By MIKE HERNDON

Congratulations if you’ve made it to the semifinal round of the fantasy playoffs — and pardon me for my absence last week. It was finals week at the college where I serve as an adjunct, and there were a lot of papers and tests to grade.

But on to important stuff …

Several weeks ago, we thought the first Steelers-Ravens game of the year might go against type and turn into a shootout. The result was another punishing defensive game where neither team reached 20 points.

I see no reason to expect otherwise in the rematch. Despite the state of the offenses, the defenses always seem to rule the day when these teams meet and turn this game into a war of attrition. Maybe the score will get in the 20s this time, but the only must-start players in this game are Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry — because they’re must-start every week — and Chris Boswell, because he’s the best kicker in the league right now.

Other uppers for semifinal week:

James Conner, Cardinals, vs. Carolina

Bucky Irving/Rachaad White, Bucs, vs. Cowboys

Tony Pollard/Tyjae Spears, Titans, vs. Indianapolis

Isaac Guerendo, 49ers, vs. Miami

Calvin Ridley, Titans, vs. Indianapolis

Cooper Kupp, Rams, vs. NY Jets (yes, he should bounce back)

Davante Adams, NY Jets, vs. Rams

Devonta Smith, Eagles, vs. Washington

Keenan Allen, Bears, vs. Detroit

Kyler Murray, Cardinals, vs. Carolina

And some downers:

Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks, vs. Minnesota

Brian Robinson, Jr., Commanders, vs. Philadelphia

Gus Edwards, Chargers, vs. Denver

Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs, vs. Houston

Jerry Jeudy, Browns, vs. Cincinnati (love the matchup, but not the QB now that Winston is benched)

Deebo Samuel, 49ers, vs. Miami

Wandale Robinson, NY Giants, vs. Atlanta

Justin Herbert, Chargers, vs. Denver

Week 14

Congratulations to you if you saw the Browns’ outburst at Denver coming last week. Jerry Jeudy and Jameis Winston won fantasy matchups by themselves, and David Njoku, Elijah Moore and Nick Chubb were also useful to fantasy lineups.

Of course, on the other side of the full Jameis Winston experience, the Denver defense was also an A-plus play as well, scoring two touchdowns on pick-sixes.

As we move into the last week of the regular season in many fantasy leagues with playoff berths on the line, can we expect more of the same at Pittsburgh? I don’t think we should expect a 500-yard passer and 235-yard receiver two weeks in a row against anyone. And a divisional matchup against a rival with a tough defense leads us to believe the yards and points will be much harder to come by this week.

But Winston led the Browns to a win over the Steelers in the snow two weeks ago, and Jeudy had 85 yards in that game. The Browns won’t likely have the same kind of fireworks as last week, but they could still be plenty useful.

This week’s uppers:

Isaac Geurendo, 49ers, vs. Chicago

Rico Dowdle, Cowboys, vs. Cincinnati

Chase Brown, Bengals, vs. Dallas

Mike Evans, Buccaneers, vs. Las Vegas

Calvin Ridley, Titans, vs. Jacksonville

Jakobi Meyers, Raiders, vs. Tampa Bay

Khalil Shakir, Bills, vs. LA Rams

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins, vs. NY Jets

Sam Darnold, Vikings, vs. Atlanta

And some downers:

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers, vs. Philadelphia

Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks, vs. Arizona

D’Andre Swift, Bears, vs. 49ers

Gus Edwards, Chargers, vs. Kansas City

Cooper Kupp, Rams, vs. Buffalo

Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars, vs. Tennessee

Malik Nabers, Giants, vs. New Orleans

Kyle Pitts, Falcons, vs. Minnesota

Geno Smith, Seahawks, vs. Arizona

Week 13

Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving turkey was tasty and your Thanksgiving matchups were bountiful. For the rest of the Week 13 slate, here are this week’s uppers and downers:

Uppers:

