There is nothing better than some overreactions after the dust settles on a football Sunday. All of us armchair quarterbacks go and make our critiques and tell all our friends and family about what we would have done differently.
The great thing for me is, they asked me to do this and YOU’RE sitting here reading it! How about that?
For this piece, each week we’ll take a look at some players that either potentially overachieved or underachieved and what the outlook for them is moving forward — specifically for next week’s game. Are they set up for more success or could someone have simply had a bad week? My job here is to try and figure that out and relay that information to you. Let’s take a look!
Oh, feel free to tell me how wrong I am by getting at me on Twitter @SBuchanan24.
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Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts
Week 1 Fantasy Total: 27.3 DKFP
Coming into this game, the Colts’ backfield was focused on two players: Marlon Mack ($5,300) and the Colts newest toy in second-round pick Jonathan Taylor ($5,700). The big question was, how will the backfield play out behind this stellar offensive line? Personally, this was not a situation I wanted to mess with, but felt that Mack was a potential tournament play with ownership likely landing on Taylor. Well, that didn’t work out too well.
Mack was out of this game early with a non-contact injury which is feared to be a torn Achilles. If confirmed, that would spell the end of his 2020. Naturally, one would think that Taylor would have stepped up for the rest of the game. He did, somewhat, as he led the team in carries with nine, but for only 22 yards. Taylor also saw six targets, of which he caught them all six for 67 yards. However, it was Hines who really got the attention of quarterback Phillip Rivers. Hines would catch all eight of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown, and would rush in another score on seven total carries.
With the assumption that Mack is out, we have zero reason to believe Hines can’t keep up this level of production. Quite frankly, way back in April, Zak Keefer of The Atheltic reported that he expects Hines to see “plenty more action” in this offense. Not only did that come to fruition but it’s without Mack in the mix. Over the final 30 minutes of action without Mack, Hines and Taylor truly were a 50/50 split, with Hines playing on 20 snaps to Taylor’s 21. While it’s unlikely Rivers will continue with a 44% target share to his backfield, a Week 2 matchup against the Vikings could continue the dump off trend in this backfield.
Jamison Crowder, New York Jets
Week 1 Fantasy Total: 27.5 DKFP
With Robby Anderson now a Panther, Crowder ($5,200) was the top target for Sam Darnold ($5,500) and it wasn’t even close. Darnold aired out the ball 35 times in this game and Crowder accounted for 13 of those — finishing with a 37% share. Crowder made the most of those opportunities, making seven catches for a whopping 115 yards and a touchdown. Crowder never crossed the 100+ receiving yards mark in 2019, although he did come as close as you can get with 99 yards in Week 1, coincidently also against the Bills.
Sheesh. Now that I think about it, they can’t cover Crowder, like, at all.
While we can’t expect double-digit targets each week, the depleted receiver depth for the Jets is going to lead to continued heavy volume for Crowder. Breshad Perriman ($4,900) and Chris Hogan ($3,400) are both new on this team, so it’s no surprise for Darnold to go with someone he trusts. Week 2 presents a tough matchup against the 49ers, who were upset by the Cardinals by a score of 24-20. Crowder played 39 snaps in the slot and nine wide, which would primarily line him up against CB K’Waun Williams, who last season allowed a 74% reception rate but only 7.7 YPR. I’ll take the cheap PPR points any day.
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
Week 1 Fantasy Total: 6.6 DKFP
Jackson ($4,900) was quite a popular option Sunday afternoon, drawing a 17.4% ownership in the $5 DraftKings Millionaire Maker and an average of 18% overall. Well, for the 18% of you, it wasn’t worth the price of admission. Jackson only played on 37 snaps, which was 54% of the Eagles’ total. He was on the sideline for the majority of the first half, but still drew seven targets in the end. The problem was, he only reeled in two of them for 46 yards and 6.6 DKFP. Quite frankly, you could have saved yourself $600 and taken Jalen Reagor ($4,300) and got essentially the same production, as he made one catch on four targets for 55 yards and 6.5 DKFP.
With one of the more chalky plays busting, Jackson likely won’t garner much attention in Week 2 against the Rams. We’ve yet to see them play (or maybe you have depending on when you read this), so it’s still a bit early to gauge where they’re at. Jackson played all over the field, splitting his snaps with 26 wide and 11 out of the slot. He could see a healthy dose of CB Jalen Ramsey who, once he was traded to LA, allowed a 70% catch rate on 40 targets for an average of 12.0 YPR, but wasn’t scored on. While it’s not the most ideal spot, the Eagles’ receiver depth continues to be thin and Jackson should continue to be relied upon like he was today. Don’t give up hope just yet, young grasshopper.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is steveazors) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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