My running backs were down significantly from week one, but Jahmyr Gibbs & Chase Brown still handily won the matchup. The only other position I won was Carson Schwesinger at LB.
At least Xavier Worthy & Oronde Gadsden scored touchdowns, and Chase McLaughlin, had a nice game, despite losing the kicker battle.
My team continues to be hampered by the absence oftight end, Brock Bowers and the putrid play of quarterback Justin Herbert. Bowers should return this week, hopefully, but Herbert’s schedule just gets tougher and I have little hope for a replacement.
Jahmyr Gibbs continues to be my franchise player, pacing the team with 18 points.
Week Three Preview
Trash Pandas vs Furry’s Felines
Projected Lineups & Reserves
We’re reaching must win territory with the Pandas. I’ve really been hampered by the loss of Bowers, to go along with the poor play of Herbert.
Pretty even matchup, on paper. I’m a very slight favorite.
Keys to Victory
1- Brock Bowers- I desperately need my second round pick back on the field and doing his thing. I probably couldn’t have won this past week, but I easily could have in week one with him in the lineup.
2- Justin Herbert- This has been the real anchor weighing me down. Herbert had two plus matchups to start the season and has had two massive duds. I’m not sure how far the Pandas can go with an inept fantasy quarterback.
3- Xavier Worthy- Kansas City has a plus matchup against Miami this week. Worthy found the end zone this week, it would be nice to see that again. Double digit points shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
4- Jahmyr Gibbs & Chase Brown- I have a clear advantage at RB and both have pretty good matchups. These two, alone, could carry me to victory.
This is what happens when you have heavy representation from one team and they lay an egg. Call it bad weather, or a great Minnesota defense, but the Chicago Bears let me down hard.
To exacerbate matters, quarterback Caleb Williams got injured and is likely to miss some time.
My tight ends, Colston Loveland & Kyle Pitts continue to be non factors. Pitts, at least, gets his QB1 back this week, but Loveland loses his.
On the plus side, Ashton Jeanty looks like he could be a solid, and sometimes great RB. Meanwhile, Jaylen Waddle & Xavier Worthy showed signs of life.
The San Francisco 49ers defense, a waiver wire add, paced my team with 12 points.
Week Three Preview
Iceman Cometh vs Off the Post
Projected Lineups & Reserves
Iceman desperately needs a win, unfortunately we’re severely handicapped right now. I’m an underdog in this one, I’m going to need a few players to outperform their projections.
Keys to Victory
1- Bryce Young- I picked up Young last week and now I have to thrust him into my starting lineup due to the injury to Caleb Williams. Luckily, Young has gotten off to a hot start and he’s got a good matchup versus Cleveland.
2- Kyle Pitts- My tight ends are a big reason my team is in the mess it’s in. Pitts has exactly 1 catch and 1 point on the season, but he’s also been saddled with extremely bad quarterback play. I’m going with Pitts over Loveland because Caleb Williams is likely out & Michael Penix makes his season debut for Atlanta this week.
3- Ashton Jeanty & Jeremiyah Love- My opponent has Jahmyr Gibbs which gives him a considerable advantage at RB. I don’t expect Jeanty or Love to match Gibbs, but hopefully the duo can combine to mitigate Gibbs’ effect.
4- Carnell Tate- I’ve benched all of my Chicago Bears because they’re likely down to their third QB this week. As of now, I’ve inserted Tate back into the lineup. Tennessee was awful offensively in week one, but had a better showing last week.
Week one lies, week two tells the truth. Not sure how truthful this week two was, though.
The quarterback attrition was horrendous this week. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels & Jaxson Dart were all knocked out of their respective games. This goes along with Seattle and Minnesota starting their backup quarterback and Atlanta going with their third stringer, and actually finishing the game with their fourth string quarterback.
Uncertainty about some quarterbacks are affecting these rankings.
The Rankings
1- Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Bills have looked like a juggernaut thus far.
2- Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
Seahawks defense is good enough that it doesn’t matter who plays quarterback.
3- Los Angeles Rams (1-1)
This was the Rams team we were expecting.
4- San Francisco 49ers (2-0) +4
Niners just keep winning.
5- Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) +7
Cincy and their revamped defense is for real.
6- Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) +7
Shouldn’t have needed overtime to beat Indy, but KC appears to be back.
7- Baltimore Ravens (1-1) -2
Bad loss, but I still think Baltimore is pretty good.
8- Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) -1
Tough road loss, I expect them to bounce back.
9- Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Struggled more than they should have, but they’re 2-0 and don’t have the major problems other contenders do.
