This Week in Fantasy Football: Week Two

My worry meter wasn't too overworked last week, but who could have predicted the shootout during the Broncos match? Not me; that's for sure.

As I write this, the Brady Bunch could barely put away the Jets at home on Thursday night, so I'm still a big fan of Geno Washington, while Tom Brady looks increasingly lonely with his new set of go-to boys. If you have Brady on your fantasy team, it might be time to reconsider your choice.

So, let's have a look at who could be gathering points for your team this coming week.

Quarterbacks

The Manning brothers were chalk and cheese last week as the elder broke records while being pummeled by the Dallas defense, Eli put his coach, Tom Coughlin, at risk for cardiac arrest on the sidelines. However, Junior did redeem himself with 450 yards and four touchdowns (while also throwing three interceptions and suffering three sacks). But the Giants didn't win, and they won't against the Broncos, either. So stick with Peyton as the premiere brother and bench Eli.

Saints QB Drew Brees should have a confident outing on home turf against the Bucs. He threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints' romp with Atlanta, so battling against the Bucs' Josh Freeman shouldn't be a problem. Brees is a keeper for those of you who have him.

The Bills' EJ Manuel and Oakland's Terrelle Pryor both had the guts to carry their teams to early leads. And, although the duo's fantasy attraction might be limited throughout the season, they both should be considered as solid bye-week replacements.

Andrew Luck recorded yet another game-winning, fourth-quarter drive Sunday (he had a whopping seven of them last year as a rookie), punctuated by a 19-yard touchdown run. It was a favorable matchup, but Luck played well, completing 78.3% of his passes.

Running backs

Minnesota's Adrian Peterson. The man is unreal. His 78-yard run from scrimmage early in the first quarter against Detroit says it all. It's pretty remarkable Peterson finished with a mere 93 rushing yards. But even with such a relatively paltry output, I doubt fantasy owners are complaining.

Despite his less-than-stellar performance against the Patriots, I'm still sticking with Buffalo's CJ Spiller. Just give him time. Yes, he was constantly swarmed by the Patriots' defense and ran a tentative game plan with stuttering steps in his cuts. But, despite those limited reservations, Spiller's a keeper for me.

Detroit's Reggie Bush came out of the opening game against the Vikings banged up, but he looked as fast and quick as ever on Detroit's home turf, totaling 191 yards and a score. But it could have been so much bigger, as he had two originally ruled touchdowns overturned by booth reviews that couldn't have totaled more than six inches before reaching the end zone. Even if he'll continue to get replaced by Joique Bell at the goal line, only health will prevent Bush from finishing as a top-10 fantasy back.

Green Bay's Eddie Lacy had what many would consider a train wreck of a game against the 49ers with a costly fumble and a subsequent humiliating benching. But Lacy ran hard upon his return and generally looked like a rookie who can handle the toughest NFL defenses. He broke tackles, showed a good enough burst in the open field and converted in the red zone. Better times are ahead in week two as the Packers face a less-than-excellent Washington defense.

Wide receivers

Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald scored twice last week against the Rams, and he looked like his old self. As long as Carson Palmer stays vertical, Fitzgerald's fantasy numbers will be on the mark. So I'm confident that Fitzgerald will be a long-term prospect.

San Francisco's Anquan Boldin should be treated as a top-20 fantasy wide receiver moving forward. We all know that he and Colin Kaepernick make fantasy owners happy, as it's already clear that he and Kaepernick have a good thing going. Boldin is a solid WR2, and if his season debut is anything to go by, he'll be a WR1 for many weeks to come.

At Denver, Peyton Manning sought out Wes Welker twice for scores against the Bills as the newly forged duo easily dissected Bills coach Doug Marrone's game plan. I thought Welker might be forced to ramp down a tad from his New England numbers, but he might actually take a step forward in this offense. He's a PPR WR1 who will contend for top-five numbers.

New England's Kenbrell Thompkins had so much hype surrounding his fantasy league credentials that I just felt he was a crash test dummy waiting to slam into a wall of confusion. Thompkins dropped and juggled passes and did nothing to suggest that he was going to earn a fantasy league owner's respect. But Thompkins has the rest of the season to improve. If Belicheck plays him against the Jets, I think this wide receiver's numbers will soar and add to your league. He's a definite sleeper, who shouldn't be cast aside.

Tight Ends

Washington's Geno Smith and Kellen Winslow seem to have forged a decent on-field relationship as their opening game against the Bucs proved. Smith found Winslow in key situations, and the veteran didn't look washed up. He might just head up the Jets in receptions, and he looks to possess decent fantasy league depth for anyone's team.

It seems the Dallas coaching staff is making good on its annual promise to increase Jason Witten's top tight end's fantasy value. Witten received plenty of red-zone loving and reciprocated with two scores during the Cowboys' 36-31 win against the Giants. He's looking good.

The 49ers are apparently going to make good on giving Vernon Davis a bigger part of the passing game in more than just the playoffs this year. Davis came up big in the red zone last week against Green Bay, notching up six receptions, two touchdowns and 98 yards. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick's progress as a passer this season only adds fuel to the fire for this powerful duo. Davis has been a top-three fantasy tight end before, and he might do it again this year.

Former hoops player Jordan Cameron led Cleveland in receiving. During the season opener against Miami, Cameron could have easily had two scores, and he should remain an important part of the Browns' offense, even after Josh Gordon returns. This former sleeper posted nine catches for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.

Kickers

I'm going to go all bold and brash and choose this quartet of kickers for week two:

Justin Tucker of Baltimore at home to Cleveland

Garrett Hartley of New Orleans at Tampa

San Francisco's Phil Dawson at Seattle

Mason Crosby of the Packers at home to Washington

Defense

Ravens: I really don't see them being too threatened by Cleveland, despite their drubbing by the Broncos last week.

Bears: Good show against Cincinnati in week one. Yes, they'll be tested against Minnesota but will prove their worth as the clock ticks down.

Raiders: The Raiders, who averaged fewer than 1.6 sacks per game last season, ended up sacking the Colts' Andrew Luck four times last week, one each by strong safety Tyvon Branch, right defensive end Lamarr Houston, cornerback Tracy Porter and left defensive end Jason Hunter. I think that's a positive, don't you?