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers, vs. Carolina

James Cook, Bills, vs. San Francisco

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Washington

George Pickens, Steelers, vs. Cincinnati

Courtland Sutton, Broncos, vs. Cleveland

Calvin Ridley, Titans, vs. Washington

Ladd McConkey, Chargers, vs. Atlanta

Dallas Goedert, Eagles, vs. Baltimore

Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, vs. Carolina

Downers:

Travis Etienne, Jaguars, vs. Houston

Nick Chubb, Browns, vs. Denver

James Conner, Cardinals, vs. Minnesota

Deebo Samuel/Jauan Jennings, 49ers, vs. Buffalo (snow game)

Amari Cooper/Khalil Shakir, Bills, vs. 49ers (Ditto)

Michael Pittman, Jr., Colts, vs. New England

Kirk Cousins, Falcons, vs. LA Chargers

Week 12

So much for fantasy points from the Ravens and Steelers. Despite positive signs to the contrary — a resurgent Steelers offense, a beatable Ravens secondary and an MVP-level Lamar Jackson — last week’s big AFC North showdown played out exactly like it always seems to — the first one to 17 wins.

Live and learn. And never bet against the Steelers’ defense.

Who can you bet on? How about the Lions’ offense? Detroit is the best team in the league right now, and the only questions we seem to have every week for the fantasy prospects of its stars is whether the Lions will be TOO good — whether they’ll build such a monstrous lead that there will be no need to feed their stars beyond halftime.

Like when Amon-Ra St. Brown got two targets in a 52-14 win over Tennessee. Thankfully, he scored on one of them.

Up this week is Indianapolis, with Anthony Richardson seemingly having found new life after a couple weeks on the bench. The Colts’ defense is still pretty much trash, however, so this could be another blowout. If it is, we’ll just have to hope St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Jameson Williams and Jared Goff get their numbers before the Lions power down — like they did in last week’s 52-6 romp over Jacksonville.

Play them all.

With six teams on bye this week, you’ll need to find some replacements. On that thought, here’s some other Week 12 uppers:

Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders, vs. Dallas

Rachaad White/Bucky Irving, Buccaneers, vs. NY Giants

Javonte Williams, Broncos, vs. Las Vegas

Ladd McConkey/Quintin Johnston, Chargers, vs. Baltimore

Rome Odunze, Bears, vs. Minnesota

Will Dissly, Seahawks, vs. Arizona

Luke Schoonmaker, Cowboys, vs. Washington

Bo Nix, Broncos, vs. Las Vegas

And this week’s downers:

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Houston (the last of three straight miserable matchups for him)

JK Dobbins, Chargers, vs. Baltimore

D’Andre Swift/Roschon Johnson, Bears, vs. Minnesota

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers, vs. Kansas City

Jakobi Meyers, Raiders, vs. Denver

Rashod Bateman, Ravens, vs. LA Chargers

Demario Douglas, Patriots, vs. Miami

Matthew Stafford, Rams, vs. Philadelphia

Week 11

Kansas City and Buffalo are getting top billing in this week full of prime NFL matchups, but the most interesting game for fantasy may be played earlier in the day.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh are known for physical, defensive football, but this may year may see the offenses take over. The Ravens may have the most explosive offense in the league, but they also have an exploitable secondary that should make for some fantasy goodness for Russell Wilson and George Pickens.

Both run defenses are stout, and the Steelers may have one of the better overall defensive units in the league. Nevertheless, the only normally startable fantasy asset that I’d be leery of in this one is Steelers running back Najee Harris, who will be running into the strength of the Ravens’ defense and may see his carries further reduced by a now-healthy Jaylen Warren.

Some other Week 11 uppers and downers:

Uppers:

Kareem Hunt, Chiefs, vs. Buffalo

David Montgomery, Lions, vs. Jacksonville

Nick Chubb, Browns, vs. New Orleans

Jauan Jennings, 49ers, vs. Seattle

Calvin Ridley, Titans, vs. Minnesota

Khalil Shakir, Bills, vs. Kansas City

Justin Herbert, Chargers, vs. Cincinnati

Downers:

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Minnesota

James Cook, Bills, vs. Kansas City

Josh Downs, Colts, vs. NY Jets

Darnell Mooney, Falcons, vs. Denver

Brian Thomas Jr./Evan Engram, Jaguars, vs. Detroit

Jake Ferguson, Cowboys, vs. Texans

Kirk Cousins, Falcons, vs. Denver

Week 10

Welp, hope you weren’t facing Ja’Marr Chase this week. If so, you might as well quit reading and spend the rest of the weekend fishing or getting drunk. There’s probably nothing that can help you.

