This is not a fantasy football website, but we both compete in a number of leagues and we definitely have opinions. For now I’m going to throw forth a handful of names each week on who I think will do well and who will fail. If anyone checking this out has any thoughts on what might be more useful — or if you think this feature is a waste of space and should be scrapped altogether — drop us a comment and let us know.

In the meantime, here’s Andy’s fantasy advice for week two.


Locks:

Quarterback: Matthew Stafford, Detroit vs Kansas City – The Georgia slinger looked great in the preseason and carried that over in a week one performance against Tampa Bay. Kansas City, meanwhile, got torn apart by Ryan Fitzpatrick against Buffalo, losing safety Eric Berry in the process. Stafford should have another big game at home in leading the Lions to a 2-0 record for the first time since 1865.

Running back:
Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh vs Seattle – Start your Steelers with confidence this week. But especially start this guy. Pittsburgh should get out to a comfortable lead early which will give them plenty of opportunities to pound Mendenhall. He should eclipse 100 yards and hit pay dirt at least once, probably more.

LeShon McCoy, Philadelphia vs Atlanta – Last week the Falcons did a decent enough job holding Matt Forte in check when he was running the ball. But the Bears back had a couple breakaways in the passing game. While the Falcons are at home this week, I would argue that McCoy is a better combo back than Forte. If the Falcons don’t correct the issues that let Forte free in space, McCoy will put up similar numbers.

Wide receiver:
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona vs Washington – Hakeem Nicks did not dent the end zone against Washington last week, but he did catch seven passes for 122 yards. The Redskins pass defense has left something to be desired the last couple seasons. Fitzgerald was semi-invisible last week as Kevin Kolb targeted Early Doucet and let Beanie Wells run the ball. But he won’t want his superstar wide receiver getting disinterested. Look for Fitzgerald to bounce back in a big way this week.

Sleeper:
RB – LeGarrette Blount, TB vs Minnesota – Heading into the season I didn’t think Blount would qualify as a sleeper at this point. I thought he’d be a much bigger part of Tampa Bay’s offense last week and I think the coaching staff regrets that he wasn’t. Some fantasy owners were already dropping Blount after week one. Big mistake. They’ll get things ironed out in Tampa eventually. I say it starts this week. Minnesota is minus defensive tackle star Kevin Williams for one more week and his counterpart from seasons past, Pat Williams, is no longer on the team. I think the Vikings’ run defense will be further softened by Josh Freeman and a solid passing attack that will keep the offense balanced and Minnesota on its heels Sunday. Look for solid yardage and a touchdown from Blount.

RB – James Starks, GB vs Carolina – Green Bay is a passing team and Starks is in a timeshare so starting him or Ryan Grant is always going to be a risky play, no matter how strong an offense the Packers run. But the coaching staff acknowledged after last Thursday’s game with New Orleans that Starks probably should have had more touches. Carolina is soft against the run and Green Bay should be able to take command of this game relatively early. So Starks should have more opportunities than he would in a typical week. He’ll take advantage.

Bust:
RB – Maurice Jones Drew, Jacksonville vs New York Jets – The Jaguars are going to have to run the ball to have any chance of sticking with the Jets. But Luke McCown is not a threat via the pass. So the Jets will be able to focus on stopping Jones Drew in a game that could quickly become a blowout.

QB – Matt Ryan and WR – Roddy White, Atlanta vs Philadelphia – Maybe I’m not giving Chicago enough credit but something bugged me about the way Atlanta played last week against the Bears. There was something missing from that offense, even before Chicago started pounding the Falcons. It won’t get any easier this week when Philadelphia heads to the Georgia Dome. The best cornerback trio in the league will make it difficult for Ryan and Roddy to get on track. If the Falcons win this week it will have to be on the feet of Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.