Tight Ends for Week 2
Even though tight ends were mostly bad news for me last week, overall they produced more per DraftStreet dollar than any other position.
My safe play at the position is Greg Olson/$8345/CAR, who matches up well against the Bills. He is already Cam Newton’s second-favorite target and I expect him to join the ranks of elite tight ends by mid-season. For now he is priced as a middling option, so take full advantage. Among elite tight ends, Jason Witten/$11874/DAL is fair value and Jimmy Graham/$12706/NOS is a little pricey. Among the middle tier, Tony Gonzalez/$9679/ATL, Owen Daniels/$9430/HOU and Vernon Davis/$10764/SFG are all playable.
Beware of the “Plexiglass Principle”: big improvements one week often lead to a return to normal performance the next. Jordan Cameron/$10600/CLE, Julius Thomas/$9945/DEN and Jared Cook/$11684/STL rode big games to a big increase in salary, but are candidates to regress as they draw more attention from defenses.
Finally, my super-sleeper is the promising Redskins tight end Jordan Reed/$2351/WAS. Fred Davis/$6178/WAS is ahead of Reed on the depth chart, but the gap is closing and Reed has more versatility in the passing game.
Defenses for Week 2
Because of the rarity (and therefore unpredictability) of defensive touchdowns, choosing defenses at DraftStreet is a foggy endeavor. Last week, you could have used a dartboard to select your defenses and done as well as the experts.
That said, there are good reasons to avoid the San Diego Chargers/$1805 and New York Giants/$1021 defenses: they are playing two up-tempo offenses (the Eagles and Broncos) and that means more plays from scrimmage and thus more opportunities to score. Instead, look to the games that will feature plodding ground attacks. Oakland/$5027, Cincinnati/$7143 and Houston/$8007 figure to be on the winning end of low-scoring games. Unfortunately, those facts are reflected in the prices.
My top value play, though risky, is the Arizona Cardinals/$1900. Not only are they cheap, but they are at home and have a quarterback (Carson Palmer/ARZ) who can lead a ball-control offense. Admittedly, the upside is limited here, but the cap savings can be used to good effect elsewhere.
I’ve given you a good start towards building all-conquering lineups. All that remains is to put your fantasy football skills to the test and register for the qualifiers as often as you can. Good luck to all!
Robert Dudek covers the NFL and MLB daily leagues at Sports Leagues Daily. You can follow him on Twitter @robdudek ; retweets and replies are always appreciated. If you haven’t signed up at DraftStreet, what are you waiting for? Jump in and get your daily fantasy fix.
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