For the rest of us, here are some uppers that could push your team to a win this week:

Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Giants, vs. Carolina

James Cook, Bills, vs. Indianapolis

Aaron Jones, Vikings, vs. Jacksonville

George Pickens, Steelers, vs. Washington

Davante Adams/Garrett Wilson, Jets, vs. Arizona

Deebo Samuel, 49ers, vs. Tampa Bay

Khalif Shakir, Bills, vs. Indianapolis

Taysom Hill, Saints, vs. Falcons

Brock Purdy, 49ers, vs. Tampa Bay

And some downers that you might consider leaving on your bench:

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. LA Chargers

Rico Dowdle, Cowboys, vs. Philadelphia

Tank Bigsby/Travis Etienne, Jaguars, vs. Minnesota

Javonte Williams, Broncos, vs. Kansas City

Marvin Harrison, Jr., Cardinals, vs. NY Jets

Courtland Sutton, Broncos, vs. Kansas City

Terry McLaurin, Commanders, vs. Pittsburgh (you’re probably not benching him, but temper expectations)

Joe Flacco, Colts, vs. Buffalo

Derek Carr, Saints, vs. Atlanta

Week 8:

Yikes.

So much for New England. What looked like a prime spot for the Patriots to score some points in the UK turned into another nightmare, with Jacksonville coming alive in a 32-16 win.

So, as with everything else in fantasy football, we adjust our expectations. I will have no Patriots in any lineups this week as they square off against the Jets, and hope that the one Patriot who is still on one of my rosters, Rhamondre Stevenson, can soon return to fantasy relevance.

Some other adjustments in expectations we should all make this week (and moving forward):

— Matthew Stafford is back in on the table at quarterback. With Cooper Kupp and (surprisingly) Puka Nacua back on the field Thursday night, Stafford looked like his old self — and threw more touchdowns in one night than he had the entire rest of the year.

— Rachaad White may not be droppable after all. After being a huge disappointment through the first six weeks, White put up a big number in Week 7 (despite the dreaded three-headed backfield) with two receiving touchdowns in the Bucs’ loss to Baltimore. But Tampa Bay lost more than the game, with Chris Godwin now out for the year and Mike Evans shelved for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. White’s receiving skills should now make him a primary target in the Bucs’ passing game.

— Forget about Josh Downs and Michael Pittman. We held out hope that Anthony Richardson’s return in Indianapolis wouldn’t completely deep-six their fantasy outlook, but last week it did just that. There’s no reason to believe they can be counted upon with Richardson taking the snaps.

Some other uppers for Week 8:

Joe Mixon, Texans, vs. Indianapolis

Kareem Hunt, Chiefs vs. Las Vegas

Jordan Mason, 49ers, vs. Dallas

JK Dobbins, Chargers, vs. New Orleans (yes, he disappointed last week, but have you seen the Saints’ run D lately?)

David Njoku, Browns vs. Baltimore

Cade Otton, Buccaneers, vs. Atlanta

Drake London, Falcons, vs. Tampa Bay

Jayden Reed, Packers, vs. Jacksonville

Jordan Love, Packers, vs. Jacksonville

And some downers:

Alexander Mattison, Raiders, vs. Kansas City

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Detroit

Nick Chubb, Browns, vs. Baltimore

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers, vs. Denver

Chris Olave, Saints, vs. LA Chargers

Rashad Bateman, Ravens, vs. Cleveland (Baltimore shouldn’t have to throw much in this one)

Christian Kirk, Jaguars, vs. Green Bay

Dak Prescott, Cowboys, vs. San Francisco

Week 7

For the last couple years, one good rule of thumb has been to avoid playing anyone wearing a New England Patriots jersey.

