The RotoWire Blog has been retired.

These archives exist as a way for people to continue to view the content that had been posted on the blog over the years.

Articles will no longer be posted here, but you can view new fantasy articles from our writers on the main site.

Week 2 Thoughts and Observations

Cam Newton didn't just own the rookie record for passing yards over his first two games - I imagine he owned the overall record for opening a season (854 yards). That is until Tom Brady (940) broke it that afternoon.

Ryan Mathews has top-10 upside even if Mike Tolbert stays healthy all year. He has top-1 upside if Tolbert were to get hurt.

Speaking of which - why are the Chargers ignoring Antonio Gates and throwing so many passes to the RBs? (27 receptions between Mathews and Tolbert over two weeks). In fact, Tolbert leads the NFL in receptions with 17.

Darren McFadden is a top-3 fantasy back, maybe No. 1 overall. Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy are the only others in the conversation right now.

Ben Tate leads the NFL in carries. I don't see Arian Foster getting his full time job back all year unless Tate gets hurt again, and even then, someone else might be in on the share.

Buy low on DeAngelo Williams - the environment is a big upgrade, he's healthy and they didn't give him all that money not to use him.

Did anyone really think Felix Jones and Reggie Bush were capable feature backs? Years of in-season data have to outweigh a few weeks in the preseason.

What an overreaction to preseason reports that Daniel Thomas was hesitant before hitting the holes. It's easy to imagine Thomas having a couple mediocre practice sessions, and some coach getting annoyed in earshot of a reporter. But people actually rearranged their draft boards drastically because of this and complained that we had Thomas way too high. I only regret that we moved him down at all.

Jeremy Maclin is healthy and looks like the Eagles No. 1 receiver (D-Jax will always be a big-play guy, but never a volume one). Of course, the presence of a healthy Michael Vick would help, but that system will make Maclin valuable no matter what.

Steve Smith is a top-15 receiver. Kenny Britt is top 10.

I don't know what to make of Matt Hasselbeck. Maybe being banged up and stuck in Seattle held him back, and he's going to re-emerge as a poor man's Kurt Warner (former Pro Bowl QB getting a second career act) in Tennessee.

John Kuhn is really making the James Starks/Ryan Grant question less interesting. Between him and Aaron Rodgers stealing some goal-line looks, there probably isn't top-10 upside for the GB feature back.

Matt Forte had more catches than the rest of the Bears' receiving corps combined. He also had 10 of the team's 12 carries. This is not sustainable, but I have no idea who will share the workload.

Shonn Greene had 16 rushes for 49 yards and a score and two catches for six years in a 32-3 blowout win at home over the Jaguars. He makes Cedric Benson and Willis McGahee look like upside plays.

I no longer know the difference between a top-five and top-15 tight end.