Week 2: PPR Watch
WR Mark Clayton, ---
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Caution - I imagine people were looking for a big thumbs up here on Clayton. Some happy reassurance that after just one phenomenal week he's ready for the starting lineup? Sorry, I'm just not sold yet. Owned in less than 25% of some leagues, Clayton should absolutely be added to your roster… but give it a few weeks before you make him a starter. St. Louis simply *must* reduce Sam Bradford's attempts from a staggering 51 if they want to keep their young quarterback from being killed. The Raiders are weak against the run, but have a very strong secondary; that combined with Bradford's first road start, suggest the Rams will serve up a heavy dose of Steven Jackson. Clayton isn't a terrible flex play this week. If you will be satisfied with half his week 1 numbers and are scrambling to replace a late round sleeper that didn't pan out, so be it, but don't squeeze out a proven starter to find a place for him. Make Clayton earns his spot.
TE Jeremy Shockey, ---
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Avoid - There's probably not a ton of owners considering starting Shockey this week (coming off only a 3 catch performance), but at this point a good case could be made that he's not even worth owning. With bigger upside TE's like Mercedes Lewis, Tony Moeaki, and Todd Heap still sitting on many FA lists, Shockey's future in your fantasy lineup should be very much in doubt. The Saints have so many weapons on offense they really need little more out of their TE's than solid blocking, and his 3 TD's in the past 2 seasons suggest he's an afterthought in the red zone. The Niners' defense is better than they looked in week 1, and where they are weak is the deep ball. Shockey will stay in and block to buy time for Henderson, Colston and Meacham to get down field. Bench him or drop him, it's up to you; just don't play him in week 2.
RB C.J. Spiller, ---
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Avoid - There was nothing exciting about CJ Spiller in his first professional start. I know a lot of owners invested heavily in the rookie back, but let him sit awhile. Just give him a breather. When you hear yourself starting to make a case for Spiller, keep in mind the stats. Buffalo backs as a unit managed just 38 yards on 14 carries and 8 yards on 6 catches. Spiller himself had just 14 yards of total offense on 13 touches. Considering Spiller's very real talent, these are numbers so extraordinarily bad that there is no way you can start him until Buffalo has first shown some sign of life. If that weren't bad enough, he's in a very real timeshare and Buffalo plays the Packers next week *in* Green Bay. Ouch.
TE Tony Moeaki, ---
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Sleeper - I promise I won't pick a TE as a sleeper every week, but the 6'3" rookie TE for the Chiefs looked too good to pass up. Moeaki had a nice debut against the Chargers, showing excellent athleticism while catching 3 balls for 21 yards and a TD. Considering Cassel only completed 10 passes, Moeaki was a considerable piece of their passing game. Despite being technically second on the depth chart, KC drafted him to play a much bigger part in the offense than the unwieldy 6'8", 264 pound Leonard Pope. The Chiefs' offense was a bit deceiving Monday night (offering up several exciting moments that distract from an otherwise bleak showing), but Moeaki was a bright spot and he has a nice matchup against the Browns in week 2. Keep him on your bye week radar. If he keeps getting red-zone looks he could become a decent committee play in the near future, and I expect his catch total to increase along with Cassel's completion percentage (45.5% Eeek, it sorta has to, doesn't it?).
Remember to read all our columns for this week and use our Who To Start Rankings