Oh sure, Rhamondre Stevenson has had his moments, but by and large, the Patriots’ offense since Tom Brady left has been one big train derailment.

But a funny thing happened last week. The Patriots’ first-round draft pick, Drake Maye, finally got a chance to start. And he wasn’t terrible. He threw for 243 yards and three scores against Houston, and while much of that may have been in garbage time, we in fantasy world don’t particularly care when the points come. Just that they come.

Patriots were relevant. DeMario Douglas caught six balls for 92 yards and a score. Kayshon Boutte had three catches for 59 yards and a score. Hunter Henry caught three passes for 41 yards and a score.

Suddenly, having a Patriot in the starting lineup doesn’t sound so crazy anymore. Particularly since this week, they travel to London to play Jacksonville, whose defense has been welcoming to practically everybody.

Stevenson, who missed last week but is expected to play Sunday, looks like a premium play. Douglas, who has been getting consistent targets, looks like a fine streamer. Boutte hasn’t been getting the targets to warrant anything but deep-league consideration, but Henry has rejoined the ranks of streamable options in the wasteland that is the tight end position.

And Maye? His debut wasn’t without its flaws (like two interceptions), and it’ll take more than one decent game to enter the Circle of Trust in one-QB leagues. But in Superflex? If you haven’t grabbed him off the wire already, it’s probably too late.

Some more uppers for Week 7:

J.K. Dobbins, Chargers, vs. Arizona

Brian Robinson, Jr., Commanders, vs. Carolina (assuming he’s healthy)

De’Von Achane, Dolphins, vs. Indianapolis (welcome back!)

Malik Nabers, Giants, vs. Philadelphia (welcome back!)

Chris Godwin, Buccaneers, vs. Baltimore

Zay Flowers, Ravens, vs. Tampa Bay

Jordan Addison, Vikings, vs. Detroit

Diontae Johnson, Panthers, vs. Washington (assuming he’s healthy)

Week 7 downers:

Rachaad White/Bucky Irving/Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore — The Bucs’ coaching staff has indicated this could be a three-way backfield — even with all three backs rotating series — if White is healthy enough to play. If he’s not, Irving and Tucker still have a stingy Ravens’ run D to contend with.

Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, Titans, vs. Buffalo — Remember what I said last week about Ridley and Hopkins not being bad plays against a weak Indy defense? They both cratered because Will Levis was awful. Expect no different this week. Neither is startable until we see better quarterback play.

George Pickens, Steelers, vs. New York Jets — We have no idea what to expect from the Steelers offense with Russell Wilson taking over as the starting quarterback. But we do know that Wilson has been a shell of his former self since leaving Seattle. And we know the Jets’ secondary is tough. That’s enough to avoid Pickens this week.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals, vs. LA Chargers — He’s thrown for more than 215 yards exactly once this year and he’s likely to be without his top target, Marvin Harrison, Jr., against a much-improved Chargers defense.

Amari Cooper, Bills, vs. Tennessee — The move to Buffalo should do wonders for Cooper’s fantasy production, but we’re not counting on a big number this week since he’s only been there a few days.

Michael Pittman, Jr., Colts, vs. Miami — He’s not healthy and Anthony Richardson returns at quarterback. They’ve never seemed to click this year.

Week 6

It’s a difficult business trying to predict what’s going to happen in a bunch of football games, but there are some simple rules to follow, or at least keep in mind, when we’re setting our fantasy football lineups.

Lean on talent. And target bad defenses.

Like the Colts, who have been torched by running backs and receivers alike practically every week. Indianapolis faces Tennessee this week, making Tony Pollard a premium start. Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins aren’t bad options for a spot start if you need them.

Will Levis? Let’s not get crazy.

