It's Week 2, but it's a big week for a few teams.Two divisional contests feature teams that are both 0-2 and then there's a great divisional matchup between a pair of 1-0 teams.
No matter what, there's going to be some separation in the divisions and an early lead can go a long way.
A battle between two of last season's hottest teams, Chinese Organ Thieves and Channel 4 News Team, highlights the schedule. The two were the toughest to beat in 2010, and heading into this Week 2 matchup, they're both 0-1. I'm definitely looking forward to watching this matchup unfold.
Another pair of 0-1 divisional mates squaring off is Real Houserville hosting World of Noise. This should draw some attention on the message boards because these two are the kings (or Queens) of talk.
The other divisional matchup of interest is the undefeated (way too soon to call someone undefeated) Team Boyer at the undefeated Dottsville Toasters.
Last week's matchups featured several great QB performances in a week where all QBs combined for an NFL record of more than 7,000 passing yards.
When Chad Henne throws for better than 400, it's a wild week.
We were told over and over again how offenses were going to struggle early on due to the lockout. As it turns out, it was the defenses, who struggled the most.
We may see similar numbers this weekend, and if you have a premier QB, you should be in great shape.
World of Noise (1-0) at Real Houserville (0-1)
Series Record: Houserville leads 5-2.
Well, for as boisterous as the Noise is whenever he plays Dawson, he hasn't shown up many times. Only two wins in seven games, leaves Houserville just pointing at the scoreboard.
Both teams struggled mightily in Week 1. Houserville's problems were well-documented in the Week 1 recap, and Mike Tolbert is in this week's lineup, but who knows if that is the answer.
The likelihood that Tolbert scored three TDs this week is highly improbable. And based on his stats from prior seasons, the likelihood that he scores again this week isn't high.
Still, Dawson reacts and throws him in the lineup.
Wisely, he didn't over-react at QB and he stuck with Big Ben (13.9 points last week) and left Cam Newton (42.8 points last week) on the bench. This is a smart move. Newton will not throw up 40 points this week. I think he could get 20 or so, but not 40.
On the other side, Big Ben should go wild this week. You want to see and angry team? The Steelers are going to pound the Seahawks.
Big Ben has a huge fantasy day today. So big, it will completely devastate the Noise — especially if he connects with Mike Wallace on several plays.
The Noise should get good point totals from the Andre Johnson and Jay Cutler, but that will be it. McFadden, Boldin and Burleson will all get double-digits to lead Houserville to a win.
Which will allow him to just send a text to the Noise stating one word: "SCOREBOARD."
Jammers' Prediction: Houserville 134, Noise 105
T-Money (0-1) at Fear and Loathing (1-0)
Series Record: Series tied at 3-3.
I have to say, I was wrong about two players early on: Dwayne Bowe and Jamaal Charles.
I loved both of these players heading into the season.
After Week 1, I'm scared. The Chiefs were so bad that I was completely turned away from two of my favorite 2011 fantasy stars.
Both T-Money and Fear have one of them.
For T-Money, he could have been 1-0 if Bowe would have just caught a few more passes and scored.
Fear won his matchup, but his running backs certainly could have done better. Charles did reach double-digits, but he was held to 56 yards rushing. He caught a 9-yard TD pass to help his point total out, but that was it. His other back, Rashard Mendenhall, was awful. He had just 45 yards and he fumbled to make his point total 2.5 points.
Charles' should be around the same point total this week, but Mendenhall will rush for 100 and score at least once against the Seahawks, who are going to get run out of Pittsburgh with a 40-plus point loss.
Add in Cedric Benson against the lowly Broncos, and Fear should be well on his way to victory.
I did mention earlier that I like Romo to rebound this week against the 49ers, so T-Money will get points there, but Fear's QB will do better. I expect Michael Vick to have another explosive game. I feel like he'll have a great first drive, slow down for a few possessions and then take off. It will be at this point that Fear and Loathing puts the nail in the coffin of this matchup.
