Last week, like always, had a lot of fantasy owners either excited or disappointed. The week was interesting with players being injured and putting up zero points. This week, we’ll be looking at players to take a chance on in deeper leagues.
NY Giants WR Sterling Shepard, vs. New Orleans Saints
Sterling Shepard did well last week as a wide receiver to complement Odell Beckham Jr. He had 43 yards and a touchdown against the banged up defense of the Dallas Cowboys. This week is an even better matchup with Shepard facing off against the defense of the Saints.
The Saints are notorious for having an awful defense and this was apparent in their first matchup against the Oakland Raiders. Amari Cooper had 137 yards and Michael Crabtree had 87 yards and a two-point conversion. Put Shepard back in your lineups this week for a game that should be a shootout.
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, vs. Tennessee Titans
Matthew Stafford is an under-the-radar quarterback. Everyone assumed he would regress after losing superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson. However, that didn’t appear to be the case when he played the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday.
Even though the Colts have a bad defense, Stafford looked calm and won the game for the Lions. He finished ninth overall in fantasy points among quarterbacks last year. For a quarterback who has very good matchups the rest of the season, I would definitely recommend everyone grabbing Stafford for this week and beyond.
NY Jets D/ST, @ Buffalo Bills
Although the Jets lost the game against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, their defense was hardly to blame. They recorded seven sacks behind a ferocious defensive line that may be the best in football. This week, they face off against the Buffalo Bills, who laid an egg offensively last week against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Jets will also return defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson this week from his one-game suspension, which should make the defensive line even more formidable. With a Bills offense that won’t have a completely healthy Sammy Watkins and a terrible offensive line, the Jets defense should be a phenomenal play this week.
San Diego Chargers RB Danny Woodhead, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Woodhead will definitely see more opportunities for touches in week two since wide receiver Keenan Allen tore his ACL and went down for the season in week one. The RB out-touched fellow running back Melvin Gordon last week by a wide margin. He had 120 yards and a touchdown. I think he’ll be Philip Rivers’ go-to guy with Allen’s injury.
Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker, vs. Detroit Lions
If you don’t have Rob Gronkowski, you’re definitely not confident in your tight end’s abilities to put up points consistently every week. This week, Delanie Walker is up against a Detroit Lions defense that allowed three touchdowns to Colts tight ends last week. People are very hyped up on Tajae Sharpe this year, so the Lions defense will try and cover him. Marcus Mariota will dump it off to Walker when he’s in trouble.
Brian Lara is a staff writer and can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