Here are some other potential uppers this week. Some are facing bad defenses. Others are just in situations that have a strong potential for shootouts. We like shootouts (see: Baltimore-Cincinnati last week):

Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys, vs. Detroit

Terry McLaurin, Commanders, vs. Baltimore

Zay Flowers, Ravens, vs. Washington

DJ Moore and Caleb Williams, Bears, vs. Jaguars

Darius Slayton, Giants, vs. Cincinnati

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants, vs. Cincinnati (if Singletary is out again)

And here are some downers who find themselves in tough matchups:

Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars, vs. Chicago

Rico Dowdle, Cowboys, vs. Detroit

Alexander Mattison, Raiders, vs. Pittsburgh

Mike Evans, Buccaneers vs. New Orleans (Lattimore is his kryptonite)

Jerome Ford, Browns, vs. Philadelphia

Week 5

Another week, another handful of high-profile injuries. Rashee Rice is out indefinitely (but maybe not for the year). Jonathan Taylor looks doubtful. Anthony Richardson may or may not be ready to go.

At least we got Kenneth Walker back — in a big way, with three touchdowns.

If you need a fill-in this week, I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but go pick up Kareem Hunt. I will admit to being skeptical — I tweeted when the Chiefs signed him that there was a reason he’d still been unemployed up to that point. But it certainly looks like Hunt’s the best and most likely option in Kansas City’s backfield with Isiah Pacheco out. Just be forewarned — it may only be for a week or two. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is coming back to practice this week and will muddy the waters further when he’s ready for game action.

This week’s other big plug-and-play waiver add? Green Bay receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who was targeted 13 times and scored twice last week against Minnesota. His opportunities should be elevated with Christian Watson sidelined.

Trey Sermon may be worth a look as the next man up in Indianapolis with Jonathan Taylor looking unlikely to play. Justice Hill had his most active day yet as the third-down complement to Derrick Henry in Baltimore. New England is considering handing the keys to Antonio Gibson with Rhamondre Stevenson suffering from fumblitis (monitor that situation to see who starts against a beatable Miami defense), And Alexander Mattison may be leapfrogging the ineffective Zamir White in the Las Vegas backfield — for whatever that’s worth (against Denver this week, it’s probably not much).

Who’s the next man up in the Chiefs’ receiver corps? Likely an expanded role for Xavier Worthy and more reliance on Travis Kelce. But neither of them are hanging out on your wire. The other pieces of this passing game will likely be fighting for scraps.

At quarterback, Justin Fields is back in our lives as a potentially elite fantasy asset after throwing for over 300 yards and a score and rushing for two more touchdowns to finish as the highest scoring quarterback in fantasy last week. This week, he and the Steelers get a Cowboys defense expected to be without Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence.

This week’s uppers and downers:

Uppers:

Josh Jacobs, Packers, vs. LA Rams

Jordan Mason, 49ers, vs. Arizona

Amari Cooper, Browns, vs. Washington

DK Metcalf, Seahawks, vs. NY Giants

Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars, vs. Indianapolis

DJ Moore, Bears, vs. Carolina

Drake London, Falcons, vs. Tampa Bay

Downers:

Alexander Mattison and Zamir White, Raiders, vs. Denver

Zack Moss, Bengals, vs. Baltimore

Jordan Addison, Vikings, vs. NY Jets

Jakobi Meyers, Raiders, vs. Denver (Pat Surtain treatment)

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins, vs. New England (until Miami finds a QB)

Week 4:

Raise your hand if you traded for a player and he pulled a hamstring the afternoon after the trade went through.

Chris Olave. Sigh.

Such are the ups and downs of fantasy football. Ups like the first half of Thursday night’s game between the Cowboys and Giants if you had CeeDee Lamb and/or Dak Prescott on your roster. Downs like the second half.

How to get more ups than downs this week? Like always, target bad defenses. And the Rams’ defense has suddenly become one to target for fantasy.

Jauan Jennings just put up 175/3 on the Rams. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is coming off a coming-out performance. And unfortunately, this is the moment that Keenan Allen decides to come back and muddy the Chicago Bears’ receivers outlook for fantasy.

I don’t care. Play DJ Moore. Play Rome Odunze. Hell, play Cole Kmet if you have to (and he’s a tight end, so you probably do).

