cam Newton has changed that. Stewart now has RB3 upside against weaker opponents and flex appeal against tougher defenses. He is entering must-start territory in PPR leagues, and it should be noted that Stewart managed to haul in all eight of his targets from Cam Newton.
Denarius Moore – Moore exploded for 151 yards and a touchdown off of five receptions and added 25 yards more yards on the ground off of one rushing attempt. Moore flashed the type of playmaking talent that caused so much preseason buzz and the hope here is that he sticks in the starting lineup as arguably the Raiders top weapon outside of the ‘Ultimate Weapon’ Darren McFadden. Moore should already be taken in most competitive leagues but he may be available in smaller formats as his 87 percent unowned status confirms. Add Moore where possible, he just might be the Raiders receiver who finally breaks out and distinguishes himself amongst the others on a week-to-week basis.
Thomas Jones – Thomas Jones is the new feature back in Kansas City following news that Jamaal Charles has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. Jones has one of the best offensive lines blocking for him unfortunately however the Chiefs project to be down all season long so he may not get enough rushing attempts to make a serious fantasy impact a la Marshawn Lynch over the first two weeks of the season. With that said, he is still a feature back and needs to be owned in all leagues. He is currently available in 65 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Nate Burleson – Burleson finished the week with the most receptions of the Lions and took full advantage of the heavy attention Calvin Johnson was garnering by hauling in seven of his nine targets on the afternoon. He had nine targets to Johnson’s seven and this may be a theme we see reoccur with opposing defenses keying on trying to stop Calvin Johnson. Burleson is now averaging six receptions and 76 yards per game and should be rostered in all formats. He is a solid flex2 in shallower leagues and a intriguing flex in larger leagues, especially those with PPR formats. Burleson is currently available in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Titus Young – Young is someone those in deeper leagues will want to put on their fantasy radar. Depending on the depth of your league Young may already be an option and as evidenced this past Sunday, even as the number three receiver Young is going to be able to put up flex2 worthy numbers. Young finished this past Sundays game with five receptions for 89 yards and his role should only expand as the season wears on. Young is available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues and is a high upside bench stash/bye week filler.
Brandon LaFell – LaFell is a name to monitor is deeper leagues. After a disappointing rookie season with Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen at the helm LaFell finally seems to be finding his way. He looked good on his four receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown and showed the ability to make the tough catch. With Naanee not earning his stripes LaFell should become the #2 WR in short order. However note that being the number two wideout on Carolina actually means you are fifth in the pecking order behind Smith, Stewart, Olsen and Shockey, but there is upside here for those in the deepest leagues. LaFell is available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Eric Decker – Eric Decker is in line to be the new number two receiver for the Broncos and if his performance over the last two weeks is any indication, he will make a fantasy impact. Decker finished week 2 with five catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He has high upside flex2 value in deeper leagues and is a solid flex option in deeper league. Decker is available in 77 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Roy Helu – Helu got he call in the 2nd half for the Redskins including the all important game winning drive. Hightower is a good fit for Shannahan’s one cut, zone blocking scheme but Helu remains the more explosive option, as has been evidenced by his 6.91 yards per carry over the first two weeks. We like Helu to emerge as the starter down the stretch of the fantasy season and playoffs. Helu is merely a high upside bench stash for the time being. He is available in 76 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Delone Carter – Carter has officially moved up to number two on the depth chart and without Peyton Manning this season the Colts are almost destined to give Carter a long, hard look down the stretch in an effort to determine if he can really be their feature back of the future. He is high upside bench stash. Carter is currently available in 83 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
David Nelson – Nelson is a 6’5 220 lbs slot receiver in an offense that struggles to run the ball and despite being 2-0 are expected to be in catch-up mode for most of their games for the rest of the season. He is a solid bench stash/bye week filler in shallower leagues and is a flex2 in deeper leagues as his ten catch, 83 yard, one touchdown performance proved last week. Nelson is a must-add in PPR leagues as all signs point to Nelson becoming the new number two receiver for the Bills. Nelson is currently available in 83 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
