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I'm at it again.
Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard have ranked every player for Week 2, as they always do, and it's an invaluable resource for setting your lineup. But when they don't agree on a player, it can leave you scratching your head.
I'm here to break the tie, to pick out the biggest discrepancies in Jamey's and Dave's rankings and rule on them one way or another.
We have a little more information to work with here in Week 2, but a cynic (or perhaps a realist) would say we're still flying blind, not completely sure what to make of some of the defensive and quarterback performances we saw in Week 1.
Sometimes not knowing what to make of something helps eliminate that something, though.
Eli Manning, QB, Giants
Matchup: vs. Falcons
Jamey's ranking: 11
Dave's ranking: 18
Manning didn't meet his end of the bargain in what was supposed to be a shootout Week 1 at Dallas. Of course, you could argue it was just one game and at a time of year when nobody really knows what to expect from any defense, but this week, he goes against the Falcons, the defense that most embodied that idea in Week 1. Ultimately, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford put up some decent yardage in that game, but the Falcons' improvement under first-year head coach Dan Quinn, who ran the Seahawks' vaunted defense the last couple years, was marked and one of the bigger storylines of Week 1. Plus, Manning is notoriously inconsistent, both year to year and week to week. Even if this matchup is a favorable one on paper, I'll bank on the relative reliability of Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford or Philip Rivers instead.
I'm siding with: Dave
Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers
Matchup: at Saints
Jamey's ranking: 22
Dave's ranking: 16
After winning back Fantasy owners' trust with an impressive preseason showing, Martin laid an egg in Week 1. Or did he? After all, he averaged 4.7 yards per carry. It's just that he got only 11 of them. So was his egg just a collateral egg for quarterback Jameis Winston's initial egg. And was that egg just a part of the snowball effect of an early pick-six (more on that later)? And which came first: the chicken or the egg? We're getting off topic, but my point is Martin did his job and should have better times in store when the Buccaneers can keep it close. Not sure that'll be the case on the road against the Saints, though, who still showed plenty of offensive potential in Week 1. It doesn't mean you can't start Martin, but I have more faith in Tevin Coleman and Joseph Randle, given their favorable matchups.
I'm siding with: Jamey
Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins
Matchup: vs. Rams
Jamey's ranking: 24
Dave's ranking: 30
In theory, I don't like Morris this week. The Rams are one of a handful of darling defenses to begin the season and just held their own against Beast Mode himself, Marshawn Lynch, limiting him to 73 yards on 18 carries. But in theory, I didn't like Morris last week either, and he went on to run for 121 against another darling defense, the Dolphins, making him one of just four backs to top 100 in Week 1. Of course, one of the reasons he stayed involved is because the Redskins kept it close, which didn't happen often during a career-worst 2014, but it's not like the Rams are some offensive juggernaut. I don't think Morris is a particularly good start against that defense, and so my knee-jerk reaction would be to side with Dave. But you'd need an awfully good reason to sit a bell cow like him, and Benny Cunningham isn't it.
I'm siding with: Jamey
Brandon Marshall, WR, Jets
Matchup: at Colts
Jamey's ranking: 27
Dave's ranking: 14
One stat that doesn't get nearly enough attention: Colts cornerback Vontae Davis hasn't allowed a touchdown since 2013. Not in any of his 15 games last year, and not in Week 1 this year. Presumably, he'll spend most of Week 2 covering Marshall, the Jets No. 1 wide receiver, but presumably, it won't be every single play either. Maybe I'm just emboldened by Marshall's performance against another top cornerback, Joe Haden, last week, but I think the Jets will be throwing the ball too much for him to disappear entirely. Enough to make him a top-15 wide receiver? Well, looking at the alternatives, I'm not exactly inspired. Ideally, I'd split the difference between Jamey and Dave, but since I have to pick a side, I just can't justify starting Steve Smith, Donte Moncrief, Vincent Jackson or Kendall Wright over Marshall.
I'm siding with: Dave
Andre Johnson, WR, Colts
Matchup: vs. Jets
Jamey's ranking: 34
Dave's ranking: 24
It's pretty clear Jamey places a heavy emphasis on opposing cornerbacks when ranking his wide receivers. In this case, he's paying homage to a longtime bugaboo, Darrelle Revis, and no doubt, the shutdown corner is going to cut into Johnson's production. That is, if he's shadowing Johnson, but he could spend more time on Donte Moncrief or T.Y. Hilton, if he's healthy. Besides, just because Jamey is more aggressive with his adjustment doesn't mean Dave isn't accounting for Revis. It doesn't help Dave's case that Johnson had a disastrous debut for the Colts, turning 10 targets into just 24 yards, but at least he got those targets, which is more than anyone case say for Anquan Boldin (five), Charles Johnson (three) or Nelson Agholor (two), three of the players Jamey ranks ahead of Johnson.