Maybe don’t play De’Andre Swift. Or even Roschon Johnson, who is expected to get more run this week. I’m not trusting the Bears’ ground game until it gives me a good reason.

More Uppers:

Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison, Jr., and James Conner, Cardinals, vs. Washington (the top defense you want to target)

D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks, vs. Detroit

Najee Harris, Steelers, vs. Indianapolis (Jaylen Warren is out)

Brian Robinson, Jr., Commanders, vs. Arizona (Austin Ekeler is out)

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Miami (he disappointed last week, but game script and matchup should be in his favor here)

Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, Buccaneers, vs. Philadelphia

Diontae Johnson, Panthers, vs. Bengals

Khalil Shakir, Bills, vs. Baltimore

Downers:

Anthony Richardson and Michael Pittman, Jr., Colts, vs. Pittsburgh

J.K. Dobbins, Chargers, vs. Kansas City

De’Andre Swift, Bears, vs. LA Rams (Seriously. He may be losing his job)

Garrett Wilson, Jets, vs. Denver

Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins, vs. Tennessee

Week 3:

Most of us understand it’s important to draft depth for our fantasy football rosters, and to continue building it off the wire. But few of us expect to have to dig into so much of it in the …. (checks calendar) THIRD WEEK of the season.

But that’s where many of us are this week, with the list of injuries seemingly growing by the minute: Christian McCaffery, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, AJ Brown, Deebo Samuel, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker III, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Keenan Allen, Evan Engram and Joe Mixon are all expected to miss this week, and several other big-name players are dealing with injuries that could potentially sideline them or hinder their performance.

So it’s more important than ever to have fill-ins at the ready and, if you don’t, to comb the wire for them.

Waivers already went through, but if you’re still looking for potential replacements at RB or WR, see if any of these guys are available. They may be able to get you through for a week or two.

Carson Steele or Samaje Perine, Chiefs (Kareem Hunt is a stash only – don’t expect much from him this week)

Cam Akers, Texans

Braelon Allen, Jets (act fast — he plays on Thursday)

Alec Pierce, Colts

Darnell Mooney, Falcons

Jauan Jennings, 49ers

Demarcus Robinson or Tyler Johnson, Rams (tough matchup vs. 49ers, though)

Quentin Johnston, Chargers (but monitor Justin Herbert’s status)

This week’s uppers and downers:

Starts of the week:

Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals: I know if you drafted them, you were likely starting them anyway, but you may be growing concerned with the production of these two. Burrow looked better against Kansas City, but Chase has yet to break 70 yards in a game or score a touchdown. Now the Commanders are coming to town and that should be just the tonic this Bengals passing game needs. Washington gave up 289 yards and four touchdowns to Baker Mayfield in Week 1, then got torched for 127 yards and a score by Malik Nabers in Week 2.

Other recommended starts:

Tony Pollard, Titans, vs. Green Bay

Jerome Ford, Browns, vs. NYG

Marvin Harrison, Jr., Cardinals, vs. Indianapolis

Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed, Saints, vs. Philadelphia

Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle (if healthy), 49ers, vs. LA Rams

On the downer side, we’re still waiting for Michael Pittman, Jr., to do Michael Pittman, Jr., things, but this may not be the week. He’s likely to see a lot of Bears CB Jaylon Johnson and the Colts’ targets are likely to be spread even thinner with the expected return of Josh Downs.

Also, it’s tough to sit J.K. Dobbins after his hot start, but temper expectations against the Steelers this week.

Others we’re not too high on this week:

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars, vs. Buffalo

Mike Evans, Buccaneers, vs. Denver (hello, Patrick Surtain)

Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins, vs. Seattle

Najee Harris, Steelers, vs. Chargers

Javonte Williams, Broncos, vs. Tampa Bay

Week 2:

The first week of the NFL season was like taking happy pills if you had Saquon Barkley, Jayden Reed, Cooper Kupp or Joe Mixon on any of your fantasy teams. If you were counting on Amon-Ra St. Brown, Joe Burrow, Marvin Harrison, Jr., DJ Moore, Caleb Williams or practically any tight end not named Isaiah Likely, it was downright depressing.

