Week 1 Recap

After a weird offseason, it's only appropriate that we have a weird Week 1. Sure, some things were predictable -- Mahomes and Lamar going off, CMC/Dalvin/Zeke having multiple TDs, Barnard winning despite not breaking 75 points -- but even without any massive injuries, there was a lot of bizarre stuff that went down both in the NFL and FALAFEL. For example:

• Garbage time was huge. Late, meaningless TDs for the Texans, Falcons, Vikings, Bucs, and Giants all played a part in determining matchups or making guys like Ridley, Thielen, Brady, and Slayton look more impressive on paper than they did in the games.
• For some reason, in a year with more WR depth than any I can remember, we had three teams start multiple Tight Ends. Two of them lost, and none of them made the right start/sit decisions.
• Only three RBs went over 100 yards. One was Derrick Henry, but the other two were a rookie in his first game on the most explosive passing offense in the league, and something called a Benny Snell.
• The team I gave the lowest draft grade to (Z) outscored the team I gave the highest draft grade to (Gutman) by 35, Adrian Peterson turned back the clock by 10 years, and Antonio Gibson was outplayed by Peyton Barber, making my Draft Recap post look irrelevant weeks before it usually does.
• Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 6 yards.
• Billy still put up over 100 thanks in part to Danny Amendola.

As always, it's only one week. But no one has tested positive yet, and we're about to have half the teams in the league travel across the country. So it's only going to get weirder.

Week 2 Power Rankings

1. Ajay (Post Draft: 3rd)

Good News: You won despite starting Hunter Renfrow, and may have a potential starting RB in Malcom Brown that no one factored into the equation.

Bad News: Sutton's shoulder will be a constant concern, and a banged up Kittle limits your upside.

2. Levine (Post Draft: t11th)

Good News: David Johnson looks as spry as he has in years, and Bill O'Brien seems likely to force feed him to justify that trade.

Bad News: Take away garbage time from Ridley and Thielen and this team looks a little bit more pedestrian (though given their defenses, Atlanta and Minnesota are likely going to have a good number of shootouts).

3. Nick (Post Draft: 2nd)

Good News: Clyde looked even better than advertised, and Mostert seems to be the no-doubt starter in San Fran. (And you can probably trade Sammy to Zacherman)

Bad News: The WR situation here was not as impressive as it looks, and while Godwin and Brown should bounce back, the Cleveland passing game looks like a mess.

4. Gutman (Post Draft: 1st)

Good News: A lineup core of Henry/Julio/Woods/Golladay and the Ravens RB1 is still the best in the league, Benny Snell was a lucky dart throw, and Fant looks like a potential breakout (though Sutton and Hamler were both out).

Bad News: The Ravens RB1 may not be decided for another month or so, and I want no part of the Eagles offense with that O-Line.

5. AGD (Post Draft: t8th)

Good News: Overcoming the worst lineup decision (Non-Barnard/Alan Division) in Darrell Williams to still break 100 while getting a combined 3 points from your Flex and D/ST is not a bad way to start, even in a loss.

Bad News: While the rest of your performance looks sustainable, it hurts to waste a career day from Jacobs.

6. Weissbard (Post Draft: 4th)

Good News: I was nervous about him learning a new offense with no preseason, but with Nuk's Week 1 performance, I can confidently say that you have the best WR duo in the league.

Bad News: I was confident about Gibson being the starter in Washington, but with Barber's Week 1 performance (and the Conner injury), I can confidently say you have the worst RB situation in the league. A trade with Gutman seems like a good idea.

7. Esco (Post Draft: t8th)

Good News: You had a huge day without your second most expensive player in your lineup, and you appear to be in the driver's seat from a depth perspective when it comes to trades.

Bad News: While you can expect guys like Kamara, Amari, and maaaybe Will Fuller to keep it up, this was a ceiling performance almost across the board.

8. Marco (Post Draft: 7th)

Good News: Seattle finally let Russ cook and he took full advantage. If that continues, he's the steal of the draft and a potential QB1 overall.

Bad News: WFT won't play the Eagles every week. Oh, and that gaping hole at RB.

9. Kumpf (Post Draft: t8th)

Good News: As the most expensive player I've bid on in over 5 years, Zeke seems to be worth the money.

Bad News: Not a lot of upside on this roster despite a high floor, and Deebo's IR trip was not part of the plan.

10. Billy (Post Draft: 11th)

Good News: A win without Barkley going off (or gaining 10 yards) will always be great news for this roster.

Bad News: You'll need someone outside of your top two to pop if you want to contend, and I see no signs of that after one week.

11. Zacherman (Post Draft: 14th)

Good News: Pretty much everything. Lamar looked incredible connecting with Andrews, Davante got 17 targets and Lazard may be startable too, and Taylor lost his primary competition for touches.

Bad News: Despite all that, there are definite holes at RB2 and Flex, just spent more than half your FAAB money on Corey Davis and Myles Gaskin, and TD regression will hit soon.

12. Bennett (Post Draft: t5th)

Good News: Cam and Cook look both healthy and dominant, and Hines is a Snell-like dart throw payoff.

Bad News: Everything else.

13. Barnard (Post Draft: t5th)

Good News: Your ability to have the team you're playing completely shit the bed has carried over from 2019. And your roster management can only get better, right?

Bad News: The Mack injury hurts, especially given your love for JTT, and if the Chiefs transition some workload from Mahomes to Clyde, there goes your ceiling.

14. Alan (Post Draft: 13th)

Good News: Josh Allen is a top tier fantasy QB, Goedert seems to be taking over for Ertz, and Slayton will get plenty of garbage time opportunities on this Giants team.

Bad News: You only started one of those three players (including somehow two TEs other than Goedert), and Michael Thomas is hurt for what sounds like multiple weeks.

Matchup of the Week: Esco vs. Levine
Already a big division matchup! These two teams arguably overproduced in Week 1, so we'll see what goes from fluky to the new normal during Week 2. Esco has multiple players going up against the Raiders and Panthers, which should lead to a ton of points, and Kamara is likely to pick up a bunch of the short targets that used to go to Mike Thomas. The Dallas vs. Atlanta matchup will have huge implications here, and if Dak goes hard at Gallup and Ceedee, he could put up 30+ and give Levine a massive edge at QB. This one is extremely close, and without a clear X-factor among the position players, I'll take the 49ers D looking to bounce back with 20+ points (albeit without Sherman) against a Jets team that will be watching a lot of Clemson film this year.
Pick: Levine
MotW Record: 1-0

Gambling Corner

NFL Bets
Jaguars (+10) at Titans

Bucs (-9) vs. Panthers

Vikings (+3) at Colts

Cowboys (-4) vs. Falcons

Football Team (+7) at  Cardinals
Last Week: 6-2
2020 Record: 6-2 (+3.00 units)
Historical Win Percentage: 54.40% (+18.83 units)