John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE
Every Tuesday I will post my full recap of the past fantasy football week. The first week of the fantasy football season was as exciting as it has ever been, as we saw the return of eleven-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Peyton Manning, and also saw the rise of rookie sensation, Robert Griffin III. There were several standout performances and along with that some to forget. Below is my full recap of the first week of the fantasy football season:
Performance of Week:
QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – Ryan came out firing on all cylinders, as he scored 4 touchdowns before the third quarter even ended in the 40-24 routing of the Kansas City Chiefs. He threw for an amazing 299 yards, 3 touchdowns, and added another score on the ground. He broke many fantasy hearts this weekend and seems prime to have a career fantasy season.
Standout Stat-line:
QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles – 29/56 317 passing yards, TDs, 4 INTs
Adam’s Good For You Award:
QB Mark Sanchez, New York Jets – With all the Tim Tebow talk in New York this off-season, it was Sanchez that had the breakout game this past Sunday. Sanchez amazingly threw 3 touchdowns and 266 yards in the Jets shocking 48-28 win over the Buffalo Bills. Sanchez may have silenced the “We want Tebow” chants for at least a week or so.
Rookie Quarterback Tracker:
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts – 23/45 309 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins – 19/26 320 passing yards, 2 TD 0 INT
Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns – 12/35 118 passing yards, 0 TD, 4 INTs
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins – 20/36 219 passing yards, 0 TD, 3 INTs
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks – 18/35 153 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rookie Week One MVP:
QB Robert Griffin III – RG3 stole the rookie show this weekend, but more impressive was the fact that he showed up ever other quarterback in the NFL. Griffin III had the best quarterback percentage (139.9) in the entire league in week one and the kid showed that he belongs in the big leagues. His numbers may have been a bit inflated due to the ineptitude of the Saints’ defense, but RG3 has certainly proved that he can be a fantasy starter.
Surprise of the Week:
RB C. J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills – Buffalo may have been crushed by the Jets, 48-28, but when starting running back, Fred Jackson went down with a hurt leg, Spiller put up outstanding performance. The former 2010 first-round pick carried the ball 14 times for a league-leading 169 rushing yards and one score. Spiller also caught 2 passes for 25 yards and the former Clemson standout will have a much bigger workload with Jackson out for around a month.
Injury Bug:
QB Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans – Locker left the Titans game in the third quarter with a separated shoulder and was replaced by 2011 starter, Matt Hasselbeck. Locker was 23of 32 before his injury for 229 yards, so he is definitely worth keeping an eye on as the week progresses. It has been reported that he will play this weekend, but that is obviously just a preliminary report.
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons – Jones certainly lived up to his preseason hype, as he hauled in 2 touchdowns and 108 receiving yards in the Falcons first game of the year. Jones is no doubt number a one fantasy receiver; it is just surprising to see him become the number one fantasy receiver in the NFL so quickly.
Best Comeback Performance:
QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos – The four-time MVP looked like he hasn’t missed a single snap over the last two years, by carving up the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense. Maning threw 2 touchdowns and 253 yards, and newly acquired quarterback out dueled Ben Roethlisberger in his first game back. Manning has proven to be back on top of his game and will be a top-tier starter from here on out. Now we just have to get used to seeing him in that bright orange Broncos jerseys.
IDP Performance of Week:
DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys – Ware had 5 tackles (all solo) and 2 sacks in the Boys’ season opener. This will be the first of many big games for Ware this season, which is why he is a yearly candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
