The Hot Sheet looks at which top prospects are excelling and which ones are struggling on a week-to-week basis. The consensus top-flight players may not always appear on this list because we are trying to help you find the next group of breakout players before your leaguemates do.
Hot List:
1) Cordarrelle Patterson, WR MIN
Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson had a great opening game, judging by the box score alone. He led the team in rushing with over 100 yards on just three carries, aided by a 67 yard touchdown run and also caught three balls for 26 yards. If you actually caught the game though, or even the Patterson highlights, his performance was even better. He was routinely being mentioned around the dynasty water cooler as the one player dynasty owners wanted more shares of, which is unfortunate since his dynasty stock just shot through the roof. While the high rushing yardage totals are unlikely to continue, the ways in which the Vikings get him the ball will only grow as he keeps finding way to score points for Minnesota and fantasy teams.
2) Brandin Cooks, WR NOS
Another player who showed up big time for his team in the season’s opening game was rookie receiver Brandin Cooks of the New Orleans Saints. Once the Saints selected Cooks in the first round of May’s draft, dynasty owners have been drooling at the thought of pairing the undersized electric playmaker with quarterback Drew Brees. The combination did not let us down last week, as Cooks saw eight targets, catching seven of those. He totaled 95 yards, including a long run of 17 yards. Marques Colston showed us that he’s not done yet, and there’s always stud tight end Jimmy Graham who needs to be fed, but Cooks should continue to see between six and 10 targets per game, making him a solid weekly fantasy starter.
3) Allen Hurns, WR JAX
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Week One was the play of undrafted rookie receiver Allen Hurns of the Jaguars. It’s clear the Jaguars were concerned about their receiver depth chart following last season, as they drafted both Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. At the conclusion of the draft, they scooped up Hurns, formerly of the University of Miami. Hurns surprised everyone with his play and even led the league in pre-season receiving yardage. That was enough to earn him not only a roster spot, but a Week One starting spot, as both Robinson and Cecil Shorts were dealing with injuries. Hurns blew up and got past the Eagles’ disappointing defense for two long first half touchdowns, amassing over 100 receiving yards along the way.
4) Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
It’s been a roller coaster ride for Le’Veon Bell dynasty owners the past few weeks. After the team brought in free agent LeGarrette Blount during the off-season, some pointed to Bell’s low yard per carry average during his rookie year as a Trent Richardson-like cause for concern. Bell wrapped up his pre-season by getting arrested and charged with DUI and drug possession. Evidently, that was just a minor concern for the Steelers and the NFL as Bell started Week One as if nothing ever happened, and fantasy owners were glad he did. Bell exploded with one of his best games as a pro, totaling nearly 200 yards and a score. The most encouraging sign was Bell’s involvement in the passing game, where he caught six passes for 88 yards.
5) Kelvin Benjamin, WR CAR
The Panthers’ Kelvin Benjamin was another rookie receiver who made his presence known immediately. Despite the absence of quarterback Cam Newton from almost all of the team’s huddles, Benjamin still led the team in receiving with 92 yards and scored a huge 26 yard touchdown as well. Other than tight end Greg Olsen, Benjamin shouldn’t have any other competition for weekly targets and once Newton returns, which should happen this week, expectations for Benjamin will be even higher.
6) Terrance West/Isaiah Crowell, RBs CLE
With starting running back Ben Tate forced to leave the game with a knee injury, a pair of rookies took advantage of their increased opportunity and showed off a great set of complementary skills. Terrance West got the bulk of the carries, 16 in all, and reached the 100 yard mark. Isaiah Crowell, the talented but troubled former Georgia Bulldog got few carries, but made the most of them in the red zone as he scored a pair of touchdowns. With Tate already ruled out for Week Two and his upcoming weeks iffy, this duo will have another chance to shine.
7) Mark Ingram, RB NOS
Fantasy players have been expecting a Mark Ingram breakout year for each of the past four seasons, which make up his career, and this may finally be the year it happens. Ingram continues to be one part of the three-headed running back by committee in New Orleans, but should play the largest role of the three, with Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas also getting their share of touches. Ingram began the year last week with a workmanlike 60 yards on 13 carries, but two trips to the end zone saved his fantasy day.
8) Markus Wheaton, WR PIT
With the lack of depth at the wide receiver position, it was easy to predict a big season for second year man Markus Wheaton in Pittsburgh. After all, not only did the team lose Emmanuel Sanders from last season, they even lost top touchdown scorer Jerricho Cotchery. Wheaton responded well to expectations with a 6 catch for 97 yard performance against division rival Cleveland. Wheaton should continue to be a point provider in PPR leagues.
