By Ashley Walls
Sports Editor
Cooler weather, every kind of food in pumpkin flavor and Instagram photos of leaves falling off of trees are quickly coming your way. To fantasy players, this means Week 1 of fantasy football has just ended. Right now, you are either walk- ing with a little pep in your step from your victorious line-up or hanging your head in disbelief that your highly touted wide receiver only got you -2 points. We all make mistakes. Let’s learn from them. As we go into week two, here are some flops and surprises from week one to consider:
1. Flop: Not starting Peyton Manning Maybe you thought he was getting too old, or maybe you just liked your other quarterback better. Either way, not starting Peyton Manning is the biggest mis- take you could have made in fantasy football this week; “solid” doesn’t even begin to describe the performance from the Broncos’s quarterback on Thursday. The 37-year-old racked up 462 passing yards and threw for seven touchdowns, giving Manning owners 46 points in Yahoo leagues and a whopping 61 in ESPN leagues. Fantasy translation: Don’t bench Manning. Ever
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2. Flop: Starting Marshawn Lynch Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was predicted by some to be the number two pick in the fantasy draft, but you wouldn’t know it by his meager performance on Sunday. Lynch ran for 43 yards against the Carolina panthers, picking up four points for Lynch owners in an ESPN league and five points in Yahoo leagues. Fantasy translation: Don’t be dependent on this running back for the majority of your fantasy points. He may have a great game soon, but consis- tency could be an issue.
3. Surprise: Tight End Julius Thomas After spending a year recovering from a severe ankle sprain, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas played in place of starting tight end Joel Dressen (who is out with a knee injury). Owned by merely 56 percent of Yahoo fantasy owners, this 6’5, 250-pound tight end for the Broncos had two touchdowns and 110 yards in re- ceiving. That’s 23 points in both Yahoo and ESPN leagues—not bad for a tight end no one has ever heard of. Fantasy translation: If you weren’t impressed with your tight end this week, Thomas could be your key to a fantasy victory—if others in your league haven’t already picked him up.
Don’t be a grouch on Sunday—if you had a bad fantasy week, adjust your roster, put your chin up and think to yourself, “At least I didn’t bench Peyton Manning,” (unless you did – in which case, please refer to Flop #1).