Jammers' Prediction: Fear and Loathing 142, T-Money 122
Jimmy Jammers at Jawz Attack
Series Record: Series tied at 1-1.
Eagles games are always fun, but nerve-wracking for myself and my Uncle Jason.
Tonight, the game will be a little more nerve-wracking.
By the time the Eagles-Falcons game kicks off at 8:20 p.m., the Jammers should have a decent lead after Matthew Stafford rocks KC and after Larry Fitzgerald and Greg Jennings show why they're among the NFL's best.
But that lead will be in jeopardy when two other wideouts look to prove the same thing.
Jawz has Roddy White and DeSean Jackson going in the late game and they certainly have the potential to pull off the comeback and beat the Jammers.
Jawz is going with almost the same lineup that he had last week, except he added in Fred Jackson and sat Joseph Addai, and that's a toss-up to whether it will matter or not.
The key for Jawz will be to have the rest of his team score enough points during the day to make it manageable come Sunday night.
He nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback Monday night with Wes Welker's huge night, but it wasn't enough. The deficit was too big to start with.
That may again be the case this week.
I —of course I do — really like Stafford, Jennings and Fitzgerald this week, and I think I may have a few last-second changes that may spin this matchup out of reach.
No matter what, I feel like this could be the most exciting matchup of the week due to the impact the Sunday night game can have.
Jammers' Prediction: In a squeaker, Jammers 142, Jawz 139
Team Boyer (1-0) at Dottsville Toasters (1-0)
Series Record: Series tied at 6-6.
It should be a good thing for the Toasters' Matt Schaub, but then again, it could spin into a bad thing.
Schaub had to have watched Tom Brady's performance against the "best secondary" in football — says Dolphins CB Vontae Davis — and dreamt about this week's matchup between his Texans and the Dolphins.
Tom Brady, who happens to be who the Toasters is going up against this week, threw for 517 yards last week against the Dolphins. This week, it's Schaub's turn.
Not so fast.
It would be easy to assume that everyone is going to have similar passing success, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion yet. We could only do that for the 2010 Texans defense. With Arian Foster starting today, the Texans will be cautious with giving him too many carries, so I think this could be a pretty good day for Schaub and Toasters' TE Owen Daniels.
I'm not predicting 517 yards, but I don't think a 300-yard, three touchdown day is too much of a stretch.
Brady should be in a similar area against the Chargers.
So, it will be up to the rest of their teams to decide this matchup.
Both the Toasters and Boyer have banged up star wideouts who had nice Week 1 performances. Calvin Johnson is questionable on a day where he has a great matchup against a banged up KC defense. If he starts, I see another two TDs and 100 yards. A healthy year for Johnson could rival Randy Moss' big year with Brady.
For Boyer, it's Steven Johnson, who is probable against the Oakland Raiders, another good matchup in my mind. I see no reason why FItzpatrick won't find him.
With that matchup fairly even, let's look at the RBs, where I think this matchup will be won. Both are deploying three this weekend and both have a back who I think could completely end the matchup.
For Boyer, Michael Turner is going up against the Eagles, who clearly have had trouble with running backs and look like they're going to struggle all season.
Tonight's game will be pivotal for Boyer, and because it's his final player of the week, it could be the dagger.
The Toasters, who only have one player going after the afternoon slate of games (Mario Manningham on Monday), could have a decent lead if Jahvid Best has the kind of day I think he will. I like him for 20-plus fantasy points today. I think he'll get some rushing yards, and possibly a rushing TD, but I also see him busting a big screen pass for possibly a TD.
Also worth noting is Chris Johnson's attempt to make up for his pitiful fantasy week in Week 1. It's too bad he's going up against Baltimore's defense, who the Toasters also have. Talk about a predicament.
Jammers' Prediction: Toasters 129, Boyer 121
Graybill's Generals (1-0) at Sunday Slackers (1-0)
Series Record: Slackers leads series 2-1.