9) Brian Quick, WR STL
The St. Louis Rams are a perplexing team. A WR1 on nearly any team has substantial value, so it makes sense that fantasy owners would be searching for answers regarding who could play that role for the Rams. The two main options entering the seasons seemed to be free agent signee Kenny Britt, who had played and behaved well since his arrival to St. Louis after a wasted 2013 season with the Titans, and Tavon Austin, the Rams’ first round pick a season ago. Through one game, it’s former second round pick Brian Quick who staked his claim to the lead job after gaining 99 yards on seven receptions. With the team already in shambles just one week into the season, the Rams will look for bright spots wherever they can find them. Quick has drawn praise all off-season and was compared to Vincent Jackson, who did almost nothing during his first two seasons before breaking out and becoming one of the top receivers in the game.
10) Michael Floyd, WR ARZ
There were clear signs of this last season, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in name value. The Arizona Cardinals have a new number one wide receiver and it is Michael Floyd. Floyd, not Larry Fitzgerald, is the go to guy for Carson Palmer. Floyd easily paced the Cards in receiving yards with his 119 as none of his teammates had more than 30 receiving yards. In past years, the Cardinals were forced to get Fitzgerald the ball, not because he was their best receiver, but because he was really their only receiving threat. Now that Floyd is in town and has had a couple of years to mature and learn the game, partially from Fitzgerald, he’s claiming the lead role. Floyd is locked in as a fantasy starter from here on out.
Others considered: Dwayne Allen, Percy Harvin, Robert Woods, Carlos Hyde, Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Donnell, Knowshon Moreno, DeAndre Hopkins, Niles Paul
Cold List:
1) Trent Richardson, RB IND
It appeared Trent Richardson had an outstanding rookie year. After all, he had over 1,300 total yards, caught 51 passes and scored a dozen touchdowns. That season pushed him to the top of many startup dynasty drafts, but it’s been all downhill since then. That off-season, some concern began to come out about Richardson’s low yard per carry numbers, which most dynasty owners quickly blew off. Then, early last season, Richardson was dealt to the Colts in what most thought was a steal for Indianapolis, parting with just a first round pick. Richardson’s high rushing game with the Colts is just 64 yards and in the season’s opening week, he couldn’t even manage one-third of that, totaling 20 yards on six carries. His involvement in the passing game has helped some, but he simply can’t be considered a starting fantasy running back at this time.
2) Bernard Pierce, RB BAL
Just a year ago, it appeared the Baltimore Ravens had one of the best running back duos in the game. Along with longtime stud Ray Rice, they had the young Bernard Pierce who they wanted to get more involved. We all know what happened from there. Both backs struggled in 2013, Rice got himself in trouble during the off-season and Pierce has dealt with multiple injuries. With Rice suspended, and eventually released, the starting job was Pierce’s to claim. In Week One, Pierce was one of the most disappointing players. He lost his job, at least in the short term, to average journeyman Justin Forsett. Fortunately, Pierce did play better last night to get Week Two underway, but it will still be difficult for fantasy owners to trust him as a starting back until the Ravens’ coaching staff shows faith in him.
3) Kenny Britt, WR STL
As I mentioned earlier, former Tennessee Titan and new Rams’ receiver Kenny Britt had a good chance to become the top targeted option in St. Louis after solid pre-season play. His season got off to a terrible start though as he received just three targets and didn’t record a catch. I still expect a bit of a bounce back, but this feels like the Britt of 2013 when he had a wasted season. If Britt can’t get on track soon, even with backup quarterbacks suiting up for the Rams, he’ll become a complete afterthought in dynasty leagues.
4) Christine Michael, RB SEA
The regular season has begun, so we’re now officially done with Christine Michael season, also known as the off-season. Over the past few months, Michael has been one of the most hyped players in all of dynasty. This is partially due to his off-the-charts metrics and athleticism, and also had a lot to do with the troubles Marshawn Lynch dealt with this off-season, including threats to retire. Last season, Michael was unable to surpass Robert Turbin on the depth chart and was often left inactive on game days. This season started the same way, mostly due to a hamstring injury Michael suffered in the final pre-season game. He’s also already been ruled out for Week Two and his short-term future is up in the air.
5) Zac Stacy, RB STL
As the pre-season came to a close, one surprising report that was difficult to evaluate and factor into dynasty rankings and projections came from St. Louis. It seemed that Benny Cunningham had closed the large gap and there would be some form of a timeshare at running back for the Rams. Of course, this was a shock to Zac Stacy owners, who had to be on cloud nine after finding a starting running back in the second or third round of rookie drafts a year ago. Stacy had a terrific season in 2013, but the Rams then drafted Tre Mason, who was actually the one expected to eat into the starter’s carries. It may not be fair to judge the running back usage one blowout into the season, but Stacy got just 11 carries, while Cunningham had just five, to go along with four receptions. In PPR leagues, Cunningham actually outscored Stacy and with Sam Bradford done for the year, the Rams could be on the wrong end of blowout losses plenty more this year, meaning limited touches for the running game. While I expect Stacy to continue to hold off Cunningham as the starter, I don’t think we’ll see Stacy posting numbers like he did in 2013.
Others considered: Ladarius Green, Odell Beckham, Jr.
