by Alan Branch —

 

It’s the Commish here with my first evaluation of the NFL season covering the first three weeks. I’ll start with giving you an update on my team’s success accompanied with a few fantasy woes. Currently in my league, I’m in first place out of the 14 teams with an impressive record of three wins and zero losses, but try to hold your applause.

I’m still awestruck by this madness since I have had three of my running backs go down with injuries with another one in legal trouble for domestic violence. Running backs Adrian Peterson, Knoshown Moreno, Mark Ingram and Bernard Pierce all are culprits of my current fantasy woes right now. But it’s unpredictable and unpreventable circumstances like those which preeminently make fantasy football so nerve-wrecking, aggravating and most importantly, rewarding if you can find a way to come out on top.

 

Studs and Duds

PLAYERS (STUDS) TOTAL POINTS POSITION RANKING ADP
  1. QB Andrew Luck, IND
74 QB1 33
  1. QB Peyton Manning, DEN
63 QB2 4
  1. QB Matt Ryan, ATL
62 QB3 81
  1. RB Marshawn Lynch, SEA
59 RB1 6
  1. QB Jay Cutler, CHI
58 QB4 101
  1. QB Nick Foles, PHI
57 QB5 53
  1. QB Russell Wilson, SEA
55 QB6 71
  1. QB Phillip Rivers, SD
54 QB7 98
  1. RB DeMarco Murray, DAL
54 RB2 17
  1. WR Julio Jones, ATL
51 WR1 19

 

Now transitioning to the evaluation of the players so far this season, I would like to present to you my section of the Studs and Duds, or the winners and losers through the first three weeks of the season. Above, the graphic represents a list of the top ten scorers in standard ESPN fantasy football scoring.

I have ranked each player from highest to lowest in point total as well as their power rankings for their respected positions by highest total of points. I have also included their average draft position (ADP) which averages out what draft pick they were selected with in standard ESPN fantasy football leagues before the beginning of the season.

As you can see quarterback Jay Cutler has outdone himself thus far ranking fifth in points, where before the season, he had an ADP of 101 and on average was selected fourteenth among quarterbacks. In standard 12-team ESPN leagues, that’s backup quarterback material — he’d have a nice, warm seat on your bench. Ultimately you’d be damned if you confidently had him as your starting quarterback at the beginning the season, but if you did, I tip my hat off to you.

As far as duds this season, we have players like running back Eddie Lacy, who currently has a daunting total of 10 points, which puts him as the 56th ranked running back, compared to his remarkable ADP of eight to begin the season. Also, running back LeSean McCoy disappoints this season, totaling only 28 points while going into the season with an ADP of 2.

Ladies and gents, these guys are first-round picks producing less-than-mediocre numbers. Admittedly, it is still early in the season to make any serious evaluations, but it is without a doubt aggravating for all fantasy owners who used an early pick on these players who have not lived up to their expectations after past years of fantasy success. Alas, that is fantasy football for ya.

– The Commish