Week 2

Even split after Week 1. Off we go to see if there will be any trends.

Week 2 is always interesting for a number of reasons. Here are 5 of them...

1. From the flock of underachievers in Week 1, there will be certain dudes that will emerge and reclaim their draft value. Happens every year. 

2. That WR3 or backup RB or surprise TE who just scored 20+ won't reach double-digits for the rest of the season.

3. Someone in the LOC will go off...150+ and suddenly looking like the team to beat. May not mean anything down the road, but it will certainly inspire confidence in the short term.

4. A rookie will put the league on notice. No guarantees of future performance, but suddenly in the spotlight.

5. A team will fall to 0-2 and start the roster shuffle/shake routine. Upheaval before necessary. It's wise to make strategic tweaks but table-flips usually just cause a mess.

Here are your top 5 projected players entering the weekend (above)

And the matchups...the High Rollers face the Titleist division while the NLS battle among themselves. We will have at least one 2-0 team after this weekend, but how many more? It's highly possible 1-1 may be the flavor of the week. We'll soon find out. 

Let's start with our only matchup between 1-0's and talk about what's to come. Side note: Besides Remix/Addicts, the head-to-head records in these matchups are significantly lopsided!

Wolves vs. Bruisers

Overview

The two unbeatens with the most optimism face off for an early role as the clubhouse leader. They enter as the top two scorers from Week 1 and will look to continue early success.

Keys

Dak has to play better than Wk 1...and he will deliver this week. Meanwhile, Mahomes has a score to settle with Philly and the Wolves will look for him to overcome.

While both run games bring the heat, this bake favors the Bruisers. Henry and Irving should combine for 30, while Hubbard adds 12 or so himself. That takes nothing away from likely scores for Cook and Kamara, both of whom are effective but may be slightly saddled this week.

Of the Dire receivers, Deebo's 14.5 are the only points on the board, but Amon-Ra should settle in and Puka will find 100 yards. Njigba and Egbuka were assets last week, but the Bruisers will need them even more here.

Expect LaPorta to become a factor in this one, with Hunter also a notable wild card. Njoku may underwhelm. Ben should get a slight edge from the Broncos D (unless Danny Dimes is actually good) and Aubrey's kicks, but Buffalo D is still worth 6-8.

When all is said and done, this one will be decided by the Bruisers Bucs players on Monday night. How much will they need for a W? Perhaps 25-30. Wolves survive.

Picks

All-Time: 13-6, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 10.5
FP: Bruisers by 6
LM: Wolves by 4

Crushers vs. Crew

Overview

This divisional matchup sees the Crushers trying to prove Wk 1 was a fluke and the Crew hoping to get more starters involved in the scoring than last time (despite the win).

Keys

It would be spurious to pick Stroud to outpace Josh Allen in this one, but the Crushers will get 15 out CJ. It just comes down to how many TDs Allen decides are his against the Jets.

The run game points to an obvious Crushers edge, with Barkley and Williams both likely to push 20 points. While Breece should make some hay for the Crew, JCM managed a woeful 1.5 Thursday. 

As for WRs, that battle should be fun to watch. 4:20's Chase, London and Hollywood (freshly acquired) are the winning trio here. Cliff should see improved output from Brian Thomas, with Harrison and DK chipping in 10 apiece. Adds up to a 10-point edge once JaMarr is done.

In support, Baun is a tackle machine and McLaughlin should get plenty of kicks. The Niners D may not be what it was, but should be solid here. The Crushers need max yield from the Ravens D to keep things competitive.

Picks

All-Time: 19-13, Crew
ESPN: Crushers by 4
FP: Crew by 14
LM: Crew by 7

Cheetahs vs. Dominators

Overview

This matchup features a Cheetahs team attempting to overcome a poor showing in Week 1 against a balanced Dominators unit hoping to keep it rolling.

Keys

Murray is set for a solid day against Carolina, while the Cheetahs turn to Fields to engineer something akin to what he did in Week 1. Should be a close match there.

For some reason, Jordan Mason feels set to break a big one Sunday night. That along with Chase Brown's steady plodding should generate 25. Paired against Jeanty (who should improve) and Achane's snap count, both teams should be about even here.

A picture of contrast last week, the Dominators got a lot of squeeze out of Zay and Garrett Wilson, and that should be more fun if Davante finds his role this week. Sutton is steady, but the Cheetahs will celebrate much better efforts from Nico and Higgins to keep it close.

Hockenson needs to step up, while Conover hopes Warren continues to snag targets and points. The Steelers D should go for 10+, but the Chargers D may let the Diesels down. 

