Week 2 is in the books and it’s been a weird season. Teams everyone though would contend for the Super Bowl look awfully far off from that goal (Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings) while a multitude of perceived bottom feeders are 2-0 (Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). So, what does this mean for your fantasy season? Let’s review the highs, the lows and the just plain mediocre from the weekend that was.

Top Performer

I don’t think it would be going out on a limb to say that Jahvid Best is clearly the best running back prospect that the Lions have had since Barry Sanders. In two professional games, Best has already scored 5 TDs, making him the league leader so far. I’m sure there were owners out there who didn’t start Best after his lackluster first game against the Bears (2 rushing TDs but no yards), and I’m sure those owners are kicking themselves about it.

Best displayed great speed and playmaking abilities as he carved up the Lions to the tune of 78 yards rushing on 17 carries for 2 TDs and 154 yards receiving on 8 catches and one more TD. So what can we expect going forward from him?

Best will be a spot play from here on out (until he proves me wrong and puts up 3 more TDs next week). Based off of his limited sample size, we see that against a stingy run defense (the Bears) he has trouble, but against a lesser defense, he rips them up (Eagles). He is playing a Vikings defense that has looked great the past two weeks, though they seem to settle into games, giving up an opening drive TD in each of their games so far. That opening drive may be all Best needs to be a viable starter next week, though.

It feels weird to sing the praises of a Lions player not named Calvin Johnson…

Anyway, below are the rest of my fantasy observations from the weekend.

Studs

Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson–What up fellas? Last week, you guys found yourselves on my duds list, but they quickly turned this around (just as I said they would). In the Texans thrilling comeback over the Redskins, Schaub passed for 497 yards and 3 TDs in their overtime win. Of course, Johnson chipped in a little, catching 12 passes for 158 yards and a TD. Some days, the running game is going to be going and the Texans will lean on that; other days Schaub will have a hot hand an they’ll air it out. Either way, everyone on that offense will get their numbers, they’re too good.

Something else to keep in mind: the Texans have allowed the two teams they’ve played to pass for over 400 yards against them. Manning is understandable, but McNabb and the lack of weapons he has surrounding him? It looks like if your QB is playing the Texans, then you can expect a good day.

Jay Cutler–The way he’s going, Cutler might build himself a permanent home on this list. Once again, Cutler shined in Mike Martz’s passing offense. He distributed the ball well to all his receivers while avoiding any turnovers. 3 TDS and close to 300 yards will make a lot of people happy. Cutler is a great fit for this offense, but the Bears are still somewhat on an unknown. Next Monday, they play against the Packers for the top seat in the division (who saw that coming?) after which we’ll know more about both Cutler and the Bears.

Here’s a note to help you feel confident in Cutlers chances: you know how football pundits love to point out the carry over a team can have from one season to the next? Well, here’s one no one has mentioned: since week 16 of the 2009 season, Cutler has thrown for 13 TDs with 1 INT and 1,198 yards. That’s in four games. The guy is riding a hot streak right now and you should be reaping the benefits of it.

Adrian Peterson–Now, that’s more like it. Peterson looks like his old self again (unfortunately the Vikings look like they did in Peterson’s first two years, too), bowling over people, juking defenders out of their shoes and just generally being a beast. 28 carries for 142 yards and a TD surely make fantasy owners happy.

Keep in mind that Favre looks terrible, so expect the Vikings to continue handing Peterson the rock. There’s not much else to say, Peterson is back.

Steelers Defense–Thus far, the best fantasy option on the Steelers is their defense. Look at what they’ve done so far, it’s ridiculous. Last week, they held the Falcons without a touchdown while recording several sacks and turnovers; this week, the Falcons go out and hang a 40 burger (41 points to be exact) on the Derek Anderson-led-Cardinals. Last week, the Titans crushed the Raiders 38-13; this week the Titans barely managed 11 points and had 7 turnovers. Clearly they are the best defense thus far into the season.

LeSean McCoy–The often overlooked starting RB for the Eagles made the most of his relatively limited opportunities on Sunday. Carrying the ball 16 times for 120 yards and 3 TDs, McCoy had his first great fantasy game of his career. I do have some concern over whether or not Michael Vick’s presence in the backfield helps McCoy; their were multiple runs where the defense seemed to gravitate more towards Vick, leaving open running lanes for McCoy. With the expected return of Kevin Kolb, McCoy’s production may dip back down. Here’s hoping that Vick can wrestle the starting job from the less dynamic Kolb.