In another 1-0 battle in the JFL, the Generals are doing what I thought about doing: Picking up Dexter McCluster and deploying five receivers because the KC wideout happens to have RB eligibility. (How awesome is that?)
If you figure that his only RB in the lineup, LeSean McCoy, is also like a wideout in many ways, the PPR points are going to be coming the Generals way.
But this matchup will be decided on how well the Slackers RBs do, not on how well the Generals aerial arsenal does.
Ray Rice was huge last week and I think he'll have a similar day against Tennessee. Matt Forte was equally as big, leading the Slackers to a win.
The thing that the Slackers will have to worry about is that if it weren't for three huge point totals, he would have lost.
The same could have been said for the Generals.
Both head into Week 2 hoping that one or two of those big scorers are going to be consistent fantasy stars in 2011. If you have that 2010 Arian Foster or 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson kind of star, you can easily go on to win the Super Bowl. Just ask the fantasy owners of those two RBs in those seasons.
I think both McCoy and Rice have the chance to have those types of seasons.
McCoy is in such an explosive offense and Rice is benefiting from the addition of fullback Vonta Leach. You might be asking yourself, how the hell does a FB addition help Rice?
Well, Arian Foster would not have been the fantasy MVP he was last season if it weren't for the fact that he was rushing behind the blocks of Leach. Now a Raven, it's Rice's turn to have a "Foster" season.
And for that reason, I'm giving the Slackers the slight edge this week.
Jammers' Prediction: Slackers 121, Generals 114
Channel 4 News Team (0-1) at Chinese Organ Thieves (0-1)
Series Record: News Team leads series 6-5.
Who would have thought this? In Week 2, the winless News Team will take on the winless Organ Thieves.
The two teams were highly favored in the preseason poll, and both stumbled out of the gates. Well, after Week 2, one of these teams is going to be scratching their heads at 0-2 with a shovel in their hands. The hole they're digging is getting deeper.
Of course, when these two get together, we talk about Aaron Rodgers vs. Phillip Rivers — both QBs that I use to have on my roster (traded one, kept LaDainian Tomlinson over the other one).
That matchup is always key, and I think both have favorable defense to throw against. Kevin Kolb found holes against Carolina and that tells me that Rodgers will find major gaps. The same applies for Rivers, who is going up against a Patriots defense that Chad Henne picked apart.
So it's hard to say that this is the most pivotal roster spot this week.
I'm going to say the key to this matchup is the three RBs that both teams are starting.
And when you look at the matchups, I have to sway to the News Team's side. Peyton Hillis got off to a slow start last week, but against a soft Indy defense that allowed the Texans to rush for 167 yards and two TDs, Hillis will bowl over that.
Beanie Wells emerged last week and last season's MVP Arian Foster should return to the roster this week. As of right now, reports say he'll start. Obviously, if he doesn't start or if he has an early-game setback, the Thieves will easily steal the edge in this matchup.
But even if that is the case, I still like the News Team's wideout.
I think everyone piled on the Cowboys after a horrible fourth quarter and forgot what they did for three quarters. Dallas will play four quarters this week and Romo will silence the 49ers fans who think they're all-of-a-sudden the greatest team after beating the Seahawks thanks to special teams.
Romo will find Miles Austin for several passes today which will sway this matchup the News Team's way.
The other factor that will play into this is Vincent Jackson (News Team) stealing points from Rivers.
News Team suffered from this last week when the Jammers' Greg Jennings scored 18 points, taking away from Aaron Rodgers' 33-point day.
I also like Robert Meachem this week. Saints WRs are tough to predict, but I just have a feeling. It's like one of those days where he catches one pass for a 72-yard TD. … Just one of those days where one catch equals about 15 fantasy points.
I do have to note that the Thieves made a great move and picked up the Cowboys defense this week, a defense that will stifle Alex Smith and probably force in a backup — a backup who I don't feel like Googling right now to spell his name right.
Jammers' Prediction: News Team 140, Thieves 120
Comments