This one may come down to the kickers, and that's anyone's guess.

Picks

All-Time: 19-6, Cheetahs
ESPN: Dominators by 5
FP: Dominators by 8.5
LM: Cheetahs by 1

REMIX vs. Addicts

Overview

These two teams square off in an NLS duel, with the Remix looking to ratchet up their scoring and the Addicts looking for another 2-0 start.

Keys

Jayden posted 15.5 after a slow start Thursday, but that won't be enough to match Burrow's Wk 2 inclinations against Jax. Good for a slight Remix edge at QB.

Hampton and Swift get the RB nod for Dan, with mixed upside that lands at about 20. Bijan and Taylor will ensure that Ghetto gets the edge on the ground. 

As for WRs, Odunze is on the way up, and Jefferson should notch his 16-20. The Addicts will be counting on a better effort from McLaurin and something better from Pickens. Advantage Remix here.

The Vikes D could toss the cart against Atl, while the Remix's Seattle D needs a low scoring slugfest against Pitt. Bowers is strong, but won't match Kraft's 21. Expect GK to push ahead. 

The flex matchup is one to watch, with Keon Coleman carrying a high ceiling and Pollard looking fresh. Both could excel, but the positional winner likely wins the matchup.

Picks

All-Time: 9-9, Tied
ESPN: Addicts by 3
FP: Remix by 1
LM: Addicts by 6

THREAT VS. WALKERTOWN FT

Overview

Historically unkind to the Threat, this matchup with Walkertown sees both teams looking for more potent scoring output to notch a first W.

Keys

In the Maye vs. Mayfield spar, Baker is the play here. Worth an extra 10 pts. If Miami's defense craps out, Maye might keep it close for WFT. 

The rushing battle is projected close, with Jacobs having supplied a dozen for TLM and Gibbs certain to post 15+. Conner should have plenty of chances against Carolina, while Jones could reach paydirt once or twice. Tight positional battle.

The WR group let the Football Team down last week, so Smith has to pick it up. Ladd and Nabers should exceed Wk 1 totals. Evans is due for a TD or two, but McMillan is a prove-it. DJ in the flex is the x-factor here.

Good IDPs and kickers with multiple opps highlight the support group. The Rams D should lift WFT here, while Philly's D may struggle against a motivated KC team. The outcome leans in Walkertown's direction.

Picks

All-Time: 7-2, Football Team
ESPN: Football Team by 11
FP: Football Team by 13.5
LM: Football Team by 5

LOSERS VS. MARAUDERS

Overview

The Losers will hope to be healthier and their stars better utilized in this matchup with the defending champs, who also face uncertainties at key positions.

Keys

The QB matchup looks to be a close one, with Hurts likely to excel against KC and the Marauders' Jackson slated for comfortable numbers against CLE. 

The RB tilt will hinge on Montgomery and Henderson posting reasonable numbers. Pacheco has to bounce back for MIM. Expect McCaffrey's massive volume to continue while other SF stars are out. 

Look for a big combo from Lamb and an oft-targeted AJ Brown to help Ledford right the ship. Keenan could chip in as well. Tyreek and Jeudy should outplay their Wk 1 numbers, but it won't be as much as the competition. Meyers a wild card.

Pitts faces a tougher defense but should be serviceable in Kittle's stead, while Ferguson is a TD-dependent option who is good for 7-10. Both defenses have favorable matchups. Edge Cooper gave a nice 10.5 point bump to the Losers cause. Game should come down to the wire Monday night.

Picks

All-Time: 8-4, Marauders
ESPN: Marauders by 8
FP: Marauders by 1
LM: Losers by 3

One Down

That's it for Week 1!

It got off to a slow start, and when the dust settled, the Bruisers and Wolves emerged as the top 2 scoring teams from our initial foray. Both won their games handily, with the Bruisers claiming the OTW. 

Not far behind were the Crew, who rolled past the Threat behind a Power Player effort from Josh Allen. The Dominators handled business in their matchup with the Losers, while the Addicts and Marauders both held on to get to 1-0 as well.

There were of course injuries and surprises along the way. Some teams lumbered slowly out of the gate, while others looked they were in midseason form already. Regardless, half the league is 1-0 and feeling like things will be okay...the other half, trying not to overthink it as we enter the first round of waiver pickups. Bid wisely y'all! 

Let's move on to a full review of the action, starting with your award winners from the first slate of games.

And now to the matchups...