Underachievers

Ahmad Bradshaw–He was a big disappointment for me this week. Going against the Colts, I expected the Giants to run the ball a lot, but as Cris Collinsworth frequently noted throughout the broadcast on NBC (and I hate giving him props for this), the Giants just had a bad game plan. Bradshaw finished with a respectable 17 carries for 89 yards. For anyone who watched this game, though, it was an excruciatingly low number. The Colts still couldn’t stop the run, but the Giants just didn’t take advantage of this weakness.

The good news is that the Giants seem to be tired of Brandon Jacobs and his helmet-throwing routine, and he’s reportedly requested a trade. This could quickly become the Bradshaw show (more so than it already is), so keep your eyes on this situation. The upside for his owners could be tremendous.

Chad Ochocinco/Anquan Boldin–Neither one of these wide outs were able to follow up on their impressive Week 1. Boldin turned in 5 catches for 35 yards while Ocho had 4 catches for 44 yards. Both were caught up in a defensive battle in which their QBs were less than spectacular (more on that later) but I still expected more from them.

DeAngelo Williams–This borderline first round pick in some drafts is having a rough time this season. The Panthers offense is nonexistent as Matt Moore seems to struggle even completing a pass. Jimmy Clausen is set to start this upcoming week, but if you’ve watched him in any of his relief duty for Moore in the past two weeks or during the preseason, then you know Williams’s numbers may not go up by much. A disappointing start to this season for Williams for sure.

Duds

Chris Johnson–Ding-dong, his games with 100 yards rushing streak comes to an end, Vince Young got benched and the Titans sucked…Sorry, but it warms my heart to see Johnson struggle. The Steelers swarmed Johnson, forcing him to fumble while holding him to 16 carries for 34 yards. He did have a long 80 yard TD that was called back due to holding, however. Johnson won’t be on this list very much, so I’m taking the time to enjoy it.

Joe Flacco/Brett Favre/David Garrard–What do all have in common? They all had 4 turnovers, that’s what! Flacco has been a disappointment at this early portion, Favre should have stayed on his tractor and Garrard is back to playing like how everyone thought he would after his 3 TD game last week. I can’t advise starting any of the three, though Flacco’s does seem to be the flukiest. I’d wait and see if I was you though.

Ryan Mathews–This is not exactly the start that owners who selected him high in the second round were hoping for. Mathews injured himself as well, though the severity of it is not known yet. The converted fullback, Mike Tolbert, has had two straight solid games now, finishing the day with 16 carries for 82 yards and 2 TDs. Everyone expected Mathews to step right into the big shoes that Tomlinson left behind, but it looks like this may be more a growing process than anyone predicted.

Waiver Claim of the Week: Mark Sanchez?

What do you know, the Sanchize still knows how to go out there and ball. Against the New England Patriots (and a defense that shut down the Bengals for most of last weeks game), Sanchez threw for 220 yards and 3 TDs. He looked very confident and accurate as well, directing the offense with the precision of a well-seasoned veteran. The Jets have to know that if they want to win games, they’re going to have to put the ball in their young QB’s hands. It looks like it could be a good decision. If you’re an owner who betted hard on Favre picking up where he left off last season, you could do worse than Sanchez for the next couple of weeks. We might be watching a young QB grow up before our very eyes…oh it just gets me so choked up.

Players I Love/Hate Score-Tracker

Jamaal Charles: -1 (they favored Jones this week and Charles wasn’t able to score)
Arian Foster: +1 (a decent week)
Kevin Kolb: +1
Larry Fitzgerald: 0 (Not very good, not bad again)
Brandon Marshall: +1 (One 40 yard catch and then a bunch of nothing)
Chris Johnson: +1
Justin Forsett: -1
The Rams: -1 (some fantasy relevancy)
Joe Flacco: -1
Tom Brady: +1 (outplayed by Mark Sanchez and a bunch of other QBs this weekend)

Last weeks score: 0
Current standing: +1.

In the positives for the first time this season! I don’t expect to be wrong again, so look for this score to go waayyyy up.

Check out all the articles from the Players I Love/Hate series. Players I Love: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV and Part V. Players I Hate: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV and Part V.