Fantasy Football: Week 1 Studs and Duds


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Week one leaves fantasy owners with the wrong mindset heading forward into the season. They are either prematurely crowning themselves champion of the league after an early win or scrambling to make any kind of trade to shake up their roster and not feel the pain of defeat again in week two.

Both parties need to stop. Fantasy Football is a cruel game full of ups and downs on a week-to-week basis that send owners on an emotional roller coaster. Even if your stud player didn’t perform to your standards just relax and wait it out.

However, if you can’t stand your team’s week one performance and are looking to make a major splash by adding someone on the waiver wire or making a trade it’s understandable. CHOOSE WISELY.

 

Studs

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

This rookie wide receiver is 6’5” 243 pounds of pure monster. While with any rookie there are bound to be some learning curves, Benjamin didn’t show any problems against the Buccaneers as he carved their defense up for ninety-three yards and a touchdown. Look for Benjamin to continue this type of performance throughout the course of the season because lets face it who else is Cam Newton going to throw to after losing their top four receivers from last season.

 

Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Yes, Hyde is also a rookie. While most owners do not like rookies because they are risky and sometimes inconsistent, they do also provide the highest upside. Plain and simple there isn’t a rookie running back with more upside than Hyde. While he is currently blocked for playing time by Frank Gore, Hyde will see limited carries and could provide help in deeper leagues. However, everyone needs to be aware of him and try to stash him on their bench because if Gore goes down with an injury Carlos Hyde immediately steps into the conversation of being a top ten fantasy running back.

 

Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

While I was going to go another rookie in Brandin Cooks (Future Star) I decided to switch it up and go with the second year TE out of Stanford (Fight On). Chip Kelly, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, already said that Ertz will play a larger role in their offense this year and boy did he mean it. Ertz in week one caught three balls for seventy-seven yards and a touchdown. Expect more performances like this from Ertz, as he should be looked at as a serious weapon in the redzone for the Eagles.

 

Duds

Allen Hurns, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Hey look, Hurns is a rookie and I don’t like him for fantasy! While he did have an extremely impressive week one, if it wasn’t for wide receiver Cecil Shorts being out he never would have produced numbers close to that. I expect Hurns to receive fewer reps when Cecil gets back from his injury and return to fantasy irrelevance. Do not waste your time picking him up or trading for him because he, like Kevin Ogletree who had a huge first game in 2012 and then proceeded to do nothing the rest of the season, is an absolute fluke.

 

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Honestly this pick could end up being completely moronic by the end of the season. With that being said the hype around this guy is absolutely ridiculous. SURE he had a big week one, but if it wasn’t for his sixty-seven yard fluke of a touchdown he only had a pathetic twenty-three yards receiving. To make matters worse he doesn’t have a good quarterback throwing to him because Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Christian Ponder combined wouldn’t amount to a top twenty quarterback in the NFL. Be skeptical of his hype and don’t rely on him too much as a WR1 or WR2. Sell high on him if you can and try and get a more proven WR.