Bruisers vs. Crushers

Turns out Dak doesn't have to play well for the Bruisers to excel. Njigba (16.5) and Egbuka (17) roared out of the gate, but it was King Henry's big day (27) and a nice assist from the Broncs D (21) that ensured a winning edge. The run game looked solid overall and no weaknesses emerged. Prescott will have better days.

A decent game overall for the Crushers, with a Brian Thomas sleepwalk (6) as the only real sore spot. Barkley and Kyren paired for 25, while Harrison (13.5) and DK (10) met expectations. Purdy got dinged while delivering 15.5, and even the Comms D added 13. No big games, but enough of a floor to give the Crushers confidence in future matchups.

Wolves vs. Football Team

The Wolves cruised to an early lead on a solid opening 21.5 from Mahomes. Cook and Kamara combined for 26.5. Puka (20) and Deebo (18.5) were excellent in the receiving spots. It all added up to a comfortable win and a good start in the High Rollers division. The Bills D failed to show (-2), but outside of that, a solid start.

There wasn't much wrong with the Football Team's Week 1 spread. It just needed a bit more pop. Serviceable 10's and 11's from May, Conner, Jones, and McConkey kept the Fumble away, but a crap start from DeVonta Smith (3) and the lack of a big game from any of the stars prevented a better challenge here.

Crew vs. Threat

Rock solid start for the Crew, with Josh Allen pacing all scorers. His 35 points were a key factor in the blowout win. Breece Hall looked good with 17 and the Niners D added 13 more. No one else reached double-digits this week, but there's plenty of optimism to be had in big wins without all cylinders firing. The Crew will take it.

The Threat can feel good about Baker at the helm. He led the way with 20.5 in this one. Gibbs and Jacobs had decent days, but no one reached 10 outside of Baker and Jacobs (11). The lack of production from Evans, DJ, and Andrews is either a short-term glitch or a bigger issue. Time will tell.

Addicts vs. Cheetahs

The positions where hits were expected gave the Addicts enough juice to get a W here. Bijan led the way with 24, Jayden chipped in 16.5, and Taylor added 11 to create a good baseline. The WR effort was paltry, as Pickens and McLaurin combined for just 8, but 10's from Butker and Wagner insulated the margin.

A lot of competitive promise, but it didn't arrive for the Cheetahs in Week 1. While Sutton (13.5) and IDP Oluokun (12) led the way, expected contributors like KW3 (3.5) and Tee Higgins (4.5) hurt the cause. The Steelers D goosed it. Nix's issues may be solved with Justin Fields waiting in the wings, but for now, Fumble. 

Dominators vs. Losers

The Dominators of Diesel got a nice 30-point win to open the season, riding big days from Zay Flowers (24) and Garrett Wilson (17). Achane added a respectable 13.5, and everyone chipped in something. Kyler got neither 2 nor 20, but did average out with 12.5. Overall, a good balanced start in a division matchup.

For Ledford, injuries and under-usage kept the points away here. Hurts had 19 and Lamb 16.5 more, but underwhelming rushing days and the Xavier/AJ injury and ghost tour haunted the bottom line. The Texans D added 10, and perhaps Keenan can help out in the short term, but not the start anyone wants.

Marauders vs. Remix

The only game that was narrowly decided saw the Remix chasing a 35-point deficit Monday night with a capable trio. Jefferson (10), Odunze (10.5) and Hamilton (10.5) all made contributions, but the youth at QB impacted JJ's output. Brock Bowers picked up right where he left off (15), and ol' Boswell (15.5) had a nice effort in a close defeat.

The '24 champs snuck by with a win in their first defense effort, but it was due to the few and not the many. Lamar had 25 to lead the charge and CMC added 18.5. There wasn't much else to like here. 5 combined points from Pacheco/Ford and mediocre WR numbers plus a Kittle injury made the win the only positive.

It's showtime in the LoC! The always-thrilling opening weekend is already underway. Season 20 is officially here.

Thursday and Friday gave us the first two matchups of the year, with the Eagles/Cowboys and Chiefs/Chargers meting out the season's first fantasy points (or lack thereof, in some cases).

Let's look at the standouts from the first two games...

That brings us to Sunday's action. The newly-dubbed High Rollers division will be battling each other for 1-0, while the NLS will take on the Titleist group in a cross-division skirmish.

Everyone arrives with a clean slate. Here's your first chance to find out who is gonna show up and who has some work to do under the hood. Half of us will get a winning start, half of us will be a step behind. Waivers "prizes" will become a lot more apparent over the next couple of days. Surprise rookies, veteran fall-offs, unexpected breakouts...all soon to come.

No more preamble necessary. Let's dive into the matchups. Best of luck to all!

