Fantasy Football Last Minute Lineup Changes: Week 2

Well I may have whiffed on Martellus Bennett last week but I didn’t know Belicheck found ANOTHER fantastic white wide receiver in Chris Hogan. But if you listened to my sage Marvin Jones advice you found your new starter at the FLEX spot. Week 2 is here and it’s time to check the crystal ball again for some fantasy studs and duds.

START

Gary Barnidge (Cle. -TE) vs. Bal - Last week Barnidge put up a goose egg and may have cost you a Week 1 win, but I will preach patience on this one. RGIII seemed to have cared less about finding his mid-range targets and more determined to find a big play down the field on EVERY drop back he had. Fortunately for Barnidge owners, RGIII also continued his reckless running ways and knocked himself out of the starting position for possibly the rest of the year. Enter veteran backup Luke McCown and Barnidge owners should feel encouraged. McCown knows how to utilize one of his best weapons on the field. (This could also apply to Duke Johnson Jr. owners as well.)

Rishard Matthews (Ten. -WR) at Det. - Matthews debut in Nashville didn’t go as well as many probably expected. The Titans splashed the cash to steal him away from the Dolphins and he was expected to lead their receiving core. Matthews caught three of his four targets last week for 26 yards. Tajae Sharpe is grabbing all the headlines and will also be grabbing all the attention of the Lions secondary this week leaving Matthews space to work as the above-average possession receiver he is. Marcus Mariota really struggled to get going last week, but a trip to Detroit should do well for the growth of the Mariota to Matthews connection.

T.J. Yeldon (Det.-RB) at SD – Yeldon started his sophomore season with the Jags in balanced fashion. Yeldon grabbed four catches for 60 yards and added 39 yards on the ground with a rushing TD. Chris Ivory remains inactive for Week 2 making Yeldon a must-start as the feature back for Jacksonville at San Diego. The Chargers laid down like a mat for Spencer Ware last week (70 rushing yards, 129 receiving yards) so I expect more of the same for T.J., especially with the Allen boys stretching the defense like Play-Doh.

SIT

Andrew Luck (Ind. -QB) at Den. – Luck had a rough start to last week’s game but ended with 385 passing yards and four touchdowns. This was more due to a porous Lions defense than Luck looking flawless. I get nervous betting against Luck, but with a road trip to Denver I feel confident he’s going to be harassed all day. The Colts made almost no investment in protecting their franchise quarterback and Von Miller will be teeing off on these boys. So more than likely your backup QB has a better matchup than Luck in Week 2.

Devonta Freeman (Atl. -RB) @ Oak. – Devonta may have been your first round pick, but you may be losing value quickly on this investment. Last week, Freeman and Tevin Coleman went about 50/50 on carries and Coleman did much more with his receptions racking up 95 yards most of which was YAC. Oakland only allowed two 100-yard rushers last season, but allowed the seventh-most receptions by running backs. This would point to more production from Coleman than Freeman. You may not decide to sit Freeman compared after being compared to your bench options, but don’t expect big numbers this week.

Melvin Gordon (SD -RB) vs. Jax – Gordon is generally a feast or famine back and is very dependent on touchdowns to put meaningful fantasy points up. With Keenan Allen out for the season, the field will be shortened for Gordon which doesn’t play to his strengths. I expect Danny Woodhead to be the go-to back with Allen out of the lineup. If you have Woodhead as Gordon’s handcuff it’s time to move the little ball of talent (Woodhead) into your starting lineup and play the averages on Gordon’s production possibilities.