I'm siding with: Dave
Davante Adams, WR, Packers
Matchup: vs. Seahawks
Jamey's ranking: 26
Dave's ranking: 36
Speaking of targets, they suggest all wasn't as it seemed with the Packers passing attack in Week 1. James Jones scored two touchdowns with his four, but Adams was clearly Aaron Rodgers' favorite receiver, finishing with more than one-third of all of the Packers' targets. He also led the Packers in receiving yards on a day when no one had all that many, so if this game turns into a back-and-forth contest with plenty of scoring, Adams figures to be a central part of it. But then, how often does that happen against the Seahawks? It's a dilemma, especially since Adams' numbers didn't translate to significant Fantasy production in Week 1, but as with the other wide receivers here, it's a matter of weighing alternatives. Tough matchup or not, Adams' role is better defined and potentially more rewarding than Charles Johnson's, Nelson Agholor's or even Golden Tate's.
I'm siding with: Jamey
Terrance Williams, WR, Cowboys
Matchup: at Eagles
Jamey's ranking: 24
Dave's ranking: 18
Williams' role isn't so clearly defined with the loss of Dez Bryant to injury, but we can make a pretty good guess. Cole Beasley is shifty but lacks the size or strength to fill Bryant's void downfield or in the red zone, and the former is going to be an issue for Jason Witten and Gavin Escobar, the Cowboys' talented tight ends, as well. When it comes to stretching the field, it's Williams or nothing, and while some defenses might recognize it and game plan around it, the Eagles, who ranked second-to-last against the pass last season, aren't one of them. So Williams becomes Tony Romo's No. 1 target against a porous defense in a game that figures to be a shootout. To me, that makes him a must-start Fantasy option.
I'm siding with: Dave
Vernon Davis, TE, 49ers
Matchup: at Pittsburgh
Jamey's ranking: 16
Dave's ranking: 11
Though it slipped through the cracks with so many tight ends doing much bigger things, Davis got six targets in Week 1, equaling his season high from a dreadful 2014. With Michael Crabtree and Steve Johnson out of the picture, Davis has likely moved back up the pecking order and has the size and strength to become a force in the red zone again. I don't know that he'll score 13 touchdowns like he did two years ago, but after watching Rob Gronkowski torch the Steelers defense for three in Week 1, you could see how Davis might have a shot at one or, if you really want to get your hopes up, even two with the same matchup. Hey, it's more likely for him than for Kyle Rudolph or Coby Fleener.
I'm siding with: Dave
Jets DST
Matchup: at Indianapolis
Jamey's ranking: 22
Dave's ranking: 10
Darrelle Revis' return lived up to the hype in Week 1 as the Jets DST returned to being a dominant Fantasy unit. But doing it against the Browns and Johnny Manziel isn't quite the same as doing it against the Colts and Andrew Luck. The Bills defense, another up-and-comer, handled Indianapolis OK in Week 1, but nobody's questioning the Colts' offensive prowess over the long haul. The best DSTs are worth starting even with so-so matchups, but this one is about as bad as it gets for the Jets DST, which is still relatively unproven. I'll opt for a lesser defense with a more favorable matchup.
I'm siding with: Jamey
Saints DST
Matchup: vs. Buccaneers
Jamey's ranking: 6
Dave's ranking: 18
The truth is I'm on the fence about this one because I do think Jamey has the Saints DST too high relative to its potential and don't buy into the idea that every bad defensive team will do to the Buccaneers what the Titans did in Week 1. It was Jameis Winston's first career start. The game unraveled early because of a couple of turnovers, forcing the Buccaneers into some predictable play calling. Not every game will play out that way. That said, this is only Winston's second career start, and as I mentioned last week, my No. 1 criteria for picking out a DST is the ability of the opposing quarterback. The Saints DST deserves to start in a 12-team league even if you can't expect it to do what the Titans DST did last week, and I'd certainly prefer it to one facing an elite quarterback, like the Seahawks, Bills or Eagles DSTs.
I'm siding with: Jamey
