This article is going to focus on five different fantasy football players that you should consider buying and/or starting after the initial slate of games, minus tonight’s matchups. I am not going to focus on matchups for next week when drawing conclusions here.
Instead, the focus is going to be on players that proved to fantasy owners that they can be counted on consistently throughout the remainder of the 2012 season. While it is hard to get a gauge after just one game, I plan to layout a reason for each.
5. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
I couldn’t have envisioned Peterson being able to come in and make an impact this shortly after tearing up his right ACL and MCL in December. No one could have possibly saw this coming. The best all-around running back in the National Football League just a couple seasons ago proved everyone wrong.
He scored two touchdowns and averaged nearly five yards a rush against what has to be considered an extremely underrated Jacksonville Jaguars defense. Peterson is definitely a RB1 in standard leagues at this point.
4. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
The second-year receiver out of Kentucky did a standup job against the San Francisco 49ers yesterday in the slot fo Aaron Rodgers and Co. He seems to have that yards after catch (YAC) ability that ends up leading to huge plays between the hashes.
It also doesn’t hurt that Green Bay has absolutely no running game to speak of. This is going to help Cobb acquire more targets and make a larger impact in 2012.
3. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
These isn’t the 49ers’ offense from last season. No, they are dramatically improved in terms of the passing game. Smith, who struggled finding wide receivers last season, couldn’t have done a better job against Green Bay on Sunday.
He targeted Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss and Mario Manningham a total of 17 times, they proceeded to come down with 15 receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown. Some pretty good numbers right there.
Expect Smith and Co. to open the offense up some more as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable with his shiny new weapons. It also doesn’t hurt that the improving quarterback now possesses the 49ers’ franchise record of most consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
2. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I have been rallying for you to pick up and start Martin since the fantasy draft season began a month ago or so. Some gloating here, but I couldn’t have been more right. The Boise State product accumulated nearly 120 total yards as Tampa Bay decided to hand him the rock much more than his counterpart LeGarrette Blount, who rushed the ball a total of three times.
Martin will give you fantasy points both on the ground and through the air. He will also be a three-down player moving forward.
1. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
I have been wrestling with Andrew Luck and RGIII in terms of making suggestions on who to start if the case should arise this season. Well, it seems that the reigning Heisman Trophy Award Winner has made the decision for me.
Washington might have been playing against a lackluster New Orleans Saints secondary, but his performance was amazing nonetheless. RGIII put up 362 total yards and two touchdowns, while not committing a single turnover.