Week Two in Review Sep 15, 2008 | More

Welcome to the Week in Review column on FantasySharks.com in which I will be discussing the previous week’s NFL action. This article highlights the best and worst performers of the week, along with some other vital fantasy advice and information. So strap yourself in and enjoy the season.

Ballers of the Week

Jay Cutler , QB Denver Broncos

In the preseason, Cutler stated that he wanted to finish a top five QB in 2008. Well, if he puts up more performances like the one he put up in week two than that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Cutler dissected a solid Charger defense and helped to put up 39 points against them. He finished the day 36-50 for 350 yards with four TD’s and just one INT. Cutler threw a game-tying TD pass and go-ahead two-point conversion pass to Eddie Royal with less than 30 seconds left in the game and looked like a veteran all day. He is well on his way to being a great QB in the league and should be starting every week in fantasy leagues no matter what.

Anquan Boldin , WR Arizona Cardinals

Boldin had one of those monster games that fantasy owners dream of, as he piled up 140 yards on just six receptions and three touchdowns. It’s encouraging to see Boldin giving 100% even though he doesn’t want to play for Arizona, and it is clear that he is QB Kurt Warner’s favorite target, especially in the red zone. Boldin may not have the best attitude, but he is one of the best athletes in the NFL and should continue to produce big numbers all season.

Brandon Marshall , WR Denver Broncos

Welcome back Brandon Marshall. After missing the first game of the season because of disciplinary reasons, Marshall made his presence felt in a huge way! He racked up an incredible 18 catches for 166 yards and one touchdown. Marshall and QB Jay Cutler have such great chemistry that I wouldn’t be surprised if this kind of day happens a few more times this season. Marshall is the clear No. 1 WR on Denver and will finish as a Top 10 WR at season’s end.

Busts of the Week

LaDainian Tomlinson , RB San Diego Chargers

LT put together another subpar performance on Sunday and is yet to find the end zone after two weeks. He rushed 10 times for just 26 yards and had two catches for 14 more against Denver and managed to re-injure his sprained toe. Though it’s extremely early, it has been a disastrous start in ’08 for Tomlinson. He is nowhere near performing like the number one overall pick that he was in fantasy and could have one of those seasons where he battles injury throughout. Keep an eye on his progress this week and pray that he gets better.

Randy Moss , WR New England Patriots

With the loss of Tom Brady, it was expected that Moss would take a hit in production, but to have just two catches for 22 yards was not what fantasy owners had in mind. Though he had a miserable game, all is not lost for Randy as he was targeted on a number of red zone attempts and just missed a 50-yard pass from QB Matt Cassel. As Cassel gets more into the flow of the Patriot offense, Moss’ numbers will start to climb back up to those of the elite WR’s.

Larry Johnson , RB Kansas City Chiefs

Aside from the play of WR Dwayne Bowe, there is nothing else encouraging coming out of the Chiefs in the first two weeks of the 2008 season, and this includes the play of Johnson, who is slowly moving away from the stud RB status that he used to hold. In week two, he carried the ball just 12 times for 22 yards, had zero receptions and let the media know how unhappy he was after the game. This isn’t good news for LJ and his owners, but keep in mind that he is playing Atlanta next week so maybe he can get back on track if he gets a solid workload.

Waiver Wire

Darren Sproles , RB San Diego Chargers

Sproles had quite the game against the Broncos, racking up 317 all-purpose yards, including a 103-yard kickoff return for a TD and a 66-yard TD reception. Not bad for a backup running back. Spectacular fantasy day aside, the real reason Sproles should be picked up is because LaDainian Tomlinson’s health is really up in the air right now. He says that he will be fine for week three, but he has a fairly significant toe sprain that could linger with him for the rest of the season. At the very least, Sproles has worked himself into being more involved in the offense even if LT is healthy.

Buffalo DEF

The Bills defense was solid for a second straight week as they held a good Jacksonville team to just 16 points. They are slowly creeping up the charts as one of the better defenses in the league as they have allowed just 26 points in two games, with seven sacks, two INT’s, two fumble recoveries and one return TD. Buffalo’s D is still available in nearly half of most fantasy leagues so grab them before it’s too late.

Shocker Special

Jonathan Stewart , RB Carolina Panthers

After a disappointing NFL debut in week one, Stewart bounced back nicely and is already looking like the first round pick that Carolina was hoping for when they drafted him 13^th overall. The rookie out of Oregon ran for 77 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns. The big story here is that Stewart got more carries than starter DeAngelo Williams and had a much better YPC average (5.5 to 2.8). Chances are Stewart is already owned in your league, but if your looking for RB depth he wouldn’t be a bad guy to try and trade for because I believe that he’s just a few weeks away from breaking out.

Keep on Your Fantasy Radar

James Hardy , WR Buffalo Bills

Hardy isn’t someone I would necessarily go after right now, but he should be put on your watch list at the very least. He is a rookie who is still learning the offense and is sitting in the No. 4 receiver spot right now, but his future is very bright in Buffalo. The 6-5 target only had two catches for 12 yards on Sunday, but one of his receptions was a seven-yard TD. Keep close tabs on Hardy because he could be a solid fantasy option at WR in the coming weeks.

Must Start in Week Three

David Patten , WR New Orleans Saints

Marques Colston is out for at least another month and Drew Brees needs someone to throw to. Look for Patten to get a fair share of balls thrown his way as he steps in as one of the primary options in New Orleans. He was targeted in the red zone last week and that should continue to happen with Colston out of the lineup.

Must Bench in Week Three

DeAngelo Williams , RB Carolina Panthers

Williams is slowly losing his starting job to rook Stewart and had a terrible outing in week two. It doesn’t get any easier for him either as he has to go up against a stingy Minnesota defense that is very good against the run. Put Williams on the bench for week three and be ready to do that often because Jonathan Stewart is emerging in Carolina as the best RB.