Dynasty Stock Market – Week 2 Report

Through week two, defenses still appear to have the upper hand.  Week three generally finds the offensive side of the ball starting to find a rhythm and more consistency.  If you’re team is off to a bad start, this is NOT the time to panic.   In the fantasy world, there is a lot of variability in the first 2-3 weeks, don’t give in to the temptation to make wholesale changes.  Stay focused and make subtle strategic plays where possible to give your team the edge and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Let’s get you caught up on a few of this week’s risers and fallers:

RISING

Michael Vick QB, PHI - Game on.  I was recommending Vick left and right this past week, even over Tom Brady, as a one week play.  He’s saying all the right things about the Eagles being Kolb’s team but he understands that he showed a dynamic that Kolb can’t match.  Reid doesn’t handle these situations well and he’s got a full fledged QB controversy brewing.

Jimmy Clausen QB, CAR – The Clausen era starts four to five games earlier than expected.

Max Hall QB, ARI- It’s amazing how having Derek Anderson playing ahead of you can affect your stock without a single snap.  And that value climbs steadily after Anderson starts taking snaps.

Bruce Gradkowski QB, OAK – So maybe Jason Campbell isn’t Jim Plunkett.

Darren McFadden RB, OAK – After a relatively stunning first week, DMc followed that effort up with yet another solid performance.  With a match-up against ARI next week, could a 3rd productive week be in the Cards?  Probably so.  Whether or not you are a DMc fan or not, his value is higher than at any point in his career.

Jason Snelling RB, ATL- Snelling is likely to be the pick-up of the week.  Filling in for Michael Turner, the 26 y/o Snelling put up a ridiculous statistical game and is sure to be flying off waiver wire shelves in leagues everywhere.  Turner is 28 far less productive than he once was and Snelling is looking like a young Turner.

Mike Tolbert RB, SD- Yes his stock is rising, but don’t get carried away here.  He’s a fullback and filled in for Ryan Mathews who went down with a minor ankle injury.  He’s only necessary as a deep handcuff to owners of Mathews.

Mike Goodson RB, CAR – In a situation where you have DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart ahead of you, you can’t expect to have much of an impact.  But Goodson is making noise in the return game and is being targeted out of the backfield on a consistent basis.  DeAngelo is a free agent in 2011 and word on the street is that the Panthers are happy enough with Goodson and Sutton to let him depart.

Demaryious Thomas WR, DEN – Thomas hauled in 8 of his 9 targets and is sure to get more looks.

Louis Murphy WR, OAK – A DLF deep sleeper favorite, Murphy is taking advantage of his opportunities and converting nicely.  A young, dynamic, receiver in an offense badly needing talent, Murphy remains a DLF favorite for further impact in the future.

Austin Collie WR, IND – It wouldn’t be a great shock to see Collie become the WR2 in IND.  However, the Colts will be reluctant to change from a scheme that is working well.  Collie looks great playing out of the slot and Manning looks for him just like he did when Stokely put up 1,000 yards and double digit TDs.

Mark Clayton WR, STL – Not many yards but two TDs salvages the week.  Could STL pull out of Clayton what BAL never could?

Marcedes Lewis TE, JAX – He won’t be mistaken for Vernon Davis or Jermichael Finley, but 7 catches, 100 yards and 2 TDs through two weeks is enough to be rostered.

Tony Moeaki TE, KCC – Whether by design or because the KC receivers are just that bad, Moeaki is becoming a favorite target of Matt Cassel.  Moeaki had 10 targets last Sunday.

Laron Landry S, WAS – It’s not often that a S is starting over most LBs, but Landry has been a tackling machine in 2010, picking up where he left off late in the season in 2009.

Rocky Mcintosh – 27 tackles in two weeks?  Yes please.

FALLING

Jason Campbell QB, OAK – Blech.  Always has been in my opinion.

Matt Moore QB, CAR - He’s dead, Jim.

Matt Cassel QB, KCC – The only thing keeping him at QB at this point is the fact that KC has no quality backup and the Chiefs are 2-0.  It’s a mirage that will soon be understood.  DLF has had Cassel in our dog house from the beginning and nothing has changed.

Trent Edwards QB, BUF – If BUF was 2-0, Edwards would be given the benefit of the doubt.  But they’re not.  You can safely drop him.  Next in line? …. Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Did you notice he wasn’t listed as a “Riser”?  It wasn’t an oversight.

Reggie Bush RB, NO – Just when you think he’s playable on a weekly basis, he goes down with yet another lower leg injury.  Dynasty coaches cannot depend on him week-in and week-out and this will drop his long term value yet again.

Brandon Jacobs RB, NYG – Jacobs is quickly becoming an after-thought and he just doesn’t get it.  If he watched a little bit of the game film, he would.  Bradshaw is the every-down back and will likely continue to be.

Jerome Harrison RB, CLE – High on many sleeper lists in 2010, the air is quickly coming out of the balloon for Harrison.  In week 2, he was given 16 carries and could only avg. 2 ypc.  Not good enough to earn a greater workload going forward.

Shonn Greene RB, NYJ – He looks completely uninspired and L.T. looks like an old toy given to a new child.  Greene is only a two-down back and he isn’t even doing that well.  He’s still young and will have plenty of further opportunities but he was a borderline first round pick in 2010 drafts and owners are feeling the pain.

Justin Forsett RB, SEA - Far too many were far too high on the diminutive runner during the preseason -  we weren’t one of them.  He’s best in a Darren Sproles role and SEA just isn’t good enough up front yet.

Braylon Edwards WR, NYJ – His DUI arrest last night isn’t going to help his less-than-stellar performance in New York.  On the bright side, he did find the end zone in week 2.  Maybe that is why he was celebrating?

Devin Aromashodu WR, CHI – I don’t buy that he’s been permanently passed by Earl Bennett, but he was clearly the 4th WR last Sun. and relegated to special teams.  They’re sending a message about his drops.  Cutler targets him far too often to keep him at WR4.  But until further notice ….

Bernard Berrian WR, MIN - He’s officially droppable in all formats.  Not because he doesn’t have talent but, instead, you can’t start him – ever.

Devin Thomas WR, WAS – Nearing the drop zone.  No catches in two games and not in the receiver rotation with any consistency.

Tony Gonzalez TE, ATL – It had to happen eventually for the first ballot hall-of-famer!

Jonathan Goff LB, NYG – You can give him another couple of weeks but the Giants were pulling him off the field far too often over the past two weeks.  He had good production with his limited snaps but he’s out on all nickle and third down packages.  In IDP, you want your player on the field a maximum number of snaps.