Week 1 – Fantasy Football Free Agent Pick-Ups

Jake Locker – Locker pierced the Kansas City Defense for 266 Yards and 2 TDs and should be licking his chops as Tennessee plays the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Dallas should be considered the worst passing defense in the NFL and as the season wears on, it will become more and more evident.

Terrence West – The Fantasy Football Community expected Ben Tate to go down at some point, but as quick as Week 1 was a shock! Although Isaiah Crowell vultured two Touchdowns, Terrence West ran for 100 Yards on 16 Attempts and should be considered the lead-dog if Ben Tate can’t suit up for Week 2. West should be considered a top handcuff whether Tate plays or not in Week 2.

Justin Forsett – After Bernard Pierce was benched for losing a fumble, Forsett took over as the every-down back in Baltimore. Forsett rushed for 70 Yards and a TD, also adding 5 Receptions for 14 Yards. With Ray Rice terminated from the Baltimore Ravens, Forsett will elevate to a “Flex Option” heading into Week 2 vs. Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed 115 Rushing Yards per game in 2013 and returned to their same habits in Week 1 vs. Cleveland as their backs racked up 175 Rushing Yards (Terrence West – 100 Yards, Ben Tate – 41 Yards, Isaiah Crowell – 32 Yards and Ray Agnew – 2 Yards). This should be a top priority waiver addition.

Carlos Hyde – In his Rookie debut, Hyde rushed 7 times for 50 Yards and a TD as he spelled Frank Gore throughout the game. This trend should continue more and more in 2014 as the aging Frank Gore pushes through the grind of the season. We consider Hyde one of the top handcuffs this season and should be monitored closely going forward.

Bobby Rainey – Rainey handled every-down duties when Doug Martin exited with a left knee injury and is the obvious handcuff to Martin in Tampa. Protect your early round assets and grab Rainey so you are not down and out before the season even gets off the ground. “Make It Rainey!”

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Jonathan Dwyer – For Ellington Owners, this was not the way everyone had imagined the season would kick-off. Arians tabbed Ellington as the “bell-cow” back to be featured exclusively in the rushing and receiving game. Fast forward to now and we have a foot injury to the peroneus longus or the muscle that helps flex the ankle. This is all-around bad news heading into Week 1 for the elusive and shifty back. Doctors put it two ways for Ellington saying surgery was not necessary: 1 – He can either put a boot on for 2-3 Weeks to strengthen the muscle before returning; or 2 – He can try to tough it out and play in a limited role Monday Night. Hopefully, Ellington takes a few weeks off and heals this thing right to endure the remaining tough season ahead. That being said, Dwyer is the no doubt RB2 in AZ. He should be grabbed either way going forward. He will not wow, but he will provide a degree of stability for fantasy owners in this murky situation.

Kelvin Benjamin – Benjamin surprised in Week 1 with Cam Newton absent from action, turning out a strong debut performance. Banjamin caught 6 of 8 Targets, 92 Receiving Yards and a TD. Cam Newton is expected to return for Week 2 vs. the Detroit Lions, a defense that offers a “JV” Secondary. The chemistry between Newton and Benjamin was highly touted in the pre-season and Benjamin should be considered a WR2 or strong WR3 going forward. In other words … Pick Him Up!

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Andrew Hawkins – Hawkins saw 10 Targets in Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh and yielded 8 Receptions for 87 Yards. Jordan Cameron injured his shoulder in the game, aggravating the sprained AC joint he suffered in Training Camp. Cameron should be considered day-to-day at this point, but any setback will only be a benefactor to Andrew Hawkins.

Greg Jennings – Jennings was targeted a “team-high” seven times in Sunday’s contest and snatched 6 Receptions for 58 Yards and a TD. The Vikings square off against the Patriots in Week 2. It’s not a recommended start for Jennings Owners, but we see him as a solid bench asset going forward for Managers.

Allen Hurns – It should be noted that the only reason Hurns started this afternoon was that Cecil Shorts was scratched from the game. The Un-Drafted Rookie out of Miami (The U) exploded this afternoon for 2 TDs and 110 Receiving Yards. For Jaguar Fans, the continuation of Hurns’ success from pre-season is compelling as he kept it going (Pre-Season: 14 Receptions, 232 Receiving Yards and 1 TD). We can’t recommend using a waiver priority on Hurns, but you can’t knock the hustle.

In Other News – Antonio Brown does his best impression of Mortal Kombat’s Lui Kang as he sends a flying bicycle kick square into the Cleveland Browns Punter’s jugular. After beating the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning now joins Brett Favre in beating all 32 NFL Teams in his career. NFL Commissioner – Roger Goodell made $44.2 Million in 2013. The NFL has suspended Ray Rice indefinitely. Tony Romo’s 3 INTs in Week 1 all came via Play-Action Passes (He threw 4 Play-Action Passes in the game). The Cleveland Browns haven’t won a Week 1 Game since 2004 vs. the Baltimore Ravens. We’ll end on that one … Wow!

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