Each Tuesday night at 10pm ET during the season on Colton & The Wolfman, we will break down all the games from the past week and look forward at the upcoming week.  Listen in on XM 87 or Sirius 210 and call in to chat at 1-888-XMFANTASY or 1-888-963-2682.The Good, The Bad and The UglySo now, let’s get back to our feature film.  This week, it is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  Like in the 1966 Clint Eastwood classic, fantasy football players race to find fortunes and sometimes are joined by all types.  Eli Wallach is great opposite Clint Eastwood, like Dez & Megatron (Bad) find themselves opposite of Peyton & Kaep (Good). Below we list the Top 10 GOOD performances that were unexpected and if we should expect it to continue.   Then, we list the Top 10 BAD performances and if you should worry.  Then we list the absolute UGLY performances and decide if you should panic.

The Good – Players we didn’t expect to be this GOOD

Peyton Manning – 462 yards 7 TDsPeyton had the most dominating performance of my lifetime (I was 5 yrs old when Joe Kapp did it in Baltimore).   So, can we expect this each week?  No.  Monte Ball will get better in pass pro and when he does, they will have a legitimate run threat.  Weapons are good.  Stock moving up.

Colin Kaepernick – 412 yards 3 TDs add 7-22 yards rushing

Kaep took what they give him: Vernon Davis in the seam & Anquan Boldin on the outside.  Also, Colin did a great job of being elusive in the pocket and throwing on the run BEFORE his receivers broke.  Their ability to know each other this well after so little time is a sign of maturity and adjustment to veterans like Davis/Boldin.  Look out.  Ceiling is HIGH!

Julius Thomas – 5-110 yards 2 TD

Thomas is a big target for the gunslinger to throw to.  Without Ray Lewis in the middle to make things difficult, Peyton had his way with him.  Thomas will be a good target, but don’t expect 2 TDs each week.

Victor Cruz – 5-118 yards 3 TD

Victor Cruz took advantage of blown coverage to make most of his yards on one play.  Also, The Giants will clean up the RB position with a signing this week and the Tiki Barber treatment to David Wilson.  Coughlin taught Tiki how to hold the ball vertically and that stopped his fumbling.  Cruz cannot continue at this torrid pace.

Eli Manning – 450 yards 4 TD

Forced to pass because of running back woes, Eli lit it up and almost completed a miraculous comeback until rookie Da’Rel Scott could not keep from popping the ball up on a quick screen and Dallas DB Brandon Carr took it to the house.  Expect inconsistency as usual from the boy wonder.

Anquan Boldin – 13-208 yards TD

Boldin was traded to the 49ers for the 199th pick in the draft so that Baltimore would not have to pay him $6M this year.  Go figure.  He had 22% of his yards from last year in one game.  49ers got a bargain.  1200 yards not out of the question.

Shane Vareen – 14-101 yards  1 TD (add 7-58 yards receiving)

Close friend and fellow RB Stevan Ridley fumbled twice and was immediately & unceremoniously sent to Belicheck’s dog house.  Vereen stepped up and quite frankly made the comeback possible.  He also need surgery on his wrist and will miss four weeks.  Ridley will dust himself off and be the man going forward.

Joique Bell – Goal Line duties – 6-25 yards 2 TD add 5-67 yards rec

Clear that Bush was used early and often.  Bell was the short yardage and change of pace back.  Interesting that in a close game he got this many touches in the first game.  This is something to watch especially in Standard & TD Only leagues. He will be available in a lot of leagues.

Terrelle Pryor – 217 yards – 1 TD – 2 INT add 13-112 yards  rushing

A friend of mine told me that he was taking Pryor as his backup QB with the last pick in every draft.  Told him that was like a movie without sex or violence – WHY BOTHER?  Well, I was wrong. It could pay off.  He is a viable QB2.

Julian Edelman - 7-79 yards 2 TD

As much as the performances from Danny Amendola and E.J. Manuel were inspiring, Edelman was the story of the game.  If not for a ball that was knocked away and one overthrown by Brady, Edelman could have had 4 TDs.  Look for him to continue this.

Jared Cook – 7-141 yards 2 TD (add fum)

This is a case of matchups.  The Arizona DBs are really good and Peterson was shutting down Givens all day.  Bradford had to go to Cook.  Cook is in great shape and a huge target. Won’t always be like this, but he is a Top 5 TE.

Vincent Jackson 7-154 yards

I know he didn’t find the end zone, but Tampa Bay only found it once in the air.  Freeman threw for only 210 yards so 73% of yards went to V-Jax and almost half his completions (7 of 15).  Can’t expect this every week as teams will try to shut down V-Jax, but you can put 1400 yards in the books.