10- Denver Broncos (1-1) +1
Wildly inconsistent on offense, but the D can get them some wins.
11- Houston Texans (0-2) -5
Houston is no stranger to slow starts, I expect them to turn it on soon.
12- New England Patriots (1-1) +3
Won big, but against a vastly inferior opponent. Still think they’re overrated.
13- Chicago Bears (1-1) -9
Ugly loss, but might have dodged a bullet with the Caleb Williams injury.
14- New Orleans Saints (1-1) +4
Saints are an ascending team. Won’t be surprised to find them in the top ten next week.
15- Carolina Panthers (1-1) +2
Panthers did what they should’ve to Atlanta. Might be a two horse race with New Orleans in the NFC South.
16- Dallas Cowboys (1-1) +3
Cowboys whipped up on Washington, but I still believe they’re not contenders.
17- Detroit Lions (1-1) -7
That was ugly. They’re a failed New Orleans two point conversion away from being 0-2.
18- Minnesota Vikings (2-0) +2
Alone in first in the NFC North, but color me unimpressed.
19- Green Bay Packers (1-1) -2
Jets collapsed or the Pack would be 0-2.
20- New York Giants (1-1)
Giants have to hope Jaxson Dart isn’t out long.
21-Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) +5
Surprise team of 2026, so far.
22- Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) -8
Good lord, what is wrong with the Chargers?
23- Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Steelers will beat bad teams, but against decent teams it will look ugly.
24- Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
Cardinals fell back to earth this week.
25- New York Jets (1-1) +2
Jets were staring 2-0 in the face and blinked.
26- Cleveland Browns (1-1) +5
Deshaun Watson looked like an NFL quarterback for the first time since his Houston days.
27- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) -5
The collapse that started last year continues.
28- Indianapolis Colts (0-2) +1
Colts almost pulled off a stunner.
29- Tennessee Titans (0-2) +1
Tennessee looked like a completely different team, but still lost.
30- Washington Commanders (0-2) -5
And Jayden Daniels is down again…ugh.
31- Atlanta Falcons (0-2) -3
Falcons have looked like a team with a third string quarterback, but not sure it will get much better.
32- Miami Dolphins (0-2)
This year is all about seeing if Malik Willis can be a franchise quarterback.
This is a tough loss to swallow. In so many ways, I should have won this, but alas, too many factors conspired against me.
First and foremost, my two tight end strategy fell completely flat. Both Colston Loveland & Kyle Pitts were completely shut out. Loveland was probably just a one week anomaly, but Pitts could be unplayable as long as Cooper Rush is the Falcons quarterback.
My running backs won the battle, 42-31, led by Ashton Jeanty. However, I changed my mind about my second flex position and opted for Carnell Tate over Kyle Monangai, that decision alone cost me this victory.
I still had a chance, however, but Jaylen Waddle couldn’t come through on Monday night.
Caleb Williams had a franchise quarterback type performance, easily winning the QB battle.
My streamed defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars, outperformed my opponent by 12 points.
Caleb Williams was a true franchise quarterback, putting up 40 points.
Week Two Preview
Projected Lineups
Iceman Cometh vs Loose Lucy
I’m a slight underdog as of this writing. I need this victory.
Keys to Victory
1- Colston Loveland & Kyle Pitts– My two headed monster at tight end put up a big fat goose egg in week one. I can’t have that again.
2- Kyle Monangai- Not sticking with him as my flex last week cost me a victory. I’m tentatively playing him this week, in a tougher matchup, and I need him to come through.
3- Jaylen Waddle- Waddle was a major disappointment in week one. I need a better showing this week.
4- Team Defense- I’ve put in waiver claims on the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs & Tampa Bay Buccaneers defenses, in that order. Whichever I end up with needs to pay off.
Bad loss for the Pandas versus a division rival. The week got off to a rocky start when Brock Bowers underwent surgery and was ruled out for the season opener. I ended up grabbing Michael Mayer off waivers. Tight end was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team, week one was a massive disappointment.
Justin Herbert scored only half of his projection, but still won the quarterback battle.
My receivers lost the WR battle, but that’s to be expected, I just hoped they would keep it closer.
Running back, on the other hand, worked perfectly for the Pandas. Led by Jahmyr Gibbs, we won the RB battle, 50-31.
The real difference in this matchup was team defense. I was outscored by 21 points here, which was more than enough to turn a victory into a loss.
Jahmyr Gibbs was a true franchise player, putting up 36 points.
Week Two Preview
Projected Lineups
Trash Pandas vs Mike’s Magnificent Team
We need a bounce back week. The Pandas are slight favorites, but that could change by game time, especially if Brock Bowers returns.
