Top NFL Players - Week 2

Every Monday, I shall show the top players at each offensive skill position - fantasy-style, with the percentage owned and started in parenthesis. All data is from espn.com

Let's begin:

Quarterback:
Matt Schaub (88.9%/100%)
38/52, 497 yards passing and 3 TD's, 1 Int
29 Fantasy Points

The Houston offense had themselves a nice ballgame, with their QB, Schaub, throwing the ball left, right, and center against the injury-depleted Redskins secondary. He is a must-start against the injury-depleted Cowboys secondary next week.

Running Back:
Jahvid Best (35.4/100)
17 Carries, 78 rushing yards and 2 TD's; 0 fumbles; 9 catches for 154 yards and 1 TD
40 Fantasy Points

Best, a rookie, had the biggest game of his career against the Eagles. Like Matt Forte's 80+ yard receiving TD in week 1, Best had a similar 75-yard screen pass for a touchdown yesterday. He's an iffy start against the run-dominant Minnesota Vikings next week.

Running Back:
LeSean McCoy (91.2/100)
16 Carries, 120 rushing yards and 3 TD's; 0 fumbles; 4 catches for 8 yards
30 Fantasy Points

Who knew that the Eagles-Lions game would have the best week 2 running backs facing off against each other? McCoy did most of the damage running the ball, while Best did his damage through the air and ground. A dominant effort by McCoy, who will be a must-start against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 3.

 

Wide Receiver/Running Back (Flex):
Jason Snelling (0.3/4.3) NOT A TYPO!
24 Carries, 129 rushing yards and 2 TD's, 0 fumbles; 5 catches for 57 yards and 1 TD
35 Fantasy Points

Similar to Foster's breakout game in week 1, no one saw this coming. The Atlanta Falcons' top running back, Michael Turner, left with a groin injury, and his backup, Jerious Norwood, also left the game with an injury. In comes third-string running back Jason Snelling, who plowed through the Cardinals' defense running and catching the ball. His status is up-in-the-air, since Turner or Norwood could take the majority of the ball-handling duties week 3 against the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.

Wide Receiver:
Andre Johnson (100/100)
12 Catches for 158 receiving yards and 1 TD
21 Fantasy Points

Like I said before, the Texans' passing offense was stellar. Their top two receivers, Johnson and Walter, BOTH led the NFL in catches (an astounding 23 between the two) and 402 yards between 'em. Johnson, despite his ankle injury in the fourth quarter, still had a dominant performance, and might have an encore one against the Cowboys, who lost their premier cornerback Michael Jenkins laste in yesterday's game against the Chicago Bears.

Wide Receiver:
Kevin Walter (1.3/10.7)
11 Catches for 144 receiving yards and 1 TD
20 Fantasy Points

(Look at Johnson, Andre and Schuab, Matt) 

Tight End
(TIE)

Antonio Gates (100/100)
5 Catches for 57 yards and 2 TD's
17 Fantasy Points

What a start for Gates! Last week, he had 70+ receiving yards and 1 TD. For an encore, he doubled his TD's (with 3 total on the season) against the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars, who cannot sell-out their games. But that's beside the point. Gates is a must-start for the rest of the season, especially when his team, the Chargers, face the Seahawks at Qwest Field

Dustin Keller (3.9/16.4)
7 Catches for 115 yards and 1 TD
17 Fantasy Points

Keller and Jets' QB Mark Sanchez were jelling after a horrible sub-par performance against the Baltimore Ravens in week 1. Keller made up for his lack of focus (missed the first down marker by one-yard in a crucial fourth down situation late in the game against the Ravens) with 100+ yards and a TD. His team faces the Miami Dolphins, so he's worth a gamble to grab off of the waiver-wire.

Kicker
Mike Nugent (1.7/2.3)
5 for 5 on Field Goals
16 Fantasy Points

We should have seen this coming. For the second straight week, the Ravens did not allow a touchdown, so the Cincinnati Bengals were forced to settle for field goals - five of them - when they entered Ravens' territory. We should not see such a performance by Nugent for the rest of the season.

Defense/Special Teams
Pittsburgh Steelers (78.9/100)
1 Kickoff TD; 3 Ints; 4 Fumbles Recovered; 11 Points Allowed
28 Fantasy Points

On the other hand, we saw the same old dominant Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. They set the stage with a kickoff return for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, and controlled the game throughout. They forced seven - that's right, SEVEN turnovers - three picks (one by Polamalu) and forced seven fumbles, recovering four of them. The Steelers' D harassed the Titans' offense from start to finish (see this play here) and will continue to have such performances, especially next week against the surprising young Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

TOTAL Fantasy Points: 236