The Bad – Players we didn’t expect to be this bad

Dez Bryant 4-22 yardsDrafted by many leagues in the first round, Bryant was blanketed by Prince all night.  Miles Austin was in single coverage.  This will not happen every week.  Expect Dez to start his reign next week.

Doug Martin – 24-65 yards TD

The Jets’ defense played well yesterday and especially against the run.  Freeman could only find V-Jax and Martin was forced to carry the ball 24 times with only 65 yards and a TD. The fumble was frustrating for coaches and fans, but it is no big deal.  Keep sending him up.

Stevan Ridley – 9-46 yards

The Talentless Mr. Ridley fumbled twice and was benched for the more talented Vareen.   Vareen got hurt and needs surgery.  Start Ridley with confidence.

CJ Spiller – 17-41 yards add 5-14 yards receiving.

CJ fumbled and never seemed to get back into the flow of the game.  He split carries almost even with Fred Jackson.  Watch closely, but expect CJ to be a Top 10 RB this season.  Keep sending him up.

Calvin Johnson – 4-37 yards

He shouldn’t even be listed.  It is one game.  We just didn’t want to ignore the fact that many people may have taken him as early as Top 5 and got 7 points in a PPR.  Don’t panic.

Ike Redman - 8-9 yards and 2 Rec

The Steelers need to address the RB position.  LaRod Stephens- Howling tore his ACL.  Felix had his magic bag stolen and cannot perform anymore in this league.  Ike was not good this weekend nor is he a featured back.  The Steelers need more Le’Veon Bell or Jonathan Dwyer or someone.

Big Ben – 191 yards 1 TD 1 INT

Both Mike Wallace and Big Ben had awful days.  They need each other.  They thrive together.  The Titans defense is not exactly the Purple People Eaters, The Steel Curtin, The Orange Crush or even The Killer Bees.  Big Ben needs better pass protection from the RBs and O-Line plus better receivers.  It is going to be a long year…

The Ugly – Players we are worried about because it was UGLY

David Wilson – 7-19 yards

Wilson fumbled twice and a rookie from Maryland replaced him at the crucial time in the game and blew it.  Coughlin is crazed over this.  However, he has said that he has to get him right.  He stuck with Tiki Barber a decade ago and got him to carry the ball vertically instead of horizontally in order to fix his problems.  He will fix Wilson too.

Giovanni Bernard 4-22 yards and 1-8 receiving

Bernard was barely in the game plan.  Cincinnati lost.  It takes time for rookies to get used to pass protection.  When he does, he will take over.  Patience is a virtue.  Sit until it figures itself out.

Lamar Miller – 10 carries for 3 yards.

On CTW, we have been telling everyone who is on the Lamar Miller bandwagon to go carefully.  Miller moved up draft boards, but for no other reason that he was athletically talented.  He wasn’t picking up the blitz better or hitting the hole better.  He was just running faster in drills. You have to watch this situation.  Miller is SOOOO talented, but the Fins seem to like Daniel Thomas.  Sit until it figures itself out.

Trent Richardson – only 15 touches.  Only 47 yards. 

Just a tougher defense than the Browns thought.  Also without Josh Gordon they struggled on 3rd down converting only 1 of 14 attempts in the game.  Patience.

A Bradshaw – 7-26 yards – Not 100% yet. 

Keep sending him up.  His role will grow over the coming weeks.  Ballard is not that good.

Roddy White – 2-19 yards – Decoy

Roddy was barely cleared to play.  He was a decoy all day.  Watch the news and play accordingly.

Mark Ingram 9-11 yards

Too many mouths to feed in New Orleans and PT Bruiser is better blocker, pass protector and receiver.

Any Jets’ RB

Geno Smith had more rushing yards on only 6 carries (47) than Powell (29) and Ivory (15) combined in 22 carries (44). Nuff said.

Blain Gabbert - 121 – 2 INT

Gabbert broke his right thumb on August 17th and yesterday with 1:20 left in the game he banged the same hand on a player’s helping in the throwing motion.  He lacerated his hand and needed stitches.  So, to add insult to injury…he sucks!

So, that is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly for Week 1.

 
Rick Wolf, Co-Host of Colton & The Wolfman - Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio The Fantasy 100Rick Wolf is a leader in the fantasy sports industry. Wolf is a founding Board Member and one of only fifteen FSTA Hall of Famers including Bill James and Matthew Berry. Wolf’s career accomplishments include starting the fantasy sports division at SportsLine USA that became CBS SportsLine, incubating Rotoworld to become the #1 fantasy sports news site, and spearheading the sale of Allstar Stats/Rotoworld to NBC Sports in 2006.  With college friend and fellow Hall of Famer, Glenn Colton, the team has won 7 expert titles in baseball and football.Twitter: RickWolf1