Keys to Victory
1- Brock Bowers– If Bowers plays, that could give the Pandas a huge leg up.
2- Jahmyr Gibbs & Chase Brown– The Pandas have a huge advantage at RB and we need to capitalize.
3- Justin Herbert– I cannot afford another dud from Herbert. He has another plus matchup, he needs to come through.
4- Team Defense- I’ll probably go with the NY Giants on Monday night, in case the matchup is close. I can always bench them and take a zero from the D, instead of risking negative points.
Week one lies. Sometimes teams can look like Super Bowl contenders in week one, then they’re eliminated from playoff contention by Thanksgiving. Conversely, some teams you thought were contenders fall flat in week one, losing to a team they shouldn’t have or by way more points than they should’ve. By October, they’re firmly established as one of the front runners for the playoffs.
Week one is about overreacting. Your team is either Super Bowl bound or the sky is falling. In the rankings, I’ve tried not to overreact, though some teams did make dramatic climbs up the board and others dramatic falls.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t have some overreactions to the week one results.
Rankings & Week One Overreactions
1- Buffalo Bills (1-0) +2
The Bills will run away with the AFC East. Super impressive showing in Houston.
2- Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
How long can they survive without Darnold?
3- Los Angeles Rams (0-1) -2
Already wondering if the Rams can even win the NFC West.
4- Chicago Bears (1-0) +1
Good luck to the rest of the NFC North trying to slow down this offense.
5- Baltimore Ravens (1-0) +7
Ravens are back. They’ll run away with the AFC North.
6- Houston Texans (0-1) -2
They won’t face many teams capable of laying 30+ on their defense.
7- Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) +3
Picked up where they left off. AFC South will be a dogfight between Jacksonville & Houston.
8- San Francisco 49ers (1-0) +3
Niners might be the biggest threat to Seattle in the NFC West.
9- Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) -2
Philly still owns the NFC East, but they’re not among the NFC elite anymore.
10- Detroit Lions (1-0) -2
Lions still look like the team that stumbled and missed the playoffs last year.
11- Denver Broncos (0-1) -2
That was ugly, in all phases. How long until Sean Payton retakes play calling duties?
12- Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Bengals D looks better, but is it enough to contend?
13- Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) +5
This isn’t the Chiefs offense we’re used to, but KC appears to be back.
14- Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) -8
Did any playoff hopeful have a more deflating opener?
15- New England Patriots (0-1) -1
Drake Maye & the Patriots will regress to middle of the pack this season.
16- Green Bay Packers (0-1) -1
Packers are in trouble. No killer instinct and they can’t mask their holes anymore.
17- Carolina Panthers (0-1) -1
The D got shredded, but the O showed some punch back ability.
18- New Orleans Saints (0-1) +1
Saints are going to be a tough out for any team.
19- Dallas Cowboys (0-1) -2
Cowboys are what I thought they were. Perennially overrated.
20- Minnesota Vikings (1-0) +1
Losing Kyler Murray might be a blessing in disguise for Minnesota.
21- New York Giants (1-0) +1
Giants are the biggest threat to Philly’s division dominance.
22- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) -2
Bucs still look like the team that collapsed last year.
23- Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Pittsburgh will play the most unwatchable games this year.
24- Arizona Cardinals (1-0) +7
Maybe the Cardinals won’t be tanking.
25- Washington Commanders (0-1)
Even if Jayden Daniels can stay healthy, I don’t see Washington contending.
26- Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
Raiders might be good enough to keep Fernando Mendoza on the bench awhile.
27- New York Jets (1-0) +1
The Jets might actually be a competent, competitive team this year.
28- Atlanta Falcons (0-1) -4
The worst quarterback situation outside of Cleveland.
29- Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Colts will have a housecleaning come January.
30- Tennessee Titans (0-1) -3
Titans might actually be regressing.
31- Cleveland Browns (0-1) -1
Is there are more incompetent organization in professional sports?
This is as even a matchup, on paper, as you can find. However, I think my projections are on the conservative side and I think we can out perform those. I’m not expecting a cake walk, but I feel like Ice can beat the Juice.
My Keys to the Game
1- Ashton Jeanty
My top pick has a very favorable matchup in week one. He could set the tone for my season.
2- Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
I drafted the Jags specifically for this week one matchup.
3- Chicago Bears Passing Attack
With Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III & Colston Loveland all in my lineup, not to mention Kyle Monangai, the Bears passing game will play a big role in my entire season.
4- Kyle Pitts
Pitts has an average week one matchup, but he could set the tone and justify my decision to plan on using a second TE as my flex this season.
