Week one didn't have too many surprises — aside from Peyton Manning's ridiculous 880,000 point performance against the defending Super Bowl champions. But the first weekend of football did possibly provide a little foreshadowing for deeper leagues. Here are guys that need to be considered immediately if they're unowned in your league.
All percentages via Yahoo! as of Monday, Sept. 9 at 5:00 AM PST.
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Week 2 Top Fantasy Football Pickups
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Julius Thomas TE – Denver (54% owned)
According to reports, Peyton Manning "anticipates Julius Thomas maintaining 'a big role' in the Broncos' offense moving forward."…That's enough for me to go all-in on Thomas. He had 110 yards receiving on five catches Thursday night. Will Manning throw 7 TDs every game? Of course not. But you can be sure there are plenty of passes to go around in Denver and Thomas will be part of it. He is a must-add in all leagues and is a great back-up option at tight end in very deep leagues, at worst.
(Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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Joique Bell RB – Detroit (32% owned)
Talk about a goal-line vulture. Sure, it was Reggie Bush's day, but it was Bell who scored two touchdowns from inside the 2-yard line Sunday against the Vikings. The Detroit Free Press says Bell "should be a weapon on the goal line this season."…He also had five catches, which means he'll still be involved in the passing frenzy the Lions display weekly. Bush is already nursing a groin, so Bell needs to be owned in most leagues to serve as a backup or solid flex play against weak defenses.
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
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Rueben Randle WR – New York Giants (48% owned)
Five catches for 101 yards in the season opener ain't bad, right? You won't hear much about Randle though because it was Cruz who accumulated the video-game type stats Sunday night. In between Hakeen Nicks and Cruz getting looks, Randle proved he was a solid third option in a pass happy attack that targeted him six times at 20.2 yards-per-catch. He was a sleeper coming into the season so he's already worth the early lottery ticket if you have room to store another WR on your roster.
(Photo by Al Pereira/New York Jets for Getty Images)
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Julian Edelman WR – New England (20% owned)
Another sleeper before the season started, Edelman was the go-to guy for Tom Brady alongside Danny Amendola against the Bills Sunday. He played almost every down Sunday and exponentially outperformed hyped rookie Kenbrell Thompkins, catching seven balls for 79 yards, scoring two touchdowns. The Boston Herald is already calling him "Brady's main deep threat." And remember this was on an off-day for Brady and the Pats, barely squeaking out a victory in Buffalo while Brady only completed 29-of-52 passes. Edelman is a solid WR3 option.
(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
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Andre Roberts WR – Arizona (21% owned)
Yet another guy I loved preseason because new quarterback Carson Palmer stated he was in for a big year. Roberts caught eight passes, racking up 97 yards against a fairly tough St.Louis defense on Sunday. He was targeted nine times, second to only Larry Fitzgerald. Michael Floyd will have his big games as well, but I would rather have Roberts. It's clear that he's a young stud who only keeps getting better and Palmer trusts him. I love him as a WR3.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Da'Rel Scott RB – New York Giants (2% owned)
Someone has to carry the ball in New York, and Tom Coughlin HATES fumblers. David Wilson fumbled the ball twice against the Cowboys Sunday, opening the door for Scott. Sure, Scott probably isn't that spectacular — some are already speculating the Giants will sign a veteran backup until Wilson wipes the butter off his hands — but Scott did rush five times for 23 yards and hauled in 51 yards receiving as well. He's a potential lottery ticket and should be picked up in all deep leagues. Andre Brown isn't back until at least week 8, so if you're in a pinch at running back until then, Scott could be a goal line vulture that could get you a few extra points.
(Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
