The Warriors were pegged for a huge rebuilding year as almost all of their current assets had been moved away in recent seasons — and a mid-draft trade of CJ Anderson didn’t look like a “win now” move. Well, six weeks in, the Warriors are leading the Eastern Conference in wins and have scored the fourth most points in the league. The resurgence has been led by, of all people, Larry Fitzgerald! Fitz has scored double digits in all of his games, with an average of 18.4 points and 5 TDs accrued. Across from him is Julian Edelman, who is averaging a nifty 17.6 points of his own in just five weeks. And ugh, who is TE Gary Barnidge and why is he putting up scores of 19-16-23-16.5 points in the last month?!
With these three to throw to, it’s been okay that Drew Brees has been pretty average. Or that there’s not much of a run game here — although Karlos Williams was looking great until his recent injury. The Warriors find themselves with a fierce passing attack after moving out all of their starting running backs (LeSean McCoy, Anderson, Chris Ivory), and are winning more for it. Is Matt’s team back to contender status so soon? Sure looks like it!
Detroit Players (4-2)
Ariel’s team looked like they would have one of the best running attacks in the game with three keeper-ed RBs, plus rookie Ameer Abdullah. Mostly, that’s been true, although the running leader in the clubhouse has been surprising. Mark Ingram has grabbed the starting reins and is the #4 RB in fantasy this season, posting a 13.9 average. DeMarco Murray and Jeremy Hill have both taken a step back this season, but both are still capable of alternating big games. Abdullah has been very erratic, but he will have plenty of time to find his footing on this team.
And the passing attack has been very good, featuring AJ Green and Jarvis Landry, a terrific duo. With Martavis Bryant making his season debut behind a huge 28 point week, it’s safe to say that Players could have some of the best position players around. Except for a slight hole at quarterback, where Sam Bradford is in constant danger of being replaced by James Winston, who has been turnover prone, but steadier on the scoreboard than Bradford.
Strangely, Players have scored less PF than PA, owing to their two losses being gigantic blowouts. And two of their wins have been very close: An one point win last week, and a nail biting 0.5 point win in WK1 versus Squirtle Squad. With a strong rotation and steely nerves, Players look like they’ll easily hit the post-season this year after missing out last year.
Sweep the Leg Zabka (2-4)After starting off 2-1, Alan’s team has lost four in a row, albeit to three very strong teams. They aren’t too far back and could make a push for a post-season berth if they can get their running game in order. The passing game is looking great, as both Andy Dalton and Eli Manning are having fantastic seasons. In fact, Dalton has emerged as the #2 QB in the game, and has taken over for Eli, who is at #8. Trade bait for someone?
Odell Beckham Jr. and Rob Gronkowski form an enviable 1-2 receiving punch and Gronk has been, predictably, the best TE by a wide margin. Beckham has had two dips but is definitely not suffering from any sophomore slumps, unlike Sammy Watkins, who can’t seem to get the ball, or stay healthy. And as for that running attack, Latavius Murray and Jonathan Stewart are averaging close to double digits, but have been up and down. Also, let’s not overlook the best kicker in the game, Stephen Gostkowski, who is blasting 13.8 points in his last four games.
With a top passing attack, a great kicking game, and maybe a little bit of ground game to finish out games, Sweep the Leg could get right back into the post-season hunt, and we’re not ready to count them out!
Shogun of Harlem (2-4)
Hope floats for the other 2-4 team in this division too, as Shoguns started off 0-4 and didn’t score more than 84 points in the first month of the season but has picked up two consecutive wins and is averaging 100.25 ppg in that span. What’s changed? One name: Arian Foster! Okay, not everything good can be laid at the feet of Foster, but his return has helped steady the backfield. Alfred Blue was nigh useless and the previous top running back scorer was a lone big week by Seahawks’ Thomas Rawls.
But now Foster can combine with Tyler Eifert (having a great year as the #2 ranked TE), a pretty solid Jeremy Maclin, and the fantasy stylings of dual threat QB Tyrod Taylor — replacing the injured Tony Romo — to get this team some much needed wins. Coach Mike has already started seventeen players this season, a huge number, so some lineup steadiness could help them climb out of the cellar. There’s still a lot of regular season left to play and Shoguns are clearly trending up!
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