Okay, we're now officially one month into the NFL season. That's enough time to lose your summer body for the coming sweat pants months, binge watch every episode of your favorite series on Netflix (twice if you're committed) and sift through every single piece of celebrity gossip imaginable (Jay & Bey 4 Ever). It's also enough time to provide us with a big enough sample size to draw some major conclusions about a few marquee names in the fantasy-verse.
We need to decide whether some of these emerging trends are legit or areas of concern.
Martellus Bennett: I wrote about Bennett briefly last week saying that he was "hotter than Hansel" right now. I get bonus points for the "Zoolander" reference, right? Through four games, Bennett is averaging seven catches, 74 yards and one touchdown on nine targets per week. Those are full-on stud numbers right there. With Brandon Marshall still dealing with a nagging leg injury and the Bears throwing the football like the Oakland Raiders throw away coaches, expect this trend to continue (and just for argument's sake, Jay Cutler is tied for fourth in the NFL for pass attempts).
Eddie Lacy: Through four games this season, Lacy has totaled just 161 yards rushing and one touchdown on 53 carries. Granted, the second year rusher got off to a slow start last year as well, but at least he looked explosive and powerful. Lacy has yet to pass the eye test this season as he continuously plods in the backfield before running into his own offensive line. I thought a matchup against the soft underbelly of the Chicago Bears last week would cure Lacy's running woes, but he emerged with just 48 yards on 17 carries for a measly 2.8 yards per rush average. Something is off with Lacy, and whether it is an unknown injury or too much preseason hype after a stellar rookie year, he's not the same player. Abandon ship.
Montee Ball: Has not impressed as the lead back in Denver thus far. Ball has only one touchdown and 164 yards in three games this season. I get it, you're frustrated and you're starting to lose hope. But, as Andy Dufresne says in "The Shawshank Redemption," "Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies." Almost no one runs the ball more from the 10-yard line than Peyton Manning led teams. Almost no team scores more points than a Peyton Manning led team. You picked Ball early because he was a combination of talent and opportunity. Knowshon Moreno scored 13 total touchdowns in this offense last season, and Ball has a better nose for the end zone than him. I'm not giving up just yet.
Torrey Smith: It's officially time to worry about Torrey Smith. Through four games, he has only eight catches for 138 yards and one touchdown. Even more concerning is his paltry five targets a game after averaging nearly nine last season. I know Joe Flacco has always been inconsistent on the deep ball, but man does the downfield passing attack look bad in Baltimore. Steve Smith is eating into Torrey Smith's action like Meg Griffin after a bad day. He's no more than a WR4 at this point, and that may not be changing anytime soon.
Dallas Defense: If you would have told me during the summer that the Dallas Cowboys would be tied for the NFC East lead at 3-1 after the first month of the season, I would have told you every single "Game of Thrones" spoiler I know for being so crazy. The Cowboys defense was projected to be one of the worst in league history thanks to injuries, cap concerns, free agent departures, suspensions and the general obstacle of being bad at football. Instead, Dallas' defense has been...not horrible - 26th against the pass and 14th against the rush is a far cry from record setting ineptitude. That means that a monster day is no longer guaranteed when you see that one of your fantasy bench riders is playing against the Cowboys. Don't assume anything and overthink your lineup because this Dallas defense does not melt down like former child stars. Play your stars regardless of matchups, and don't get cute.
Team Names: If you came up with a clever moniker that uses the name of one of your players, then good for you. I myself employ this strategy frequently (Russell & Flow is taking that championship this year!) But these types of names only work if your player is actually doing well. If your nominal player is struggling, then it creates bad karma for your entire team. So for all of the "Lacy's Mom" or "Brady Bunch" fantasy squads out there, a name change might be in order to shake up the vibes your team is emitting.
