Fantasy Football Dating App: Week 2

Every Sunday morning, fantasy owners face similar choices to the ones "dating" app users do on Saturday night. When faced with lots of options, do you want to swipe left and pass on potential opportunity or do you want to swipe right and open the door for exciting possibilities? Each week, we'll talk about specific players and what you should do with them (particularly when setting your daily fantasy lineups).

Swipe Left

Marcus Mariota

I know it's tempting to jump on the Mariota bandwagon, but let's not forget he's still a rookie no matter how great he performed in his debut. First-year QBs are infamously inconsistent, and inconsistency equals risk. Additionally, Cleveland gave up over 150 yards on the ground last week, so Tennessee has plenty of incentive to utilize a more conservative game plan (look at the over/under, Vegas agrees). Finally, Mariota is going to be a highly trendy pick this week, which limits your upside even if you do select him. As he establishes a bit more of a track record, he'll certainly merit consideration. But do yourself a favor and say aloha to the Hawaiian.

Denver RBs

Both C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman are surprisingly expensive this week given the odds stacked against them. Thursday night games are notoriously sloppy affairs, which should feel familiar to a Broncos team that had as many pick sixes as snaps in the red zone on Sunday. Peyton Manning came closer to resembling a commercial version of himself ("I'm Can't Throw Downfield Peyton Manning and I have cable") than the legend we remember, which will allow the KC defense more freedom to focus on stopping the run. Oh, and Kansas City only allowed four rushing TDs all last year. Spend your money (and maybe even your time on Thursday night) elsewhere.

T.Y. Hilton

Hilton is a potential fantasy stud, but he bruised his knee on Sunday, leading to the dreaded "day-to-day" injury status. In season-long fantasy play, this could be a substantial blow to a team that spent a high draft pick on the Colts wide out. But, of course, this is the beauty of both daily fantasy and swiping left — there is no need to force yourself into such a commitment. He's expensive, he's injured and he plays on Monday, so you won't even get to find out if he warmed up before locking your lineup. Indulge in such a toxic combination at your own peril.

Swipe Right

Nick Foles

QB isn't always the wisest place to pinch your pennies in daily fantasy sports. It's difficult to win without a big day from your man behind center. However, the Redskins feature a turnover machine at QB taking snaps behind a line that plays like they were paid to provide all the on-field footage for that upcoming concussion movie. Expect the Rams ferocious pass rush to give Foles lots of short fields to work with, making him a potentially highly attractive value play that frees up funds for studs like Gronk or Julio Jones.

Terrance Williams

Williams stands to benefit more than any other player from the Dez Bryant injury. It's certainly unfortunate that the league lost one of its brightest stars already, but the show must go on and Williams will now be center stage. Bryant was one of the most targeted receivers in the league last year, and now the bulk of those looks will be going Williams' way. In the five games that Williams received at least 6 targets last year, he scored four times. The ball will be flying around the field in this week's potential shootout with the Eagles, giving Williams ample opportunity to exceed his modest $4,200 price tag.

Ameer Abdullah

After watching what Carlos Hyde did to Minnesota in Week 1 and what Abdullah did to the Chargers (RIP Eric Weddle), the eye test supports betting big on the Lions rookie this week. The numbers don't appear quite as encouraging at first glance as he only got 11 touches. But Detroit only ran 47 plays (10 fewer than any other team), so it seems the flow of the game likely depressed his opportunity. Plus, he's the rare guy who can take it to the house on any play, which makes him super fun to watch. Given his amazing burst and Minnesota's amazing bust, paying only $4,500 for his services seems like a steal.