Note: Predictions are from ESPN, Fantasy Pros, and the Commish. They do account for Thurs/Fri action.

Crushers vs. Bruisers

CRUSHERS

Barkley's 14.5 was a decent start. Purdy looks like he might exceed expectations, should certainly outpace Dak's 7.5. Will Kyren Williams get to double-digits? Thomas and DK both will. Harrison could miss. The X-skins D will reach 10. Need a Kincaid TD.

BRUISERS

First look at that solid Henry/Irving/Hubbard trio. They must carry the weight. Call it 40 between them. The receiving pair doesn't scare but JSN will get the targets. Is Njoku about to be Flacco's safety valve? Denver D and Franklin should combo for 20. Aubrey's 11 a nice buffer. Just enough. 

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 16-9, Bruisers
ESPN: Bruisers by 8.5
FP: Bruisers by 4.5
LM: Bruisers by 1

Threat vs. Crew

THREAT

Baker will have to ball out to beat Herbert's 26 on the pine. Still gets to 20. The Gibbs/Jacobs tandem should generate 30+. Balanced WRs with high floors but no likely breakouts this week. McMillan and Andrews are the keys to a win.

CREW

Kelce provided an acceptable 9.5, Baun added 8.5 more. If everyone plays that way and Josh Allen chalks 20 against Baltimore, it's probably enough. Chase is bound to find the end zone. The run game could slow things down early. If the Niners D looks right, that may be the winning edge.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 3-3, Even
ESPN: Crew by 6
FP: Crew by 2
LM: Threat by 3

Remix vs. Marauders

REMIX

Burrow is looking to defy his Week 1 history. Might as well do it against Cle. Bowers goes for 15. Tracy needs to find something near that. Jets D will be an interesting one. Hamilton a factor? The real story will be told Monday night, when JJ, Odunze, and Swift see action. They may need about 30, certainly reasonable.

MARAUDERS

The nostalgia tour kicks off with a poor Pacheco 3.5 and CMC hurting again. Lamar will try to save the day, but the Bills D will test. Ford better chip in. Can Reek get back in gear? Kittle should feast, in theory. Zona D will have to reach 10. Jeudy might show something. Might have to.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 10-9, Remix
ESPN: Marauders by 3
FP: Remix by 3.5
LM: Remix by 7

Cheetahs vs. Addicts

CHEETAHS

This looks like a balanced team. Chase Brown and Nico probably have the best shot at stretching that. Can Bo live up against Tennessee? Sutton connection. Pitt D will make some racket. Higgins, Sutton, one of them needs a big game. KW3 gets an early test. Enough here on paper.

ADDICTS

It just feels like Daniels is gonna pick up right where he left off. That would help. Hitting Terry on a shot would open it up. Robinson finds 10-15. Taylor is a wild card, could go either way. Ideally not the Pickens way. Pollard has to reach 15. Minny D projected well but...division games. To the wire.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 14-9, Cheetahs
ESPN: Addicts by 1
FP: Cheetahs by 5.5
LM: Cheetahs by 2

Losers vs. Dominators

LOSERS

It's a mixed bag entering Sunday. Hurts puts up 19, Brown gets one catch. Lamb comes up with 16.5, Worthy gets taken out 3 plays in. Not fair, but that's the breaks. Engram in at TE, needs to hit paydirt. Montgomery a key factor here. Henderson and he both need 12-15. Houston D has to bash the Rams. Otherwise, L.

DOMINATORS

Murray will either score 20 or 2. Feels more like a 20 week. Achane and Jeanty are a nice duo, assuming both get expected volume. Garrett needs Fields to make this work. Davante gets to 10 at least. Zay hits a big one. Game could come down to Hock on Monday night. Or it may not matter.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 8-8, Even
ESPN: Dominators by 7
FP: Dominators by 23
LM: Dominators by 10

Football Team vs. Wolves

FOOTBALL TEAM

The WR output of 13 (McHonk and Smith) hurts. Nabers could fix that with a 20-burger. Conner and Jones are older but will find points wisely. Maye, not so sure. Detroit D worth 7 against GB. McBride needs to pop. What will Aaron Jones need entering Monday night?

WOLVES

Mahomes got things rolling (21.5). No reason to believe Nacua and Amon-Ra won't do the same. Could see some meh from Kamara and Cook, but one of them will show. LaPorta versioning unclear. Is Deebo about to make a splash? Buffalo D a gutsy call. A factor to watch.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 12-7, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 13
FP: Wolves by 3.5
LM: Wolves by 2