We are two weeks into the season, and we're starting to get some clarity, which is always a good thing, whether it's good news or bad. The unknown and making important decisions involving the unknown make this hobby challenging. The more we know, the better off we are.
So What Do We Know? A Lot, Actually
The first three weeks of the season are my favorite. So much is being learned at this time. The cream is rising to the top. Opportunities are presented to players, and several have answered the bell with a successful first two games. Injuries are starting to mount at all positions. With every injury comes an opportunity for someone else to fill the void, and the cycle continues. Winning your league is about having key performers and knowing who to target before they rise to power. Although it's not a must, players on winning teams are generally more successful fantasy options.
- Teams that are 2-0: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Arizona, LA Rams, and San Francisco
- Teams that are 0-2: Miami, NY Jets, Cleveland, Tennessee, Kansas City, Carolina, New Orleans, Chicago, and NY Giants.
What Makes a Successful Running Back?
1. Opportunity - There is more of a chance to have success if the opportunity for carries is high. The following teams lead the way in rushing plays per game. You want to have running backs on these teams. These are also the backs you should target for proactive waiver claims, if available.
- 37.0 Buffalo (James Cook)
- 36.0 Philadelphia (Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby)
- 36.0 Indianapolis (Jonathan Taylor)
- 33.5 Atlanta (Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier)
- 31.0 San Francisco (Christian McCaffrey)
- 30.0 NY Jets (Breece Hall, Braelon Allen)
- 29.5 Jacksonville (Travis Etienne Jr., Bhayshul Tuten)
- 27.5 Green Bay (Josh Jacobs)
- 27.5 Seattle (Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet)
- 27.0 Denver (J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey)
- 26.5 Chicago (D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai)
- 26.5 Tampa Bay (Bucky Irving, Rachaad White)
The more plays a team runs, the greater the chance of having positive fantasy success. Understanding which teams run more plays per game and which teams run fewer will give us a better indication of which players to target when it comes to setting a lineup.
Total Plays Per Game
Teams in green run more plays per game, so naturally, the chances are higher for more production. The opposite is true for teams in red. Logic suggests you should tend to start players on teams in green and shy away from players on teams in red.
- 74.5 Buffalo
- 71.5 Cleveland
- 70.0 San Francisco
- 69.5 Dallas
- 69.0 Carolina
- 68.5 Indianapolis
- 68.0 New Orleans
- 67.0 Atlanta
- 66.5 Jacksonville
- 65.0 Washington
- 64.0 Tampa Bay
- 63.5 Chicago
- 63.5 NY Giants
- 63.5 Las Vegas
- 62.5 Denver
- 61.5 Detroit
- 61.5 New England
- 60.0 Philadelphia
- 59.5 Tennessee
- 58.5 LA Chargers
- 58.0 LA Rams
- 57.5 Kansas City
- 57.0 Cincinnati
- 57.0 Seattle
- 56.5 Pittsburgh
- 55.0 Green Bay
- 54.5 NY Jets
- 54.5 Arizona
- 51.5 Houston
- 51.5 Baltimore
- 49.0 Miami
- 47.5 Minnesota
Total Plays Allowed Per Game
These teams are allowing the most plays per game. It would stand to reason that you would want to target your players who are playing against the teams in green and shy away from players who are playing against the teams in red.
- 75.0 Baltimore
- 74.0 NY Giants
- 73.0 Arizona
- 70.5 Cincinnati
- 65.5 Seattle
- 65.0 Tennessee
- 65.0 Green Bay
- 64.5 Houston
- 64.5 New Orleans
- 63.5 Dallas
- 63.0 Jacksonville
- 63.0 Minnesota
- 63.0 Pittsburgh
- 62.5 NY Jets
- 62.5 Miami
- 62.5 Washington
- 61.5 LA Chargers
- 61.5 Las Vegas
- 61.0 Denver
- 60.5 LA Rams
- 60.0 Kansas City
- 58.5 San Francisco
- 58.5 Tampa Bay
- 57.0 New England
- 56.5 Philadelphia
- 55.5 Detroit
- 55.5 Carolina
- 53.5 Chicago
- 51.0 Cleveland
- 51.0 Atlanta
- 50.0 Indianapolis
- 48.5 Buffalo
Positive matchups favoring a high number of plays for Week 3 - Cleveland vs Green Bay is a favorable matchup for Cleveland. The Browns are in the top third in total plays per game, and the Packers are in the top third in total plays allowed per game. Other matchups to exploit include San Francisco vs Arizona, Indianapolis at Tennessee, New Orleans at Seattle, and Jacksonville vs Houston.
Negative matchups in terms of the number of plays for Week 3 - Miami at Buffalo, Pittsburgh at New England, Green Bay at Cleveland, NY Jets at Tampa Bay, Arizona at San Francisco, and Baltimore at Detroit.