NFL at Sheridan Hoops: DraftStreet Million, Week 2

Week 1 of DraftStreet‘s mega contest has ended with three seats awarded to the final stage in Las Vegas. There are 37 more seats up for grabs in the coming weeks, three of them this week. For full contest details, click here. In today’s NFL at Sheridan Hoops, I review the results of one of my entries in the $22 qualifier, and make my initial pick for Week 2 NFL action.

My top team finished 750th in a field of 2390, scoring 136.5 DraftStreet points. I missed badly on three of my ten picks, which was more than enough to torpedo any chances of making the money. The three offenders were RB Maurice Jones-Drew, whose entire team (Jacksonville) was shut down by the Kansas City Chiefs. James Jones/GBP was almost invisible for the Packers, as Jordy Nelson/GBP and Randall Cobb/GBP were Aaron Rodgers’/GBP main targets in their loss to San Francisco. Superstar Calvin Johnson/DET had a shot at a couple of TDs but ultimately put up terrible numbers against the Vikings.

My Eagles trio of Michael Vick/PHI, DeSean Jackson/PHI and Brent Celek/PHI all came through, as did my second high-priced selection, Adrian Peterson/MIN. QB Matt Stafford/DET, WR Kenbrell Thompkins and the Tampa Bay defense performed in line with expectations. But to make a dent in the standings you have to get good numbers out of at least nine of your ten spots.

This week’s qualifiers are priced at $22, $109, and $420 to enter, and you may enter multiple teams in each qualifier. Let’s have a look at what Week 2 might have in store for us.

Quarterbacks for Week 2

You would think Peyton Manning/$20208/DEN against the weak New York Giants secondary is an automatic pick. As high as the price tag is, Manning would have to throw five TDs with 350 yards to justify the cost. Despite how easy he made it look, it isn’t. I expect Manning to justify his salary, but he is on the road and there is a lot more downside than upside.

My top two value picks among QBs are Cam Newton/$14945/CAR and Josh Freeman/$12569/TBB. Newton had a disappointing stat line against the tough Seahawks defense, but should be a throw-first QB against the Buffalo Bills. His poor numbers mean you can get him at a discount this week. Freeman is an even better value, as his Buccaneers host the pass-happy Saints. Expect a shootout and for both QBs to exceed 300 yards with a couple of TD passes each. Among the more expensive options, Drew Brees/$17640/NOS is the top of the list, followed by Aaron Rodgers/$18451/GBP (favorable conditions at home versus the Redskins).