But now we have a week of the NFL season to give us an idea what the rookies look like, how the snaps are being split in backfields, and whose defense is even worse than last year. Passing yardage was down across the league in Week 1, so we should see some bounce-back games in short order.

With that said, here are players who are making me giddy this week, along with those whose prospects made me throw up in my mouth a little. I’ve omitted the obvious ones, except St. Brown and Mark Andrews, for whom you may need a little reassurance after a quiet Week 1.

Uppers:

QB:

Jayden Daniels, Commanders

While his passing is a work in progress, he put up over 28 fantasy points last week while rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Next up are the Giants, who made Sam Darnold look like Joe Montana last week. We’ll take some of that action.

Baker Mayfield, Buccaneeers

Baker’s back! The former No. 1 overall pick has found new life in Tampa and was one of the top QBs in Week 1 with 289 yards and four touchdowns. This week’s matchup against the Lions has the look of a shootout, so fire him up again with confidence.

RB:

J.K. Dobbins, Chargers

After battling back from injuries and moving to LA from Baltimore, Dobbins reintroduced himself last week and claimed a starring role in the Chargers’ backfield with 135 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Raiders. The Panthers, who weren’t even a speed bump last week against the Saints, should present another prime blow-up opportunity.

WR:

Malik Nabers, Giants

If we’re ever going to see a blow-up game from the talented rookie, it’s likely to come against the Commanders’ porous secondary. But keep an eye on practice reports as he popped up with a knee injury on Thursday.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions

He was uncharacteristically quiet in last week’s win over the Rams, while Jameson Williams put up a big stat line instead. This week, Williams has been nursing an ankle injury and the banged-up Bucs secondary awaits. Wheels up.

TE:

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Two scoreless catches on two targets were not what we had in mind when we drafted Andrews as a top-five tight end – particularly not while watching Likely go off for 111 yards and a score. But the Chiefs regularly bracketed Andrews as the Ravens’ top target, giving the talented Likely single coverage most of the night. The Raiders will surely pay him more attention, which should open the field up for Andrews.

Colby Parkinson, Rams

If you’re looking for a streamer, consider Parkinson, who had four catches on five targets for 47 yards in the opener. Puka Nacua is out and Cooper Kupp surely won’t command 21 targets every week. There should be plenty of opportunities this week against Arizona, which has struggled against tight ends in the past.

Downers:

QB:

Joe Burrow, Bengals

As Hank Hill famously said: That boy ain’t right. Whether his wrist is bothering him, as many have speculated after seeing how gingerly he picked up a water bottle on the sidelines, or it’s his diminished supporting cast (Tee Higgins was out and Ja’Marr Chase missed all of camp), Burrow was a huge disappointment in Week 1, failing to post double digit fantasy points. While Bengals fans once dubbed the site of this week’s game as “Burrowhead,” the Chiefs’ defense is an altogether different animal these days.

RB:

Aaron Jones, Vikings

Discarded by the Packers in the offseason, Jones looked spry in his Vikings debut, picking up 109 total yards and a touchdown. But game script will not likely be in his favor this week against the 49ers, who look dominant.

Zamir White, Raiders

The Raiders’ backfield was more of a timeshare in Week 1 than we anticipated, with White held to 44 scoreless yards while Alexander Mattison dominated third-down usage and scored on a swing pass against the Chargers. This week’s matchup at Baltimore is even worse.

WR:

All Packers, including Jayden Reed

With Jordan Love out and Malik Willis taking over at quarterback in Green Bay, it’s a downgrade for the entire Packers offense. Reed is the only Green Bay receiver I’d even consider playing in a pinch, but this early in the season you should have better options.

TE

Evan Engram, Jaguars

You can mark down practically every other big-name tight end’s disappointing numbers last week as a fluke, but Engram’s one measly catch on four targets might be a bit more concerning. That’s because Jacksonville’s entire offense looks out of sync to start the season.

Categories: Fantasy Football

Tags: football, NFL