With only two weeks in the books, there have already been many surprises for even the casual fantasy owner.
Ironically, it's the No. 1 overall pick in most fantasy drafts that has been torturing most owners. LaDainian Tomlinson, the man who broke the single-season touchdown record last season, has only 68 yards and one rushing touchdown through two games - though he does have a passing touchdown. In fact, in the San Diego Chargers' game against the New England Patriots, Pats backup Sammie Morris would have been a better play than Tomlinson for fantasy purposes.
But it's not just LT that's hurting fantasy owners. Consensus No. 2 overall pick Steven Jackson has 118 yards and no TDs. Larry Johnson, a popular No. 3 choice, has also failed to find the end zone while racking up only 98 yards.
There are a few reasons for these players' poor performances, but the short answer is that the NFL is only two weeks into its season. Not every player is going to come blazing out of the gate. LT has already faced two of the top defenses in the league in the Patriots and Chicago Bears, and he's had fewer than 20 rush attempts in both games. He'll turn it around, especially with offensive guru Norv Turner at the Chargers' helm.
As for Johnson, it was widely publicized that he carried the football 416 times last year, and the worry is that perhaps the effects of that heavy workload have carried over into this year. But keep in mind that he missed nearly all of training camp holding out for a contract extension, and he's just now getting back into shape.
While he might not be running on all cylinders for a few weeks, LJ will go back to being LJ by about mid-October. He's a great buy-low candidate if you can get him from a worried owner.
With Jackson, it's as simple as a slow start. Yes, maybe defenses are more ready for him now, but good players make adjustments, and Jackson is a good player. He'll get it going.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are plenty of guys who are exceeding expectations. And after Sunday's slugfest between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, several Browns have to be included on this list.
Quarterback Derek Anderson came into last week's contest with four career starts, six touchdowns and nine interceptions. To say the least, this guy was off the fantasy radar - and now, he has about as many fantasy points as Peyton Manning. That's because Anderson exploded for 328 passing yards and a whopping five TDs last week against Cincinnati. Fellow Browns Braylon Edwards (146 receiving yards, 2 TDs) and Jamal Lewis (216 rushing yards, 1 TD) also had monster days.
Despite the numbers that these guys put up last week, owners shouldn't trust them so easily. Anderson had the game of his life last week. He might be worth taking a look at as a backup QB in deep leagues, but in most cases, you should just ignore him. Lewis was drafted in just about every fantasy league, but he had two 100-yard games last year and 35 yards in the first game this year. He's not consistent. He's not good. He should not be a starter on your fantasy squad.
As for Edwards, he's a fantastic player, but he will only go as Anderson goes - and Anderson won't go too far. Nevertheless, Edwards' talent is too great to ignore. Start him in three-WR leagues.
Outside Cleveland, Randy Moss has certainly been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners and Pats fans alike. The guy has the talent to be a great player when he wants to be. Being on a winning team finally has him motivated. Look for a stellar season with double-digit TDs.
Other less notable names include guys like Shaun McDonald, and DeShawn Wynn. McDonald may not be even be the third wide receiver on the Detroit Lions, but he has put up numbers so far (161 yards, one TD). Mike Martz is running the Lions' offense, meaning they're looking to pass about 50 times a game. McDonald will get enough looks to be effective in fantasy. And he certainly can't be any worse than Devery Henderson.
As for Green Bay Packers running back Wynn, he played so well last week that not only will he get more touches in coming weeks, but he could become the starter. He's the pickup of the week for those who need a running back.
Other guys to watch out for are receiver Mike Furrey (again, the Lions' offense) and the Tennessee Titans' Roydell Williams (the law of third-year receivers). Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson is out this week, so owners with a shallow receiving corps may want to check out backup Jacoby Jones, the popular pre-draft sleeper. Jones looked great in preseason and should be getting a lot of looks on Sunday.
If your team is sitting in the cellar at 0-2, don't worry. Your early-round picks will start performing (unless they're named Ronnie Brown). Make a few moves, try to pick up the hot players, but don't drop Maurice Jones-Drew to do it. Patience wins fantasy championships.